Getty JK Dobbins of Ohio State & Patrick Love of LSU
The NFL Draft season is officially upon us with the Senior Bowl practice week coming to an end, and the not all so important game kicking off today.
Four quarterbacks came off the board in the first 13-picks of the first-round, can yet another signal-caller sneak his way into the latter end? Plus, where will National Champions Justin Jefferson and Patrick Queen land? Let’s find out.
- 2020 NFL Draft Positional Rankings
- Big Board
- [Top 50]
- Offense
- [ QB | RB | WRs & TE | OT & IOL]
- Defense
- [EDGE & DL | LB | DB]
RETURN TO: Round 1 Mock: Picks 1-16
2020 NFL Mock Draft (Picks 17-32)
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- 17) Dallas Cowboys
- Xavier McKinney | S | Alabama
- Dallas missed out on Earl Thomas last offseason. Xavier McKinney is the top safety in the class and would serve as an immediate upgrade over Jeff Heath and/or Xavier Woods.
- 18) Miami Dolphins
- Tristan Wirfs | OT | Iowa
- Wirfs is arguably the best lineman in the draft. The only reason he would fall this far is the lone fact that he played predominantly on the right side at Iowa. However, if Miami does indeed select Tua with their first pick, he would be the ideal person to protect the left-handed quarterback’s blindside.
- 19) Oakland/LV Raiders
- Patrick Queen | LB | LSU
- Vontaze Burfict’s days in the NFL seem to be numbered. None of the three starting linebackers for Oakland in the final game of the season owned a PFF grade higher than 59.8. Queen’s National Championship game performance and upside may push him above Kenneth Murray.
- 20) Jacksonville Jaguars
- Trevon Diggs | CB | Alabama
- Tre Herndon is a nice player, but he’s not the answer opposite AJ Bouye in Jacksonville. Trevon Diggs is the brother of Minnesota Vikings WR Stefon Diggs. Trevon is a fluid-hipped corner who stands at 6’2”, giving Jacksonville the size they lost when trading away Jalen Ramsey.
- 21) Philadelphia Eagles
- Laviska Shenault Jr. | WR | Colorado
- When you have a practice squad signee/former college quarterback serving as your WR1 in your offense, it’s safe to say that it’s time to upgrade the position. Shenault Jr. is essentially a running back with the ball in his hands, and will automatically improve the NFL’s 20th ranked yards after catch receiving corps in football. In many ways, he’d be able to do a lot of what Jeremy Maclin did for Philadelphia back in the day.
- 22) Buffalo Bills
- Tee Higgins | WR | Clemson
- Josh Allen showed great promise in his second NFL season. While John Brown and Cole Beasley played exceptionally in 2019, their ceiling is only so high. Higgins elevated his game this past season, claiming the WR1 spot from likely 2021 first-rounder Justyn Ross.
- 23) New England Patriots
- Grant Delpit | S | LSU
- Grant Delpit seemed like a top-five lock prior to the season. If Derwin James taught us anything, it’s that you shouldn’t base everything off a prospect’s final season. Delpit is a versatile playmaker who can help in the run game, but also defend as a deep safety.
- 24) New Orleans Saints
- Justin Jefferson | WR | LSU
- New Orleans has seemingly been looking for a WR2 opposite Michael Thomas for years. A season ago it was Dez Bryant, this year they’ve even entertained the thought of kicking the tires on Antonio Brown in hopes of slightly shifting the coverage away from Thomas. How about the hometown kid? Jefferson is a plus-route runner, who improved tremendously as a complete receiver this past season.
- 25) Minnesota Vikings
- CJ Henderson | CB | Florida
- Xavier Rhodes has become a shell of himself. A player who was once avoided at all costs is now the preferred target on the Vikings defense. A case could be made that no corner in this draft offers more high-end traits than Henderson. Mike Hughes has proven unable to stay healthy, while Trae Waynes has been average at best during his time in Minnesota.
- 26) Miami Dolphins
- Jonathan Taylor | RB | Wisconsin
- Is this an idiotic pick? Maybe. Maybe all running backs go to die in Miami. Kenyan Drake will likely attest to that sentiment. However, Patrick Laird and Myles Gaskin are not going to get the job done in the Dolphins backfield. Jonathan Taylor has the capabilities of being a true workhorse back in the NFL.
- 27) Seattle Seahawks
- Javon Kinlaw | DL | S. Carolina
- Jadeveon Clowney was a nice pickup for Seattle this past offseason, however, he’s struggled to stay healthy and is an impending free agent. Aside from him, the team lacks any semblance of a pass-rush. How about teaming him up with another South Carolina product? Kinlaw, while mainly an interior lineman, produced a superb 90.7 pass-rushing grade in 2019.
- 28) Baltimore Ravens
- Yetur Gross-Matos | EDGE | Penn St.
- No Ravens player not named Matt Judon had more than five sacks in 2019, and Judon is set to hit free agency. Gross-Matos is long edge defender with the ability to line up in a multitude of alignments.
- 29) Tennessee Titans
- K’Lavon Chaisson | EDGE | LSU
- Tennessee possesses one of the most hard-nosed, tough defensive units in all of football. However, they could stand for an upgrade on the edge of their defense. No Titans player recorded more than five sacks in 2019. Chaisson is one of the most explosive players off the edge in the entire class.
- 30) Green Bay Packers
- Kenneth Murray | LB | Oklahoma
- Raheem Mostert’s NFC Conference Championship performance should tell you all you need to know about the Packers linebackers. Murray offers the most range of any stand-up backer in the class.
- 31) Kansas City Chiefs
- JK Dobbins | RB | Ohio St.
- Damien Williams may score touchdowns, and offer upside in the passing game, but he’s not a viable RB1 in this league. JK Dobbins, on the other hand, has the chance to be special. Dobbins is a three-down back, and one that can take the already lethal Chiefs offense to astronomical levels.
- 32) San Francisco 49ers
- Jeff Gladney | CB | TCU
- Ahkello Witherspoon seems to have mostly fallen out of favor in San Francisco, after being benched numerous times this season. Richard Sherman has been brilliant, but will be 32 years of age come 2020.
RETURN TO: Round 1 Mock: Picks 1-16