Potential 2020 Chiefs draft prospects: Group 12

We take a look toward the 2020 NFL draft and some prospects for the Chiefs.

It’s Week 12 in college football and we have even more exciting prospects to watch.

I have identified over 200 prospects for the 2020 draft that I believe could be potential fits for the Kansas City Chiefs. I’ll be releasing mini scouting reports on these prospects in random groups of four up until the draft.

Check out the latest group of prospects down below:

Oregon OG Shane Lemieux

The Oregon Ducks sport one of the best offensive lines in college football this season. Shane Lemieux has been one of the standouts of the unit at the guard position, displaying toughness and athleticism currently unrivaled in the Pac 12.

Lemieux is on his way to his 48th consecutive start for the Ducks. He’s been extremely reliable in terms of availability and performance. At 6-feet-5 and 315 pounds, he has a frame that is already NFL-ready.

One of the better run blockers in the entirety of college football, Lemieux makes his money when he can get to linebackers at the second level. He can clear a rushing lane with the best of them in college football. He’s also shown some success as a pass blocker. Just last season, Lemieux allowed just 11 pressures in 500 pass-blocking snaps, according to Pro Football Focus. So it’s not like Lemieux is a one-trick pony.

Currently, Lemieux is being criminally underrated in the pre-draft prospect rankings. Some team will likely be able to steal him in the middle rounds if his stock holds. The Kansas City Chiefs need to look into making some investments along the offensive line, especially now that they’ve found their franchise quarterback in Patrick Mahomes.

WATCH: Arizona at Oregon, Saturday, Nov. 16 at 9:30 p.m. CT

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A look at Draft Wire’s latest 3-round 2020 mock draft projections for Chiefs

A look at the new 3-round projections for the Kansas City Chiefs from Draft Wire.

There are just seven weeks left in the NFL’s regular season and with each passing day, we get closer to draft season. Draft Wire recently updated their 3-round mock draft projections for the 2020 NFL draft. They used the latest draft order to give us the most accurate look they can.

Below you’ll find a quick breakdown of each of their selections for the Chiefs:

Round 1 Pick 23. Georgia RB D’Andre Swift

The first-round pick for the Chiefs remains unchanged in the latest updates projections for Draft Wire. Here’s a look at what Luke Easterling had to say about Swift ending up in Kansas City:

“There are bigger needs on defense, but in this scenario, the Chiefs have the opportunity to give Patrick Mahomes and an already explosive offense the top running back in a loaded class. Swift is a complete prospect who would be a big-play machine in this situation.”

I’ve been a rather vocal detractor of taking a running back in the first round of the 2020 draft, however, in recent weeks I am understanding why it’s often looked at as one of the big needs for this team. The Chiefs just don’t have the same confidence in their run game that they had in years prior. It’s impacting their ability to close out games and it seems like they could really use a go-to weapon at the position instead of their confusing committee approach.

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Bears rookie draft class has played fewest snaps in the NFL

Despite receiving high praise coming out of the 2019 NFL Draft, the Bears’ 2019 draft class has been nowhere to be seen.

It’s been nearly seven months since the 2019 NFL Draft concluded in Nashville, and 254 players saw their NFL dreams come true. Five of those eventually becoming Chicago Bears.

Running back David Montgomery, wide receiver Riley Ridley, cornerback Duke Shelley, running back Kerrith Whyte Jr. and cornerback Stephen Denmark rounded out the 2019 Bears rookie class, a group that received high marks following the draft.

But despite the high praise, you may have noticed that outside of Montgomery, the Bears rookie class has been nowhere to be seen. It’s not your eyes playing tricks on you, it’s reality.

After calculating each team’s snap counts via Pro Football Reference through Week 10 of the NFL season, the Bears rookie draft class has played a total of just 366 snaps, the fewest in the NFL. For context, NFL rookie draft classes have averaged 1,441 snaps. The New York Giants, led by quarterback Daniel Jones, have the most snaps at 3,226.

Out of the Bears’ 366 snaps, Montgomery, their top draft pick selected in the third round, accounts for 329 and Shelley, their sixth-round pick, has played the remaining 37 plays. Ridley, Whyte Jr., and Denmark have yet to see the field.

Without a first or second round pick due to trades involving outside linebacker Khalil Mack and wide receiver Anthony Miller, respectively, the Bears relied on their mid-round picks to find talent.

General manager Ryan Pace has had success in rounds 3-7 throughout his tenure, finding gems such as safety Adrian Amos, linebacker Nick Kwiatkoski, safety Eddie Jackson, running back Tarik Cohen, and defensive tackle Bilal Nichols, who contributed immediately in the regular season and/or developed into solid players in the NFL.

But after a slew of success in those rounds, the Bears appear to have stalled this season, only utilizing one rookie regularly in games. While they did tie with the New Orleans Saints for the fewest amount of picks in the draft, the Saints’ rookie class has played 1,095 snaps so far in 2019, ranked 23rd in the league.

With such few picks, the need to hit on draft picks is more crucial than ever. Montgomery has shown flashes of his hard-nosed running that made him a popular back while at Iowa State.

Ridley was touted as a precise route-running receiver who would translate well to the next level, and Shelley was a ball hawk at Kansas State before injuring his ankle, hurting his draft stock. Both players are on the active roster, but have been healthy scratches for most, if not all the games. Ridley has not been active for any game this year and Shelley last played in Week 4 against Minnesota on special teams. Whyte Jr. and Denmark have spent the season on the practice squad.

With six games remaining and a spot in the playoffs still achievable, it’s unlikely fans will see the other members of the rookie draft class barring injury. But at some point, Matt Nagy and the rest of the coaching staff need to know what they have in their rookies and how they can contribute in 2020 and beyond.

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Which quarterback are Bears targeting in latest 2020 NFL mock draft?

The Bears will be in the market for a quarterback this offseason, and they’ll likely turn to the 2020 NFL Draft for their next QB.

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The Chicago Bears will be looking to improve the quarterback position in 2020, and the NFL Draft would be a good place to start.

While you could argue the Bears are in win-now mode and can’t afford to start over with a young quarterback, free agency isn’t necessarily a cost-effective, production-guaranteed investment.

The Bears will likely turn to the 2020 NFL Draft for their next quarterback, which features a strong class rich with Day 2 talent.

In Draft Wire‘s latest three-round 2020 mock draft, they have the Bears using their first selection — No. 45 in the second round — on Oklahoma quarterback Jalen Hurts.

While Hurts has gotten some first-round love, it’s likely that he falls to Day 2, where the Bears will be waiting with a pair of second round picks. This season, Hurts is completing 73% of his passes for 2,742 yards and 24 touchdowns to just 4 interceptions.

Hurts is also producing on the ground, where he added 125 rushes for 869 yards and 15 touchdowns.

Hurts isn’t a quarterback that the Bears would insert immediately, which makes sense for 2020, where Mitchell Trubisky will likely still be on the roster potentially with a free agent addition.

The Bears have another pick in the second round just three picks later at No. 48 — which was acquired from the Oakland Raiders in the Khalil Mack trade — where Draft Wire has them going defense with Clemson cornerback A.J. Terrell.

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Rookie WR Jalen Hurd not ready to return to practice yet

The 49ers receiving corps will need to wait longer if rookie WR Jalen Hurd is the answer to their woes.

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Monday night exposed some of the flaws in the 49ers’ receiving corps. They need help at that spot, but reinforcements may have to wait. Third-year slot receiver Trent Taylor is on Injured Reserve with a foot injury, but setbacks have pushed him out of real contention to return in 2019. Rookie wide receiver Jalen Hurd, who’s on IR with a back injury, is eligible to return leading up to Week 11, but head coach Kyle Shanahan said that’s not likely to happen.

Shanahan on Tuesday told reporters attending a conference call that Hurd was checked out last week and didn’t meet enough requirements to get back on the field per Chris Biderman of the Sacramento Bee. The door for Hurd to play in his first NFL season is still ajar though.

That provides a glimmer of hope that the receiving corps could get some much-needed help from the rookie with a diverse skill set.

Hurd is still learning the position after transitioning from running back in his final two years of college, but he was very effective in limited preseason action with a pair of touchdown receptions in his debut. He hurt his back in the lead up to Week 2 of the preseason, then left the second game after just 10 snaps. He’s been out since.

The 49ers on Monday saw nine dropped passes by their receivers, including one that led to an interception, and multiple others that could’ve been picked off after getting tipped in the air by receivers. It was an abysmal showing from a group that had an opportunity step up with George Kittle ruled out before the game, and veteran receiver Emmanuel Sanders exiting in the second quarter.

Hurd is a big-bodied slot option who gives San Francisco a physicality they don’t presently have at the position. He’d be a big help for a receiving corps that needs it, but they’ll have to wait at least another week to get the rookie in uniform at practice.

Washington would have the No. 2 pick in 2020 if the season ended today

The Redskins have the second-worst record in the NFL, and judging by the future schedule, it will be hard to come by a win from here on out.

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It’s been a strange year for the NFL, where an oddly extensive amount of teams are still in contention to make a deep playoff run, and arguably no team is a heavy favorite to win the Super Bowl. Despite all of that, there are still some teams who can’t be bothered with the playoff race.

For teams like the Washington Redskins, what matters each week is figuring out where they are in the projected 2020 NFL Draft Order, and after a wild Week 10 in which three of the heavy favorites for the first overall pick found paths to victory, things are looking up for Dan Snyder and his team.

As it stands now, the Redskins are projected to have the No. 2 overall pick in 2020, sitting with a 1-8 record headed into Week 11. Here is how the first 6 picks shake out, according to USA Today’s Draft Wire:

No. 1 | Cincinnati Bengals

No. 2 | Washington Redskins

No. 3 | New York Giants

No. 4 | Miami Dolphins

No. 5 | New York Jets

No. 6 | Atlanta Falcons

There are many directions that the Redskins could go in if they were to finish the season with such a coveted draft pick. Many mock drafts have had them slotted to take DE Chase Young out of Ohio State, a generational talent that would be too good to pass up on, though Washington doesn’t have a major need at that position. It has also been posited that they may draft WR Jerry Jeudy, a sure-handed deep-threat out of Alabama, or maybe even a top-rated QB, should things with Dwayne Haskins not pan out down the stretch of the season.

None of that is important now, though. What matters is that Washington keeps losing, and they continue to see their name high above those mock drafts as the season comes closer to an end.

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Falcons drop to pick No. 6 in updated 2020 NFL Draft order

The Falcons delivered a satisfying win over the Saints on Sunday after an extremely disappointing first eight weeks of the season. However, fans had already begun to shift their focus to the 2020 NFL Draft.

Atlanta’s Week 10 victory won’t change that, although it was a reminder that this team may not be bad enough to get that top-five pick fans were holding out hope for.

According to Draft Wire’s updated 2020 draft order, the Falcons’ win over New Orleans dropped them to pick No. 6.

That probably won’t be high enough to land someone like Ohio State’s Chase Young, but they could still wind up with a top prospect such as Iowa DE A.J. Epenesa, LB Isaiah Simmons, or one of several defensive backs.

Atlanta faces its second of five straight NFC South matchups this weekend when the team takes on the Carolina Panthers.

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2020 mock draft has the nation’s best wide receiver going to the Buccaneers

The Draft Network’s latest 2020 mock draft has a talented receiver joining an already-crowded Bucs receiving corps.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers managed to snap their four-game losing streak yesterday by taking down the Arizona Cardinals, 30-27.

Despite being just 3-6, Tampa Bay has actually remained competitive in several of their losses, something that’s easy to do when you have an offense as potent as theirs. While quarterback Jameis Winston remains turnover prone, he’s got wide receivers like Mike Evans and Chris Godwin at his disposal, which certainly makes things easier.

On the year, Evans has 924 receiving yards and Godwin, 840. Both seem well on their way to 1,000-yard seasons. And, if this latest mock draft from Trevor Sikkema of the Draft Network turns out to be true, Tampa Bay could have another guy on their roster next year capable of a 1,000-yard season.

Sikkema currently has the Buccaneers selecting Alabama wide receiver Jerry Jeudy in the 2020 NFL Draft, a guy some felt could go number one overall before the season began.

Here’s part of Sikkema’s reasoning:

“Right now Tampa’s secondary isn’t good. But I suspect I will look much different even before the draft. They’ll likely ditch Vernon Hargreaves III and pick up a few veteran free agents to help their young secondary group instead of drafting more to replace them. Imagine an offense with Mike Evans, Chris Godwin, Jerry Jeudy, Ronald Jones and O.J. Howard. ‘There’s only one ball.’ Yeah, and it’s in the end zone.”

That’s almost too scary to think about. As great as that would be to see, there are more pressing needs for this Bucs team than receiver. Still, imagine playing as the Bucs in Madden.

Scary good.

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Broncos still on pace for 9th overall pick in 2020 NFL draft

The Broncos are on pace to select ninth overall in the 2020 NFL draft in Las Vegas.

Coming off their bye week, the Denver Broncos (3-6) are still on pace to select ninth overall in the 2020 NFL draft. Here’s a look at the current order of the top-10 selections, courtesy of Tankathon.com:

Cincinnati Bengals (0-9)
Washington Redskins (1-8)
New York Giants (2-8)
Miami Dolphins (2-7)
New York Jets (2-7)
Atlanta Falcons (2-7)
Cleveland Browns (3-6)
Tampa Bay Buccaneers (3-6)
Denver Broncos (3-6)
Arizona Cardinals (3-6-1)

After trading wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders to the San Francisco 49ers, Denver will have seven selections within the first four rounds of next year’s draft. The Broncos are expected to have at least nine picks next year and that total might increase depending on possible compensatory selections yet to be announced.

Depending on how Drew Lock looks to close out the season, Denver might consider drafting another QB in 2020. The top candidates will likely include Alabama’s Tua Tagovailoa, Oregon’s Justin Herbert, Georgia’s Jake Fromm and LSU’s Joe Burrow.

The 2020 NFL draft will take place from April 23-25, 2020 in Las Vegas.

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