Tag: mock draft trades

We are approaching the most unique draft in NFL history. With the coronavirus pandemic altering life in just about every way for just about everyone, NFL coaches and executives are certainly not outside that reality. Zoom meetings have replaced confabs with area scouts and draft prospects. Coaches and general managers are preparing their own personal war rooms with televisions everywhere in their homes when they’d usually be kitted out in team facilities. Even the draft prospects invited to the virtual version of the draft will be remote participants, encouraged like the rest of us to practice social distancing.

How will it be different? The people in charge of the exercise have said that there’s more of a reliance on game tape, and with those prospects who have had injury issues, you have to go on faith to a point. Modern technology can only go so far in the face of something like this.

Still, here comes the draft, and here’s one person’t opinion of how the first round might go.

1. Cincinnati Bengals: Joe Burrow, QB, LSU

As has been said all along, let’s not overthink this. Burrow is the best quarterback in this draft class, and as such, he’s the most valuable prospect. Any concerns about his “one-year wonder” status should be allayed by his 60 touchdown passes, and ferocious games against some of the NCAA’s best defenses.

2. Washington Redskins: Jeff Okudah, CB, Ohio State

The Redskins had one good cornerback last season — Quinton Dunbar — and they offloaded him to the Seahawks for a fifth-round pick. Why is a mystery, but Ron Rivera will not be able to counter modern offenses with a cornerback battery of Kendall Fuller, Fabian Moreau, Ronald Darby, and Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie. Yes, Chase Young is the much-ballyhooed pick here, but coverage is more important than pass rush when you have very little in the way of coverage. Okudah is an immediate asset as an aggressive, press-and-match defender.

3. Detroit Lions: Isaiah Simmons, Defense, Clemson

If Okudah goes with the second pick, Matt Patricia and his front office have decisions to make. They could trade down, or they could note that last season, Detroit’s defense played base on just 19% of all snaps, and had six or more defensive backs on the field 34% of the time. Adding Jamie Collins is a bit of a help, but he’s not a singular talent in the same way Simmons is. The Clemson alum would be the ideal run-and-chase linebacker for the Lions’ iterations of pass coverage.

4. New York Giants: Chase Young, EDGE, Ohio State

Young falling to the fourth pick should make things obvious for Giants general manager Dave Gettleman, who likes to do things in an unconventional fashion. But best player available and need align here — the Giants have precious little in the way of pass rush, and Young has every attribute required to change that in a hurry.

5. Miami Dolphins: Tua Tagovailoa, QB, Alabama

Recntly, Nick Saban sent a warning to those NFL teams balking on Tagovailoa’s medical concerns. Saban was the Dolphins’ head coach in 2006, and he let a future Hall of Fame quarterback leave for New Orleans around similar issues.

“We failed Drew Brees on the physical. That’s why he’s not Miami’s quarterback,” Saban told the Wall Street Journal. “The sky’s the limit [with Tagovailoa]. I don’t think any of the questions with Tua have to do with his ability to throw the ball and be effective.”

There shouldn’t be any questions there, and Miami shouldn’t overthink this. When healthy, Tagovailoa is closer to Joe Burrow in talent and potential than any other quarterback in this draft class.

6. Los Angeles Chargers: Andrew Thomas, OT, Georgia

After trading Russell Okung to the Panthers for guard Trai Turner, the Chargers have a very obvious need at left tackle. And head coach Anthony Lynn, who worked with Tyrod Taylor in Buffalo, seems to believe that Taylor is a more than adequate bridge quarterback. With that, let’s have the Chargers take Thomas, the most pro-ready pass-protector in this class.

7. Carolina Panthers: Javon Kinlaw, DT, South Carolina

Carolina’s run defense was abysmal last season, and there’s not much on the depth chart acquired through free agency to change that. Kinlaw projects to me as the best interior lineman in this class in terms of potential. He needs work with technique and hand skills, but once that’s taken care of, he could be the best overall defensive weapon selected in 2020.

8. Arizona Cardinals: Derrick Brown, DT, Auburn

Most project a tackle to the Cardinals as the finishing piece to an offense that was very good in 2019 and looks to be even better with Kyler Murray’s development and the trade for DeAndre Hopkins. But if the Cards are looking to take the NFC West in 2020, they’ll have to make a few tweaks on defense. Signing former Bills defensive tackle Jordan Phillips to a three-year, $30 million contract this offseason is step one, and adding Brown as a premium run-stopper and pass-rusher with great potential would make opposing ballcarriers very unhappy.