The Chargers opted against drafting Tua Tagovailoa with the sixth-overall pick. Could they decide to move back into the first-round to find their quarterback of the future? Find out in the second half of our first-round 2020 NFL Mock Draft.
RETURN TO: Round 1 Mock: Picks 1-16
NFL Mock Draft (Picks 17-32)
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- 17) Dallas Cowboys
- Javon Kinlaw | DL | S. Carolina
- Cornerback is clearly a need here, but Kinlaw may be too talented to pass up. Over his final two seasons at South Carolina, he didn’t record a PFF pass-rushing grade below 88.7.
- 18) Miami Dolphins
- Xavier McKinney | S | Alabama
- The Dolphins ranked dead last in sacks a season ago. However, they’ve signed Kyle Van Noy and Shaq Lawson this offseason, likely taking them out of the edge defender market. They can now focus on shoring up their back end by finding a replacement for Minkah Fitzpatrick in a fellow Alabama alumn.
- 19) Las Vegas Raiders
- Kristian Fulton | CB | LSU
- Cornerback is the most glaring need here for Las Vegas, something that became even more evident once the Eli Apple signing fell through.
- Fulton is one of my personal favorite prospects, yet some have seemingly soured on him in recent months. Let’s not forget that according to Pro Football Focus Fulton forced 34 incompletions over the past two seasons, tied for the most of any defender in this draft class.
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- 20) Jacksonville Jaguars (VIA LAR)
- K’lavon Chaisson | EDGE | LSU
- The Jaguars continue to beef up their defensive front after willingly moving on from dominant playmakers. If Jacksonville trades away Yannick Ngakoue as we expect, they will need to find a replacement on the edge of their defense. Chaisson offers arguably the most upside of any edge defender not named Chase Young in this draft class.
- 21) Atlanta Falcons (Trade w/ PHI)
- Jaylon Johnson | CB | Utah
Atlanta may have missed out on CJ Henderson, but they land a solid consolation prize in Johnson. The former Utah standout is climbing draft boards rapidly and gives the Falcons the type of big-bodied, physical corner they need to compete in the vaunted NFC South.
- 22) Minnesota Vikings
- Jalen Reagor | WR | TCU
- Did Jalen Reagor really run a legitimate 4.22 forty at his mock pro day? Does it really matter? The guy’s fast. Really, really fast. That type of speed will come in handy for the Vikings across from Adam Thielen as they are currently hurting for a replacement to Stefon Diggs.
- 23) New England Patriots
- AJ Epenesa | DL | Iowa
- Many expect/hope the Patriots go quarterback here. So of course, they grab a defensive lineman, off a poor combine showing, who seems to be falling down boards. Epenesa is not an athletic freak, but he’s a versatile defender who can dominate both on the edge and on the interior, something that Bill Belichick will certainly approve of.
- 24) New Orleans Saints
- Justin Jefferson | WR | LSU
- Emmanuel Sanders is now a Saint, but he faded down the stretch with San Fran last season. Even if he finds his former form in New Orleans, the Saints need to continue to expand their offense from Alvin Kamara and Michael Thomas or bust.
- 25) Minnesota Vikings
- AJ Terrell | CB | Clemson
Xavier Rhodes and Trae Waynes are gone. Whether that’s a good thing for Minnesota is up to interpretation. However, it’s clear they need to add talent in a secondary that allowed the third-most completions in football a season ago.
- 26) Miami Dolphins
- Austin Jackson | OT | USC
- The Dolphins allowed the most sacks in football a season ago. They need to protect whichever young quarterback they decide to draft early on. Jackson is a bit raw and had his fair share of lapses during his USC days, but his upside is off the charts.
- 27) Seattle Seahawks
- Yetur Gross-Matos | EDGE | Penn St.
- Whether Jadeveon Clowney ultimately returns to Seattle or not this offseason, edge rusher will still remain a pressing need for the Seahawks. Rasheem Green led the team in sacks in 2019 with a meager four.
Gross-Matos accounted for 9.5 sacks at Penn State last season and offers double-digit sack upside at the next level.
- 28) Baltimore Ravens
- Patrick Queen | LB | LSU
- Giving Lamar Jackson another receiving option here would be much applauded. However, Chris Board and LJ Fort are currently penciled in as the Ravens’ starting inside backers, which is not going to cut it for a team with Super Bowl aspirations.
- Patrick Queen is an athletic freak with unlimited potential. Him roaming behind a defensive line consisting of Calais Campbell, Derek Wolf, and Brandon Williams should be a sight to behold.
- 29) Los Angeles Chargers (Trade w/ TEN)
- Jordan Love | QB | Utah St.
- Tennessee possesses arguably one of the most talented, well-rounded rosters in all of football. This allows them to move out of the first round, trading back with the Chargers to number 37-overall.
The Bolts grab their offensive tackle of the future in Tristan Wirfs with the sixth-overall pick, and now they move back into the latter part of round one and find their potential franchise quarterback.
- 30) Green Bay Packers
- Kenneth Murray | LB | Oklahoma
- We all witnessed the atrocity that was the Packers defense attempting and failing to stop Raheem Mostert play after play in this past season’s playoffs. To make matters worse, Blake Martinez is also no longer in Green Bay.
The Packers find the quarterback of their defense in Kenneth Murray, whose sideline to sideline playmaking abilities are second to none in this class.
- 31) San Francisco 49ers
- Jeff Gladney | CB | TCU
- Jimmie Ward returning to San Francisco eliminates safety as a pressing need. However, cornerback Akhello Witherspoon must be upgraded, while Richard Sherman will be a 33-year old free agent come this time next year.
- 32) Kansas City Chiefs
- Noah Igbinoghene | CB | Auburn
A running back here such as D’Andre Swift would make the Chiefs already lethal offense unfathomable. Yet, after losing Kendall Fuller in free agency, they may be best served to address their secondary.
Igbinoghene is quickly rising boards and may shock people with how early he actually goes come draft time.
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2020 NFL Mock Draft Round 1 Continued: Picks 17-32