2020 NFL Mock Draft: First Edition

Here is the first edition of my 2020 NFL Mock Draft.

1. Cincinnati Bengals- Joe Burrow, Quarterback, LSU: After what was a breakout season which led to a Heisman Trophy, Burrow emerged as the favorite to go first overall in this upcoming draft. The Bengals probably want to move on from Andy Dalton and start fresh here with Burrow, who second year coach Zac Taylor could help develop into the franchise quarterback the team is looking for.

2. Washington Redskins- Chase Young, Defensive End, Ohio State: Young is the best player in this draft and he falls one spot due to the Bengals quarterback need. The Redskins need a lot of young talent on both ends of the ball and Young would have an immediate impact in the league chasing the likes of Dak Prescott, Carson Wentz, and Daniel Jones twice a season.

3. Detroit Lions- Jeff Okudah, Cornerback, Ohio State: This is an interesting spot because this is a spot where someone could trade up for a quarterback and the Lions could get a nice haul back. The Lions are a team that's in dire need of secondary help and Okudah is the best defensive back in the draft.

4. New York Giants- Andrew Thomas, Offensive Tackle, Auburn: The Giants have a ton of needs and what should be important to them is to address the offensive line so Daniel Jones could be protected and Saquon Barkley could find holes. Thomas is the best offensive lineman in the draft and he has potential to be an instant impact.

5. Miami Dolphins- Tua Tagovailoa, Quarterback, Alabama: Many people thought at this time six months ago we'd be writing this selection.... except in the number one spot. Tagovailoa drops to fifth obviously due to his hip injury he suffered in November that ended his college career. If he reaches his potential, the Dolphins get a steal here with the guy they've coveted for a year now.

6. Los Angeles Chargers- Justin Herbert, Quarterback, Oregon: Phillip Rivers's contract is up at the end of this season and there's speculation that they can make a run at free-agent-to-be Tom Brady. If Rivers retires and Brady doesn't come to town, then they can look to the draft to draft their quarterback of the future. Herbert is someone that could have declared last season but stayed at school one more season to try to improve his stock, but I feel that he would have been a first round pick last season too.

7. Carolina Panthers- Derrick Brown, Defensive Tackle, Auburn: The Panthers once had a great defense, but now it looks like a unit that needs reinforcements. Brown is somebody who's rare for his size, but always was a steady player in college and someone that could go in the top five.

8. Arizona Cardinals- Jedrick Wills Jr, Offensive Tackle, Alabama: The Cardinals are another team with a lot of needs this offseason in a really hard division and here they land a good lineman. Wills is someone that's stock rose this season and could be picked higher than this and someone as mobile as Kyler Murray needs protection badly and Wills should help the Cards bad offensive line.

9. Jacksonville Jaguars- Jerry Jeudy, Wide Receiver, Alabama: This would be a steal here for the Jags, who would get the best receiver prospect since Calvin Johnson over a decade ago. Outside of Leonard Fournette, the Jags don't have many skill position guys and Jeudy would help this offense regardless of who's at quarterback.

10. Cleveland Browns- Tristan Wirfs, Offensive Tackle, Iowa: What severely hurt the Browns the most in their disastrous 2019 season was their offensive line. Wirfs is somebody who had a dominant season in college and could slide at either tackle spot due to his versatility.

11. New York Jets- Cee Dee Lamb, Wide Receiver, Oklahoma: With Robbie Anderson being a free agent, the Jets suddenly have a need at wide receiver. Lamb is someone that has WR1 potential on any roster and he would make Sam Darnold better.

12. Las Vegas Raiders- Isaiah Simmons, Linebacker/Defensive Back, Clemson: The Raiders need more help on the defensive side of the ball and Simmons would be the ideal choice here. He has versatility and could help both the pass rush and the secondary, which makes Simmons an intriguing prospect.

13. Indianapolis Colts- AJ Epenesa, Defensive End, Iowa: The Colts have needs on both sides of the ball, so they should go with best player available who would be Epenesa here. Epenesa is someone that is great on the edge and the Colts need young blood in their pass rush, so this would be a nice match.

14. Tampa Bay Buccaneers- Yetur Gross-Matos, Defensive End, Penn State: The Bucs are a team that had a solid front seven last year, but some of their key guys from the unit will be free agents. Gross-Matos is someone that's stock has risen after a strong season in college and he would be a nice fit here.

15. Denver Broncos- Javon Kinlaw, Defensive Lineman, South Carolina: The Broncos obviously have Von Miller and Bradley Chubb on the edges, but putting someone like Kinlaw in the middle of
them would be tantalizing. Kinlaw could go higher than this due to his versatility and size.

16. Atlanta Falcons- CJ Henderson, Cornerback, Florida: Henderson is somebody who's coming off a solid season in college and someone I believe can start right away in the league. The Falcons have some nice corners, but they could use help in their secondary, so this would be a fine pick.

17. Dallas Cowboys- Grant Delpit, Safety, LSU: This would be a mega steal for the Cowboys considering Delpit was considered a top five pick before his injury this past season. The Cowboys biggest need is at safety and Delpit would make an immediate impact.

18. Miami Dolphins (from Pittsburgh Steelers)- K'Lavon Chaisson, Defensive End, LSU: The Dolphins could go in any direction with this pick and here I have them addressing their pass rush with Chaisson. He was a sack machine in college and could make an instant impact in the pros.

19. Las Vegas Raiders (from Chicago Bears)- Henry Ruggs IV, Wide Receiver, Alabama: The Raiders have an extra first due to the Khalil Mack trade and here I have them snagging a receiver that has a ton of potential. Ruggs was not even the top gun for Tua Tagovailoa in Alabama's offense so it should be interesting to see what he would turn out to be as a top option.

20. Jacksonville Jaguars (from Los Angeles Rams)- Kristian Fulton, Cornerback, LSU: The Jaguars secondary needs to be addressed after the trading of Jalen Ramsey, so they use the pick they got in the Ramsey deal from the Rams to somewhat replace him. Fulton is someone that has size and athleticism and was overshadowed in LSU's secondary due to the prescience of Grant Delpit.

21. Philadelphia Eagles- Tee Higgins, Wide Receiver, Clemson: The Eagles have two very noticeable weaknesses- wide receiver and cornerback. Howie Rossman decides to go with Higgins, who has the size, length, and athleticism to be a WR1. Higgins has been one of Trevor Lawrence's best targets over the past two seasons.

22. Buffalo Bills- Laviska Shenault, Wide Receiver, Colorado: What was noticeable in the Bills playoff defeat were two things: the offensive line needs help and Josh Allen needs more guys to throw to. Shenault is someone that has a ton of upside and has a lot of qualities to be an impact receiver.

23. New England Patriots- Jordan Love, Quarterback, Utah State: The last two seasons it has been noticeable that Father Time has caught up to Tom Brady, who is a free agent after this season and has publicly stated that he's not retiring. Whether Brady is back or not, the team should look to the future at the most important position in sports. Love is someone that is very raw and has high upside.

24. New Orleans Saints- Cole Kmet, Tight End, Notre Dame: The Saints could go in a number of directions with this selection, but here I have them taking who I feel is the best tight end in the draft. Kmet is someone who excels in blocking and is great in the passing game and that will help Drew Brees and that offense.

25. Tennessee Titans- Tyler Biadasz, Center, Wisconsin: Biadaz is the best interior lineman in this draft and the Titans snag him here at 25. Biadasz is someone that excels at blocking and will help Derrick Henry find more running lanes.

26. Minnesota Vikings- AJ Terrell, Cornerback, Clemson: The Vikings on paper have a solid defense, but the strength is their pass rush and their secondary isn't as good as it once was partly due to the fact Xavier Rhodes has had a rough season. Terrell is somebody that is big and physical and those are the types of defensive backs the Vikings like.

27. Miami Dolphins (from Houston Texans)- Austin Jackson, Offensive Tackle, USC: The Dolphins have a third first rounder courtesy of the Laremy Tunsil trade. With Tunsil gone, the Dolphins offensive line was a mess and Jackson is somebody that stood out this past season and could come in and start right away.

28. Seattle Seahawks- Raekwon Davis, Defensive Tackle/Defensive End, Alabama: The Seahawks could be facing major turnover on the defensive line due to possible free agent departures. Davis is someone that can come in and have an immediate impact due to his versatility, athleticism and size.

29. Kansas City Chiefs- Jonathan Taylor, Running Back, Wisconsin: The Chiefs could go in a number of directions with this selection and here I have them taking who I feel is the best running back in the draft. Taylor is someone that is an upgrade over their current running backs and could help Patrick Mahomes and that offense.

30. Green Bay Packers- Kenneth Murray, Linebacker, Oklahoma: The Packers do have a need at receiver, but I think snagging Murray here at another position of need is wise. Murray is a freak athlete who was a one man show with the Oklahoma Sooners for three years.

31. San Francisco 49ers- Paulson Adebo, Cornerback, Stanford: The 49ers secondary isn't great although Richard Sherman is still around and playing at a quality level. Adebo is someone who's athletic and can come in and help right away.

32. Baltimore Ravens- Terrell Lewis, Defensive End, Alabama: The Ravens really don't have that many needs, maybe a receiver, maybe offensive line, but they can use help rushing the passer. Lewis is somebody who is super talented and is an athletic freak.