2020 NFL Mock Draft Combine Edition: Picks 17-32

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Georgia's D'Andre Swift

The NFL Draft season is officially upon us as the first day of on-field drills kick off on Thursday. Day one features quarterbacks, wide receivers, and tight ends all looking to climb draft boards with stellar testing.

Jordan Love still remains available after the first half of our mock has concluded. While no running back has yet to hear there name called. Where will the likes of D’Andre Swift and Jonathan Taylor land? Let’s find out.

RETURN TO: Round 1 Mock: Picks 1-16

2020 NFL Mock Draft (Picks 17-32)

1. 1. 17) Dallas Cowboys
   2. 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.
   1. 18) Miami Dolphins
   2. Andrew Thomas | OT | Georgia
   • The idea of Miami grabbing Thomas with their second of three first-round picks seemed unfathomable just a few weeks ago. However, with the rise of Wills and Becton, it now seems highly plausible. Thomas would be a steal at this spot and a much-needed addition for whoever will quarterback the Dolphins in the future.
   1. 19) Las Vegas Raiders
   2. Kenneth Murray | LB | Oklahoma
   • Vontaze Burfict was recently reinstated, but it’s not like he was dominating before his suspension. None of the three starting linebackers for Oakland in the final game of the season owned a PFF grade higher than 59.8. If this were the old Raiders, I would peg Patrick Queen as the pick here, but something tells me Mike Mayock will lean towards Kenneth Murray’s experience and extended production.
   1. 20) Jacksonville Jaguars
   2. 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.

1. 21) Philadelphia Eagles
2. 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.

1. 22) Buffalo Bills
2. 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.

1. 23) New England Patriots
2. K’Lavon Chaisson | EDGE | LSU

• The Patriots emphasize versatility. Not only does Chaisson posses arguably the highest upside from an edge rusher (not named Chase Young) in this class, he also lined up all over the field at LSU, even covering the slot at times.

1. 24) New Orleans Saints
2. 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.

1. 25) Minnesota Vikings
2. 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.

1. 26) Miami Dolphins
2. D’Andre Swift | RB | Georgia

• 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. D’Andre Swift offers the most high-end traits in both the running and passing game in this class from a running back.

1. 27) Seattle Seahawks
2. AJ Epenesa | DL | Iowa

• Jadeveon Clowney was a nice pickup for the Seahawks this past offseason, however, he struggled to stay healthy and is an impending free agent. He’s also been less than committal about a potential return to Seattle. Aside from him, the team lacks any semblance of a pass-rush. Epenesa was at one time perceived as a top-10 lock. While his stock has apparently dropped a bit, his stats in 2019 were the best of his career, and he registered double-digit sacks in consecutive seasons.

1. 28) Baltimore Ravens
2. Patrick Queen | LB | LSU

• The Ravens lack elite talent at the second level of their defense, evident by Patrick Onwuasor’s 49.2 PFF grade in 2019. Queen was just a one-year starter at LSU, but flashed the type of traits to be a difference-maker at the next level.

1. 29) Tennessee Titans
2. Julian Okwara | EDGE | Notre Dame

• 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. Okwara offers double-digit sack upside and was a tackles for loss maven during his time at Notre Dame.

1. 30) Green Bay Packers
2. Brandon Aiyuk | WR | Arizona St.

• No more Davante Adams or bust for the Packers. It’s painful to continually watch Aaron Rodgers operate an offense with such mediocre talent at wide receiver. Brandon Aiyuk is a bit slept on by mainstream media, but beloved in scouting circles. He also offers upside in the return game.

1. 31) San Francisco 49ers
2. Grant Delpit | S | LSU

• Jimmie Ward played very well in 2019, but is set to hit the open market this free agency. Grant Delpit struggled a bit with missed tackles this past season, but talent-wise is still a top-15 prospect in this class. He’d be a steal for the Niners at the end of round one.

1. 32) Kansas City Chiefs
2. Jonathan Taylor | RB | Wisconsin

• Players like D’Andre Swift and JK Dobbins, not Jonathan Taylor, seem to fall in line with what you would expect a Kansas City Chiefs running back to look like. However, Damien Williams isn’t going anywhere. He’s struggled in the run game but dominated in the playoffs as a receiver out of the backfield. What Kansas City needs is a hard-nosed runner who they can pound the rock with from time to time. Taylor is arguably the best runner of the football in this class.

RETURN TO: Round 1 Mock: Picks 1-16