Georgia football RB D’Andre Swift fell in the 2020 NFL Draft and his former UGA coach Kirby Smart and teammate Nick Chubb reached out.
Georgia running back D’Andre Swift, who many consider the top running back in the 2020 NFL Draft, did not hear his name called in the first round of the draft on Thursday.
It came as a shocker when the Kansas City Chiefs selected LSU RB Clyde Edwards-Helaire with the 32nd pick, making him the only back to go in the first round.
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Swift is surely disappointed that he did not get drafted last night, but maybe he felt a little better after speaking with his head coach Kirby Smart and former running mate Nick Chubb, who also went in the second round of the 2018 draft.
Smart told Finebaum that he and Chubb reached out and then added, “somebody is going to get the steal of the draft because he’s such an incredible talent.”
Georgia coach @KirbySmartUGA says he and former Georgia RB Nick Chubb reached out to D'Andre Swift last night after Swift wasn't taken in the first round. “Somebody is going to get the steal of the draft because he’s such an incredible talent.”
Speaking of Chubb, he was the most recent Georgia running back taken in the second round. He was likely upset also, especially after a legendary four-year career.
Well, he just finished second in the NFL in rushing yards last season.
Should the Cincinnati Bengals move down in Round 2 of the 2020 NFL draft?
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The Cincinnati Bengals could always trade out of the No. 33 pick to start the second round of the NFL draft on Friday night.
That would certainly be within their normal behavior as of late. And one could make the argument that with so many quality players falling out of the first round, the Bengals could comfortably move back and still get a guy they like.
But…this approach hurt them last year. Cincinnati moved back 10 spots in the second round, presumably because of guys they liked remaining on the board and were almost universally panned for taking tight end Drew Sample.
It’s all going to come down to the board. If the Bengals have first-round grades on say, two players, they probably won’t move. But if they feel they can jump five to 10 spots and still get a starter while picking up more picks, they’ll explore it.
Our verdict? It’s not worth taking the chance on missing out on a potential starter for the sake of adding a few more picks later. Guarantee an upgrade to start the round, then think about moving around later in the night.
The Kansas City Chiefs reveal why they passed on Georgia football RB D’Andre Swift for LSU’s Clyde Edwards-Helaire in the NFL Draft.
Swift slides…
Georgia had two players selected in the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft on Thursday night, offensive tackles Andrew Thomas and Isaiah Wilson.
Georgia is happy to have two players go in the first round, but running back D’Andre Swift slipping into the second round was a move that shocked Bulldog fans and quite frankly most NFL fans as well.
The Philadelphia native was long considered the best ball carrier in the draft, and likely still is despite the Kansas City Chiefs selecting LSU’s Clyde Edwards-Helaire over him.
We kept waiting and waiting to hear Swift’s name called, but that did not happen on the first night. Most expected the Dolphins, Chiefs or Bucs to take Swift.
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Instead, Miami traded down from No. 26 to No. 30 and took Auburn cornerback Noah Igbinoghene. But the real shocker came with the final pick of the first round when the Kansas City Chiefs took Edwards-Helaire, making him the only ball carrier taken in the first round.
Most football fans in general could not understand why the Chiefs went with Edwards-Helaire over Swift, who was the second highest player on Mel Kiper’s Big Board at the time of the selection.
But here’s why…
According to ChiefsWire, the reason has been revealed.
Apparently, Chiefs Super Bowl winning quarterback Patrick Mahomes made the decision.
From ChiefsWire:
The Chiefs called up Edwards-Helaire with Clark Hunt, Andy Reid, Brett Veach, Eric Bieniemy, and Deland McCullough to congratulate him on joining Kansas City. In the call, they let him, and the rest of Chiefs Kingdom in on a little piece of information. Both Reid and Veach revealed that Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes had hand-picked Edwards-Helaire as the player that he wanted for the Chiefs. And so, they made it happen.
Here’s a snippet from head coach Andy Reid’s phone call with Edwards-Helaire:
“Hey, listen we’re fired up for you, man,” Andy Reid began. “We asked Pat Mahomes, ‘Who do you want?’ And he picked you. How great is that?”
“I’m ready to work coach you know that,” Edwards-Helaire responded.
“… Coach and I were thinking your way,” Veach said. “Then when we texted Pat [Mahomes] and I said, ‘Give me a name and don’t think about it.’ And he said, ‘Clyde [Edwards-Helaire] and I said, ‘We’re good.’”
Edwards-Helaire is a great player, but he’s no Swift. Either way, Swift is going to make one team very happy when he hears his name called early on in the second round. He is the second-best available player on Mel Kiper’s Big Board.
Remember the last Georgia running back taken in the second round? He just finished second in the NFL in rushing yards last season. I’m talking about Nick Chubb, by the way, who was taken #35 overall by there Browns in the 2018 NFL Draft.
Plenty of good talent is available at WR, OT, ILB, DL, CB and RB as the Packers approach Day 2 of the NFL draft.
The Green Bay Packers looked to the future in the first round of the 2020 draft, moving up to No. 26 overall to take Utah State quarterback Jordan Love. Now, GM Brian Gutekunst must maximize value on Day 2 if he wants to add immediate help to need areas on his roster.
Although the Packers pick late in the second and third round, there’s still plenty of good talent available at each need position.
Here are the best players left at receiver, offensive tackle, linebacker, defensive line, cornerback and running back:
Wide receiver
Nov 23, 2019; Waco, TX, USA; Baylor Bears wide receiver Denzel Mims (5) celebrates during the game against the Texas Longhorns at McLane Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
Denzel Mims, Baylor
Michael Pittman, USC
Tee Higgins, Clemson
Laviska Shenault, Colorado
Chase Claypool, Notre Dame
K.J. Hamler, Penn State
Bryan Edwards, South Carolina
Van Jefferson, Florida
Lynn Bowden, Kentucky
Antonio Gibson, Memphis
Gabriel Davis, UCF
Devin Duvernay, Texas
Offensive tackle
Boise State offensive lineman Ezra Cleveland (76) during the first half of an NCAA college football game against Hawaii, Saturday, Oct. 12, 2019, in Boise, Idaho. Boise State won 59-37. (AP Photo/Steve Conner)
Josh Jones, Houston
Ezra Cleveland, Boise State
Lucas Niang, TCU
Jack Driscoll, Auburn
Matt Peart, UConn
Ben Bartch, Saint Johns (MN)
Saahdiq Charles, LSU
Prince Tega Wanogho, Auburn
Hakeem Adeniji, Kansas
Inside linebacker
Appalachian State linebacker Akeem Davis-Gaither (24) tracks the offense during the first half of the team’s NCAA college football game against Georgia Southern on Thursday, Oct. 31, 2019, in Boone, N.C. (AP Photo/Brian Blanco)
Zack Baun, Wisconsin (edge convert)
Akeem Davis-Gaither, Appalachian State
Willie Gay, Mississippi State
Josh Uche, Michigan (edge convert)
Jeremy Chinn, So. Illinois (hybrid safety/linebacker)
Logan Wilson, Wyoming
Troy Dye, Oregon
Kyle Dugger, Lenoir-Rhyne (hybrid safety/linebacker)
Malik Harrison, Ohio State
Justin Strnad, Wake Forest
Davion Taylor, Colorado
Defensive line
Missouri defensive lineman Jordan Elliott, center, celebrates after tackling Troy quarterback Kaleb Barker, bottom, during the first half of an NCAA college football game Saturday, Oct. 5, 2019, in Columbia, Mo. Missouri won the game 42-10. (AP Photo/L.G. Patterson)
Jordan Elliott, Missouri
Ross Blacklock, TCU
Marlon Davidson, Auburn
Raekwon Davis, Alabama
Justin Madubuike, Texas A&M
Neville Gallimore, Oklahoma
Davon Hamilton, Ohio State
Leki Fotu, Utah
Jason Strowbridge, UNC
McTelvin Agim, Arkansas
Cornerback
Utah defensive back Jaylon Johnson (1) lines up against Southern California during the second half of an NCAA college football game Friday, Sept. 20, 2019, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)
Sep 21, 2019; Tallahassee, FL, USA; Florida State Seminoles running back Cam Akers (3) runs the ball past Louisville Cardinals linebacker Rodjay Burns (10) during the first half at Doak Campbell Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Melina Myers-USA TODAY Sports
Jonathan Taylor, Wisconsin
Cam Akers, Florida State
JK Dobbins, Ohio State
D’Andre Swift, Georgia
Zack Moss, Utah
Darrynton Evans, Appalachian State
Antonio Gibson, Memphis
Eno Benjamin, Arizona State
A.J. Dillon, Boston College
Here’s an updated Cincinnati Bengals mock draft for Rounds 2-3 of the 2020 NFL draft.
The Cincinnati Bengals did the obvious with Joe Burrow. Now it’s all about upgrading around him.
The 2020 NFL draft continues Friday, where the Bengals will again hold the top pick. Unfortunately, some top names at positions like linebacker didn’t fall.
Fortunately, other first-round talents did.
Taking a value and need slant, here’s a mock for Rounds 2 and 3.
Round 2 (33): Josh Jones, OT, Houston
Sep 3, 2016; Houston, TX, USA; Houston Cougars offensive lineman Josh Jones (74) during the game against the Oklahoma Sooners at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports
Most onlookers would probably agree Josh Jones doesn’t fall to the second round most years. But the 2020 class was oddly strong at tackle, hence six coming off the board in Round 1.
That leaves Jones to the Bengals — and he’s probably the lone reason they shouldn’t trade down.
Jones has left tackle potential but the value with him in Cincinnati is he can probably carve out a long-term role as a starter anywhere, including guard. He’s pro-ready at 6’5″ and 319 pounds.
Lance Zierlein put it best: “Early tape would suggest that Jones is a raw, developmental project in need of substantial technique work, but tape study later in the season suggests a level of improvement that creates additional intrigue for the long, athletic left tackle prospect.”
Lucking into a Round 1-caliber tackle like Jones while still trying to right the longstanding wrongs along the offensive line is as good as it gets.
These are the best prospects left on the board in the 2020 NFL draft.
The Cincinnati Bengals went and got who they considered to be the best outright player available with Joe Burrow at No. 1.
Now they get to do the same thing at No. 33 to start Friday’s Round 2.
With notable prospects falling out of the first round, the Bengals have a shot to get an instant-impact starter. Here is a look at the best options.
Denzel Mims, WR, Baylor
Nov 23, 2019; Waco, TX, USA; Baylor Bears wide receiver Denzel Mims (5) celebrates during the game against the Texas Longhorns at McLane Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
The Bengals sit in a lucky spot where they could get Mims, a borderline first-round player with No. 1 upside at 33.
Mims, a big 6’3″, has an incredible catch radius and could work his way onto the field quickly. He’s an ideal target for a rookie passer and adding him would shore up some of the long-term question marks for the positional group.
Georgia football RB D’Andre Swift fell out of the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft. Chiefs WR Mecole Hardman and UGA Twitter reacted.
The first round of the 2020 NFL Draft came and went without Roger Goodell reading off D’Andre Swift’s name.
The Georgia running back and Philadelphia native was long considered the best ball carrier in the draft, and likely still is despite the Kansas City Chiefs selecting LSU’s Clyde Edwards-Helaire over him.
We kept waiting and waiting to hear Swift’s name called, but that did not happen on night one. Most expected the Dolphins, Chiefs or Bucs to take Swift.
Instead, Miami traded down from #26 to #30 and took Auburn cornerback Noah Igbinoghene. But the real shocker came with the final pick of the first round when the Kansas City Chiefs took Edwards-Helaire, making him the only ball carrier taken in the first round.
Edwards-Helaire is a great player, but he’s no Swift. Either way, Swift is going to make one team very happy when he hears his name called early on in the second round. He is currently the second best available player on Mel Kiper’s Big Board.
Remember the last Georgia running back taken in the second round? Well he just finished second in the NFL in rushing yards last season. I’m talking about Nick Chubb, by the way, who was taken #35 overall by there Browns in the 2018 NFL Draft.
For everybody who think they know it all, I have no problem with the Chiefs pick! I trust Veach and Coach Reid in their decision process! So save all that extra stuff for some else
Interesting, but not shocking, that Clyde Edwards-Helaire went ahead of D'Andre Swift, Jonathan Taylor and J.K. Dobbins at running back. #Chiefs#NFLDraft
WOW!!!! I knew the #Chiefs were going to draft a running back! But I never thought they would pick Clyde-Edwards Helaire over D'Andre Swift! But hey, Edwards-Helaire is a STUD and he's going make the #Chiefs' offense 100 X more LETHAL!
