Amidst the chaos of the sports world almost being completely shut down, the 2020 edition of NFL Free agency was one of the most exciting in recent memory. A number of teams have already shown they are all in on competing in 2020 and perhaps more have shown they may already have their eyes set on bottoming out for a better draft pick in 13 months’ time. This 2020 NFL mock draft reflects all of the latest moves from the NFL landscape.<\/p>\n
Per usual, money was flying around but the number of stars switching jerseys felt larger than usual. One of the best receivers in the entire NFL, DeAndre Hopkins<\/a><\/strong>,\u00a0 found himself shipped to Arizona<\/a> to become the newest teammate of reigning Offensive Rookie of the Year Kyler Murray<\/a><\/strong> and Todd Gurley<\/a><\/strong>, an MVP candidate just two seasons ago, is now headed east to Atlanta<\/a> to hook up with Matt Ryan<\/a><\/strong>. Perhaps the biggest fish of all and most successful quarterback of all time, Tom Brady<\/a><\/strong>, will also look a little different than usual when he suits in Buccaneers red to begin the 2020 season<\/a>.<\/p>\n Free agency is the NFL event that has the largest effect on the draft outside of where teams end their season. Filling needs through free agency is a lot easier than via the draft, but deciphering if a player is worth their demanded salary is far more complicated. There is also the added ripple that if you strike out in free agency, there is not necessarily an available player with the ability to fill the same hole.<\/p>\n This is a three-round mock draft of the players and fits that could be filling roster spots when the 2020 NFL season opens up in September.<\/p>\n The Bengals are keeping A.J. Green<\/a><\/strong> and are giving the soon-to-be number-one overall pick a nice new set of receiving weapons for his rookie season. Having a safety blanket like Green as well as a blooming receiver like Tyler Boyd<\/a><\/strong>, should make Burrow’s new job a lot easier. Jonah Williams<\/a><\/strong> will also be healthy, giving Burrow a fairly ideal situation to step into — at least for a team that finished dead last in the NFL in 2019.<\/p>\n It’s easy to forget that Washington drafted a pass rusher just a year ago but Young and Montez Sweat<\/a><\/strong> could be a necessary duo to have in the NFC East. The Dallas offensive line is one of the best in football, the Eagles drafted Andre Dillard<\/a><\/strong> in the first round last year and the Giants are more than likely going to take a tackle with their fourth-overall selection in 2020. There’s a good chance that both Young and Sweat could register 10+ sacks next season for Washington.<\/p>\n The Lions dealt their best corner<\/a>, Darius Slay<\/a><\/strong>, to the Eagles and already had a pressing need at corner. Okudah is the best corner in the class and should become the next cornerstone on defense for Matt Patricia<\/a><\/strong>. He won’t completely fix the Lions secondary but he shows the potential to be a number-one corner in the NFL.<\/p>\n The Giants added one of everything in free agency, spending upwards of $90 million on new players. Cameron Fleming<\/a><\/strong> was the only tackle added by the Giants but he has never started more than seven games in a single season. He should be a good backup but Wills should be a cornerstone of the offense for the next decade. Wills showed incredible production at Alabama and has shown even more athleticism throughout the draft process. He should be locked in as OT1 as of now.<\/p>\n The Dolphins added 10 new names in free agency and yet, the best thing that could’ve happened to them was having a quarterback leave their division. With Brady now a Buc, Tagovailoa has a chance to be the best quarterback in the AFC East in maybe under two-years time. Miami is doing a lot to assemble a competitive team as soon as possible and Tagovailoa could be the centerpiece.<\/p>\n With the Chargers missing out on the Tom Brady sweepstakes, they are still a quarterback short of a competitive team. Ian Rapoport has reported that Los Angeles will no longer pursue a veteran quarterback in free agency<\/a> but Tyrod Taylor<\/a><\/strong> is not a long term option. Herbert has the experience, starting all-four years at Oregon, and could be the tool that allows the Chargers to look more like the 2018 team than the 2019 team. Tom Telesco<\/a><\/strong> has done a great job in free agency and Herbert may be the final piece to a potential AFC West contender.<\/p>\n The buzz around the NFL seems to be that the Panthers are fully committed to punting away the 2020 season in pursuit of Trevor Lawerence<\/a><\/strong>, but they are more than just a quarterback away from competing again. Simmons is debatably the second-best player in the entire draft and would become the new identity of the Panthers defense, succeeding Luke Kuechly<\/a><\/strong>. The Panthers need both help at safety and linebacker.<\/p>\n The Cardinals shook the football world by acquiring DeAndre Hopkins but their weakest position group, the offensive line, still remains unaddressed. Wirfs’ ability to effortlessly move his feet and get the second level would make him a huge contributor in Kliff Kingsbury<\/a><\/strong>‘s air raid offense. He’s an athletic monster and would be a needed cornerstone for protecting Kyler Murray.<\/p>\n Jacksonville’s defensive line used to be one of the strongest position groups in the NFL but over the past two weeks, has shallowed out. Trading Calais Campbell<\/a><\/strong> to the Ravens and declining Marcell Dareus<\/a><\/strong>‘ 2020 option leaves the Jaguars with a huge hole on the defensive line. Brown is a hulking defensive tackle at 6’5″ 326 lbs and both an incredible run stopper and disrupter up the middle. Brown and Josh Allen<\/a><\/strong> could become the two players that help revitalize the defensive line in Jacksonville.<\/p>\n The Browns made one of the biggest splashes in free agency in 2020, locking up Jack Conklin<\/a><\/strong> to a three-year(s)\/$42 million deal<\/a>. Conklin was one of the best right tackles in football last season but the Browns are still short a tackle on the left side. Cleveland still looks like they’re gearing up to contend in 2020 and Thomas should be a plug-and-play left tackle next season. Andrew Berry<\/strong> needs to continue to use resources on an offensive line that badly needed to improve after 2019.<\/p>\n The Jets added three new offensive linemen via free agency but the unit is still far from a finished product. Adding Becton would only further the process of protecting Sam Darnold<\/a><\/strong>. The former-Cardinal is a mountain of a man and could benefit from a year of sitting behind new signee and veteran George Fant<\/a><\/strong>. You can’t teach size and Becton has that and then some.<\/p>\n Mike Mayock<\/a><\/strong> and Jon Gruden<\/a><\/strong> continued their goal of rehauling the Raiders in free agency but didn’t add a big name receiver due to the lack of quality on the open market. Jeudy showed the potential in college to become a true number-one receiver and would give Derek Carr<\/a><\/strong> a necessary pair of sure hands. The wide receiver class is maybe the deepest in Draft history and Jeudy could be the best of the bunch.<\/p>\n With the Niners receiving this selection in the<\/a> DeForest Buckner<\/a><\/strong> trade, taking his replacement could be a slam dunk — especially if it’s Kinlaw. San Francisco’s best position group was their defensive line and Kinlaw would come in and keep the unit scary as ever. John Lynch<\/a><\/strong> loves using draft picks on the defensive line and the Niners get the best pass-rushing interior defensive lineman in the draft.<\/p>\n Now that the Bucs have Tom Brady, they could be looking for offensive line help — especially on the left side. However, with the top-four already off the board, McKinney helps beef up the secondary. The Tampa secondary has been a revolving door over the past few seasons and McKinney can fill multiple holes. He played everywhere in the secondary at Alabama and would be a day-one starter for the Bucs.<\/p>\n The Broncos have made it known that they’re very interested in Henry Ruggs but if Lamb is on the board, he’d likely be the pick. Lamb is a top-two receiver in the class and would form one of the best young receiving duos in the NFL alongside Courtland Sutton<\/a><\/strong>. Both receivers can do a little bit of everything.<\/p>\n The Falcon’s spent the 2019 draft and 2020 free agency adding pieces around Matt Ryan but they need to allocate some resources to the defensive side of the ball. Drafting Henderson fills a big need by adding depth and quality to a very shallow position group. He’s maybe the most athletic corner in the class and has the length and natural ball skills to be a number-one corner in the NFL.<\/p>\n With the way the Cowboys off-season is playing out, they are going to have to get creative finding good players. Signing<\/a> Ha Ha Clinton-Dix<\/a><\/strong> gives the Cowboys a short term option at free safety but Delpit could be the long term answer. He’s the best single high safety in the class and fly’s to the ball when he’s on the field. Delpit’s stock might be slipping but his ceiling is still incredibly high.<\/p>\n The Dolphins have a lot of roster issues on both sides of the ball but getting a player like Chaisson who can play multiple positions would be a great addition. He is can set the edge, drop back in coverage, rush the passer from as a standup-linebacker, and has an explosive first step. Miami finished 2019 with the least sacks in the NFL (23.0) and adding versatile pieces like<\/a> Chaisson and Kyle Van Noy<\/a><\/strong> allows Brian Flores<\/a><\/strong> to get creative.<\/p>\n The Raiders surprisingly only added one player in the secondary via free agency after giving up the eighth-most passing yards in the NFL. Fulton was one of the most effective corners in all of college football over his 24 games at LSU. He soundly did a great job against SEC wide receivers and could be the shut-down corner the Raiders have been trying to find for a long time.<\/p>\n With A.J. Bouye<\/a><\/strong> being shipped to Denver for a fourth-round pick, the Jaguars corner depth looks significantly shallower than it did just a season ago. Diggs is still learning the corner position but has shown leaps in improvement over the past two years. He has both the ideal length and athletic ability for a press-man corner in the NFL. It’s hard to fill the shoes of Jalen Ramsey<\/a><\/strong> but Jacksonville has to start looking for a long-term replacement.<\/p>\n The acquisition of Darius Slay addressed one of the two large holes on the Eagles depth chart. Howie Roseman<\/a><\/strong> is now likely looking to take the best receiver available off the board with his team’s first-round pick. Ruggs is a burner and probably the most athletic receiver in the draft. After having little presence over the top in 2019, Carson Wentz<\/a><\/strong> would love to have another player with DeSean Jackson<\/a><\/strong>-like deep threat ability.<\/p>\nThree Round 2020 NFL Mock Draft<\/h2>\n
Round 1<\/strong><\/h3>\n
1.\u00a0Cincinnati Bengals<\/span><\/a>\u00a0\u2013\u00a0Joe Burrow<\/b><\/span><\/a>\u00a0(LSU) \u2013 Quarterback<\/span><\/h4>\n
2. Washington Redskins<\/span><\/a>\u00a0\u2013\u00a0Chase Young<\/b><\/span><\/a>\u00a0(Ohio State) \u2013 Edge<\/h4>\n
3.\u00a0Detroit Lions<\/span><\/a> \u2013<\/span>\u00a0Jeffrey<\/b>\u00a0Okudah<\/b><\/span><\/a>\u00a0(Ohio State) \u2013 Cornerback<\/span><\/h4>\n
4.\u00a0New York Giants<\/span><\/a>\u00a0\u2013\u00a0Jedrick Wills Jr.<\/b><\/span><\/a>\u00a0(Alabama) \u2013 Offensive Tackle<\/span><\/h4>\n
5.\u00a0Miami Dolphins<\/span><\/a>\u00a0\u2013\u00a0Tua Tagovailoa\u00a0<\/b><\/span><\/a>(Alabama) \u2013 Quarterback<\/span><\/h4>\n
6.\u00a0Los Angeles Chargers<\/span><\/a>\u00a0\u2013\u00a0Justin Herbert<\/b><\/span><\/a> (Oregon) \u2013 Quarterback<\/span><\/h4>\n
7.\u00a0Carolina Panthers<\/span><\/a> \u2013<\/span>\u00a0Isaiah Simmons<\/b><\/span><\/a>\u00a0(Clemson) \u2013 Linebacker\/Safety<\/span><\/h4>\n
8.\u00a0Arizona Cardinals<\/span><\/a> \u2013\u00a0<\/span>Tristan Wirfs<\/b><\/span><\/a>\u00a0(Iowa) \u2013 Offensive Tackle<\/span><\/h4>\n
9.\u00a0Jacksonville Jaguars<\/span><\/a> \u2013<\/span>\u00a0Derrick Brown<\/b><\/span><\/a>\u00a0(Auburn) \u2013 Defensive Tackle<\/span><\/h4>\n
10.\u00a0Cleveland Browns<\/span><\/a> \u2013\u00a0<\/span>Andrew Thomas<\/b><\/span><\/a>\u00a0(Georgia) \u2013 Offensive Tackle<\/span><\/h4>\n
11.\u00a0New York Jets<\/span><\/a> \u2013\u00a0<\/span>Mekhi Becton<\/b><\/span><\/a>\u00a0(Louisville) \u2013 Offensive Tackle<\/span><\/h4>\n
12.\u00a0Las Vegas Raiders<\/span><\/a> \u2013<\/span>\u00a0Jerry Jeudy<\/b><\/span><\/a>\u00a0(Alabama) \u2013 Wide Receiver<\/span><\/h4>\n
13. <\/span>San Fransisco 49ers<\/span><\/a> (via <\/span>Indianapolis Colts<\/span><\/a>) \u2013\u00a0<\/span>Javon Kinlaw<\/b><\/span><\/a>\u00a0(South Carolina) \u2013 Defensive Tackle<\/span><\/h4>\n
14.\u00a0Tampa Bay Buccaneers<\/span><\/a> \u2013\u00a0<\/span>Xavier McKinney<\/b><\/span><\/a>\u00a0<\/b>(Alabama) \u2013 Safety<\/span><\/h4>\n
15.\u00a0Denver Broncos<\/span><\/a> \u2013\u00a0<\/span>CeeDee Lamb<\/b><\/span><\/a>\u00a0(Oklahoma) \u2013 Wide Receiver<\/span><\/h4>\n
16.\u00a0Atlanta Falcons<\/span><\/a> \u2013\u00a0<\/span>C.J. Henderson<\/b><\/span><\/a>\u00a0(Florida) \u2013 Cornerback<\/span><\/h4>\n
17.\u00a0Dallas Cowboys<\/span><\/a> \u2013<\/span>\u00a0Grant Delpit<\/b><\/span><\/a>\u00a0(LSU) \u2013 Safety<\/span><\/h4>\n
18.\u00a0Miami Dolphins<\/span><\/a>\u00a0(via\u00a0Pittsburgh Steelers<\/span><\/a>) \u2013\u00a0<\/span>K\u2019Lavon Chaisson<\/b><\/span><\/a>\u00a0(LSU) \u2013 Outside Linebacker<\/span><\/h4>\n
19. Las Vegas Raiders (via\u00a0Chicago Bears<\/span><\/a>) \u2013\u00a0<\/span>Kristian Fulton<\/b><\/span><\/a>\u00a0(LSU) \u2013 Cornerback<\/span><\/h4>\n
20. Jacksonville Jaguars (via\u00a0Los Angeles Rams<\/span><\/a>) \u2013\u00a0<\/span>Trevon Diggs<\/b><\/span><\/a>\u00a0(Alabama) \u2013 Cornerback<\/span><\/h4>\n
21.\u00a0Philadelphia Eagles<\/span><\/a> \u2013<\/span>\u00a0Henry Ruggs III<\/b><\/span><\/a>\u00a0(Alabama) \u2013 Wide Receiver<\/span><\/h4>\n
22. <\/span>