It’s tough to be upset by this mock draft that helps fill two big holes for the Vikings.
The Vikings now have two first-round picks after trading Stefon Diggs to the Buffalo Bills.
While having two first-round picks is nice, the Vikings are in now in desperate need for a receiver. Along with that, the team also lost cornerbacks Trae Waynes, Xavier Rhodes and Mackensie Alexander in free-agency.
Michael Renner from Pro Football Focus put together a post-free agency mock draft and he has the Vikings addressing both of those positions in the first round.
With the 22nd pick, Renner has the Vikings drafting TCU receiver Jalen Reagor.
Here’s what Renner wrote about the pick:
The Vikings can’t lose the deep threat Stefon Diggs posed to opposing defenses and not expect the offense to take a significant step back. Reagor’s explosiveness could at least replace that threat, even if no one is going to completely fill Diggs’ shoes in Year 1.
Even after signing Tajae Sharpe on Wednesday, a receiver in the first round of the draft should be the plan.
With the 25th pick, Renner has the Vikings drafting Utah cornerback Jaylon Johnson.
Here’s what Renner wrote about the pick:
Mike Zimmer loves nothing more than drafting cornerbacks in the first round. This time, Minnesota actually needs one. Johnson has the all-around type of skillset and instincts that can succeed in Zimmer’s defense. He’s earned a 90.1 coverage grade over the past two seasons.
Right now, Mike Hughes is the only cornerback on the roster who has established himself in the NFL. If the Vikings want to compete (and they do), they are going to need plenty more help. Johnson would be a start to this, but the hope is the team signs a corner in free agency before the draft even takes place.
Despite having the necessary compensation, Howie Roseman passed on trading for DeAndre Hopkins or Stefon Diggs because of the lingering contract dispute both players would have been engulfed in.
The Eagles have firmly drawn their line in the sand and the 2020 NFL Draft is where Howie Roseman and company will land Carson Wentz’s next set of weapons.
We spoke earlier, about the Eagles possibly double-dipping in the draft, coming away with multiple players at the wide receiver position.
There will be several teams in the draft targeting quarterbacks, edge rushers and left tackles, with only the Giants, Jaguars (two 1st-round picks), Jets, Raiders (two 1st-round picks), 49ers, Broncos and Dolphins (two 1st-round picks) all possibly coveting a wide receiver in the first round.
The Eagles are not going to get Lamb, Jeudy, or Henry Ruggs by standing pat at No. 21, and the team could miss out on Justin Jefferson if another team trades up in front of them.
Tee Higgins, Brandon Aiyuk, Laviska Shenault, Denzel Mims or Penn State’s KJ Hamler could be options as well, and the Eagles will clearly target another wideout in the second or third rounds.
Even if the Eagles grab the player they covet, guys like Chase Claypool, Michael Pittman Jr., Jalen Reagor, Van Jefferson, K.J. Hill, and others should be possibilities on the second night of the draft if the Birds truly want to be successful.
The Vikings make a big move, and still end up with two picks in the first round.
The Vikings already made a huge trade this offseason, dealing Stefon Diggs to the Bills for a boatload of draft picks, including this year’s 22nd overall pick.
In Luke Easterling’s mock draft over at Draft Wire, he actually has the Vikings trading the 22nd pick to the Saints for their 24th pick and a fourth-round pick. Seems like a good move.
The Saints end up pick who they hope is Drew Brees’ next replacement in Jordan Love, while the Vikings take Houston offensive tackle Josh Jones with the 24th pick.
Here’s what Easterling wrote about that pick:
After moving back a couple of spots and picking up an extra pick, the Vikings are still able to land a difference-maker at a premium position. The rebuild of this offensive line continues with Jones, a Senior Bowl standout who gives the Vikings a long-term solution at either tackle spot.
The Vikings, of course, are in need of at least one wide receiver after trading Diggs. Easterling has the team addressing that with the very next pick.
With the 25th pick, Easterling has the Vikings taking TCU wide receiver Jalen Reagor.
Here’s what Easterling wrote about this pick:
n trading away Stefon Diggs, the Vikings lost a polished route-runner and explosive playmaker from their passing game. It only makes sense for them to use one of their first-round picks to fill that void with a similar player, and Reagor has the skill set to be the perfect fit.
Easterling blesses us with a full three-round mock draft. Make sure to check out the full mock here.
The Vikings took Stefon Diggs’ brother, Trevon, and a wide receiver in a recent Draft Wire mock draft.
According to media reports, Stefon Diggs has been traded from the Vikings to the Bills.
Our friends at Draft Wire have Minnesota using one of the picks it received from Buffalo to draft his brother, Trevon Diggs. The mock draft also featured a possible replacement for Stefon at wide receiver.
Trevon, a cornerback out of Alabama, went No. 22 overall to the Vikings. He could be a good fit because he’s a big corner who’s good in press coverage. Also, if he chose the No. 14 — his brother’s old uniform number — a lot of Vikings fans wouldn’t have a dated jersey.
TCU wide receiver Jalen Reagor is an interesting choice at No. 25. Reagor is a great runner with the ball, and he could definitely compete for the now-open second wide receiver spot on the team. Adam Thielen is the clear No. 1 option at this point, but maybe Minnesota tries to make a splash in free agency with a wide receiver, you never know.
That said, these two players would get significant playing time on the Vikings in 2020-21, if they were to be chosen by the team in April.
The Philadelphia Eagles could choose to go defense with their first-round pick because of the deep draft class
The talk of the NFL Draft process has centered around the Philadelphia Eagles coveting a wide receiver in the April selection process.
Whether it be Henry Ruggs III, Tee Higgins or Justin Jefferson, the Eagles have been linked to a wide receiver, but with this draft class being so deep, could Howie Roseman forgo an offensive player in the first round to target a defensive playmaker at No. 21?
Whether it be at the safety, cornerback, or defensive end position, the quality of player drops after the top 3 or 4 highest rated guys come off the board.
At wide receiver, the Eagles could get a player in the second, third or fourth round with the same NFL projection as some of their first-round counterparts.
In a recent NFL mock draft from The Athletic’s Bo Wulf and Zach Berman, the Eagles go defense in one mock, choosing to double-back and address the wide receiver position with later round picks.
If guys like Ruggs III and Justin Jefferson, the Eagles could decide that guys like Tee Higgins, Laviska Shenault, Jalen Reagor, KJ Hamler, Denzel Mims, and Brandon Aiyuk could hold similar value.
At that point, could the Eagles choose to address the needs at defensive end or safety with their first-round pick?
With guys like A.J. Epenesa, Javon Kinlaw, Neville Gallimore, Marlon Davis of Auburn, Xavier McKinney, Grant Delpit and others available, the Eagles could shock the world and go defense with the first-round pick.
it would have to be a player the Eagles could utilize as an integral part of their defense for years to come, but it’s definitely a possibility, especially if the player the Birds covet is off the board.
In his junior season at TCU, Reagor finished with 43 catches for 611 yards and five touchdowns.
It’s mock draft season, baby.
In the second round of Chad Reuter’s latest mock draft over at NFL.com, Reuter has the Vikings drafting TCU wide receiver Jalen Reagor.
After Adam Thielen and Stefon Diggs, the Vikings could certainly use some depth at receiver and Reagor could be that guy.
In his junior season at TCU, Reagor finished with 43 catches for 611 yards and five touchdowns. Those numbers might not seem wild, but as a sophomore, the 5’11, 195-pound wideout finished with 72 catches for 1,061 yards and nine touchdowns.
Reagor is also an exceptional punt returner, averaging 20.8 yards per return last season. That’s a spot the Vikings could use consistency at.
Our guy Luke Easterling has Reagor as a top-40 player, so it’s worth wondering if Reagor will even be available at this spot.
The NFL has become a semi race-track for offense around the league. A playground for quarterbacks with multiple dynamic and explosive weapons, Carson Wentz is a few deep-threats away from having the type of seasons that Patrick Mahomes has on a …
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The NFL has become a semi race-track for offense around the league.
A playground for quarterbacks with multiple dynamic and explosive weapons, Carson Wentz is a few deep-threats away from having the type of seasons that Patrick Mahomes has on a regular basis.
With a historic draft class for wide receivers and the Eagles possessing 10 picks, Howie Roseman has a rare opportunity to “double-dip” or select multiple guys that can do a variety of different things.
The Eagles are returning Greg Ward, JJ Arcega-Whiteside and DeSean Jackson at wide receiver for sure. Alshon Jeffery’s presence on the roster will be determined in the coming weeks, but it’s clear that the Eagles will look to add a wide receiver in free agency and should look to add at minimum, two in the draft.
ESPN.com recently broke down the receiving class by tier, and regardless of if the Eagles decide to take a wideout in the first round or wait until the second, they have the opportunity to land big-play guys who do dynamic things.
If the Eagles choose to trade up and draft Henry Ruggs or stand pat and draft a player like Justin Jefferson, they still have the opportunity to add the same caliber of players in the second or third rounds.
Guys like Brandon Aiyuk of Arizona State, KJ Hamler of Penn State, Jalen Reagor of TCU, Devin Duvernay of Texas, Van Jefferson of Florida, Chase Claypool of Notre Dame and KJ Hill of Ohio State are all top-100 caliber players who the Eagles could add to a first-round pick on offense.
If the Eagles choose to go defense at No. 21, they could still with their second or third-round pick or two possible seconds if they make a trade, still acquire two of the guys just mentioned if not more.
Guys like Gabriel Davis of Central Florida, Antonio Gandy-Golden of Liberty and Bryan Edwards of South Carolina are also guys that the Eagles could target in later rounds and still add value to the class.
Everything NFL draft fans need to know about TCU wide receiver prospect Jalen Reagor
Jalen Reagor | WR | TCU
Elevator Pitch
Reagor is an absolutely electric player. He can come out of the backfield, line up at wide receiver and is a playmaker in the return game. A fast rising player who could work his way into the first round of the NFL draft.
The mistake that some make is thinking Reagor is nothing more than a gadget player, and that can’t be any further from the truth. While he can move around from coming out of the backfield as a runner or play out wide, Reagor is one of those players who you need to get the ball in his hands. Even at 5’11”, he can climb the ladder to high point the ball with his 42″ vertical.
Reagor really can work all three levels of a defense in the passing game whether is on a screen, intermediate routes or the deep shots down the field. He creates separation with his top end speed and crisp route running. Uses his technique well to explode out of breaks. He creates separation with that combination of speed and route running. Great option for quarterback as he will give you space to fit the ball in.
Big part of the NFL is all about field position. Reagor can help with big plays as a home run hitter on punt returns. His ability to see the field like a running back and find the hole. Not only seeing the field but has the explosive ability to get through the creases and top end speed to put pressure on the coverage unit.
The Steelers have met with TCU WR Jalen Reagor.
Adding an absolute burner to the offense would be a blast. 💨
The biggest knock on Reagor will be inconsistent hands as a pass catcher. He did deal with suspect quarterback play during his time in Fort Worth, Texas. Although his hands can fail him at times, just needs to work on being more consistent when he gets the ball coming his way. Some of it may just be a lack of focus, can miss the gimme throws and make the spectacular plays.
As with any wide receiver that is smaller in stature, there can be worries about the physicality. For the former Horned Frog it is no different. Reagor can struggle with press coverage at times with dealing with more physical corners. Will need to work on disengaging from corners and use his athleticism to win at the next level.
With the Combine in the rear view mirror, whose stock is rising, whose is falling and how has the board potentially changed?
Ah, mock draft season. With Indianapolis behind us, we can now start to imagine how the draft could play out given what we saw from the prospects at the 2020 Scouting Combine. Whose stock is rising, whose is falling, and how could — I repeat, how could — that impact the draft?
Here’s just one man’s shot at putting it together.
We can work our way into this mock with a selection that makes the most sense. The Bengals are moving on from Andy Dalton, and Joe Burrow’s magical season has rocketed him to the top of many draft boards. His decision-making, pocket presence and leadership abilities are perfect for what Cincinnati needs right now. Plus, the storyline of “local boy comes home” is sure to get fans excited.
Schematically, Burrow is a fit for what Bengals head coach Zac Taylor is looking to do offensively. With some weapons around him and some additions to the offensive line, Burrow could be in position to contribute early in his career.
2. Washington Redskins: Chase Young, EDGE, Ohio State
(Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sport)
There does seem to be some smoke building around the idea of Washington doing this year what the Arizona Cardinals did a season ago: Let a new regime pick their quarterback. Last year the Cardinals hired Kliff Kingsbury and let him pick the quarterback he wanted to build around. The result? Arizona moved on from Josh Rosen after a single season and drafted Kyler Murray.
Could the same thing happen to Dwayne Haskins? Rumors around Indianapolis last week seemed to indicate that it was at least a possibility. Washington reportedly met with Tua Tagovailoa and the South Florida Sun Sentinel reported that new head coach Ron Rivera told the Alabama passer that, according to a source, “[t]hey want to bring in Tua, just get it going and compete.”
My thinking here is this: This is lying season. Most people believe the draft begins at the second pick, and Washington holds a lot of cards. They could stay pat and select the best overall player in the draft, the Ohio State edge rusher. But if a team is dying to move up to draft a quarterback, they’ll entertain offers. One way to drive up the price? Float the idea that you are in the quarterback market as well.
For now, I think these are all smoke screens. Washington stays pat and takes the pass rusher.
3. Detroit Lions: Jeff Okudah, CB, Ohio State
(Joe Maiorana-USA TODAY Sports)
Here is where things could really get sporty.
There are concerns in Detroit regarding the status of quarterback Matthew Stafford. Back injuries the past few seasons have some wondering if it is time to prepare for a world without Stafford in Detroit. The issue is, Stafford’s contract is such that it makes much more sense from a salary cap perspective to move on from Stafford in 2021, rather than 2020.
Under Stafford’s contract, if he were to be traded or cut before June 1st, the Lions would be hit with $32 million in dead cap space for 2020, and would have a cap “savings” of minus $10.7 million for the 2020 league year.
However, if they decide to move on from Stafford prior to 2021, they would actually free up around $14M of cap space.
So the thinking here could be: Draft Tagovailoa, redshirt him for a season while Stafford plays through 2020, and then move on when Tagovailoa is fully healthy and it makes more sense from a cap perspective.
So it is a possibility that the Lions could go with a quarterback here.
At the same time, Matt Patricia must be feeling the urge to win now, and the idea of drafting a quarterback to simply redshirt him while the flames are fanned under your seat cannot feel too pleasant. In the end Detroit entertains the idea of Tagovailoa, but goes with the potential shutdown corner in Okudah.
4. Los Angeles Chargers (via trade with New York Giants): Tua Tagovailoa, QB, Alabama
(Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)
Now we have our first trade.
A running theme of this mock draft so far has been the Alabama quarterback. In the mix to Washington with the second pick. A potential option for Detroit with the third pick. Now this draft enters a stretch where quarterback is a possibility for a number of teams, including the Chargers at six and the Carolina Panthers at seven.
Tagovailoa has been linked to the Dolphins for a long time now, and the Chargers can read the tea leaves as well as anyone else. If they decide that Tagovailoa is their quarterback of the future, they’ll need to get in front of Miami to ensure that he is wearing the powder blues next season.
Conceptually, while there might be better fits for Tagovailoa’s skill-set, such as the Panthers as we argued yesterday, the Chargers will have the time to build around Tagovailoa and construct an offense around his strengths: His accuracy in the short area, his processing speed, and his familiarity with run/pass option designs.
5. Miami Dolphins: Justin Herbert, QB, Oregon
(Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports)
Interestingly enough, Miami might be just fine with the Chargers leap-frogging them, as they end up with the passer that some in the building have been targeting for over a year. It was just a year ago when reports out of Miami were that Dolphins’ owner Stephen Ross was interested in two quarterbacks: Tagovailoa and Herbert.
Now, with both an option for the Dolphins in this year’s draft, many have linked Miami to Tagovailoa. But the decision to hire Chan Gailey as their offensive coordinator does give them a potential schematic fit with both quarterbacks. As we argued yesterday, the Dolphins are a great fit for Herbert’s skill-set, given his background in Oregon’s spread system. That would ease his transition to the pro game, and with both Rosen and Ryan Fitzpatrick in place, they could potentially move one of those players late in training camp, depending on Herbert’s progress as a rookie this summer.
6. New York Giants (via trade with Los Angeles Chargers): Andrew Thomas, OT, Georgia
(AP Photo/Butch Dill)
New York Giants general manager Dave Gettleman said a number of things during his media session in Indianapolis that stuck with me. Two in particular. One I will take to heart, and the other I will ignore with this move to trade down and select the Georgia offensive tackle.
When addressing the media, Gettleman indicated that trading down does carry a bit of risk. What if you trade down, he theorized, from four to eight with four players that you like on your board? You might miss out on all of them is the fear he expressed.
But given how Gettleman could play the board, and still select one of the four impressive offensive tackles in this draft, gives him an option to pick up some additional selections in this draft and continue to build around Daniel Jones.
So while I dismissed the idea of Gettleman’s trade down fear, I will take to heart something else he said. He was asked about the most important position to help a young quarterback and he instantly delivered an incredible response: “Offensive line. I’ve found that it is hard to complete a pass when lying on your back.” And in, perhaps, a shot at all the discussion over Gettleman’s thoughts on analytics he added: “I’ve done that study.”
Here, the Giants trade back and get an NFL ready offensive tackle with experience on both the right and the left sides of the line. Given his SEC pedigree, Thomas has faced some imposing pass rushers during his time in Athens, and he’ll be ready to go up against some of what the NFL has to offer. The combine might have vaulted Tristan Wirfs and Mekhi Becton up many boards, but something tells me that Gettleman will value what Thomas put on tape.
The Panthers could go in a number of directions with this pick. Quarterback is in play, depending on what new head coach Matt Rhule decides to do with Cam Newton and how he handles Kyle Allen and last year’s draft pick Will Grier. Rhule has said all the right things about Newton, he likes Grier dating back to their games against each other in the Big 12, and Allen showed promise at times last year. So it is likely that Rhule keeps all three in Carolina and looks to address other needs.
Offensive line is also an area they could address, and given what we saw from Tristan Wirfs, Mekhi Becton at the combine as well as what we saw on film all season from Jedrick Wills Jr., any one of those players could be in play if the board falls this way.
They also have needs on the defensive side of the football. They could use help up front, they could use some help at linebacker in the wake of Luke Kuechly’s retirement, and they could also use some help in the secondary.
In Simmons, they could get help at all three levels of their defense. They would get a player who has lined up on the defensive line, in the slot, as a box safety and even as a boundary cornerback. They would also get an explosive athlete who posted a 4.39 40-yard dash at the combine, to go with a vertical leap of 39” and a broad jump of 11’. All while measuring in at 6’3 and ½” and weighing 238 pounds. He is an absolute freak of nature, and would revamp their defense in an instant.
In a draft that is talent-laden at the wide receiver position, we have yet to hear one WR called. That streak continues, as the Cardinals pass on every wide receiver on the board to address another glaring need: Offensive line. The Cardinals desperately need to protect Murray next season, and Becton can help in that effort.
Murray was sacked 48 times last season, tied with Russell Wilson and Matt Ryan for the most times sacked in the league. Now yes, sacks are not an offensive line statistic and the quarterback contributes to those sack totals, but the Cardinals do need to give him more time in the pocket. Murray was hurried 63 times last season, fifth-most in the league. With D.J. Humphries and Justin Murray as their starting tackles last season, this position could use a boost.
They get that in Becton. The massive left tackle showed some power and explosiveness both on film and during his combine workout. He has very fluid footwork for a man of his size, and his length will be an asset in Kingsbury’s offense. He could be the guy to protect Murray’s blindside for the next decade.
6 takeaways from the WR Workouts at the 2020 NFL Combine
The NFL Combine offered the Philadelphia Eagles and head coach Doug Pederson and up-close view of some dazzling wide receivers putting their skills on display.
Lamb is an athletic playmaker with outstanding ball skills who is set to become a monster in the NFL. Lamb combines his exceptional pass-catching skills with big-play skills and the ability to turn a short play into a score.
