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USA Today Sports Media Group

Sport

Luke Easterling

2020 NFL mock draft: Early 2-round projections

College football’s “Week Zero” is in the books, and gridiron faithful everywhere are champing at the bit for more action. This weekend’s full slate of games will be a welcome sight after yet another long offseason.

For us, mock drafts and prospect evaluation never have an offseason. That being the case, let’s take an early look at how the first two rounds of next year’s draft could shake out:

*draft order determined by latest Super Bowl odds

1. Miami Dolphins | Tua Tagovailoa | QB | Alabama

I believe Josh Rosen can be Miami’s franchise quarterback, but the odds clearly don’t agree. While Rosen still has plenty of promise, I seriously doubt the Dolphins would pick anything other than a quarterback if they ended up with this pick. If he’s able to stay at full strength for the whole season, Tagovailoa should cement himself as this year’s top passer.

2. Washington Redskins | Andrew Thomas | OT | Georgia

Washington already has their quarterback of the future in Dwayne Haskins, but they need to give him some help. That could come in the form of Alabama wide receiver Jerry Jeudy here, but with Trent Williams not expected back, finding a franchise left tackle to replace him should be the priority. Thomas has all the makings of an elite protector.

3. New York Giants | Jerry Jeudy | WR | Alabama

This year, the Giants traded one of the NFL’s best wide receivers, despite him being in his prime. Living up to the legend of Odell Beckham, Jr. is a tall task, but if there’s anyone that can do it, it’s Jeudy. His combination of explosiveness and route-running ability would give Daniel Jones a valuable weapon at every level of the field.

4. Cincinnati Bengals | Justin Herbert | QB | Oregon

The Andy Dalton era failed to bring any sustained success to Cincy, and next offseason will be the perfect opportunity to start over at the game’s most important position. Herbert could have been one of the first passers off the board in this year’s draft, but returned to school for a chance to sharpen his skill set. If he keeps improving, he should be a top-five lock.

5. Arizona Cardinals | Tristan Wirfs | OT | Iowa

Kyler Murray is a dynamic talent, and the Cardinals have some promising playmakers around him at the skill positions. But if this year’s No. 1 overall pick is going to live up to his full potential, he’ll need more help up front. Talented trench players coming out of Iowa should be no surprise, and Wirfs is one of the best in recent memory.

6. Tampa Bay Buccaneers | Chase Young | EDGE | Ohio State

Offensive tackle is a more pressing need, but with two of them already off the board, the Bucs have better value elsewhere. Even if Jason Pierre-Paul is able to return from a neck injury he sustained in a car accident this offseason, he’ll be 31 next season, and one of the team’s most expensive players. If a game-wrecker like Young falls to them here, he’s a no-brainer pick.

7. Detroit Lions | Grant Delpit | S | LSU

There are many different directions the Lions could go here, but a defensive coach like Matt Patricia has to be looking for playmakers on that side of the ball. He’d get a rare one in Delpit, a versatile weapon who can make plays all over the field, and just might be the best overall prospect in this entire draft class.

8. Buffalo Bills | A.J. Epenesa | EDGE | Iowa

Speaking of head coaches with a defensive background, Sean McDermott ends up in a similar situation to Patricia and the Lions here. You can never have too many talented pass rushers, and even in a rotational role last year, Epenesa was one of the nation’s most dominant. This year, he’ll get a full workload to prove himself worthy of a top-10 pick.

9. Denver Broncos | Dylan Moses | LB | Alabama

This defense already has one of the NFL’s best pass-rushing tandems in Von Miller and Bradley Chubb, but they need another stud at the heart of their defense to pair with Josey Jewell. Moses is the latest in a long line of elite linebacker prospects to come out of Tuscaloosa, and he’s got perennial All-Pro written all over him.

10. New York Jets | Kristian Fulton | CB | LSU

Despite being one of their biggest positions of need, the Jets failed to address their problems are cornerback in a meaningful way this offseason. That should leave them targeting one of next year’s top prospects at the position, and in this scenario, they get their pick of the litter. Fulton could have been a fairly early pick in this year’s draft, but should improve his stock with a successful 2019 campaign in Baton Rouge.

11. Indianapolis Colts | Jake Fromm | QB | Georgia

After the shocking news of Andrew Luck’s retirement, the Colts are now a surprising addition to the league’s pool of QB-needy teams. Jacoby Brissett is set to become a free agent next offseason, which means the team could opt for a younger, cheaper option than signing him to an extension. Fromm still has some rough edges to smooth out in his game, but he has all the tools to develop into a franchise passer.

12. Tennessee Titans | Tyler Biadasz | OL | Wisconsin

If the Titans end up picking this high, I’d be shocked if Marcus Mariota were returning on a lucrative extension. That said, there’s not a quarterback left on the board worth taking here. The best value comes at a position that may surprise some, but while there’s never such a thing as a “safe pick” in any draft, Biadasz is as close as you’ll find in this class.

13. Carolina Panthers | Raekwon Davis | DL | Alabama

Gerald McCoy was a fantastic addition to an already talented defensive line, but the Panthers should be looking for a young understudy to groom behind the Pro Bowl veteran. Davis is still more potential than polished product, but his rare combination of size, athleticism and physicality would make him a perfect fit here.

14. Seattle Seahawks | Walker Little | OT | Stanford

The mission for the Seahawks in every draft remains the same: Protect Russell Wilson at all costs. Seattle has a solid stable of running backs and some dynamic pass-catchers, but improving the protection has to be the team’s top priority. Little is a well-rounded prospect who excels as both a pass protector and a run blocker.

15. San Francisco 49ers | Bryce Hall | CB | Virginia

Richard Sherman is still one of the league’s most physical corners, but the 49ers need to think about adding a younger player with a similar skill set who can learn from his experience. Hall could have been an early pick in this year’s draft, but a strong 2019 campaign could put him in the conversation as the top corner off the board in 2020.

16. Oakland Raiders | Laviska Shenault | WR | Colorado

The Raiders have bigger needs on both sides of the ball, but with multiple first-round picks, they can afford to prioritize pure value and talent with this pick. If a complete pass-catcher like Shenault is still on the board here, the Raiders would be wise not to pass him up.

17. Baltimore Ravens | D’Andre Swift | RB | Georgia

The league’s most dynamic rushing attack has a veteran in Mark Ingram and a promising rookie in Justice Hill to go with Lamar Jackson, but that shouldn’t keep them from taking next year’s best back. It’s hard to find a flaw in Swift’s game at this point, and while many teams would shy away from spending an early pick on a running back, this offense would make it worth the investment.

18. Houston Texans | Trey Adams | OT | Washington

Poor Deshaun Watson. One of the league’s most promising young quarterbacks has arguably the league’s best wide receiver, and it won’t matter until the Texans build a somewhat respectable offensive line. Until that happens, the Texans need to keep taking the best blocker available until they find five of them that can get the job done.

19. Atlanta Falcons | Derrick Brown | DL | Auburn

It’s hard to find too many glaring holes in this roster, but adding another disruptive force to interior of the defensive line would make sense. Brown isn’t the most polished defensive tackle in this class, but he’s got all the physical tools to develop into a blue-chip starter.

20. Jacksonville Jaguars | CeeDee Lamb | WR | Oklahoma

If Nick Foles is going to live up to the hefty payday he got from the Jags this offseason, he’s going to need more playmakers. Thankfully for him, next year’s draft class should be loaded with talented pass-catchers, giving them a chance to land a fantastic value like Lamb this late in the first round.

21. Pittsburgh Steelers | Albert Okwuegbunam | TE | Missouri

Even with the departure of Antonio Brown, the Steelers still have a talented group of wide receivers, but they could use a dynamic target at tight end to replace Jesse James. Okwuegbunam is a matchup nightmare for opposing defenses thanks to his combination of size and athleticism.

22. Minnesota Vikings | Brandon Jones | S | Texas

Mike Zimmer loves adding dynamic playmakers on defense, and he could use another one on the back end to pair with Harrison Smith. Jones is a missile of a defender who is just as comfortable breakup up passes as he is getting his hands dirty in the box.

23. Green Bay Packers | Tee Higgins | WR | Clemson

There’s no shortage of promising youth among Green Bay’s receiving corps, but you can never give Aaron Rodgers too many weapons. Higgins is the latest in a long line of big, athletic pass-catchers to come out of Death Valley, and he would make an immediate impact with Rodgers feeding him the ball.

24. Los Angeles Chargers | Shaquille Quarterman | LB | Miami (FL)

Finding an eventual successor for Philip Rivers is a priority, but in this scenario, there’s no a quarterback prospect worthy of first-round consideration still on the board. Instead, the Bolts add a big, physical linebacker who packs a punch on every snap.

25. Dallas Cowboys | Jabari Zuniga | EDGE | Florida

DeMarcus Lawrence is a stud, but the Cowboys are still waiting for Taco Charlton to live up to his first-round expectations. If he fails to do that in 2019, don’t be surprised if Dallas spends their top pick on his replacement. Zuniga proved in the season-opener against Miami what he’s capable of doing to opposing offenses.

26. Cleveland Browns | Mekhi Becton | OT | Louisville

For all the (warranted) hype surrounding the Browns this offseason, the ghost of Joe Thomas still looms large in Berea. Finding a quality left tackle in this draft should be Cleveland’s top priority, and this year’s class should be incredibly deep. Becton would be a solid value here, as the Browns pick later than we’ve seen in years.

27. Philadelphia Eagles | Yetur Gross-Matos | EDGE | Penn State

The Eagles have built a strong roster on both sides of the ball, giving them a chance to reload with some young depth at any given position with this pick. Pass rushers are premium for a reason, and adding another one like Gross-Matos to groom behind veteran Brandon Graham would be a wise use of this pick.

28. New Orleans Saints | CJ Henderson | CB | Florida

The Saints already have one of the league’s best corners in Marshon Lattimore, but they could use an upgrade on the other side of the field. Henderson still needs to improve his effort and effectiveness in run support, but his size and cover skills alone should make him a first-round selection.

29. Los Angeles Rams | Rashard Lawrence | DL | LSU

This roster is built to make another run at the Super Bowl, but if there’s a missing link, it’s the hole left behind by Ndamukong Suh at the heart of the defensive line. Lawrence has the massive frame, nasty playing style, and versatility to be the perfect fit here.

30. Oakland Raiders (from CHI) | Isaiah Simmons | LB | Clemson

After opting for value over need earlier in the first round, the Raiders use this pick to improve their biggest area of need on defense. Simmons will be viewed as a ‘tweener by many, but his athleticism, explosiveness and playmaking ability will translate to the next level, no matter where he lines up.

31. New England Patriots | Paulson Adebo | CB | Stanford

This defense desperately needs to get younger in the secondary, both at corner and safety. In this scenario, the best value is at the former, where the Pats land an athletic cover man in Adebo, who has all the physical and mental skills to be a quality starter from Day 1.

32. Kansas City Chiefs | Travis Etienne | RB | Clemson

The NFL’s best teams get (and stay) on top by prioritizing talent and value over pure need. The Chiefs get both here in Etienne, who is a mismatch machine on every snap, and a threat to score every time he touches the ball. Adding him to this offense would be just unfair.