Category: NFL Draft

Broncos GM John Elway will scout Penn State-Ohio State game

Broncos general manager John Elway will scout Saturday’s game between Penn State and Ohio State.

Before traveling to New York for the Broncos’ game against the Bills on Sunday, general manager John Elway will make a stop in Ohio to watch Penn State take on Ohio State in a college football showdown with possible Playoff implications.

Elway confirmed during his interview with the team’s official website this week that he will be scouting the game.

Elway attended Missouri vs. Arkansas last year, a game that featured four touchdowns from quarterback Drew Lock. Five months after that game, Elway selected Lock in the second round of the NFL draft.

Notable Buckeyes playing in Saturday’s game include defensive end Chase Young, running back J.K. Dobbins, linebacker Malik Harrison, safety Jordan Fuller and wide receiver K.J. Hill. Young is a candidate to be one of the top players selected in next year’s draft.

The list of Nittany Lions who may interest the Broncos includes offensive lineman Steven Gonzalez and wide receiver/returner KJ Hamler.

The PSU-Ohio State game will air on Fox at 10:00 a.m. MT on Nov. 23. Next year’s draft will take place from April 23-25 in Las Vegas.

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Broncos select Auburn DL Derrick Brown in 2020 NFL mock draft

Auburn defensive lineman Derrick Brown lands with the Broncos in this 2020 NFL mock draft.

In his latest three-round 2020 NFL mock draft, Draft Wire’s Luke Easterling has the Denver Broncos selecting Auburn defensive lineman Derrick Brown in the first round. Here is Easterling’s commentary alongside the selection:

Offensive tackle is the bigger need, but the talent is too good to pass up elsewhere. Brown is a rare athlete for his size, with the explosiveness and power to be a dominant force up front. He’d be a much better use of a top-10 pick than reaching for the next-best tackle.

Brown (6-5, 318 pounds) has totaled 42 tackles — including eight tackles for losses — and four sacks through 10 games this season. He has also broken up four passes, recovered two fumbles and forced two fumbles.

After landing Brown in the first round in Easterling’s mock, Denver goes on to select Auburn offensive tackle Prince Tega Wanogho (No. 38), LSU linebacker Jacob Phillips (No. 69), Michigan wide receiver Donovan Peoples-Jones (No. 82) and Ohio State cornerback Shaun Wade (No. 96).

To view Draft Wire’s complete three-round NFL mock draft, click here.

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2020 NFL mock draft: Panthers pick Alabama CB at No. 18 overall

Diggs (6-foot-2, 207 pounds) has totaled four interceptions and 12 pass breakups since the start of the 2018 season.

The Panthers have a couple of solid starting cornerbacks in James Bradberry and Donte Jackson. They’ll have to pay Bradberry a whole lot of money to keep him around in 2020 and beyond, though. It’s possible they’ll try to go in another direction and find a cheaper alternative.

In a new 2020 NFL mock draft from our friends at Draft Wire, that’s what they do. In Luke Easterling’s lasted three-round mock, Carolina picks Alabama cornerback Trevon Diggs at No. 18 overall.

“The Panthers are likely to lose a big, physical corner in James Bradberry to free agency, which makes Diggs the perfect replacement here. His size, length and ball skills would be a fantastic fit, giving the Panthers a cheaper alternative to re-signing Bradberry.”

Let’s take a look at the tape.

Diggs vs. South Carolina

Diggs vs. Ole Miss

Diggs vs. Texas A&M

We think the Panthers are probably more likely to give Bradberry a big extension, but if they don’t, Diggs is a strong alternative. Even if they keep Bradberry around, an argument could be made that they need more depth at cornerback in any case.

Diggs (6-foot-2, 207 pounds) has totaled four interceptions and 12 pass breakups since the start of the 2018 season.

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2020 NFL mock draft: Eagles land a CB, WR from the SEC in updated 3-round projections

Eagles land a CB, WR from the SEC in updated 3-round projections

With the NFL season halfway completed and playoff positions starting to fall into place, the time has started for the mock draft season in advance of the 2020 NFL Draft. If the season ended today, the Eagles will at No. 15 in the first round.

In the latest updated 3-round mock from Draft Wire, the Eagles landed three big-named prospects, two from the South Eastern Conference.

15. Philadelphia Eagles | Kristian Fulton | CB | LSU
Injuries continue to limit a secondary with tons of youth and potential, and the Eagles should continue to stock their cupboard with talented corners. Fulton is a big, physical cover man who could give them an immediate upgrade.

50. Philadelphia Eagles | DeVonta Smith | WR | Alabama

Smith, a semifinalist for the Biletnikoff Award, has 1,026 yards and 11 TDs.

81. Philadelphia Eagles | Brandon Jones | S | Texas

Philadelphia has issues at both cornerback and wide receiver over the past two seasons. Fulton and Smith would immediately make the Eagles more athletic at the skill positions, while Jones would start the transition at safety from Malcolm Jenkins.

Falcons on track to land the No. 8 pick in 2020 NFL Draft

The Falcons took out the Carolina Panthers in Week 11, but at 3-7, they’re still on track to land a top ten pick in the 2020 NFL Draft.

The Falcons took out the Carolina Panthers in Week 11, but at 3-7, they’re still on track to land a top ten pick in the 2020 NFL Draft.

Four teams — the Bengals, Redskins, Giants and Dolphins — have worse records than Atlanta. After those four, the Jets, Broncos and Bucs –each with a 3-7 record — are currently slated to pick ahead of the Falcons.

That leaves Atlanta with pick No. 8 entering Week 12, as you can see in the below tweet from ESPN’s Field Yates:

What happens on Sunday when the Falcons take on the Buccaneers in the battle for the NFC South basement could impact which direction this team goes over the rest of the season.

A third win coming out of the bye week could be enough to spark what once seemed like an improbable second-half run. A loss to Tampa Bay, however, would derail all hope for the 2019 season and Atlanta would again be playing in the Chase Young sweepstakes.

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Barrett Sallee of CBS Sports says he wouldn’t even consider drafting Tua in the first round

Barrett Sallee says he wouldn’t even consider taking Alabama quarterback Tua Tagovailoa in the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft.

The 2020 NFL Draft is still months away, but there’s already been tons of speculation and mock drafts surrounding the quarterback-rich draft next spring.

One name that has often come up is that of Alabama junior quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, who dislocated his hip last Saturday in a win over Mississippi State. Before the college football season started, many people had Tagovailoa pegged as the top pick in the draft, should he declare, with some theorizing that the Miami Dolphins would try and tank their season for a shot at Tua.

But, after his latest surgery– his fourth in college– Tagovailoa will likely see his draft stock drop now. Yesterday, Draft Wire’s latest mock draft had the Buccaneers passing on both Tagovailoa and Oregon quarterback Justin Herbert.

And, you can count Barrett Sallee of CBS Sports among those who would pass on Tua in the first round of the 2020 draft.

Appearing on 95.3 WDAE with Pat Donovan yesterday, Sallee had this to say when asked how confident he would be in drafting Tagovailoa in next year’s draft, especially if you’re the Buccaneers.

“Not very. The previous surgeries were concerning, but this one — obviously, they expect him to make a full recovery, and every press release sent since Saturday night has said that exact thing. Still, it’s nine to 12 months rehab. I would not even consider taking him in the first round because you just don’t know what you’re going to get. That’s not enough time to evaluate how his rehab is going.”

Sallee goes on to say he was talking with some people about Tagovailoa this weekend and they expressed concerns about his ability to stay healthy. About thirty minutes later, Tagovailoa went down with the hip injury.

If the Buccaneers do decide to look to the draft for a new quarterback, there are several red flags around Tagovailoa that could have them looking at a different collegiate signal-caller.

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What is the Redskins’ biggest need in the 2020 NFL Draft?

With an eye already towards the 2020 NFL Draft, the Redskins need to look at filling several holes in the offensive line.

With an eye towards the 2020 NFL Draft already, the Washington Redskins should start looking at their roster and determining what some of their biggest needs are going forward.

With a projected pick that’s high on the board, it’s unlikely that the team will draft for need early in the first round when it makes more sense to take the best player available. That will likely be Chase Young, a dynamic and generational pass-rusher out of Ohio State. However, in the rounds after that, the Redskins need to do the best they can to fill out their roster and find guys that fit their needs.

According to Pro Football Focus, that means they need to draft offensive lineman above anything else.

With no more Trent Williams and Brandon Scherff hitting free agency, the Redskins offensive line went from strength to liability in the blink of an eye. Left tackle, left guard and right guard all need addressing.

You could argue whether or not the Redskins really have a hole to fill at left guard, as Ereck Flowers has been surprisingly good this season, but there are still several places in the front five that need improving. After a top-talent is taken in the first round, look for Washington to focus mainly on the big boys upfront.

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Broncos move up one spot in 2020 NFL draft order after loss

The Broncos are getting closer to a top-five selection in the 2020 NFL draft.

The Denver Broncos blew a 20-point halftime lead against the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday and lost 27-23. It was a heartbreaking loss for fans in Denver but there is a silver lining. After the defeat, the Broncos moved up one spot in the 2020 NFL draft order.

Here’s the current order for the top 10 picks, courtesy of NFL.com:

  1. Cincinnati Bengals (0-10)
  2. Washington Redskins (1-9)
  3. New York Giants (2-8)
  4. Miami Dolphins (2-8)
  5. New York Jets (3-7)
  6. Denver Broncos (3-7)
  7. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (3-7)
  8. Atlanta Falcons (3-7)
  9. Arizona Cardinals (3-7-1)
  10. Detroit Lions (3-6-1)

After trading wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders to the San Francisco 49ers, Denver will have seven picks within the first four rounds of the 2020 draft, including three third-round selections. With so much draft capital to work with, it wouldn’t be surprising to see Broncos GM John Elway make a few draft-day trades.

This year, Denver’s top draft selections were tight end Noah Fant, offensive lineman Dalton Risner and quarterback Drew Lock.

Next year’s draft will take place from April 23-25 in Las Vegas.

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2020 NFL draft order: Look at where Eagles stand with 1st-round pick after Week 11

The Philadelphia Eagles would currently hold the No. 15 pick in the NFL Draft.

The Philadelphia Eagles currently sit at 5-5 on the NFL season, with hopes of a playoff run during the next six weeks.

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If the Eagles are unable to make the playoffs, they’ll settle somewhere into the middle of the first round, hoping to use that pick on a possible wide receiver or young cornerback. With Week 12 of the NFL regular season upon, Draft Wire broke the selection order for the NFL Draft and as it stands right now, the Eagles would be picking at No. 15 in the first round.

As it currently stands, the Eagles would have options at No. 15. If they decide to address the defensive line, they could target South Carolina’s Javon Kinlaw, a strong and forceful defensive tackle.

If not a defensive tackle, the Birds could have their choice of either Oklahoma wideout CeeDee Lamb, Florida cornerback, CJ Henderson, Alabama wide receiver Henry Ruggs III and Clemson wide receiver Tee Higgins.

Latest 2020 NFL mock draft has Bucs passing on both Tagovailoa and Herbert

The latest 2020 mock draft from Draft Wire has the Buccaneers looking to shore up their offensive line.

The Bucs sit at 3-7 right now and at the bottom of the NFC South.

With another losing season potentially in their future, Tampa Bay could find itself sitting at or near the top of the 2020 NFL Draft. The good news for them, should they decide to move on from quarterback Jameis Winston, is that next year’s draft will likely be filled with talented young signal-callers.

So, if one of the top quarterbacks in the 2020 class falls into their laps, the Bucs will have to draft them, right? Not according to the latest mock from Draft Wire, which predicts the Buccaneers taking Iowa offensive tackle Tristan Wirfs in the seventh spot, passing on both Alabama quarterback Tua Tagovailoa and Oregon quarterback Justin Herbert. (LSU’s Joe Burrow is pegged to be the top pick by the still-winless Cincinnati Bengals.)

While Wirfs would certainly help shore up the offensive line, would the Bucs really pass up the chance at drafting either Tagovailoa or Herbert? Tagovailoa’s recent hip injury might scare some teams away, but Herbert looks to be the ideal quarterback for a guy like Bruce Arians.

To check out the rest of mock draft, click here.

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