2020 NFL Mock Draft Continued: Picks 17-32

Getty Denzel Mims & Jonathan Taylor are quietly solidifying themselves as late round 1 picks.

Four quarterbacks came off the board in the first half of our 2020 NFL mock draft, will another hear his name called before the conclusion of the first round? Plus, can combine standouts such as Jonathan Taylor and Denzel Mims solidify themselves as top-32 picks? 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. CJ Henderson | CB | Florida
   4. Byron Jones may very well be playing elsewhere in 2020. If Jones were to leave, Dallas has no one capable of playing outside along Chidobe Awuzie. Henderson checks off every box in terms of what you look for from a prototypical CB1.
   1. 18) Miami Dolphins
   2. K’Lavon Chaisson | EDGE | LSU
2. The Dolphins ranked dead last in sacks a season ago. Chaisson offers the most upside amongst all pass rushers not named Chase Young in this draft class.  Chaisson’s athletic traits are so unique that LSU even had him cover the slot at times during his college days.
   1. 19) Las Vegas Raiders
   2. Kenneth Murray | LB | Oklahoma
   4. 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. 1. 20) Jacksonville Jaguars
   2. Kristian Fulton | CB | LSU
   4. The Jags defense has become a shell of their once-dominant selves. AJ Bouye was recently shipped to Denver, leaving a major hole at corner. Kristian Fulton is a gritty man-to-man defender who will be needed in a division that features DeAndre Hopkins and AJ Brown.

1. 21) Philadelphia Eagles
2. Justin Jefferson | WR | LSU
4. Not many people made more money at this year’s combine than Justin Jefferson. His 4.43 forty likely cemented him as the WR4 in this year’s class. Jefferson’s ability to operate out of the slot as a big-bodied receiver is reminiscent of Carson Wentz’s BFF Jordan Matthews, but to another level.

1. 22) Buffalo Bills
2. Tee Higgins | WR | Clemson
4. 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. Grant Delpit | S | LSU
4. Grant Delpit has certainly seen his star dissipate quite a bit these past few months. However, this is a solid value for the once locked-in top-10 pick. Delpit is versatile enough to play the deep safety position, while also operating in the box when needed. Devin McCourty is an impending free agent, while Patrick Chung will be 33-years old at the start of next season.

1. 24) New Orleans Saints
2. Trevon Diggs | CB | Alabama
4. Eli Apple’s performance declined a season ago and he is now set to be a free agent, as is fellow corner PJ Williams. Saints can’t rely on a 31-year old Janoris Jenkins. Trevon Diggs is a fluid-hipped corner who happens to be the brother of Stefon Diggs, the culprit of the Miracle at Minnianapolis a few years back.

1. 25) Minnesota Vikings
2. Josh Jones | OT | Houston

If Diggs or Fulton drops to Minnesota they will have to think long and hard about scooping them up. For now, Josh Jones helps shore up the Vikings o-line, and will be capable whenever the team opts to part ways with 31-year old left tackle Riley Reiff, who’s contract is up following 2020.

1. 26) Miami Dolphins
2. Jonathan Taylor | RB | Wisconsin
4. Funny how one 40-yard dash can change the perception of a player, even one who rushed for more yards than any player in college football history through their junior season. Taylor has the makings of a bell-cow back and will serve as the perfect complement to whatever young quarterback the team decides to move forward with.

1. 27) Seattle Seahawks
2. Bryce Hall | CB | Virginia
4. Edge rusher is a pressing need for Seattle, regardless of what happens with Jadeveon Clowney, but cornerback is no sure thing as well. Tre Flowers posted a less than desirable 53.9 PFF grade this past season. Were Bryce Hall not injured in 2019, he’d likely be competing for the second CB to come off the board behind Okudah. Hall led the FBS in pass breakups in 2018. Expect to see him make a late rise up draft boards over the next month and a half.

1. 28) Baltimore Ravens
2. Yetur Gross-Matos | EDGE | Penn St.
4. Aside from Matt Judon, who could very well be playing elsewhere in 2020, no Ravens defender had more than five sacks a season ago. Gross-Matos offers tremendous length and position flexibility, having been moved around frequently along Penn State’s front-seven.

1. 29) Tennessee Titans
2. AJ Terrell | CB | Clemson
4. Logan Ryan will be a free agent, meaning the Titans need a corner opposite of Adoree’ Jackson. Terrell shined at the combine, posting a 4.42 forty, standing at 6’1”. He excels in man-to-man coverage and offers solid hip fluidity and footwork for a player of his height.

1. 30) Green Bay Packers
2. Denzel Mims | WR | Baylor
4. I would prefer Mims as a day-two selection, however, his stellar combine performance matched with the injury to Laviska Shenault Jr. may have propelled him to the bottom of round one. While the Packers are desperate for wideouts, fans may not want to hear that Mims’ measurements (6’3”, 207 lbs., 4.38 40-yard dash) are eerily similar to current Green Bay wideout MVS (6’4”, 206 lbs., 4.37 40-yard dash).

1. 31) San Francisco 49ers
2. Xavier McKinney | S | Alabama
4. Jimmie Ward played very well in 2019, but is set to hit the open market this free agency. McKinney is the top safety prospect in this class, and offers position flexibility similar to that of Ward, being able to move from safety to the slot seamlessly.

1. 32) Kansas City Chiefs
2. D’Andre Swift | RB | Georgia

This pick has been the quintessential “they’re good now but imagine if they got so and so” selection for a number of months. However, it’s beginning to look more and more possible, which is scary for the rest of the NFL, as Swift’s dual-threat abilities in the run and pass game seems to be the perfect match for the Patrick Mahomes-led offense in Kansas City.

RETURN TO: Round 1 Mock: Picks 1-16