Getty D'Andre Swift (L) & Jalen Hurts (R) are two of the biggest names still available entering Day 2
The 1st-Round of the 2020 NFL Draft is officially in the books. While plenty of teams landed potential franchise cornerstones on Day 1, there were more than a few head-turning selections, leaving numerous projected 1st-rounders still on the board as we enter Day 2.
Below we break down the top-15 best available players on our big board ahead of Round 2.
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Top-15 Best Available Players
1) Kristian Fulton | CB | LSU
We’re not surprised Fulton fell out of the 1st-Round. However, it’s certainly undeserving in our eyes. The disrespect on Fulton this draft season has been puzzling, to say the least. He was the second-highest graded CB in zone coverage in 2019 according to PFF. However, his best trait is his man-coverage abilities, evident by his 40 percent completion rate allowed over the past two seasons.
2) Jonathan Taylor | RB | Wisconsin
Clyde Edwards-Helaire was the surprise first, and only, back off the board thus far. While Taylor may not be the receiver the Chiefs first-rounder is, he’s the far superior runner of the football. From a collegiate dominance standpoint, Taylor belongs in the discussion amongst former top-10 backs such as Saquon Barkley and Ezekiel Elliott. He topped 1,900 rushing yards every season with the Badgers, while averaging 70 broken tackles per year per PFF. The former track star posted a 4.39 forty (fastest of all RBs). The one downfall is concern over wear and tear, as he touched the ball 968 times in just three years at Wisconsin.
3) Xavier McKinney | S | Alabama
Teams clearly didn’t value the safety position, as none came off the board in Round 1. McKinney has experience playing both safety positions and also has the ability to play over the slot. His best trait could very well be his high football IQ and he can serve as a quarterback on the back end of any defense. However, he doesn’t always blanket pass-catchers in coverage and has minimal interception production.
4) D’Andre Swift | RB | Georgia
Taylor may grade higher than Swift on our personal board, but the fact that KC passed over the Georgia product in favor of Edwards-Helaire was arguably the biggest shocker of the draft. Swift possesses elite vision for the position, and is a talented pass catcher, hauling in 56 receptions over his final two seasons at Georgia.
5) Josh Jones | OT | Houston
The much-hyped run on offensive tackles never happened on Thursday night, causing Jones to fall out of Round 1. Expect to hear his name called early on tonight. He’s a first-round tackle with exceptional upside. Jones graded out as one of the best pass-protectors in CFB the past two seasons according to PFF.
6) Tee Higgins | WR | Clemson
Higgins, who was once mentioned in the same breath as Jerry Jeudy and CeeDee Lamb, has the talent to develop into a high-end WR2, low-end WR1 in the pros. He can struggle at times with separation, but his catch radius is arguably top in the class.
7) AJ Epenesa | DL | Iowa
Epenesa’s was a potential top-10 pick when scouts went simply off of film. However, his limited athletic traits were on full display at the combine. Still, he’s highly productive and explosive in short areas. He’ll be a day one contributor in the NFL as long as a team doesn’t miscast him as an EDGE.
8) Bryce Hall | CB | Virginia
We are certainly a lot higher on Hall than most draft outlets. Hall suffered a broken ankle which cut his 2019 season short. However, the year prior he ranked as the FBS’ best cover corner, per PFF.
9) Ashtyn Davis | S | CAL
Davis has the chance of being a complete steal. He’s a former track star with elite recovery speed. He possesses plus-traits and still has room to develop as a player. Though he’s a bit spotty as a tackle, his range is highly impressive.
10) Trevon Diggs | CB | Alabama
Stefon Diggs was undervalued in draft circles when he came out. Now, his young brother has experienced the same fate. Trevon is a former wideout, whose ball skills carry over to the corner position. No one would have blinked an eye if he were drafted as the third CB off the board yesterday.
11) Michael Pittman Jr. | WR | USC
Pittman has elite ball skills. He was extremely productive during his time at USC, and is the son of a Super Bowl-winning father. He answered questions of athleticism at the combine. Pittman will play in the league for a long time. He has QB’s best friend written all over him.
12) Antoine Winfield Jr. | S | Minnesota
Like Pittman, Winfield is also the son of a former NFL player, a three-time Pro Bowler and former Jim Thorpe Award winner at that. Were he just two-inches taller, he would have likely heard his name called on Thursday. His instincts make up for his lack of size. He shows tremendous anticipation in coverage.
13) JK Dobbins | RB | Ohio St.
Big-time players make big-time plays in big-time games. No player lived up to that saying as much as JK Dobbins during his time at Ohio State. He’s got three-down back traits and is a bowling ball running between the tackles. His Sophmore film pales in comparison to his Freshman and Junior season.
14) Laviska Shenault Jr. | WR | Colorado
Shenault is looking more and more like this year’s DK Metcalf. The draft is an event based on value. For the longest time, Metcalf was overvalued. Until he fell, and kept falling. Ultimately he became a great value for the Seahawks at the end of Round 2 in 2019. Shenault has a limited route tree and lacks true receiver traits, but he’s one of the best playmakers in the draft with the ball in his hands.
15) Jalen Hurts | QB | Oklahoma
Hurts may never be an elite passer, and did most of his damage in college with his feet. However, that sounds eerily similar to the scouting report detailing Dak Prescott coming out of Mississippi State a few years ago. Now, Prescott is fresh off of a season in which he headed the number one offense in football. Hurts showed consistent improvement as a passer throughout his Alabama and Oklahoma career. His running prowess and high-end leadership will help him see the field early in his NFL career.
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