Day 2 NFL Mock Draft: With top WRs and CBs gone, Redskins take TE Cole Kmet

The Redskins will be forced to find maximum value with their lone Day 2 draft pick, and we think they can use it on a Day 1 starter.

The Washington Redskins made a splash early on in the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft with their selection of defensive end Chase Young, out of Ohio State. After that pick, however, they were forced to sit by and wait while the rest of the league made their picks.

Washington will continue to wait through the start of Day 2 as well, with the lack of a second-round pick due to the trade for Montez Sweat in 2019. With major needs at the WR, TE, CB, and LT position, the first 32 picks of the draft went pretty much according to plan, as the Redskins knew they would have very little chance to grab any of the best players on the board after grabbing arguably the best player in the entire draft with the selection of Young. Watching the second round go by may be a little bit tougher, though, as anxiety will start to creep in as a few hopeful names might fall off in front of the Redskins pick at No. 66.

Barring a Trent Williams trade that lands Washington with an extra third-round pick, or even a second-rounder, the Redskins will only get one chance to draft on Friday night, and they need to make it count. In our Day 2 mock draft simulation, a couple of big names fell off the board directly in front of Washington, but we have them making the most of it by selecting the best TE prospect in the 2020 class at No. 66.

66. TE Cole Kmet — Notre Dame

Darren Yamashita-USA TODAY Sports

There’s been a debate stirring in Washington circles as to what position of need the Redskins will try to fill with their third-round pick, and the common thought is that they will ideally aim to draft a cornerback or receiver at this position. However, in our mock, some top targets like Virginia CB Bryce Hall, or Colorado WR Laviska Shenault Jr. were off the board by the Redskins time to pick. There were other names like WR Chase Claypool or WR K.J. Hill, or OT Lucas Niang that were hard to pass up, but the lack of depth at the TE position led us to grab Kmet, who is arguably the best TE in the draft.

Washington has a desperate need at TE with Jordan Reed and Vernon Davis now gone, and there are few legitimate options in the draft that could start right away next year. Kmet is one of the only players who presents the Redskins with that opportunity, so we pulled the trigger at 66.

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2020 NFL Draft order: When Seahawks are set to pick in rounds 2 and 3

John Schneider and the Seattle Seahawks, barring any trades, have three selections on Friday, the second day of the 2020 NFL draft.

The Seattle Seahawks used their first pick in the 2020 NFL Draft to select linebacker Jordyn Brooks out of Texas Tech. Many were surprised Seattle didn’t opt to trade back, although general manager John Schneider conceded he and coach Pete Carroll tried to do just that.

The Seahawks are really just getting started, however, with a number of picks on day 2 of the draft. Seattle is set to select at No. 59 and No. 64 in the second round and No. 101 overall in the third . . . barring any trades, of course.

Here’s a look at the complete updated draft order for rounds two and three of Friday’s NFL draft.

Round 2

33. Cincinnati
34. Indianapolis (from Washington)
35. Detroit
36. NY Giants
37. New England (from Los Angeles Chargers)
38. Carolina
39. Miami
40. Houston (from Arizona)
41. Cleveland
42. Jacksonville
43. Chicago (from Las Vegas)
44. Indianapolis
45. Tampa Bay
46. Denver
47. Atlanta
48. NY Jets
49. Pittsburgh
50. Chicago
51. Dallas
52. LA Rams
53. Philadelphia
54. Buffalo
55. Baltimore (from New England via Atlanta)
56. Miami (from New Orleans)
57. LA Rams (from Houston)
58. Minnesota
59. Seattle
60. Baltimore
61. Tennessee
62. Green Bay
63. Kansas City (from San Francisco)
64. Seattle (from Kansas City)

Linebacker is a popular pick for the Saints in Day 2 NFL mock drafts

The New Orleans Saints were linked to 2020 NFL Draft prospects like Troy Dye and Akkem Davis-Gaither in mock drafts for rounds two and three

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New Orleans Saints coach Sean Payton identified linebacker as a position of need going into the second day of the 2020 NFL Draft, though he acknowledged the team might not be able to address it with a rookie draft pick. New Orleans might consider a free agent after the compensatory pick cutoff passes by on Monday, with veteran options like Nigel Bradham still available.

But linebacker has been the overwhelming pick for the Saints in updated NFL mock drafts, with experts doing their best to predict what may happen in rounds two and three. Not scheduled to pick until No. 88, late in the third round, it’s easy to imagine the always-aggressive Saints trading up the board on Friday night.

Two different mock drafts have the Saints staying put, however, and selecting Oregon linebacker Troy Dye. That take comes from both SI.com’s Kevin Hanson and Bleacher Report’s Matt Miller. The Athletic’s Dane Brugler graded Dye positively — he racked up 44 tackles for loss in four years with the Ducks, starting 47 of the 50 games he played — but projects him to more of a backup role due to his underdeveloped frame and a few recent injuries.

Instead, Brugler suggested a different linebacker in his own second-day mock draft: Appalachian State’s Akeem Davis-Gaither, an athletic tackling machine who dominated his competition in the Sun Belt; he earned recognition as that conference’s Defensive Player of the Year in 2019. Brugler projects Davis-Gaither to make an instant impact in sub-packages (he created five sacks last season on blitzes) while starring on special teams, which sounds like what the Saints will be looking for.

However, not everyone has the Saints picking a linebacker. The Draft Network’s Kyle Crabbs linked the Saints to UCLA cornerback Darnay Holmes in the third round with his updated mock draft. Holmes has started 33 of the 35 games he’s played for the Bruins, flashing serious ball skills with eight interceptions (and 28 total passes defensed). But he might not fit what the Saints like from a physical standpoint at just 5-foot-9 with 29 1/2-inch arms, despite his 4.48-second 40 time.

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2020 NFL Draft: Pick order for Day 2, plus first-round recap

The New Orleans Saints picked Cesar Ruiz in the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft, but they may consider a trade up into rounds two or three

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The first round of the 2020 NFL Draft wrapped up with a few big shocks, with the New Orleans Saints catching many fans off guard by picking Michigan prospect Cesar Ruiz at No. 24 overall.

Rounds two and three might contain even more surprises. The clock starts at 6 p.m. CT (with the broadcast again on ABC, ESPN, and NFL Network), but the Saints are not slotted in until No. 88 — late in the third round.

Considering their obvious need at linebacker and room for improvement at wide receiver and cornerback, it might be wise for the Saints to target one of the best available prospects in a trade up.

Here’s how the first round of picks shook out:

2020 Draft Round 1 Recap

Pick No. Team Selection School
1 Cincinnati Bengals Joe Burrow, QB LSU
2 Washington Redskins Chase Young, EDGE Ohio State
3 Detroit Lions Jeff Okudah, CB Ohio State
4 New York Giants Andrew Thomas Georgia
5 Miami Dolphins Tua Tagovailoa, QB Alabama
6 Los Angeles Chargers Justin Herbert, QB Oregon
7 Carolina Panthers Derrick Brown, DT Auburn
8 Arizona Cardinals Isaiah Simmons, LB Clemson
9 Jacksonville Jaguars C.J. Henderson, CB Florida
10 Cleveland Browns Jedrick Wills, OT Alabama
11 New York Jets Mekhi Becton, OT Louisville
12 Las Vegas Raiders Henry Ruggs, WR Alabama
13 Tampa Bay Buccaneers Tristan Wirfs, OT Iowa
14 San Francisco 49ers Javon Kinlaw, DT South Carolina
15 Denver Broncos Jerry Jeudy, WR Alabama
16 Atlanta Falcons A.J. Terrell, CB Clemson
17 Dallas Cowboys CeeDee Lamb, WR Oklahoma
18 Miami Dolphins Austin Jackson, OT USC
19 Las Vegas Raiders Damon Arnette, CB Ohio State
20 Jacksonville Jaguars K’Lavon Chaisson, EDGE LSU
21 Philadelphia Eagles Jalen Reagor, WR TCU
22 Minnesota Vikings Justin Jefferson, WR LSU
23 Los Angeles Chargers Kenneth Murray, LB Oklahoma
24 New Orleans Saints Cesar Ruiz, C Michigan
25 San Francisco 49ers Brandon Aiyuk, WR Arizona State
26 Green Bay Packers Jordan Love, QB Utah State
27 Seattle Seahawks Jordyn Brooks, LB Texas Tech
28 Baltimore Ravens Patrick Queen, LB LSU
29 Tennessee Titans Isaiah Wilson, OT Georgia
30 Miami Dolphins Noah Igbinoghene, CB Auburn
31 Minnesota Vikings Jeff Gladney, CB TCU
32 Kansas City Chiefs Clyde Edwards-Helaire, RB LSU

And here is where things stand on the second day of the draft:

2020 Draft Day 2 Order

Pick No. Team Trade Notes
33 Bengals
34 Colts
35 Lions
36 Giants
37 Patriots From LAC
38 Panthers
39 Dolphins
40 Texans
41 Browns
42 Jaguars
43 Bears
44 Colts
45 Buccaneers
46 Broncos
47 Falcons
48 Jets
49 Steelers
50 Bears
51 Cowboys
52 Rams
53 Eagles
54 Bills
55 Ravens
56 Dolphins
57 Rams
58 Vikings
59 Seahawks
60 Ravens
61 Titans
62 Packers
63 Chiefs
64 Seahawks
65 Bengals
66 Redskins
67 Lions
68 Jets
69 Panthers
70 Dolphins
71 Patriots from LAC
72 Cardinals
73 Jaguars
74 Browns
75 Colts
76 Buccaneers
77 Broncos
78 Falcons
79 Jets
80 Raiders
81 Raiders
82 Cowboys
83 Broncos
84 Rams
85 Lions
86 Bills
87 Patriots
88 Saints
89 Vikings
90 Texans
91 Raiders
92 Ravens
93 Titans
94 Packers
95 Broncos
96 Chiefs
97* Browns
98* Patriots
99* Giants
100* Patriots
101* Seahawks
102* Steelers
103* Eagles
104* Rams
105* Vikings
106* Ravens

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