2020 NFL Mock Draft Combine Edition: Picks 17-32

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Wisconsin RB Jonathan Taylor

Five quarterbacks came off the board in the first half of our 2020 NFL mock draft. However, no running back has yet to hear their name called. Will D’Andre Swift and Jonathan Taylor each sneak into the back half of the first round? 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. Henry Ruggs | WR | Alabama
   4. No Miami wide receiver not named DeVante Parker had more than 43 receptions or three touchdowns. Henry Ruggs was the fastest player over the past three NFL combines. His game-breaking ability would be much welcomed to one of the league’s worst passing attacks.
   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. 20) Jacksonville Jaguars
   2. Trevon Diggs | CB | Alabama
   4. AJ Bouye was just shipped to Denver. 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. 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. K’Lavon Chaisson | EDGE | LSU
4. 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. Brandon Aiyuk | WR | Arizona St.
4. Eventually, New Orleans will need to fill their WR2 role opposite of Michael Thomas. Aiyuk is a playmaker with the ball in his hands who has running back traits in the open field. He also offers upside in the return game.

1. 25) Minnesota Vikings
2. Kristian Fulton | CB | LSU
4. Trae Waynes and Mackenzie Alexander are both impending free agents. Xavier Rhodes is a shell of himself, and Minnesota will likely look to move on from him this offseason. Kristian Fulton answered speed questions at the combine, clocking in at 4.46. He would team up with former first-round pick Mike Hughes, giving the Vikings a young, talented duo on the outside.

1. 26) Miami Dolphins
2. Josh Jones | OT | Houston
4. D’Andre Swift certainly makes sense here, evident by their placement in our top-5 landing spots column for the Georgia RB. However, what makes even more sense is protecting whichever young quarterback Miami decides to snag in this draft. Josh Jones is unheralded mainly due to where he went to college, but PFF has had him ranked as one of the country’s top tackles over the past two seasons.

1. 27) Seattle Seahawks
2. AJ Epenesa | DL | Iowa
4. 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
4. 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. Yetur Gross-Matos | EDGE | Penn St.
4. 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. Gross-Matos offers double-digit sack upside and showed his explosion at the combine, ranking 4th amongst all d-linemen in the vertical.

1. 30) Green Bay Packers
2. Zack Baun | LB | Wisconsin
4. Packers fans likely want a receiver, and either Jalen Reagor or Laviska Shenault Jr. would be a major get for the GB offense. However, linebacker is just as much, if not more of a need. We all saw Raheem Mostert gash the Packers defense these past playoffs. Baun can play inside or outside and has been compared to former Packers great Clay Matthews.

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. Jonathan Taylor | RB | Wisconsin
4. This was our surprise pick before the combine occurred. Taylor’s 4.39 40-yard dash will only help the cause of hearing his name called in the first round. 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 is in KC to man the passing down work. 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