Like Derrik had pointed out, we have already done our “first” mock draft of the season. That was however, before the draft order was finalized with the Chiefs winning the Super Bowl. Now with the draft order set and certain individuals returning to school, we can finally proceed with the first mock draft.
With our mock drafts, it is hard to do, but we don’t allow trades so teams can’t move up and down the order on TFTB’s mock drafts. So we have to play it by ear for these mock drafts which makes it a little bit more fun because we really don’t know what the results will be or how close we will get to them.
Here we go though. My first “official” 2020 NFL Mock Draft.
| 1.) Cincinnati Bengals | Joe Burrow (QB/LSU) |
| 2.) Washington Redskins | Chase Young (DE/Ohio State) |
| 3.) Detroit Lions | Jeffery Okudah (CB/Ohio State) |
| 4.) New York Giants | Jedrick Wills (OT/Alabama) |
| 5.) Miami Dolphins | Tua Tagovailoa (QB/Alabama) |
| 6.) Los Angeles Chargers | Justin Herbert (QB/Oregon) |
| 7.) Carolina Panthers | Derrick Brown (DT/Auburn) |
| 8.) Arizona Cardinals | Andrew Thomas (OT/Georgia) |
| 9.) Jacksonville Jaguars | Isaiah Simmons (LB/Clemson) |
| 10.) Cleveland Browns | Tristan Wirfs (OT/Iowa) |
| 11.) New York Jets | Mekhi Becton (OT/Louisville) |
| 12.) Las Vegas Raiders | CeeDee Lamb (WR/Oklahoma) |
| 13.) Indianapolis Colts | A.J. Epenesa (DE/Iowa) |
| 14.) Tampa Bay Buccaneers | Javon Kinlaw (DT/South Carolina |
| 15.) Denver Broncos | Jerry Jeudy (WR/Alabama) |
| 16.) Atlanta Falcons | K’Lavon Chaisson (DE/LSU) |
| 17.) Dallas Cowboys | Xavier McKinney (S/Alabama) |
| 18.) Miami Dolphins | Josh Jones (OT/Houston) |
| 19.) Las Vegas Raiders | Kenneth Murray (LB/Oklahoma) |
| 20.) Jacksonville Jaguars | Kristian Fulton (CB/LSU) |
| 21.) Philadelphia Eagles | Henry Ruggs III (WR/Alabama) |
| 22.) Buffalo Bills | Tee Higgins (WR/Clemson) |
| 23.) New England Patriots | Jacob Eason (QB/Washington) |
| 24.) New Orleans Saints | Jordan Love (QB/Utah) |
| 25.) Minnesota Vikings | C.J. Henderson (CB/Florida) |
| 26.) Miami Dolphins | D’Andre Swift (RB/Georgia) |
| 27.) Seattle Seahawks | Trevon Diggs (CB/Alabama) |
| 28.) Baltimore Ravens | Patrick Queen (LB/LSU) |
| 29.) Tennessee Titans | Zack Baun (LB/Wisconsin) |
| 30.) Green Bay Packers | Laviska Shenault Jr. (WR/Colorado) |
| 31.) San Francisco 49ers | A.J. Terrell (CB/Clemson) |
| 32.) Kansas City Chiefs | Jonathan Taylor (RB/Wisconsin) |
Who Drafted Who and Why?
1.) Cincinnati – Why Joe Burrow?
- Flat out Burrow is the best quarterback in the draft. Cincy would be stupid to pass him up considering Dalton will be gone and the Ryan Finley experiment not working out. Look for Burrow to go there and start and make an immediate impact on this dwindling franchise.
2.) Washington – Why Chase Young?
- With Burrow off the board, the next best prospect in this entire draft class is Chase Young. Having Ron Rivera as a new head coach with his defensive schemes makes this a no brainer for the Redskins. Put him alongside Montez Sweat and watch them work.
3.) Detroit – Why Jeffery Okudah?
- Okudah is the best corner in this draft class. The Lions desperately need help and Darius Slay can’t do it all. Draft Okudah and put him on the other side to help this Lions secondary out.
4.) New York (G) – Why Jedrick Wills?
- Originally I had Thomas in this position, but looking back on it I am taking Wills instead. Re-watching some highlights and everything just made me realize this dude was in a league of his own and nothing is more important right now than protecting Daniel Jones.
5.) Miami – Why Tua Tagovailoa?
- This is the pick Miami needs to find their true quarterback. We know he isn’t completely healthy yet so sit him under Ryan Fitzpatrick for a year and let him learn from a veteran. If he needs to play he should be ready to go though representing the Dolphins if something happens to Fitzpatrick.
6.) Los Angeles (C) – Why Justin Herbert?
- With the Chargers and Philip Rivers parting ways it only makes sense to take Herbert as the quarterback of the future for the Chargers. If things go my way he will have another veteran in front of him on the charts until he retires and then Herbert can become the true “G.O.A.T”.
7.) Carolina – Why Derrick Brown?
- Brown is a nice steal for Carolina who will be in the rebuilding process this offseason. Having his ability and knowing other teams need certain things makes this great for Carolina who need incredible help after Luke Kuechly’s early retirement.
8.) Arizona – Why Andrew Thomas?
- With Wills off the board, the Cardinals take Andrew Thomas to protect Kyler Murray. Thomas is a big bodied guy and his blocking ability is very good. With Murray being sacked too many times, Thomas could bring life into a poor offensive line.
9.) Jacksonville – Why Isaiah Simmons?
- Truthfully, I don’t know whether Simmons will play linebacker or safety at this point, but he is too much of a talent to skip for Jacksonville who are in desperate need of some defensive help. Also, with Telvin Smith unlikely to return this just seems smart for the Jaguars.
10.) Cleveland – Why Tristan Wirfs?
- Cleveland stunk this year and a lot of it fell on the offensive line not protecting Baker Mayfield. So draft Wirfs who is a great offensive tackle to do that. That way Baker can make less mistakes and get the ball to the weapons they got last year.
11.) New York (J) – Why Mehki Becton?
- My original mock had the Jets looking elsewhere other than offensive tackle, but looking now that was a dumb decision and Mehki Becton falls right into their laps. Get Darnold the protection he needs to throw downfield or protect Bell on the run to get the ground game going.
12.) Las Vegas – Why CeeDee Lamb?
- The Raiders need a new weapon for Derek Carr to throw the ball to. Tyrell Williams has had his injuries and Antonio Brown… well was Antonio Brown. With them moving to Vegas, look for them to pick up Lamb to be a key playmaker to bring in crowds as the best wideout in this class.
13.) Indianapolis – Why A.J. Epenesa?
- Epenesa goes down a few spots, but that is nothing against him. He is the number two defensive end in this draft class and like I said last time, it is never too early to find a replacement for Justin Houston. Get him in there and improve this Indianapolis defense.
14.) Tampa Bay – Why Javon Kinlaw?
- Kinlaw was near bottom of my last mock, but he has surfaced as an elite option for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Why him and not a quarterback? I believe the Bucs will bring in Rivers to play opening a new door for the Bucs to walk through and dominate on the defensive side of the ball once again.
15.) Denver – Why Jerry Jeudy?
- Jeudy is an amazing receiver and should be drafted to the Broncos if everything goes according to plan. The Broncos have found their quarterback Drew Lock. Now it is time to get him a new weapon. Sutton and Fant are great, but they were targeted too often and having Jeudy out there could mean big things for this offense.
16.) Atlanta – Why K’Lavon Chaisson?
- K’Lavon Chaisson is an excellent option for Atlanta here. They are in desperate need of a pass rusher. They suffered huge injuries last season and in the end crumbled until the near end of it. Having Chaisson on this squad would boost them immensely.
17.) Dallas – Why Xavier McKinney?
- Dallas has been trying to get the safety position right for a while now and it just hasn’t gone in their favor. After failing to get Earl Thomas last year sucked and now they finally get it right in Alabama’s Xavier McKinney. Kid has great talent and should help Dallas tremendously.
18.) Miami – Why Josh Jones?
- Now that you have the quarterback it is time to protect him. Miami would be a fool to pass up on Josh Jones who has shown some up and come in draft boards. Whether it is Tua and Fitzpatrick, this kid should do well protecting them.
19.) Las Vegas – Why Kenneth Murray?
- The Raiders have been trying to solve the linebacker mystery for a while now. No longer will that be an issue with their second Sooner draft pick; Kenneth Murray. Kid looks like he is angry all the time when plays and I like that intensity when he plays for a ferocious organization like the Raiders.
20.) Jacksonville – Why Kristian Fulton?
- The Jaguars need to find a replacement for Jalen Ramsey. Fulton is an excellent pick for trying to find that element. The guy had 61 tackles and about two picks over his college career so while he might not be shutdown ready yet he can certainly learn the system and prove his worth.
21.) Philadelphia – Why Henry Ruggs III?
- Originally, I had Tee Higgins going here, but the more I thought about it he would be best fit for Philly. Imagine Doug Marone coming up with ways to use this kid in the offseason with his speed. He would be like how Samuel was used in San Francisco. Outstanding pick here for Philly.
22.) Buffalo – Why Tee Higgins?
- Higgins does find himself a home in Buffalo though. The problem with the offense this past year was Josh Allen had thrown a lot of balls over the heads over the receivers. The solution would be to draft a tall receiver in Higgins. Having him would be a wonderful experience for Josh Allen to show off more of his skills with a new weapon.
23.) New England – Why Jacob Eason?
- While I thought Georgia’s Fromm might be good here originally it is a growing theme that he might be a second or third round quarterback instead of first round. An easy fix though as the Patriots take Jacob Eason from Washington instead. The kid is tall and provides a good option for New England to consider with Tom Brady more than likely leaving New England.
24.) New Orleans – Why Jordan Love?
- Love has gotten a lot of (pun intended) love in recent draft boards and while I had him very high in my last one, I have him going to the Saints. Brees is near the end of his road and with Bridgewater as the only quarterback ready to go if that happens it would be wise to draft Love could have great success.
25.) Minnesota – Why CJ Henderson?
- The Vikings are in a pickle with the cornerback position and need to find success in drafting one since Xavier Rhodes was hot garbage last season. Florida’s Henderson could provide huge upside for the position and finally bring meaning back to the Minnesota secondary.
26.) Miami – Why D’Andre Swift?
- Swift still has a home in Miami from my way too early mock, but just a bit lower because the offensive tackle position was in more demand than the running back position. Swift would provide a strong push to a terrible run attack that was led by Ryan Fitzpatrick last season.
27.) Seattle – Why Trevon Diggs?
- The legion of boom got shredded last season in the secondary so why not draft Trevon Diggs to help eliminate the problem. The defense with him in it would be a lot better shutting receivers down so this seems like a pretty simple one to me.
28.) Baltimore – Why Patrick Queen?
- Queen might not be on most mock drafts for the first round, but the Ravens need a linebacker and he is the best available. The LSU product should thrive in Baltimore’s system alongside a lot of defensive threats to strengthen it.
29.) Tennessee – Why Zack Baun?
- Originally I had Gross-Matos here, but I don’t trust the hazing situation that he was involved in at Penn State for a first round spot. He will go, but not right away. So the team moves to its next need in linebacker. Zack Baun from Wisconsin is an excellent choice. The kid provides a strong defensive mind and could help Tennessee out a lot and provide excellent leadership qualities as well.
30.) Green Bay – Why Laviska Shenault Jr?
- Weapons. That is what Aaron Rodgers needs if he is ever going to make another trip to the Super Bowl. Laviska is a great option for Green Bay as they can finally find another target besides Davante Adams or Aaron Jones for Aaron Rodgers to throw the ball to.
31.) San Francisco – Why A.J. Terrell?
- While Richard Sherman is a great corner and he did well this season (other than the Super Bowl) it might be a good idea to get his replacement for down the road. He is getting up there in age and drafting Clemson’s A.J. Terrell would be an excellent choice with his athletic ability.
32.) Kansas City – Why Jonathan Taylor?
- The Chiefs could do a lot with this pick. They most likely will trade back, but since we don’t do trades here at Thoughts From The Bench, I decided to give them Jonathan Taylor. The kid did phenomenal with 6,174 rushing yards and 40 rushing touchdowns in his college career. With the running backs hurt or fumbling the ball a lot last season, expect Taylor to do extremely well for the Chiefs organization.
thoughtsfromthebench.com 