21. Philadelphia (9-7) — Denzel Mims, WR, Baylor
His production in a pass-happy offense in the Big 12 is fairly impressive (66 catches, 1,020 yards, 10 TDs), but Mims’ combine performance proved his athleticism is an outlier. He’s physically gifted enough dominate in the NFL. He’s so good on the sideline with stop, go and back-shoulder routes. He’ll need to develop to win on other routes.
22. Buffalo (10-6) — Cesar Ruiz, OL, Michigan
Henry Ruggs is tempting, but the Bills would be happy to upgrade their offensive line to further cement their ability to run the football for 2020. Josh Allen will certainly continue to air out the ball, but Devin Singletary proved a special playmaker. An athletic and feisty blocker like Ruiz would help offensive coordinator Brian Daboll bring out the best in Singletary.
23. New England (12-4) —Yetur Gross-Matos, DE, Penn State
It’s not totally clear what front-seven the Patriots will run in 2020. 4-3? 3-4? It won’t matter — they’ll start Gross-Matos in either system. He could follow in the footsteps of outstanding defensive ends Trey Flowers and Chandler Jones. It’s a popular mock-draft decision to have the Patriots take an offensive player: QB, WR, TE. But New England can fill those holes with veterans. The Patriots need to get younger on defense and quickly.
24. New Orleans (13-3) — Jacob Eason, QB, Washington
The third and final quarterback surprise. Here’s a thought experiment: there are two quarterbacks on the board, Eason and Jake Fromm, who could go in the back end of the first round. They’re complete opposites, with Fromm looking like Andy Dalton (but maybe better?) and Eason looking like a potential Carson Palmer (or Brock Osweiler).
Fromm probably fits the Saints’ style right now. But with Drew Brees returning, they have time to develop a quarterback. Eason’s physical tools will make him a more tempting prospect for a team intent upon redshirting a first-round quarterback. Eason’s highlights are filthy. His low-lights are yucky.
25. Minnesota (10-6) — Cameron Dantzler, CB, Mississippi State
Dantzler saw no shortage of elite college receivers in the SEC, and he has great upside, talent and tenacity. He’s a rangy and outstanding athlete, who should smother receivers in his first season.
26. Miami from Houston (10-6) — Jonathan Taylor, RB, Wisconsin
Georgia running back DeAndre Swift is supposed to be the splashy big-play threat who can play on every down. But Taylor’s combine corrected that unfair assumption. He’s faster and a better pass-catcher. Flores missed out on a quarterback, so he’ll hammer the ball for most of the year with Williams and Fitzmagic. (Williams would also be a stellar fantasy pick.)
Asked an NFL scout for the fastest 10-yard splits from their stopwatches at the Combine. Three players posted a ridiculous 1.48 time:
WR Jalen Reagor
WR Henry Ruggs
RB Jonathan Taylor— Dane Brugler (@dpbrugler) March 5, 2020
27. Seattle (11-5) — Xavier McKinney, DB, Alabama
There is no shortage of rangy, athletic defensive backs in this draft class, but McKinney is a truly special prospect, with the versatility to do what Tyrann Mathieu did for the Kansas City Chiefs in 2020. I’m not sure I love the Seahawks as a fit for McKinney, but Pete Carroll will probably know what to do with the defensive back, who could take over for Ugo Amadi in the slot.