Latest 2020 mock draft goes offense-heavy for Dolphins

The Miami Dolphins are loaded with picks for the 2020 NFL Draft — and the latest simulation has them going heavy on the offense.

The NFL mock drafts are starting to heat up, which is good news for Dolphins fans as their assets for the 2020 offseason continue to shift on a weekly basis. It has long been considered an assumption that the Dolphins would finish with the first overall pick in the NFL Draft and get their pick of the litter, but that no longer appears to be a likely outcome for the Dolphins. Not after the team’s latest victory, a 16-12 road upset of the Indianapolis Colts.

So what do the Dolphins do from here? Draft Wire has released its latest mock draft — a three-round simulation of next April’s festivities. Here’s what Luke Easterling came up with.

4th overall – QB Tua Tagovailoa, Alabama

The scenario of Miami not picking first and landing Tagovailoa seemed unrealistic just a few months ago, but with the other teams in contention for the top pick all having drafted young QBs as of late and the emergence of LSU’s Joe Burrow, this is the best of both worlds for Miami.

22nd overall – WR Laviska Shenault Jr., Colorado

Shenault gives Miami a boatload of speed to go along with some size at the wide receiver position. Each of the Dolphins’ receivers now are mostly one or the other — but not Shenault’s blend of both.

26th overall – OT Jedrick Wills, Alabama

Wills is Tagovailoa’s blindside blocker with the Crimson Tide. Getting an offensive lineman with chemistry with Tagovailoa would be a huge bonus as the Dolphins look to overhaul their offensive line.

2nd round – OG Shane Lemieux, Oregon + DE Jabari Zuniga, Florida

You know the Dolphins are going to look to add a little bit of defense along the way — remember, they coveted Houston’s Jadeveon Clowney before the season started! Zuniga isn’t anywhere near that caliber of an athlete, but he’s quick-twitched, nonetheless, and a disruptive presence when healthy. Lemieux is a powerful interior blocker who can help set the tone in the run game, much like Michael Deiter.

3rd round – RB Najee Harris, Alabama

Few backs in college football have done more to improve their positioning this season than Harris. He’s playing well in all phases — rushing, receiving and blocking. If some Tide players are good, more is better.

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Steelers miss the mark in latest 2020 NFL draft

The Steelers needs to be smart with their second-round pick in 2020.

2020 draft picks are in short supply for the Pittsburgh Steelers. After trading away their first and third-round picks for 2020, the pressure to land an impact player in the second round goes up significantly. And unfortunately, in the latest three-round mock draft from Draft Wire, the Steelers miss the mark with their one all-important choice.

They have the Steelers drafting Oklahoma State wide receiver Tylan Wallace. Don’t misunderstand, Wallace is an excellent receiver. He had 86 receptions for 1,491 yards and 12 receiving touchdowns in 2018. He’s a solid route runner and fits perfectly in a scheme designed to use his explosiveness.

But there are two things wrong with this pick. First off, the Steelers have a nice rounded out group of receivers. The Steelers have two second-round picks in JuJu Smith-Schuster and James Washington along with former third-round pick Diontae Johnson. There are greater positions of need on this roster to spend a pick this important on Wallace.

Second, and maybe more important is that Wallace suffered a torn ACL just two weeks ago. I understand how far medical technology has come but it is hard to see him being a contributor as a rookie at this point. Wallace could be a great player but with needs at other spots, it would be better to look elsewhere.

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Loss to Buccaneers puts Cardinals in top 10 of 2020 draft

Their loss to the Buccaneers moves them to being projected to have the No. 10 pick in the 2020 draft.

The Arizona Cardinals are nowhere near the worst team in the NFL this year. However, at 3-6-1, their record says they are one of the worst. After a 30-27 loss to Sunday to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, if the season ended now, they would have a top-10 pick in the 2020 NFL draft.

They would have the 10th overall pick, as Draft Wire managing editor Luke Easterling updated this week.

Who have been the No. pick of the last few drafts?

In 2019, the Pittsburgh Steelers selected linebacker Devin Bush.
In 2018, the Cardinals selected quarterback Josh Rosen.
In 2017, the Kansas City Chiefs took quarterback Patrick Mahomes.
In 2016, the New York Giants selected cornerback Eli Apple.
In 2015, the St. Louis Rams (they had not yet moved back to Los Angeles) selected running back Todd Gurley.
In 2014, the Detroit Lions selected tight end Eric Ebron.
In 2013, the Tennessee Titans selected guard Chance Warmack.

The Cardinals still have six games remaining on their schedule. We will see where they ultimately end up.

Listen to the latest from Cards Wire’s Jess Root on his podcast, Rise Up, See Red. Subscribe on Apple podcasts or Stitcher Radio.

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2020 NFL mock draft: Latest 3-round projections

Draft Wire editor Luke Easterling updates his three-round projections for the 2020 NFL draft

We’re 10 weeks into the NFL regular season, and the college football season is hitting crunch time, with playoff pushes starting at both levels.

It’s crunch time for some of the nation’s top prospects, as well as the pro teams fighting for position at the top of next year’s draft board.

Here’s an updated look at how the first three rounds of the 2020 NFL draft could shake out, using the latest updated pick order:

1. Cincinnati Bengals | Joe Burrow | QB | LSU

For the longest time now, it’s seemed Tua Tagovailoa was written into this spot with permanent marker. But Burrow’s performance so far this season has launched him into the No. 1 overall conversation, while another high-ankle injury has dinged Tagovailoa’s stock. Don’t be shocked if there’s a different QB in the top spot come next April.

2. Washington Redskins | Chase Young | EDGE | Ohio State

Another franchise in disarray, Washington needs to add as much talent as possible, regardless of position. They already have their quarterback of the future in Dwayne Haskins, so they need impact players elsewhere on both sides of the ball. Young is a monster of a pass rusher with all size, athleticism and technique to be a dominant player at the next level.

3. New York Giants | Jerry Jeudy | WR | Alabama

Now that Odell Beckham, Jr. is gone, the Giants need a true No. 1 target to help Daniel Jones reach his full potential. Jeudy is one of the most polished, explosive pass-catchers we’ve seen in years, and he’s well worth a top-three pick.

4. Miami Dolphins | Tua Tagovailoa | QB | Alabama

Aside from the injuries, it’s hard to find a flaw in Tagovailoa’s game. A few months ago, it would have been hard to imagine the Dolphins landing him without getting the No. 1 overall pick, but thanks to Burrow’s soaring stock, he just might fall into their lap here.

5. New York Jets | Andrew Thomas | OT | Georgia

If Sam Darnold is ever going to develop into the franchise quarterback the Jets drafted him to be, he’ll need a franchise left tackle to keep him upright. Thomas is the best of a deep class, and would be an immediate upgrade for New York.

6. Atlanta Falcons | Jeff Okudah | CB | Ohio State

In today’s NFL, you can never have too many quality corners. The Falcons may have more pressing needs elsewhere, but with this pick, they land one of the fastest-rising prospects in the country. Okudah is keeping up the trend of sending blue-chip defensive backs from Columbus to the pros.

7. Cleveland Browns | Tristan Wirfs | OT | Iowa

After all the offseason hype, the Browns have struggled mightily this season. They need to give Baker Mayfield everything he needs to succeed, and that means improving things up front. Wirfs would be an instant upgrade at either tackle spot.

8. Tampa Bay Buccaneers | Grant Delpit | S | LSU

Despite investing heavily into their secondary in recent drafts, Tampa Bay still needs help on the back end. Without a worthy tackle prospect still on the board here, the Bucs opt for the best playmaker in the defensive backfield, getting a versatile playmaker who can line up all over the field.

9. Denver Broncos | Derrick Brown | DL | Auburn

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 he next-best tackle.

10. Arizona Cardinals | A.J. Epenesa | EDGE | Iowa

The Cardinals have lots of young talent, but they need more difference-makers on defense. Epenesa is a disruptive force who can line up inside or on the edge, making him the kind of versatile prospect Arizona should be targeting.

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Mailbag: What lies ahead for the Detroit Lions?

This week’s Lions Wire mailbag is looking forward to 2020, talking draft, free agency, and potential coaching changes.

The Detroit Lions 2019 season appears to be over, or at least, Lions’ fans think so.

While I try to stay optimistic, I will admit that things aren’t looking pretty. The Lions are down a starting quarterback, lack any depth at running back, and the defense looks to be really struggling. They might not be able to salvage the season, but maybe there will some glimpses of hope for the future.

This week’s mailbag is looking forward to 2020, talking draft, free agency, and potential coaching changes.

What linebackers in the draft or potential free agents fit the Lions’ size and style for next season? — @RICH_K13

I’ll be honest, I’m not too studied up on this year’s draft prospects, so I’ll focus on upcoming free agents.

[Editor’s note: Keep an eye on Ohio State’s Malik Harrison]

If the Lions want to go out and spend some big money on a free agent linebacker, 2020 would be a good time to do it.

One name that stuck out was Shaq Thompson of the Carolina Panthers. The 26-year-old linebacker will hit free agency fresh off of his rookie contract, and though he has stated that he’d like to remain with the Panthers, the appeal a big payday could lure him to a place like Detroit.

As we’ve seen, defensive players want to play for head coach Matt Patricia. Maybe Thompson will feel the same way. He fits the bill for what the Lions want in a linebacker; he can rush the passer, he can drop into coverage, he can make plays on the ball. He would thrive in Patricia’s defense.

Rank the players in order of likelihood to make the 2020 roster: Darius Slay, Sam Martin, Jarrad Davis, Taylor Decker. — @ZugIreland

Tier 1: Slay, Martin, Davis, Decker.

Slay, Martin and Decker are more than likely locked into starting roles heading into next season. Davis has struggled, but it’s far too early to give up on him.

All four will be Lions next season.

How many wins would the Lions have to get to in order for Matt Patricia to get one more year? — @rayray1222

Look, this season hasn’t been pretty, but at this point, any losses the Lions get are more reflective of them losing their starting quarterback, not the coaching.

I think next year will be Patricia’s make-or-break season. I could see a mid-season firing if his 2020 campaign has a rough start.

Chances of us drafting a QB like Jalen Hurts in this upcoming draft? Is it time to start looking at Stafford’s successor? — @TheBlackPH30N1X

I don’t think Detroit will be moving on from Stafford any time soon. But, like general manager Bob Quinn said, drafting quarterbacks is ‘good football business’.

Especially after looking at the most recent game against Chicago, I do think the Lions should invest some of their day 2 draft capital on a backup quarterback.

Grooming a quarterback behind Stafford for the next few seasons would be a smart move by Quinn. We saw how bad things are when we don’t have our starter.

I’m currently looking at Utah State’s Jordan Love. I see a lot of Stafford’s game in him, so he’d be my perfect draft prospect for Detroit.

Who are the most eligible candidates for defensive coordinator if the Lions move on from Paul Pasquiloni? — @ZugIreland

One name that I like right now is Dallas Cowboys defensive backs coach Kris Richard.

Known for helping put together Seattle’s Legion of Boom, I think Richard could do a lot to help Detroit’s defense. This team has big holes at both cornerback and safety heading into next season, and a guy like Richard would be a valuable asset come draft time.

He served as Seattle’s defensive coordinator from 2015 to 2017, so he’d be reuniting with offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell as well.

Who do you think the Lions should draft with their number-one draft pick this coming April? — @B_Lake007

The Lions may be drafting top-ten, but definitely not number one.

I’d go linebacker or defensive end if I were Bob Quinn. As I said earlier, I’m not caught up on this year’s top prospects, so ask again in March.

Thanks to everyone who submitted their questions this week!

Be sure to get those questions in next week, and give me a follow while you’re at it, on Twitter @maxgerbs.

Pittsburgh Steelers updated 2020 NFL draft needs

What is the Steelers top draft need for 2020?

Nine games into the season, it is time to give a serious look at what the draft needs will be for the Pittsburgh Steelers next year. The college football season in on the back half of their schedule and NFL teams have been doing their due diligence on the top prospects.

The Steelers find themselves in a unique position as they currently do not have a first-round pick. However, they have a second and should end up with a third-round compensatory choice. With that, here are the team’s top draft needs after nine games.

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Titans pick at No. 15 overall in latest 2020 NFL Draft order

With their record now evened out, the Titans sit at roughly the middle of the pack in the Draft Wire’s latest 2020 NFL Draft order.

The Tennessee Titans (5-5) have had plenty of struggles this season, but appear to be far from tanking after a win over one of the NFL’s best teams.

The Titans defeated the visiting Kansas City Chiefs, 35-32 in Nissan Stadium on Sunday, appearing much more energized on offense and coming up with game-changing plays on both sides of the ball.

With their record now evened out, the Titans sit at roughly the middle of the pack in the Draft Wire’s latest 2020 NFL Draft order, which has them picking at No. 15 overall.

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Here’s a look at the complete order:

1. Cincinnati Bengals

2. Washington Redskins

3. New York Giants

4. Miami Dolphins

5. New York Jets

6. Atlanta Falcons

7. Cleveland Browns

8. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

9. Denver Broncos

10. Arizona Cardinals

11. Detroit Lions

12. Los Angeles Chargers

13. Jacksonville Jaguars

14. Oakland Raiders

15. Tennessee Titans

16. Philadelphia Eagles

17. Oakland Raiders

18. Indianapolis Colts

19. Carolina Panthers

20. Jacksonville Jaguars

21. Dallas Cowboys

22. Miami Dolphins

23. Kansas City Chiefs

24. Minnesota Vikings

25. Buffalo Bills

26. Miami Dolphins

27. New Orleans Saints

28. Seattle Seahawks

29. Baltimore Ravens

30. Green Bay Packers

31. New England Patriots

32. San Francisco 49ers

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It will be interesting to see where the Titans ultimately end up picking in the first round in April, considering there’s still a lot of football left to played this year.

The quarterback position has been and continues to be one the Titans could use their first selection on next year, but if the team continues to perform as well as it did Sunday, it’s going to take a lot of wheeling and dealing for Tennessee to acquire a prospect like Joe Burrow or Tua Tagovailoa.

The Titans face the Jacksonville Jaguars next after the bye week on Nov. 24 at 3:05 p.m. CT on Sunday.

Giants would select third overall if season ended today

If the regular season were to end today, the New York Giants would select third overall in the 2020 NFL Draft.

With their Week 10 loss to the New York Jets at MetLife Stadium, the New York Giants fell to 2-8 on the season and now have themselves set up for another top 5 pick in the NFL Draft.

Although records are unbalanced due to bye week cycle, the Giants would be slated to pick No. 3 overall if the regular season were to end today.

Here’s how the top 10 stacks up:

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)

ESPN’s Football Power Index (FPI) gives the Giants a 10.1% chance to attain the No.1 overall selection and an 83.9% chance of landing a Top 10 pick.

The Giants are mired in such an ugly stretch in their franchise’s history that they’ve selected in the top 10 three times over the previous four seasons — No. 10 in 2016, No. 23 in 2017, No. 2 in 2018 and No. 6 in 2019.

If things don’t turn around over the final seven weeks of the season, the Giants will make that four times over the past five season, which speaks volumes about how far this organization has fallen.

The Giants have a bye in Week 11 and depending on how things shake out, they could move from No. 3 to No. 5, but will remain in the top 5 regardless.

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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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