2020 NFL Draft: A CB in every round for the Philadelphia Eagles
The 2020 NFL draft is just two weeks away and although he Philadelphia Eagles landed Darius Slay, the Birds will likely address the cornerback position with one of their remaining eight picks.
The Eagles don’t have a pick in every round but in case of some wheeling and dealing, we decided to project one cornerback from every round that the Eagles could target.
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Round 1: Trevon Diggs, Alabama
The younger brother of Bills star Stefon Diggs, the former Crimson Tide star was a projected top-15 pick and could slip to the late first-round or early second. Diggs finished his junior season with 37 tackles, three interceptions, eight passes defended, two fumble recoveries and two defensive touchdowns.
He’s not afraid of the bright lights or the big moment and could be just what the doctor ordered if the Eagles go cornerback in Round 1.
The Los Angeles Chargers upgrade both sides of the ball in Pro Football Focus’ latest three-round mock draft.
Predictions for the upcoming draft continue to flood the Internet as we are now nearly two weeks away from the first-round kicking off.
The latest comes from Pro Football Focus’ Mike Renner, who gives the Chargers their future face of the franchise and an impact cornerback and linebacker.
Here’s a look at his projections for Los Angeles:
Justin Herbert, QB, Oregon
Jeff Gladney, CB, TCU
Akeem Davis-Gaither, LB, Appalachian State
L.A. kicks off the draft by answering what life after Philip Rivers will look like. The team has expressed their confidence in Tyrod Taylor, but I believe he will serve as the bridge, given the fact that Taylor has one more year remaining on his contract and they’re in a prime position to grab one of the top quarterbacks.
Even though he has flaws to his game, Herbert has elite athletic tools and above-average accuracy to be a capable NFL starter. Giving the former Oregon product a system that matches well to his strengths and a plethora of play-makers the Chargers possess will allow him to maximize his potential.
In Round 2, Los Angeles lands a cornerback that will compliment Casey Hayward on the outside. Even though Michael Davis has done a decent job in the starting role, Gladney is by far a more superior player at the position that’s capable of manning the spot for the next decade.
Gladney wasn’t an interception machine at TCU, but he possesses the speed to erase angles, the route anticipation to click and close and the ball skills and the length to get always get his hands on the football and make a play.
The Bolts solidify their defense with a linebacker in the third-round. After the departure of Thomas Davis and Jatavis Brown, as well as knowing that Denzel Perryman has one more year remaining on his contract, the positional group needs to be addressed.
Davis-Gaither is a great athlete with the speed and acceleration to make stops in the running game out in space. He is also strong in both zone and man coverage where his change-of-direction skills and range standout. For the Chargers, he would make out to be the Will linebacker, while Drue Tranquill becomes the permanent Mike linebacker.
The Vikings took a wideout and a cornerback in a Draft Wire Mock Draft. Do you like the choices?
Clemson wide receiver Tee Higgins has listed as a pick for the Vikings in a couple of mock drafts as of late.
Higgins went to the Vikings at No. 25 in an NFL.com mock draft done by Daniel Jeremiah recently.
In a Draft Wire mock draft, Higgins goes a little earlier, but he still lands with the Vikings.
Minnesota drafted Higgins No. 22, then followed that up by taking TCU cornerback Jeff Gladney at pick No. 25 in a Draft Wire mock draft.
Here’s what our friends at Draft Wire said about the choice of Higgins:
“Kirk Cousins is a quarterback who needs contested-catch receivers to perform at his highest level, and there weren’t many better at that in the 2019 NCAA season than Higgins, who seamlessly uses his 6-foot-4, 205-pound frame to out-leap and box out defenders to his quarterback’s benefit. Add in a Gumby-level catch radius and an extreme ability to come down with the deep pass (per Pro Football Focus, he grabbed 15 of 23 targets of 20 or more air yards last season for six touchdowns), and you’ve got a great complement to Adam Thielen’s own deep speed and big-play ability.”
Based off of that, it sounds like Higgins could be a solid pick. It will be interesting to see what positions the Vikings draft with their two first-round picks, though. Wide receiver and corner are both needs, but so are offensive line, defensive line and possibly others depending on how the offseason shakes out.
With the NFL Draft fast approaching, there are only a few Vikings Wire mock simulations left. Here is the latest one.
Minnesota has a little over two weeks before it has select players in the NFL Draft.
The Vikings don’t have the luxury of drafting solid backups or depth players; this is a season where Minnesota will have to take some players who can come in and start right away.
This time, I decided to go with two positional needs in the first two rounds: cornerback and offensive tackle. There are two cornerbacks on the roster — Mike Hughes and Holton Hill — who I am confident that the team could play next season.
That means that the Vikings should make sure the player they’re taking at corner can at least garner a lot of reps next season, if not start.
When it comes to tackle, I think the team could move tackle Riley Reiff to guard and fill his old spot with a good rookie. It’s a better draft for tackles this season, so that makes sense.
You can see the entire draft, via The Draft Network, here.
Here’s what I did.
Round 1: TCU CB Jeff Gladney
Gladney is good in press coverage and could come in and at least play nickel corner for the Vikings. Hill and Hughes have both been good at times, but both have question marks surrounding them.
Gladney makes it so that the defensive back corps of the Vikings has more depth, and could very well start. Safeties Anthony Harris and Harrison Smith make it so that the Vikings can hide a rookie corner on their defense.
The Jags’ No. 20 pick is kind of in no-man’s land, but there could be some solid prospects for them to take there.
The NFL Draft is quickly approaching, whether COVID-19 likes it or not. The NFL has held strong on its dates and has recently stated that video game company Electronic Arts will be hosting a virtual draft for the prospects and teams.
What has stayed the same, however, is the Jags’ need for help on both sides of the ball. In the first round, most believe that Jacksonville will draft two of four key positions of need, those being offensive line, defensive line, wide receiver, and cornerback.
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Obviously, what they do with the ninth selection will affect pick No. 20, but both selections will be one of those four positions, so it’s important for fans to get accustomed to the players at those key positions.
Here are three players the Jaguars should draft with the 20th overall selection:
Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports
CB Kristian Fulton, LSU
Kristian Fulton was one of the very first prospects that I did a spotlight on for the Jaguars, all the way back in October. He’s simply one of the best players at a position of need for Jacksonville. He’s silky smooth and is one of the more developed players at corner in this year’s draft. For those worried about their corners getting burned, that’s rarely the case for Fulton as he is as sticky as they come.
In 2019 much of the talk regarding Louisiana State’s defense was about freshman cornerback Derek Stingly Jr. and for good reason. That said, let’s not take away from Fulton’s spectacular final season, leading Louisiana State to a National Championship.
It’s uncertain of how high exactly Fulton will go but if he is there at No. 20, I would be “virtually” sprinting the card up to the podium to make this selection. It’s a no-brainer and one the Jaguars would surely not regret.
The Houston Texans have three picks in the top-100 of the 2020 NFL Draft. Draft Wire has the Texans going CB, OL, and WR with those three picks.
The Houston Texans may not have a first-round pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, but they can still find quality depth with their three picks in the top-100.
According to Luke Easterling of the Draft Wire, who released a three-round mock draft, the Texans should go with cornerback, offensive line, and receiver with their 40th, 57th, and 90th overall picks.
With the Texans’ first of two second-round picks, the AFC South champions take Jeff Gladney from TCU to help with the cornerback group. Gladney would join a unit that has Bradley Roby returning as a starter with Vernon Hargreaves, Gareon Conley, Lonnie Johnson, and Jaylen Watkins playing support roles to provide quality depth.
At No. 57, the Texans take Lloyd Cushenberry from LSU. Cushenberry could give the Texans options along their offensive line, which could look to get rid of guard Senio Kelemete. Cushenberry could assume his duties, and then grow into a role to take over for Greg Mancz or starting right guard Zach Fulton.
Sticking with the offense, the Texans use their third-round selection to bolster their receiving corps with USC’s Michael Pittman. Pittman would add youth to a receiving unit that will have Kenny Stills and Will Fuller out wide with Randall Cobb fulfilling the slot receiver duties. Pittman would battle Keke Coutee, Steven Mitchell, and DeAndre Carter for playing time throughout training camp and preseason.
The addition of Gladney, Cushenberry, and Pittman would create instant competition at their respective positions. It would also help the Texans get younger at those positions, and the groups still have solid veterans to help the rookies properly transition to the pro level.
With the Texans picking in the second round as their entry into the draft, it is the second time in three drafts Houston won’t have a first-round pick. Coach Bill O’Brien, now full-time general manager, will have to evaluate wisely.
Jeff Okudah of Ohio State leads a deep draft class of defensive backs. Xavier McKinney, Antoine Winfield and Trevon Diggs aren’t far behind.
With the 2020 NFL Draft fast approaching, it is time to start finalizing draft boards. Not just for NFL teams, but for the team here at Touchdown Wire. Here is Touchdown Wire’s list of the top 25 defensive prospects in the 2020 draft class.
1. Jeff Okudah, CB, Ohio State
(AP Photo/Jay LaPrete, File)
If there’s one thing NFL teams need more than anything else on defense right now, it’s the prototypical lockdown cornerback who can take an opponent’s No. 1 receiver through any route in any coverage. Of the cornerbacks in this draft class, Okudah is the one who raises no questions regarding his ability to do so. After playing 70% of his snaps in man coverage in 2018, per Sports Info Solutions, Okudah dipped down to 54% man coverage last season, upped his zone percentage and still allowed just 21 catches on 54 targets for 280 yards, three interceptions, one touchdown, and an opponent passer rating of 46.8. There may be more physically talented players in this class, but outside of the top quarterbacks, none are more positionally important.
2. Isaiah Simmons, Defense, Clemson
(John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports)
In his 2019 season, per Pro Football Focus, Simmons played 299 snaps in the box, 262 snaps at slot cornerback, 132 snaps at free safety and 116 snaps at defensive line. The 6-foot-4, 225-pound Simmons also played 13 snaps at outside corner, to make his versatility even more impressive. Asked at the scouting combing what his position was, Simmons simply responded, “Defense.” In the modern NFL, a player who can do everything from blitzing, to taking on the run game as a linebacker, to coverage as a slot defender and safety, is of prime value as defenses move to nickel and dime defenses as their base.
3. Chase Young, EDGE, Ohio State
(Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports)
Young has often been compared to fellow Ohio State alums Joey and Nick Bosa, and from a traits perspective, those are pretty good matches. In 2019, Young put up 16.5 sacks, 21 tackles for loss, seven quarterback hits and 31 quarterback hurries. And if you’re concerned about his getting shut out in sacks through his last three college games, a cursory look at the tape will tell you that he still had a massive effect on opposing offenses.
Chase Young this week on the three-sack drought: "Being the best defensive end isn't about sacks, it's about being the most disruptive player on the field. You can do that without having a sack… I had a lot of quarterback hits, a lot of pressures."
At 6 feet 6 and 302 pounds, Kinlaw fits the physical profile of the ideal multi-gap defensive lineman who can get nasty everywhere from over the center to outside the offensive tackles. In 2019, he raised his sack total from four in 2018 to six in his final college season, adding seven quarterback hits and 28 quarterback hurries. Perhaps the most impressive thing about Kinlaw’s potential is that he’s turned himself into a wrecking machine without the benefit of advanced hand technique. Once he reaps the benefits of NFL-level coaching, he projects well as an All-Pro-level disruptor.
5. Derrick Brown, DT, Auburn
(John Reed-USA TODAY Sports)
Brown’s relatively weak combine performance might debit him in the eyes of those who haven’t studied his tape. Similarly, his total of 12.5 sacks over four seasons at Auburn could push him under other defenders in your mind if you’re just box-score scouting. But when you watch Brown do his thing on the field, the perspective is entirely different. At 6-5 and 326 pounds, Brown had 10 quarterback hits and 20 quarterback hurries in 2019, adding four batted passes and two forced fumbles to his statistical arsenal. Brown is an ideal three-down defender who can stop the run as well as he can blast through double teams.
6. Xavier McKinney, DB, Alabama
(Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports)
Multi-positional defensive backs are all the rage in today’s NFL, and Nick Saban has been grooming them at Alabama for a while. Minkah Fitzpatrick of the Steelers was an early part of paradigm, and McKinney is ready to follow in Fitzpatrick’s footsteps. Last season, per Pro Football Focus, McKinney played 285 snaps in the box, 271 snaps at free safety and 227 snaps in the slot. The 6-1, 200-pound McKinney also played 38 snaps on the defensive line and five snaps at outside corner. Playing all those positions, he allowed an opponent passer rating of 73.6 and came away with three interceptions, as well as 21 total pressures in just 71 pass-rushing snaps. If you can’t get Isaiah Simmons in your 2020 draft because he goes too early, McKinney is more than an acceptable substitute.
7. Patrick Queen, LB, LSU
(Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports)
In 2019, Queen established himself as one of the linchpins of the Tigers’ championship defense after lining up for just 255 total snaps in his first two collegiate seasons. The 6-foot, 229-pound first-year starter proved to be the model of the modern linebacker when he finally got his shot, playing 780 snaps in 2019 and showing the ability to excel everywhere from the box to the slot to the occasional go at outside cornerback. More impressively for Queen’s NFL future is his ability to face up against top running backs and make stops when stops are needed. Not every light linebacker can do that, and once Queen gets the hang of the intricacies of coverage (especially zone coverage), he could be one of the NFL’s best three-down linebackers.
8. Antoine Winfield Jr., S, Minnesota
(Jesse Johnson-USA TODAY Sports)
Winfield missed all but a total of eight games in his 2017 and 2018 seasons due to injuries, but he came back with a full head of steam in 2019, picking off seven passes and giving up just 11 catches on 22 targets and an opponent passer rating of 45.5. A healthy Winfield has all the athleticism and range you’d want in a deep-third safety, but what really makes him the best in this class at that particular designation is his ability to read offenses and coverages on the fly — as he detailed to me in a recent film session, he learned a lot from his father, who played cornerback for the Bills and Vikings from 1999 through 2012.
Here are seven cornerbacks players who could be on the board for the Bills at No. 54
The Buffalo Bills first scheduled draft selection won’t occur until Day 2 of the 2020 NFL Draft, as the team picks No. 54 overall.
Luckily, the Bills do not have a glaring need on their roster, making this year’s draft quite intriguing. Buffalo’s front office, led by general manager Brandon Beane, can go in a multitude of directions with the pick, leaving quite a bit of interest and uncertainty with whom the Bills could select.
This position-by-position series will take a look at several realistic options of players who may be available for the team to select.
Here are seven cornerbacks who could be an option for the Bills in the second round of the draft:
Buffalo Bills cornerback Tre’Davious White. (AP Photo/Rich Barnes)
Current roster
The Bills have one of the best cornerbacks in the league in Tre’Davious White. They also have a solid slot cornerback in Taron Johnson. Levi Wallace has played fairly well opposite White as Buffalo’s No. 2 corner, although it seems that he may have a lower ceiling than some players in the draft. To compete with Wallace, the Bills also brought in Josh Norman and EJ Gaines via free agency.
The No. 54 pick would be a good spot for the Bills to find a high-ceiling player who could have a year to grow and develop. This would the player on track to make major contributions in 2021.
