Final 2020 NFL Mock Draft: Is Tua Tagovailoa Destined to Fall Outside Top-10?

After much anticipation, the 2020 NFL Draft is finally upon us, airing Thursday. There’s still a handful of lingering questions, from whether Tua Tagovailoa will fall outside of the top-10, to how much of a factor Jerry Jeudy’s knee concerns will play into his draft stock.

We answer all those questions and more in our final 2020 NFL Mock Draft.

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2020 NFL Mock Draft: Round 1

1. POS. Ranks: [QB | RB | WR | OL | EDGE/DL | LB | CB/S]

1. 1) Cincinnati Bengals
2. Joe Burrow | QB | LSU 

Not much to say here, Joe Burrow was the pick for Cincinnati in our initial mock of the offseason, he’s still there now. The Heisman Trophy winner is your number one overall draft pick, book it.

1. 2) Washington Redskins
2. Chase Young | EDGE | Ohio State

Chatter about the Falcons trying to move up to this spot has begun to swirl. However, Washington appears bullish to stay put. That likely means they are set on Chase Young as their guy at number two.

In terms of a potential QB, Ron Rivera appears content with a combo of Dwayne Haskins and Kyle Allen, the latter of which he recently noted may potentially having “a leg up” on earning the starting job.

1. 3) Detroit Lions
2. Jeff Okudah | CB | Ohio State

The Lions brought in Desmond Trufant in free agency, but he’s not enough. Okudah is the top cover corner in the class and will come in handy working in a division with the likes of Adam Thielen, Davante Adams, and Allen Robinson.

1. 4) New York Giants
2. Tristan Wirfs | OT | Iowa

According to one league source close to ESPN’s Jordan Raanan, “Dave Gettleman is going to take a tackle.” We agree. I believe New York would like to trade out of this spot and should likely have many suitors come Thursday night. Jedrick Wills is most definitely in play here, while the Isaiah Simmons talk has died down a bit.

Wirfs is an athletic specimen who will be a plug-and-play option on the right side of the Giants offensive line.

1. 5) Miami Dolphins
2. Tua Tagovailoa | QB | Alabama

I’m taking a leap of faith and believing in the fact that Miami has had their eye on Tua for years. The Dolphins clearly want a blue-chip offensive tackle, and a player like Mekhi Becton may pique their interest.

However, the fact that the Dolphins medical team appears to be signing off on his health, along with Ryan Fitzpatrick’s presence allowing Tua to slowly work his way back, all makes too much sense.

1. 6) Los Angeles Chargers
2. Justin Herbert | QB | Oregon

The Chargers have everything, stud pass-catchers, a talented defense, and gorgeous uniforms. Now they just need a quarterback and an offensive tackle.

Herbert’s upside is too good to pass up for a team set to rely on Tyrod Taylor in hopes of returning them back to their playoff ways.

1. 7) Carolina Panthers
2. Isaiah Simmons | LB | Clemson
4. The new Panthers head coach was once quoted as stating “If you’re going to miss, miss fast,” in regards to recruiting players.

Well, it doesn’t get much faster than Isaiah Simmons on the defensive side of the ball, who’s certainly not a miss in our books. Carolina finds their replacement to Luke Kuechly and lines him up next to a player in Shaq Thompson that he’s been widely compared to.

1. 8) Arizona Cardinals
2. Jedrick Wills Jr. | OT | Alabama

Kyler Murray may be banging the table for his former college teammate CeeDee Lamb, but protecting their quarterback should be goal number one in Arizona.

Jedrick Wills Jr. does just that, as he allowed just one sack in his Bama career. Wills and DJ Humphries give the Cards solid bookend tackles for years to come.

1. 9) Jacksonville Jaguars 
2. Derrick Brown | DT | Auburn

Calais Campbell no longer calls Duval County home, while Yannick Ngakoue is as good as gone. The Jaguars need to rebuild their once-feared defensive front. No prospect plays with more tenacity than Derrick Brown.

Brown has all-pro potential, and the frame to develop into a feared pass-rusher on the interior.

1. 10) Cleveland Browns
2. Andrew Thomas | OT | Georgia 

The Browns added tackle Jack Conklin in free agency, but that still leaves a vacancy on the left side of their line. They fill that void with Thomas, who at one point was the near-consensus top tackle on most boards.

1. 11) New York Jets
2. Mekhi Becton | OT | Louisville

The Jets could use a receiver, but this is Adam Gase we’re talking about. He’d prefer to win with Albert Wilson-type talents. So they opt for the next best thing, protection for Sam Darnold.

The Jets allowed the fourth-most sacks in football a season ago.

1. 12) Las Vegas Raiders
2. CeeDee Lamb | WR | Oklahoma

CJ Henderson may entice Las Vegas here, especially since the Eli Apple deal fell through. Yet, Lamb’s a superior talent in our books, at a position of need for the Raiders.

Henry Ruggs III seems like the quintessential Raider pick, but Lamb’s skillset better suits quarterback Derek Carr’s play style.

1. 13) San Francisco 49ers 
2. Henry Ruggs | WR | Alabama

Speaking of Ruggs, he finds himself landing in the perfect scenario. Ruggs in Kyle Shanahan’s system will be scary. The 49ers already have Deebo Samuel to work the underneath, now they have Ruggs and his 4.27 speed to take the top off of defenses.

1. 14) Tampa Bay Buccaneers
2. Josh Jones | OT | Houston

Tom Brady has all the weapons he could ask for, now all Tampa Bay has to do is protect him. Jones will come off the board earlier than some expect. The Houston product allowed a QB pressure on just 1.2% of his snaps in 2019, lower than every tackle selected ahead of him in this mock. 

1. 15) Denver Broncos
2. Jerry Jeudy | WR | Alabama

Jeudy has seen his stock fall a bit. We will ultimately see how concerned teams are regarding his knee come Thursday night. In our eyes, he’s the clear-cut WR1. To land him outside the top-10 is a steal. Teaming him up with Courtland Sutton gives Drew Lock a lethal duo to develop with.

1. 16) Atlanta Falcons
2. CJ Henderson | CB | Florida

There’s a good chance Atlanta moves up to acquire Henderson. In our no-trade mock, they stay put and grab a corner who has jumped Jeff Okudah on many boards.

1. 17) Dallas Cowboys
2. K’Lavon Chaisson | EDGE | LSU

Henderson would have been a great pick here for Dallas. Javon Kinlaw should likely be the pick here based on the talent left on the board. However, Chaisson’s blend of length and athleticism off the edge may be too enticing for Jerry Jones to pass up.

1. 18) Miami Dolphins
2. Austin Jackson | OT | USC

If the Dolphins roll the dice on Tua, they’ll need to protect him. Miami allowed the most sacks in football a season ago. They’re going to need more than just the signing of Ereck Flowers to improve their o-line. Jackson’s upside is as high as any tackle in the class.

1. 19) Las Vegas Raiders
2. Trevon Diggs | CB | Alabama

The Raiders addressed the wide receiver position with their first pick. Now, they come back around and grab a star wide receiver’s brother with the 19th-pick. Diggs is extremely athletic and comes from a winning program, something we all know Mike Mayock is surely fond of.

1. 20) Jacksonville Jaguars
2. AJ Terrell | CB | Clemson

The Jaguars secondary is a shell of themselves. AJ Bouye and Jalen Ramsey are both gone. Terrell has the length and upside to develop into a CB1 in Jacksonville.

1. 21) Philadelphia Eagles
2. Justin Jefferson | WR | LSU

The Eagles need at wide receiver is no secret. They can only sign Jordan Matthews off his couch so many more times. Jefferson is as reliable of a receiver as there is in this class, and will immediately develop into one of Carson Wentz’s favorite targets.

1. 22) Minnesota Vikings
2. Jalen Reagor | WR | TCU

Minnesota has a glaring hole at receiver since the Stefon Diggs trade. Reagor’s game speed is as good as any eligible prospect and he will help stretch the field for Kirk Cousins and company.

1. 23) New England Patriots
2. Javon Kinlaw | DL | S. Carolina

The rich get richer. It may not be a quarterback like many are hoping for, but the Pats land a player who in a few years may be looked at as the best interior defender from his class. Kinlaw hasn’t received any PFF pass-rushing grades below 88.7 in two straight seasons.

1. 24) New Orleans Saints
2. Jaylon Johnson | CB | Utah

Corner isn’t a dire need for New Orleans, but relying on Janoris Jenkins, who will be 32-years-old by mid-season, is probably not in their best interest. Johnson is a big-framed corner with plus-ball skills.

1. 25) Minnesota Vikings
2. Jeff Gladney | CB | TCU

Xavier Rhodes and Trae Waynes both walked in free agency. Gladney is a bit undersized, but extremely talented. He makes plays all over the field, something Minnesota’s secondary is in great need of.

1. 26) Miami Dolphins
2. Xavier McKinney | S | Alabama

The Dolphins replace a former Alabama safety (Minkah Fitzpatrick)with a fellow Crimson Tide alumn. McKinney will step in day one and become the quarterback of Miami’s secondary.

1. 27) Seattle Seahawks
2. Yetur Gross-Matos | EDGE | Penn St.

Where Jadeveon Clowney plays football next season is anyone’s guess. Whether he re-signs with Seattle or not, the Seahawks still have a need on the edge of their defense. No Seahawks defender recorded more than four sacks in 2019.

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

The Ravens secondary is big-time, while the addition of Calais Campbell up front gives Baltimore a lethal defensive line. Queen has the type of upside to take the Baltimore defense over the top.

1. 29) Tennessee Titans
2. Isaiah Wilson | OT | Georgia

The Titans are one of the more difficult teams to mock for. They have an extremely well-rounded roster, while their needs don’t exactly line up with the board. I’ll roll with Wilson here as he’s the highest-graded pure right tackle in my ranks. He would serve as a replacement to Jack Conklin.

1. 30) Green Bay Packers
2. Kenneth Murray | LB | Oklahoma

Denzel Mims is a favorite for this pick. However, I can’t get the thought of Raheem Mostert gashing the Packers defense in the playoffs time and time again out of my mind. For that reason, Green Bay shores up their linebacking corps.

1. 31) San Francisco 49ers
2. Noah Igbinoghene | CB | Auburn

Richard Sherman will be a 33-year-old free agent following the 2020 NFL season. Ahkello Witherspoon has not lived up to his draft status. Igbinoghene is a late-riser and has extremely aggressive man-to-man skills. He has upside to develop to a real star, having played the position for just two seasons.

1. 1. 32) Kansas City Chiefs
   2. Cesar Ruiz | C | Michigan

   Austin Reiter is entering the final year of his contract in Kansas City and could be upgraded upon. Ruiz is the top interior lineman in the class.

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