It’s time to talk about hand size and 3-cone drills.
It’s almost time to overreact.
Hand size. 40-yard dash. 10-yard split. Inappropriate questions. Semi-appropriate measurements. Facial symmetry tests. OK, I made that last one up. But otherwise, that’s the NFL combine, which starts on Tuesday morning.
Are. you. READY?!
This is the time of year when the NFL wants to make sure you haven’t forgotten about the U.S.’s most important game. This is the time of year when the league trots out the next generation of stars in singlets to ensure we get some headlines. So let’s look at the 2020 NFL Draft, with an eye on potential movers at the combine in Indianapolis this week.
Picks 1-8 | Picks 9-16 | Picks 17-24 | Picks 25-32
1. Cincinnati (2-14) — Joe Burrow, QB, LSU, Sr.
It’s starting to feel impossible that any other scenario happens with the top pick.
2. Washington (3-13) — Chase Young, Edge, Ohio St.
He is widely considered the best prospect, so it’s not a bad deal to get him at No. 2. He’s likely to become a double-digit sack-producer while defending the edge in the run game.
3. Detroit (3-12-1) — Tua Tagovailoa, QB, Alabama
Here’s where things get interesting
I don’t know if the Lions will draft Tua, but I do think someone will take him at this spot. Detroit will likely try to send up smokescreens about their interest in him during the combine, because they want to trade back, and they need to generate the illusion that teams need to trade up to get the Alabama quarterback. But the truth is probably that the Lions would prefer Matthew Stafford over Tagovailoa for the next three years. So then there’s the question as to whether the Dolphins, Chargers, Panthers or Raiders really want Tua.
After the combine, teams are going to be clawing over the opportunity to draft him. His medicals should be fine. His interviews will be stellar. If it’s not Detroit, it’ll be one of the other QB-needy teams trading into this spot.
4. N.Y. Giants (4-12) — CeeDee Lamb, WR, Oklahoma
We’re talking about Dave Gettlemen. Let’s. Get. Weird.
Not only is Lamb a complete wideout, but he’s also clearly going to win the bench press.
Lamb has 2,485 yards and 25 touchdowns over the last two seasons. His production has been obscene, and he’s likely to impress in both agility drills in the 40-yard dash. This is a high spot for a receiver. But what if that receiver wins the combine?
5. Miami (5-11) — Andrew Thomas, OT, Georgia
Tua is gone, and the patient Dolphins are bizarrely committed to Ryan Fitzpatrick. They seem to have forgotten he doesn’t wear this to his postgame pressers anymore, right?
Oregon’s Justin Herbert is reach at this point, and Miami has proven it doesn’t want to rush to get a quarterback. Thomas is a pro-ready left tackle, and considering the Dolphins just bailed on Laremy Tunsil, they probably want to replace him.
6. L.A. Chargers (5-11) — Justin Herbert, QB, Oregon
The Chargers, meanwhile, may find themselves in a rush to grab a quarterback. Philip Rivers is gone. Tom Brady is likely to be a target, but it’s hard to imagine the Patriots quarterback, who is tight with owner Robert Kraft, heading to play for the Spanos family, who are generally disliked by their players.
So Herbert, it is.
7. Carolina (5-11) — Jeffrey Okudah, CB, Ohio St., Jr.
It would be a dream scenario for the Panthers, who badly need a cornerback and luckily land the best defensive back in the draft in Okudah. He’s a shutdown cornerback, who many suspect will go in the top five picks.
8. Arizona (5-10-1) — Isaiah Simmons, LB, Clemson
Simmons is the kind of prospect who is so versatile that teams don’t know what to do with him. He can probably play inside and outside linebacker and even safety at the NFL level.
But his truest position will likely be linebacker, and the Cardinals are likely to be seeking an upgrade inside and outside this offseason. I do wonder, however, if the combine is likely to send him closer to No. 3 overall and the Giants (as I predicted in my first 2020 mock draft). Simmons athleticism should test extremely well in Indy.
