Browns ditch Jedrick Wills for a Pro Bowl wideout in 2020 NFL draft redo

Who would the Browns take if they had a chance to go back to the 2020 NFL draft?

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The Cleveland Browns have gotten a bountiful amount of NFL starts from their 2020 NFL draft class. All of Jedrick Wills, Grant Delpit, Jacob Phillips, Jordan Elliott, Harrison Bryant, and Donovan Peoples-Jones have started plenty of games in Cleveland. However, while Wills has been a league-average starter for the Browns, would they have been better off taking Pro Bowl wide receiver CeeDee Lamb?

In a 2020 NFL draft redo done by Draft Wire’s Curt Popejoy, this is exactly what the Browns do. Offensive tackles Andrew Thomas and Tristan Wirfs flew off the board in this activity as the Browns passed on Wills and landed Lamb. Wills fell out of the first round in Popejoy’s simulation.

While the Browns have had to scour the trade market to repair their wide receiver room by acquiring Amari Cooper and Elijah Moore in back-to-back seasons, Lamb is a slam-dunk move in hindsight. But again, hindsight is always 20/20.

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Re-drafting the first round of the 2020 NFL draft

Big changes in this redraft as these prospects enter their fifth NFL season.

Heading into year four, we have a very clear picture of just how the 2020 NFL draft class turned out. This group is known as a very very talented class and just going off of this redraft, it remains true. How much would the draft change if it happened today? Read on and get our projection.

2020 NFL Redraft brings Commanders a promising young quarterback

Washington gets its QB. Where did Chase Young land?

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If the 2020 NFL draft were held again, who do think Washington would most likely have selected, and where do you think Chase Young would be drafted?

This week Sports Illustrated conducted its 2020 NFL Redraft.

You recall in the original 2020 NFL draft, Washington held the second overall selection due to their 3-13 2019 season. Washington at the time made Ohio State defensive end Chase Young their man at No. 2.

The redraft has Joe Burrow again going first to the Bengals with the Commanders, then taking Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert second overall. The way Washington has struggled at quarterback since the exit of Kirk Cousins, Herbert would have been a wonderful fit for the franchise.

Herbert was voted the 2020 offensive rookie of the year by the Pro Football Writers of America and the Associated Press. He was also voted to the 2021 NFL Pro Bowl. Herbert, in his three NFL seasons, has passed for 94 touchdowns while throwing 35 interceptions.

What about Chase Young? Where was he selected in the 2020 Redraft?

Young falls to the 20th selection by the Jaguars. Here is their rationale:

Young’s draft-day slide ends here. After a memorable rookie season, Young has struggled on the field and has been hamstrung by injuries the past two years, playing only a combined 12 games. Perhaps Young regains his 2020 form during a contract season.

The top 6 players chosen in the 2020 NFL draft were:

  • 1) Cincinnati     Joe Burrow       QB     LSU
  • 2) Washington  Chase Young    DE     Ohio State
  • 3) Detroit          Jeff Okudah      CB     Ohio State
  • 4) NY Giants    Andrew Thomas  T     Georgia
  • 5) Miami          Tua Tagovailoa    QB  Alabama
  • 6) San Diego    Justin Herbert       QB  Oregon

Other notable first-round selections that readers may recall were:

Tristan Wirfs went 13th to Tampa Bay, CeeDee Lamb 17th to Dallas, Justin Jefferson 22nd to Minnesota. These are the players who have accumulated the highest Weighted Career Approximate Value.

Back to the redraft. Washington was followed by the Lions at third, taking Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts, the Giants at fourth, taking Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson, the Dolphins fifth select Bucs tackle Tristan Wirfs, and the Chargers take Cowboys receiver CeeDee Lamb.

Also of note in the redraft, Tua Tagovailoa falls to 11th to the Jets, while Colts running back Jonathan Taylor, originally drafted 41st, shoots up to the 14th pick by the 49ers.

Here is the entire list of the Sports Illustrated 2020 NFL Redraft 

Who is new Commanders safety Terrell Burgess?

What could Burgess bring to the table?

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The Washington Commanders made some roster moves Tuesday, releasing cornerback Cameron Dantzler after claiming him off waivers in March from the Minnesota Vikings.

The 2020 third-round pick was released ahead of free agency, and the Commanders claimed him. Entering the offseason, cornerback was a primary need for Washington, so taking a chance on Dantzler made plenty of sense.

However, the Commanders used their first two selections in the 2023 NFL draft on defensive backs Emmanuel Forbes and Quan Martin. With Kendall Fuller, Benjamin St-Juste and Danny Johnson already on the roster, Dantzler’s odds of making the roster appeared slim.

Washington signed two players Tuesday, tight end Brandon Dillon and safety Terrell Burgess. Dillon is a replacement for Armani Rogers, who injured his Achilles last week. Dillon is viewed as more of a depth piece behind Logan Thomas, John Bates and Cole Turner.

Burgess is a bit more interesting. Like Dantzler, Burgess was a third-round pick in 2020 by the Los Angeles Rams. Burgess played collegiately at Utah, where he emerged as a starter with a strong senior season.

As a rookie for the Rams in 2020, Burgess played in the first seven games before breaking his ankle and missing the remainder of the season. He appeared in seven games and made tackles and defended one pass as a rookie.

In 2021, Burgess played in 16 games for the Rams, making two starts and recording 10 tackles. Burgess was mostly known for his work on special teams.

In 2022, Burgess appeared in eight games, making one start and finishing with 11 tackles. The Rams released Burgess on Nov. 8, and he signed with the New York Giants practice squad two days later. Two weeks later, the Giants activated Burgess to the main roster, where he played in one game for New York — against the Dallas Cowboys.

While Burgess has yet to make an impact in the NFL, the Commanders clearly see something they like. Burgess is certainly worth a look this summer as the team looks to add depth. In going back to his final season at Utah, Burgess played everywhere during his breakout year.

That type of versatility is something Washington head coach Ron Rivera loves. While the Commanders have their starters lined up at safety, could Burgess force his way onto the roster with a strong summer?

The odds of Burgess making the roster appear long, as he’ll need to earn a spot on special teams.

Bills’ 2020 NFL draft grade receives a boost three years later

What would you grade this group?

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The 2020 NFL draft isn’t exactly one that’s very memorable for the Buffalo Bills.

Off the top, Buffalo did not have a first-round pick. That was the offseason the Bills traded theirs to the Minnesota Vikings for receiver Stefon Diggs.

Factoring in that move, the 2020 draft went well for the team. But just Buffalo’s picks alone? They mostly have left something to be desired.

Of the bunch, the best prospect turned out to be kicker Tyler Bass. It’s an important job, but usually isn’t the position you’d like to defer too as the best selection.

Regardless, CBS Sports disagrees. After the 2020 draft, the outlet graded Buffalo’s draft class a “B.” In a re-grading three years later, it’s bumped up to a “B-plus.”

Pass rusher AJ Epenesa was the Bills’ top selection in Round 2, but he hasn’t panned out. Aside from Bass, receiver Gabe Davis stands out in the group too–But even Davis is hoping for some improvement moving forward.

While there might be some disagreement, here’s how CBS Sports concluded the Bills 2020 draft class has improved since their arrival in the NFL:

The Skinny: They traded away their first-round pick for receiver Stefon Diggs, which has proven to be a heck of a move. He’s been a big part of the growth of Josh Allen. They took defensive lineman A.J. Epenesa in the second, which has been just a solid pick, nothing special. Third-round pick Zack Moss didn’t work out and is now with the Indianapolis Colts. They hit on fourth-round receiver Gabriel Davis, who is a starter, while Tyler Bass (sixth round) is their starting kicker and seventh-round corner Dane Jackson has 22 starts in three seasons, including 14 last year. They missed on fifth-round quarterback Jake Fromm.

How I did:I liked the pick of Epenesa, saying he could be a role player who could play up and down the line, which he has. I thought Fromm was their worst pick, while I thought Moss could be a nice complement to their backfield. It never really worked out for him.

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CeeDee Lamb one PFF’s best NFL players under 25

CeeDee Lamb was named one of Pro Football Focus’ best players under 25 ahead of the 2023 season.

A legendary Oklahoma Sooner in his own right, CeeDee Lamb has become every bit the star anyone a fan of the Crimson & Cream imagined he would be when he declared for the NFL Draft.

He enters his fourth year in the NFL and has become a star for the Dallas Cowboys. The Cowboys are trying to regroup from another playoff loss. They haven’t reached the NFC Championship in nearly 30 years.

For Lamb, last year was a major turning point in his NFL career.

Lamb was tasked with becoming the number-one receiver in the Cowboys’ receiving corps after a pre-draft trade sent former No.1 receiver Amari Cooper to the Cleveland Browns. The front office and his coaches put the onus on the Cowboys’ newest No. 88 to live up to the illustrious standards held by receivers who wear that number.

Early on, Lamb struggled with the task and lost his starting quarterback Dak Prescott to a thumb injury on his throwing hand for five games. Lamb had to adjust to backup QB Cooper Rush.

The season rumbled on, Prescott returned, and the duo unlocked a chemistry they hadn’t before.

The result?

Lamb finished 2022 with 107 catches for 1,359 yards and scored nine touchdowns. His 107 catches are the third-most in franchise history, while his 1,359 yards are fifth-most for a single season. Lamb also did this with defenses keyed in on him weekly. The remaining Cowboys receivers were ranked at or near the bottom of the league in separation. Meaning they struggled to get open, allowing opposing defenses to double CeeDee without fear of paying for it elsewhere in the passing attack.

Lamb answered the bell, and now, with a year under his belt as the alpha in the room, he will look to build on that and take his game to another level.

Pro Football Focus believes Lamb is the ninth-best player in the NFL under 25. His teammate and fellow All-Pro, Micah Parsons, is No.1. Trevor Sikkema of PFF also believes Lamb is the third-best wide receiver under 25 behind two former LSU Tigers in Justin Jefferson and Ja’Marr Chase.

Lamb has been an immediate impact player for the Cowboys since they drafted him in 2020. He recorded just under 1,000 receiving yards in his rookie years and has eclipsed the 1,000-yard mark in each of the past two seasons. His receiving grade has increased rapidly, from 72.6 in 2020 to 84.8 in 2021 and 87.0 in 2022. The only player with more explosive plays of 20 yards or more in the past two years is Justin Jefferson. – Sikkema, PFF

What’s next for CeeDee Lamb? Aside from the pursuit of a Super Bowl, an extension is looming for the talented wide receiver out of Richmond, Texas. The Cowboys picked up his fifth-year option, something only available to first-round picks. He’s coming off a career season in which he was a Pro Bowler and second-team All-Pro and is expected to count $17.99 million against the cap in 2024, assuming Dallas doesn’t get a long-term deal in place before that season. Lamb will count just $4.45 million against the cap in 2023, with a $2.52 million base salary.

Owner Jerry Jones has been a proponent of paying guys drafted by the team. With an ever-increasing salary cap, the Cowboys will pay the money necessary for CeeDee. It’s simply a matter of when.

In the interim, Lamb’s attention will be on 2023. He has a new offensive coordinator in Brian Schottenheimer and now a new play-caller in head coach Mike McCarthy.

As Oklahoma fans have learned, change doesn’t stop CeeDee Lamb. From a different quarterback every year in college to playing with multiple in the NFL, Lamb has delivered.

The 2023 season should be no different.

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Contact/Follow us @SoonersWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes, and opinions. You can also follow Bryant on Twitter @thatmanbryant.

CBS regrades the 2020 NFL draft after three years and the Commanders remain the same

What grade would you give Washington’s 2020 NFL draft now?

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They say you can’t truly grade a draft until at least three years removed from that draft. So, now feels like the perfect time to go back and grade the Washington Commanders’ 2020 NFL draft.

That draft, of course, was the year Washington selected defensive end Chase Young at No. 2 overall. Over the last two years, we’ve seen some do redrafts, which is a silly notion, and give the Commanders quarterback Justin Herbert.

That sounds great, but we live in reality. You do not get do-overs.

As for Young, things began as expected. At times, he was a game-wrecker on the edge, recording 7.5 sacks and helping lead the Commanders to a surprising NFC East division title, albeit with a losing record, and won the NFL defensive rookie of the year.

Since that time, Young has only appeared in 12 games due to a significant knee injury. In the nine games before his 2021 knee injury, Young had just 1.5 sacks. He returned in Week 16 of the 2022 season and looked like his athletic self, but he did not record a sack.

The Commanders declined to pick up Young’s fifth-year option, guaranteed at over $17 million for 2024, making him a free agent after the 2023 season.

Let’s head back to that 2020 draft for a moment. Washington also selected running back Antonio Gibson [third round], offensive lineman Saahdiq Charles [fourth round], safety Kamren Curl and defensive James Smith-Williams [seventh round].

Gibson has been excellent at times, rushing for over 1,000 yards in 2021 after scoring 11 touchdowns as a rookie. Charles has yet to establish himself but has logged several starts.

Curl is the gem of the class and is in line for a significant extension once new ownership takes over. Smith-Williams was also an excellent Day 3 pick, starting several games and becoming an important part of Washington’s defensive end rotation.

Pete Prisco of CBS Sports gave Washington a “B” after the 2020 NFL draft. Three years later, Prisco sticks with that grade and explains why.

The Skinny: They took edge player Chase Young with the second overall pick. He flashed star potential as a rookie, but then suffered a major knee injury in 2021. He wasn’t the same player last season. This year is big for him. After that, they took running back Antonio Gibson in the third after trading their second-round pick the year before to draft Montez Sweat. Gibson has been a big part of their offense the past three years. Fourth-round offensive lineman Saahdiq Charles has been a sometimes starter, although he will open as a backup in 2023. They hit big on seventh-round safety Kamren Curl, who is one of the better players on their defense. Seventh-round edge James Smith-Williams had 14 starts and three sacks last season. But he has mostly been a backup.

How I did: I loved the pick of Young, but who didn’t? The injury has changed the trajectory of his career. I questioned trading the second to draft Sweat the year before, but Washington nailed that decision. I liked the picks of Gibson and Charles since both were on my Better-Than team that year. I also said fourth-round receiver Antonio Gandy-Golden had a chance, but he retired after two seasons with just one catch.

That’s fair. While Young’s career has been disappointing thus far, not all of it is his fault; his production before the injury is a concern, though. But that potential still exists, and 2023 is a massive season for him.

Curl, Gibson and Smith-Williams were all excellent choices, especially when you consider where Washington landed them.

Texans’ 2020 draft class gets new grade

The Houston Texans 2020 draft class received a new grade from CBS Sports, and it went as expected.

The Houston Texans’ 2020 draft class was the first of the general manager Bill O’Brien era, and it showed.

O’Brien signaled ahead of the draft that he anticipated 2020 would be a “veteran type of year” due to the impact of the COVID-19 lockdowns. Houston also had their draft capital impacted thanks to the trade for Laremy Tunsil at the end of the 2019 preseason. As a result, Houston had a five-man draft class.

According to Pete Prisco from CBS Sports, the Texans originally earned a C grade for their class of DE Ross Blacklock, OLB Jonathan Greenard, OT Charlie Heck, CB John Reid, and WR Isaiah Coulter.

The Skinny: The Texans traded their first-round pick this year as part of the deal to get left tackle Laremy Tunsil from the Dolphins. Tunsil has been their best offensive lineman. They had five picks the rest of the draft, but just one is a starter. That is third-round pass rusher Jonathan Greenard, who was limited to eight games last season because of injury. He had eight sacks in 2021. They missed badly on second-round defensive tackle Ross Blacklock, who was traded to the Vikings last August. The only other player still on the roster from this draft is backup tackle Charlie Heck, who has started 17 games over his three seasons.

How I did: I liked the pick of Blacklock, who I thought could develop into a quality insider rusher. He didn’t. I questioned making the trade for Tunsil — they gave up a ton — and then paying him. I said to keep an eye on Greenard, which was right.

Prisco gave the 2020 class a new grade of C-minus, which is a lot better than what it could have been.

The Texans fired O’Brien after an 0-4 start and named executive vice president of football operations Jack Easterby interim general manager. At the end of the season, the Texans hired Nick Caserio as general manager and thus began an entirely new era.

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Only 12 players from the 2020 NFL draft had their 5th-year options picked up

3 of the 12 players from the 2020 NFL draft to have their 5th-year option picked up are former Tide players

There is no exact science when it comes to the NFL draft, every pick is a hope and a prayer for the franchise. Sure, players picked in the first round are expected to have more success than players selected in later rounds, but making it to a second contract is nearly as hard as making it to the league in the first place.

Of the 32 players selected in the first round of the 2020 NFL draft, only 12 of them had their 5th-year options picked up which fully guarantees their money in 2024. Guys like Joe Burrow and Justin Jefferson are no-brainers, but what I found to be interesting is that three of those 12 players with their options picked up are former Alabama players. Those three players are Tua Tagovailoa, Jedrick Wills and Jerry Jeudy.

The quantity of talent that Nick Saban produces is well known, but it is the quality of his players that makes him so unique. All three of these guys have been scrutinized at points in their careers for inconsistent play or injuries, but the teams are making a vote of confidence by bringing them on for another year.

Roll Tide Wire will continue to monitor Tagovailoa, Wills and Jeudy’s NFL careers.

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Contact/Follow us @RollTideWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Alabama news, notes and opinion. You can also follow Sam Murphy on Twitter @SamMurphy02.

Chase Young named as a player who is poised to turn declined 5th-year option into massive payday

Could Chase Young follow Daniel Jones’ path in 2023 and land a big contract after the Commanders declined his fifth-year option?

No one was surprised in 2022 when the New York Giants declined quarterback Daniel Jones’ fifth-year option for 2023. After four NFL seasons, Jones had already played for two head coaches and would be playing for his third head coach in 2022.

The Giants finally got it right when they hired Brian Daboll as head coach. It gave Jones stability, and Daboll schemed an offense around what his quarterback did best. Jones rewarded the Giants with his best NFL season, leading New York back to the playoffs and a trip to the NFC divisional round.

In the offseason, there was no bitterness from Jones’ camp. It was all business as the Giants handed Jones a new contract worth up to $160 million over four years.

It was undoubtedly a shocking number, but that’s the cost of doing business with NFL quarterbacks.

Shortly after the 2023 NFL draft, the deadline passed for NFL teams to pick up the fifth-year options on 2020 first-round picks. Surprisingly, several NFL teams declined fifth-year options on their 2020 first-rounders, with the most prominent name being the No. 2 overall pick that year — Chase Young of the Washington Commanders.

Young was the NFL defensive rookie of the year in 2020 but has just 1.5 sacks since. Much of that is due to a significant knee injury suffered in Nov. 2021. However, in the nine games before his injury that season, Young had only 1.5 sacks.

Charles Robinson of Yahoo Sports recently named four players from Young’s draft class who could follow a similar path as Jones. Young was tops on his list:

This one isn’t rocket science, considering Young was the No. 2 pick in the 2020 NFL Draft and considered a nearly can’t-miss player coming out of Ohio State. He didn’t exactly “miss” with Washington, as much as simply having a promising start completely derailed by injuries. The questions for the Commanders are fairly simple. Can Young recapture the explosive ability that made him the NFL’s Defensive Rookie of the Year in the 2020 season? And if he can, how much more of the salary cap can the Commanders pour into their defensive line, which is already carrying substantial extensions for Daron Payne and Jonathan Allen (not to mention facing defensive end Montez Sweat’s contract expiring after 2023)? In a way, it might be a race of sorts for Young and Sweat. The Commanders can’t apply a franchise tag to both, so it’s very likely if they both have banner seasons in 2023, one will be heading to free agency and the other will be tagged in an effort to carve out an extension. Simply due to salary cap realities, it seems unlikely Washington would want to devote four mega contracts to four defensive linemen. Barring another hollow season, Young will have suitors. When his option was declined, one AFC general manager was already talking about how attractive it would be to add him in a reboot of their defensive line. He isn’t alone, and plenty of eyeballs will be on Young this season.

Young’s situation is unique. We wonder, if a new owner was already in place, would they have picked up that fifth-year option?  Young still has superstar potential — on and off the field.

Robinson makes some excellent points. Washington was never going to pay all four first-round picks. The Commanders were likely planning to pay three, but most figured those three would be Allen, Sweat and Young. Payne’s career year last season changed everything for the better.

Sweat and Young — while close friends — will be competing to remain in Washington past next season. Regardless of which player remains with the Commanders beyond 2023, both will have multiple suitors.