Two nights down, one night to go. After an opening night of the 2020 NFL Draft that was true to form in some spots, and “wronger” in others (to steal a word from an anonymous league source) the teams settled into the second night of the draft, with tons of talent remaining on the board and all 32 teams finally able to get into the game. How did they each fare on night two?
Arizona Cardinals
The Arizona Cardinals, thanks perhaps to Kliff Kingsbury’s James Bond-esque living space, were winners on night one of the draft when versatile defender Isaiah Simmons fell to the at the eighth overall selection.
Then with their pick in the third round, they stopped one of the more stunning slides of the draft, selecting offensive tackle Josh Jones from Houston. Many considered Jones to be in the mix with the rest of the “Big Four” offensive tackles, but perhaps his offensive system at Houston and a lack of true “pass sets” caused him to slide. But he will be in a familiar offense under Kingsbury, which makes this a tremendous pick at this point in the draft.
Grade: A
Atlanta Falcons
The Atlanta Falcons badly needed to add to their secondary at the cornerback spot, and were linked to a number of potential trades towards the top of the first round to draft either C.J. Henderson from Florida or even Jeff Okudah from Ohio State. When those fell through, they perhaps reached a bit for A.J. Terrell, the cornerback from Clemson.
In the second round, the Falcons added Marlon Davidson, a defensive lineman from Auburn. Davidson has the flexibility to play both inside in a four-man front or on the edge as well, but his best role is probably coming off the edge working against offensive tackles. He can add some juice to a pass rush that struggled to sack the passer last season, finished second-to-last in total sacks a year ago. Then at 78 they added Matt Hennessy, a very experienced and savvy center from Temple. Watching Hennessy on film gives you an appreciation for how important vision and processing speed is for an offensive lineman. He has great feel for working combination blocks and double teams, and he always gets the full price of admission on a play. Watch him and you’ll see form almost snap to snap him taking care of two blockers.
Grade: A-
Baltimore Ravens
Great things keep happening for the Baltimore Ravens. They entered the first night of the draft with needs at both linebacker and edge defender, and even by staying pat perhaps the best linebacker in the class not named Isaiah Simmons fell to them with the 28th selection.
They continued their good run, adding J.K. Dobbins, the running back from Ohio State, at the 55th pick in the draft. Dobbins is a bit of a bruiser between the tackles, who is a solid fit in Baltimore’s run schemes. But he is also a three-down back, with the ability to contribute in the screen game and in pass protection. Then at the top of the third round they added Justin Madubuike, a defensive tackle from Texas A&M. Madubuike had some games where he was dominant, such as his seven pressure performance against Mississippi this past season. He has a quick first step and some solid moves as a pass rusher. At 92 overall they added Devin Duvernay, a slot receiver out of the University of Texas. In a vacuum Duvernay is a very nice receiver with the ability to stretch the field vertically and create after the catch, but the fit of him in Baltimore’s offense is a bit of a question mark given some of the options already in place.
Later, as part of a trade they swung with the New England Patriots, the Ravens drafted Malik Harrison, a downhill thumper of a linebacker. The potential pairing of him at the MLB spot and Queen at more of a WLB spot makes a great deal of sense. The Ravens ended the night with the selection of Tyre Phillips, an offensive tackle from Mississippi State. Phillips struggled with leverage and his pad level, and might be a position switch to guard, as his film against players like Marlon Davidson and K’Lavon Chaisson was spotty at best.
Grade: B+
Buffalo Bills
Lacking a first-round pick, the Buffalo Bills were quiet on the first night of the 2020 NFL Draft. Of course, the acquisition of Stefon Diggs made that silence a bit easier to deal with I’m sure. Their first pick? A.J. Epenesa, the 3-4 defensive end from Iowa. Epenesa was viewed as more of an EDGE player given his usage in college, but his testing at the Combine illustrated that his best role was as a 3-4 end. That makes for an interesting scheme fit in Buffalo, but Sean McDermott must have a usage in mind.
Their selection in the third round is a much easier projection into their offense. Running back Zack Moss was the top RB on Touchdown Wire’s list at that position, and is a true three-down back in the NFL. His running style is reminiscent of Roger Craig, with the high knees shrugging off would-be tacklers. He is a perfect compliment for Devin Singletary in their offensive backfield.
Grade: B
Carolina Panthers
In his first draft as an NFL head coach Matt Rhule addressed the interior of the defense, as the Carolina Panthers selected defensive tackle Derrick Brown at the seventh spot in the draft. One might have expected them to address offense in the second round, but they continued adding to the defensive front, selecting Penn State EDGE defender Yetur Gross-Matos. He has the length and burst to be a contributor immediately as a pass rusher, as he develops a more complete set of moves off the edge.
Then at the end of the second round the Panthers traded back into the 64th spot, executing a deal with the Seattle Seahawks. The pick? Athletic safety Jeremy Chinn from Southern Illinois. Chinn was a standout at the FCS level, and showed the ability to play in a variety of roles both on film and down in Mobile during the Senior Bowl. He can play in the box, in the slot, in a single-high role and as Mel Kiper Jr. theorized the Panthers could even use him outside as a cornerback. Many thought that Isaiah Simmons would be the selection at seven for the Panthers, and in many ways Chinn could be a Day Two version of the Clemson star.
Grade: A
Chicago Bears
Ryan Pace and company were forced to hold tight on Thursday night, as their first round selection was in the hands of the Las Vegas Raiders. But with two picks early on Friday night, the Chicago Bears had a chance to make some early noise. Their first pick? Tight end Cole Kmet out of Notre Dame, making him the first TE off the board in the 2020 NFL Draft. Kmet has the potential to be a dual-purpose tight end, but like many in this class will need some development. With Jimmy Graham in place he can learn a bit and the Bears could use him as a flex option out of the slot or the wing early as he develops.
At 50, the Bears addressed the defensive side of the football, drafting corner Jaylon Johnson from Utah. This is a very nice pick for Chicago, as they do have a need at the cornerback spot. Johnson is a smart, savvy defender with the ability to play both press as well as off coverage, and he brings a background of schematic diversity as well.
Grade: B-
Cincinnati Bengals
The beauty of the new draft format is that the team holding the 33rd overall selection has an entire night to think about what they want to do at the top of the second round. The Cincinnati Bengals as virtually everyone expected made Joe Burrow their pick at the top of the board, and then at the top of the second round, they gave their new quarterback a weapon in the form of Tee Higgins. The Clemson wideout is a vertical threat who can play above the rim and has a great catch radius.
Then at the top of the third round, the Bengals added Logan Wilson, a linebacker from Wyoming who was a later riser in the draft community. Wilson was a starter from the moment he set foot on campus, and is a very experienced, patient linebacker who does not bite on play-action fakes and is not fooled by misdirection looks. He is athletic enough to handle coverage responsibilities, and is a three-down player in the NFL as a result.
Grade: A-
Cleveland Browns
The Cleveland Browns entered the 2020 NFL Draft needing an offensive tackle to pair with the recently-acquired Jack Conklin and to help protect Baker Mayfield. That pick fell to them at the tenth spot as Jedrick Wills Jr. from Alabama was available when they were on the clock.
Then Cleveland was on the clock at 41, but they executed a trade with the Indianapolis Colts to slide back a few spots and draft Grant Delpit, the safety form LSU. Delpit was viewed by many as a first-rounder, but tackling woes saw him slide down the board and out of the first round. What he can do down in the box can still help the Browns defense. Another player that will help their defense was Cleveland’s pick at 88, defensive tackle Jordan Elliott. The Missouri product was one of the better pass rushers from the interior last season, as Pro Football Focus charted him with a pass rush win rate of 18.7%, tops for the position. In fact, PFF graded him as the third-best interior defensive lineman in this class, behind Derrick Brown and Javon Kinlaw. Getting a player like that in the third is a great selection. Then later in the third they added Jacob Phillips, a solid linebacker who is disciplined against the run and handles underneath zone coverage responsibilities well. He could be a potential replacement for Joe Schobert on the second level. A solid night overall for the Browns.
Grade: A