Tag: mock draft

Latest CBS mock draft has 7 Alabama players in first round

The 2020 NFL Draft is still months away, but the mock draft are hotter than ever, which leads to discussions, arguments and everyday fans become scouts and analysts. Tom Fornelli of CBS Sports released his most recent mock draft which had seven …

The 2020 NFL Draft is still months away, but the mock draft are hotter than ever, which leads to discussions, arguments and everyday fans become scouts and analysts.

Tom Fornelli of CBS Sports released his most recent mock draft which had seven Alabama players being selected in the first round of the draft.

Fornelli’s mock draft offers a different look than most as he introduced potential trades which impacts where teams will be selecting.

Let’s take a look at where he placed former members of the Crimson Tide.

27. Seattle Seahawks – Terrell Lewis, EDGE

AP Photo/Vasha Hunt

Fornelli claims that Lewis could be the perfect piece to add alongside Jadeveon Clowney.

Pages: Page 1, Page 2, Page 3, Page 4

Todd McShay NFL mock draft: Broncos select WR CeeDee Lamb

In Todd McShay’s second version of his 2020 NFL mock draft, Oklahoma receiver CeeDee Lamb is selected by the Broncos in the first round.

In his 2020 NFL mock draft 2.0, ESPN’s Todd McShay has the Denver Broncos selecting Oklahoma wide receiver CeeDee Lamb with the 15th overall pick in the first round (subscription required for link).

This is a change from McShay’s first 2020 mock draft, which had the Broncos selecting LSU safety Grant Delpit. McShay’s first mock draft last year had Denver selecting Oklahoma wide receiver Marquise Brown late in the first round. His final mock draft of 2019 had the Broncos selecting Missouri quarterback Drew Lock.

Lamb (6-2, 189 pounds) caught 173 passes for 3,292 yards and 32 touchdowns during his three years with the Sooners. Teamed up with Courtland Sutton, Lamb would give Lock another explosive target.

McShay also mentioned Delpit, Florida cornerback CJ Henderson, and Alabama safety Xavier McKinney as options for Denver if cornerback Chris Harris and safety Justin Simmons are not re-signed this spring.

Simmons appears likely to return in 2020 (either on a franchise tag or multi-year extension) so it’s hard to imagine the Broncos selecting a safety in the first round. Lamb would be a logical pick for Denver.

[vertical-gallery id=632159]

Todd McShay’s latest mock draft has Cardinals landing OL

They take Iowa OL Tristan Wirfs over all the receivers and all the linemen except for Jedrick Wills.

What position is the most important for the Arizona Cardinals to draft? It is a wide receiver or a tackle? This debate will likely go on until the actual draft. Some mock drafts have them taking a receiver and others an offensive lineman.

In ESPN draft analyst Todd McShay’s new mock draft, he has them going with the offensive line with the eighth overall pick. He has them going with Iowa offensive lineman Tristan Wirfs.

The possibility of former Sooners teammate CeeDee Lamb running routes for Kyler Murray is going to be something to watch for at No. 8, but don’t forget that teams need to protect their quarterback first. The Cardinals gave up 50 sacks this past season (fifth-worst in the NFL), not something you want to see when you just invested a No. 1 overall pick on a 5-foot-10 QB. Throw in the fact that they could lose D.J. Humphries and Marcus Gilbert and the pass-protection upside of the 6-foot-5 Wirfs starts to make even more sense. Get a difference-maker in front of Murray and then worry about help out wide on Day 2, when plenty of pass-catchers will be waiting to be snatched up.

In this scenario, all the receivers are on the board. The only lineman already taken is Alabama’s Jedrick Wills. So the Cardinals, if they wanted a lineman, would have their choice or Wirfs, Josh Jones, Andrew Thomas or Mekhi Becton.

The logic is sound. The question will end up being what the Cardinals have already done in free agency to address the line.

Wirfs is a pick that makes sense. Does he make sense over the other linemen and over all the receivers, or even over a prospect like defensive lineman Javon Kinlaw, who wowed everyone at the Senior Bowl?

That is what will continue to be debated for the next two and a half months.

[vertical-gallery id=431176]

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

Ep. 257

[protected-iframe id=”74c89baf5df8861f45d142d0fbf6fc3c-112738498-106269283″ info=”https://api.spreaker.com/v2/episodes/22400501/download.mp3″ ]

Ep. 256

[protected-iframe id=”5dba5baeefa8b7e9bfd11c4333d4b344-112738498-106269283″ info=”https://api.spreaker.com/v2/episodes/21947850/download.mp3″ ]

Giants select LB Isaiah Simmons in Todd McShay mock draft

Giants add the top LB in Todd McShay’s mock draft.

Now that they have their quarterback, the New York Giants will have several options to explore during the 2020 NFL draft on both sides of the ball.

There are several ways the Giants can go about the No. 4 overall pick. They can add weapons or protection for second-year quarterback Daniel Jones or they can add to the defensive side of the ball, which is an area that needs total overhaul.

In Todd McShay’s mock draft for ESPN, the Giants took the latter route and selected Clemson linebacker Isaiah Simmons.

I’d love to get second-year quarterback Daniel Jones a weapon on the outside here, but wide receiver is a deep group and offers plenty of midround options. And quite frankly, defense as a whole is a more serious problem for the Giants. Let’s get them a do-it-all linebacker — their first Round 1 ‘backer since 1984 (Carl Banks) — who found his way into just about every statistical category on the Clemson stat sheet. Simmons is what every NFL team dreams of having at its disposal. He can rush the passer, he can stand up against the run and he can drop into coverage. With Markus Golden and his 10 sacks headed toward free agency, the athletic Simmons could help fill the void.

It’s unlikely the Giants will get a shot at grabbing edge rusher Chase Young out of Ohio State, but adding Simmons to the linebacker corps would immediately boost the defense.

Simmons should bring plenty of speed to the middle of the defense, and he should be able to make an impact right away even with the high expectations that will come with the selection.

It would be interesting to see how the Giants would use Simmons given his position flexibility and the difference in schemes.

Regardless, the Giants must begin adding impact players to the defensive side of the ball. Simmons projects to have that in the bag should he be the pick at No. 4.

Packers get LSU WR Justin Jefferson in McShay’s first mock draft

The Packers got the most productive WR in college football in Todd McShay’s first mock draft of the offseason.

The first mock draft of the offseason from ESPN’s Todd McShay has the Green Bay Packers getting help for quarterback Aaron Rodgers in the first round.

McShay sent LSU receiver Justin Jefferson to the Packers at No. 30 overall.

According to McShay, Jefferson “excels in adjusting his routes to find windows” and can generate “late separation,” which helped him become one of the most productive receivers in college football in 2019.

As a junior, Jefferson caught 111 passes for 1,540 yards and 18 touchdowns for the national champions. He was Heisman Trophy winner Joe Burrow’s favorite target. In Green Bay, he’d be a complementary weapon to Davante Adams and Aaron Jones for the Packers’ offense.

Jefferson would likely solve two problems in Green Bay. Not only would he provide the offense with another playmaker in the passing game, but he’d also give the Packers a legitimate weapon in the slot and a creator in the middle of the field. Geronimo Allison was one of the NFL’s least efficient receivers while operating from the slot for the Packers in 2019.

Last season, Jefferson led college football in catches from the slot. It’s possible he could develop into a Keenan Allen-like playmaker at the next level.

The Packers haven’t picked a receiver in the first round of a draft since 2004. They’ve struck gold on receivers in the second round (see: Adams, Greg Jennings, Jordy Nelson, Randall Cobb), but Jefferson might be too good and too good of a fit to pass up if he’s still there at No. 30 overall in April.

Pro Football Focus has Seahawks selecting CB in latest mock draft

Will the Seattle Seahawks break tradition and snag a cornerback in the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft? Pro Football Focus thinks so.

The NFL season is officially over following the Kansas City Chiefs 31-20 win over the San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl LIV.

With that, players, coaches, front office folks, fans and media members will turn their attention toward the next big date on the NFL calendar: the draft.

Mock drafts have already been flying around the blogosphere, and the latest from Pro Football Focus has the Seattle Seahawks doing what they have been reticent to do under Pete Carroll and John Schneider: draft a cornerback in the first round.

While that is a practice Seattle has not participated in recently, it could make sense to buck that trend in 2020 after a poor campaign from Tre Flowers has left the team with a pretty heavy need on the outside opposite Shaquill Griffin.

Plus, Alabama corner Trevon Diggs is about as Seahawk-ey of a prospect as one will find in this draft, and if the team feels they won’t be able to get him in Round 2 it wouldn’t be too shocking to see them pony up a first rounder for him.

“The Seahawks love long corners as much as any team in the league, and Diggs is one of the longest to come out in recent memory,” Michael Renner of PFF wrote in his mock draft summary. “Length is one thing, but knowing how to use it is another. And Diggs proved he could do that this past season, as he allowed a 44.5 passer rating against.”

Diggs is listed at six-foot-two and has a ton of length, with most scouts praising his ability as a zone corner and in press coverage – areas the Seahawks could use some help.

He’s also noted for his physicality and aggressiveness, and while he struggles in off-coverage he possesses the requisite size and skill to be an impact player in Pete Carroll’s cover-3 defense right away.

Seattle doesn’t draft cornerbacks in the first round is a common sentiment around the fanbase, but perhaps it’s time for Carroll and Schneider to break tradition and get a big time player for this depleted secondary.

[lawrence-related id=55838]

2020 NFL mock draft: Colts select QB Justin Herbert

Todd McShay mocks the QB Justin Herbert to the Colts.

Over the next few months, there will be plenty of speculation as to who the Indianapolis Colts will select with the No. 13 overall pick in the 2020 NFL draft.

There is still a lot of time to debate which players Chris Ballard might value more than others. The popular choice in mock drafts is for the Colts to grab a quarterback with their first-round pick.

In Todd McShay’s mock draft for ESPN, the Colts wound up taking Oregon quarterback Justin Herbert.

The Colts get a little lucky here with Herbert still on the board, so in this scenario, they put aside other pressing needs like wide receiver (Lamb?), defensive line and defensive back to snag this 6-foot-6 senior with a rocket arm. Indy might not be completely sold that Jacoby Brissett is its guy, and Herbert has shown he can lead an offense. That Senior Bowl showing did a lot to calm consistency concerns. After using seven of their 10 picks on defense in 2019, the Colts can’t pass on this tremendous value at a premier position. One more thing to consider: Brissett is signed through the 2020 season, meaning Indianapolis wouldn’t have to throw Herbert to the wolves out of the gate.

It will certainly be interesting if Herbert falls to the Colts and if they would use that pick on him.

Herbert has a strong arm and great mobility for the quarterback position. His work in RPOs and zone reads is a very intriguing aspect of his game that would work beautifully with the Colts offense.

The consensus is that Herbert will be gone before the No. 13 pick arrives, but he would have to be in heavy consideration if he winds up falling.

Vikings take DT Ross Blacklock in Todd McShay’s 2nd mock draft

Blacklock missed the 2018 season with an Achilles injury, but returned to be named First-Team All-Big 12 in 2019.

It’s mock draft season, baby!

The Super Bowl is over and now it’s time to focus on the next big thing in the NFL.

That’s right . . . The NFL Draft!

The Vikings have the 25th pick in the first round after finishing the season 10-6 and winning their wild card matchup against the Saints.

In his second mock draft over at ESPN, Todd McShay has the Vikings selecting TCU defensive tackle Ross Blacklock in the first round.

Here’s a snippet of what McShay wrote about the pick:

Yes, Minnesota piled on 48 sacks last season and was in the top half of the league in run defense, but Everson Griffen is a free agent, and Linval Joseph isn’t getting any younger at 31. The big, athletic Blacklock can help that front remain strong.

In 2019, Blacklock had 40 tackles, nine for a loss and 3.5 sacks.

There are some injury concerns with the 6-4, 305-pound lineman. He missed the 2018 season with an Achilles injury, but returned to be named First-Team All-Big 12 in 2019.

With the uncertainty surrounding Minnesota’s defensive line in 2020, addressing that position seems like a sure-thing in the early rounds of the 2020 NFL Draft.

Saints pick big-time Clemson wideout in Todd McShay’s first 2020 mock draft

The New Orleans Saints picked Clemson Tigers wide receiver Tee Higgins in the first 2020 NFL mock draft from ESPN senior writer Todd McShay.

[jwplayer UO045H78-ThvAeFxT]

The long 2020 NFL offseason is here, and the New Orleans Saints are hard at work in diagnosing the problems that sunk last year’s team. But that’s just one part of the job; they also have to analyze the free agency market and 2020 NFL Draft class to find the best available fits for their needs. It’s challenging to be sure, but also fun to speculate about, meaning everyone has opinions on which way the Saints should go next.

But the latest take comes from ESPN senior writer Todd McShay, who specializes in covering the NFL draft along with Mel Kiper. And McShay sees wide receiver as the clearest, most-pressing draft need for the Saints at this stage in the offseason. He’s projecting the Saints to pick Clemson Tigers wide receiver Tee Higgins:

Outside of Michael Thomas, Jared Cook and Alvin Kamara, what do Drew Brees and the Saints’ offense really have in the passing game? Not much. Ted Ginn Jr. was the second-most productive wide receiver behind Thomas with just 421 yards, and the next best was Tre’Quan Smith with a measly 234 yards. Whether or not it’s Brees throwing the passes in 2020 — yeah, quarterback is a position to watch here, too — the Saints have to address that lack of depth. The 6-foot-4 Higgins can make guys miss with his strength and will come down with anything thrown near him. He averaged a hair shy of 20 yards per catch this past season for the Tigers.

Higgins is, as McShay pointed out, something of a playmaker. He’s a tall, agile receiver that might resemble a young Julio Jones, but with greater college production (Higgins has caught 25 touchdown passes in his last 30 games, while Jones scored just 15 touchdown receptions in 40 games at Alabama). He’d be a tremendous fit in the Saints offense alongside Thomas, and would do a lot to help extend the viability of Drew Brees, if he returns — or provide a welcome boost to Teddy Bridgewater or Taysom Hill, should someone else start under center in 2020.

[lawrence-related id=27520,27389]

[vertical-gallery id=28101]

Latest Todd McShay mock draft lands the Dolphins a surprise

ESPN’s Todd McShay has released his latest 2020 NFL mock draft and the Dolphins select a surprise at 26.

It’s the heart of winter, which means it is mock draft season across the NFL. And sure enough, the 2020 NFL Draft is beginning to heat up while the rest of the country cools off — and the rampant speculation is forcing fans to entertain new ideas seemingly by the day.

Thanks to ESPN’s Todd McShay, Miami Dolphins fans will have a unique outcome of their own to ponder this afternoon. McShay’s latest 2020 mock draft dropped overnight and with it came usual suspects early on. McShay, like most everyone in the industry, continues to peg Alabama quarterback Tua Tagovailoa to the Dolphins with the 5th overall pick. There will be widespread debate on whether or not Miami can actually secure Tagovailoa at 5, but for now that serves as the industry consensus.

At 18, McShay mocked the Dolphins Georgia offensive tackle Andrew Thomas. Thomas is a fairly new face for Miami, but is no stranger to the 1st-round mock drafts. Thomas entered the season considered the top offensive tackle in the country, but some questions about his fit in some systems has left him sliding early in the mocks. For Miami, no need to worry. The Dolphins need linemen who can reset the line of scrimmage — that’s Thomas’ specialty.

The real surprise comes at 26, where the Dolphins were mocked defender Zack Baun of Wisconsin. Baun’s specialty is his versatility — on that front he does make sense for the Dolphins. He’s only picked up steam as a potential 1st-round pick recently, but Miami could certainly make a play for him given the pipeline they have at outside linebacker and Wisconsin already with Vince Biegel and Andrew Van Ginkel on the roster. Baun’s role is yet to be determined — some feel he’s an off-ball linebacker while others seem to like him on the edge as a pass rusher.

With the NFL Combine three weeks away, our next steps to additional clarity will be here before we know it.

[jwplayer VCxCPXEY-ThvAeFxT]