The combine is over and we are officially less than 50 days away from the NFL Draft. With free agency not yet underway and offseason news moving slowly, that means new slightly different mock drafts are coming out each day. Our brothers over at Touchdown Wire have graced us with a one rounder mock that features a familiar name at the 10 spot.
In this latest mock, the Cleveland Browns are selecting Iowa offensive tackle, Tristan Wirfs and this is a common theme as it is not a secret that Cleveland needs to protect Baker Mayfield and this tackle class is loaded. Iowa is widely regarded as Offensive Line U and Wirfs maybe the best one to come out in recent memory. Wirfs maybe the best pure blocker in this class and he has the ability to play either tackle or guard at a high level immediately.
The Browns would be fortunate to grab an offensive lineman of this caliber and selecting a player with his versatility allows them to be more flexible as far as the rest of their draft is concerned. Wirfs is expected to be a plug-and-play, Pro Bowl-level performer at either right tackle or inside at guard immediately.
The New York Giants select Tristan Wirfs in Daniel Jeremiah’s latest mock draft even though the draft analyst projects Wirfs as a guard.
The new York Giants can’t really go wrong with the No. 4 overall selection in this year’s NFL Draft. They can land a stud defender such as Isaiah Simmons of Clemson or if the heavens part their way, Ohio State’s Chase Young could miraculously fall into their laps.
If they choose to go offense, this is the year for offensive tackles. Mekhi Beckham of Louisville is a massive, athletic kid who could have an Orlando Pace-like effect on the Giants’ offense. There’s also Jedrick Wills. Jr. of Alabama and Georgia’s Andrew Thomas.
Daniel Jeremiah of the NFL Network believes the Giants will opt for Iowa’s Tristan Wirfs, a 6-foot-5, 322-pound underclassman who was the Big 10’s Offensive Lineman of the Year in 2019.
Wirfs knocked it out of the park at the NFL Combine last week, running a 4.85 40-yard dash and showing a solid balance of size, strength and speed.
“Lots of good options here, but protecting QB Daniel Jones is the priority,” said Jeremiah. “Wirfs is a big, powerful offensive tackle. In pass protection, he launches out of his stance and hasn’t had issues versus outside speed rushers. However, he has experienced issues against inside counter moves. He over-sets and struggles to redirect back inside, allowing too many pressures in the games I studied. When he can land his punch, it’s over. His hands are so strong and he has the power base to end the play right there. In the run game, he is very strong and aggressive. He creates a ton of movement, but also will overextend and fall off at times. He’s on the ground too much.
“I love his aggressive demeanor, but he needs to play more under control. Overall, I believe he can survive at tackle, but he’d benefit from playing with neighbors on both sides. I think Wirfs has All-Pro potential at guard.”
Uh…he can’t play left tackle? I mean the reviews of his play are glowing, but I’m sorry, the Giants need to draft a lock-down, 10-year left tackle at this spot. They have guards. They have right tackle prospects. They need to replace Nate Solder on the left side. Now.
If they pass on Simmons and choose Wirfs over Becton and the others, and he can’t play left tackle, they would have squandered another huge Day 1 opportunity at the draft table.
Mock draft watch: Breaking down Bleacher Report’s latest 3-rounder and how it plays out for the Cleveland Browns
The combine is now complete and updated mock drafts are being released left and right. One of the newest comes from Bleacher Report and longtime draft expert, Matt Miller. Miller provides a three-round look into what he believes Cleveland will do with their four picks in those rounds.
10th Pick: Tristan Wirfs, OT, Iowa
The former Iowa Hawkeye was a monster on the right side in college and projects to be a high end starter at either tackle position or even on the inside at guard if need be. The Browns need to upgrade Baker Mayfield’s protection and Wirfs is the perfect guy to do that.
41st Pick: Jordyn Brooks, ILB, Texas Tech
Few defenders have a more productive resume than Brooks. He led Tech in tackles every year except for his sophomore season and earned All-Big 12 every season. With Cleveland losing Joe Schobert, they will be looking to find a new backer with a nose for the ball. Brooks fits the bill.
74th Pick: Terrell Lewis, OLB, Alabama
Getting Lewis this late would be a godsend as Lewis is being mocked in the first round often. And for good reason; he transfers his unique speed to impressive power like few in the class. I imagine Lewis fell this far in this exercise due to his extensive medical history.
90th Pick: K’Von Wallace, S, Clemson
With Lewis being such a steal it only makes sense that Matt would let us down with Wallace later in the third. Wallace does have an impressive resume with so much experience that he has the school record for most games played with 59. Wallace is a good athlete and can be moved around the secondary, but lacks ideal size measuring in at 5-11 and 206 pounds at the combine and it’s a maxed out 206.
With the Combine in the rear view mirror, whose stock is rising, whose is falling and how has the board potentially changed?
Ah, mock draft season. With Indianapolis behind us, we can now start to imagine how the draft could play out given what we saw from the prospects at the 2020 Scouting Combine. Whose stock is rising, whose is falling, and how could — I repeat, how could — that impact the draft?
Here’s just one man’s shot at putting it together.
We can work our way into this mock with a selection that makes the most sense. The Bengals are moving on from Andy Dalton, and Joe Burrow’s magical season has rocketed him to the top of many draft boards. His decision-making, pocket presence and leadership abilities are perfect for what Cincinnati needs right now. Plus, the storyline of “local boy comes home” is sure to get fans excited.
Schematically, Burrow is a fit for what Bengals head coach Zac Taylor is looking to do offensively. With some weapons around him and some additions to the offensive line, Burrow could be in position to contribute early in his career.
2. Washington Redskins: Chase Young, EDGE, Ohio State
(Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sport)
There does seem to be some smoke building around the idea of Washington doing this year what the Arizona Cardinals did a season ago: Let a new regime pick their quarterback. Last year the Cardinals hired Kliff Kingsbury and let him pick the quarterback he wanted to build around. The result? Arizona moved on from Josh Rosen after a single season and drafted Kyler Murray.
Could the same thing happen to Dwayne Haskins? Rumors around Indianapolis last week seemed to indicate that it was at least a possibility. Washington reportedly met with Tua Tagovailoa and the South Florida Sun Sentinel reported that new head coach Ron Rivera told the Alabama passer that, according to a source, “[t]hey want to bring in Tua, just get it going and compete.”
My thinking here is this: This is lying season. Most people believe the draft begins at the second pick, and Washington holds a lot of cards. They could stay pat and select the best overall player in the draft, the Ohio State edge rusher. But if a team is dying to move up to draft a quarterback, they’ll entertain offers. One way to drive up the price? Float the idea that you are in the quarterback market as well.
For now, I think these are all smoke screens. Washington stays pat and takes the pass rusher.
3. Detroit Lions: Jeff Okudah, CB, Ohio State
(Joe Maiorana-USA TODAY Sports)
Here is where things could really get sporty.
There are concerns in Detroit regarding the status of quarterback Matthew Stafford. Back injuries the past few seasons have some wondering if it is time to prepare for a world without Stafford in Detroit. The issue is, Stafford’s contract is such that it makes much more sense from a salary cap perspective to move on from Stafford in 2021, rather than 2020.
Under Stafford’s contract, if he were to be traded or cut before June 1st, the Lions would be hit with $32 million in dead cap space for 2020, and would have a cap “savings” of minus $10.7 million for the 2020 league year.
However, if they decide to move on from Stafford prior to 2021, they would actually free up around $14M of cap space.
So the thinking here could be: Draft Tagovailoa, redshirt him for a season while Stafford plays through 2020, and then move on when Tagovailoa is fully healthy and it makes more sense from a cap perspective.
So it is a possibility that the Lions could go with a quarterback here.
At the same time, Matt Patricia must be feeling the urge to win now, and the idea of drafting a quarterback to simply redshirt him while the flames are fanned under your seat cannot feel too pleasant. In the end Detroit entertains the idea of Tagovailoa, but goes with the potential shutdown corner in Okudah.
4. Los Angeles Chargers (via trade with New York Giants): Tua Tagovailoa, QB, Alabama
(Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)
Now we have our first trade.
A running theme of this mock draft so far has been the Alabama quarterback. In the mix to Washington with the second pick. A potential option for Detroit with the third pick. Now this draft enters a stretch where quarterback is a possibility for a number of teams, including the Chargers at six and the Carolina Panthers at seven.
Tagovailoa has been linked to the Dolphins for a long time now, and the Chargers can read the tea leaves as well as anyone else. If they decide that Tagovailoa is their quarterback of the future, they’ll need to get in front of Miami to ensure that he is wearing the powder blues next season.
Conceptually, while there might be better fits for Tagovailoa’s skill-set, such as the Panthers as we argued yesterday, the Chargers will have the time to build around Tagovailoa and construct an offense around his strengths: His accuracy in the short area, his processing speed, and his familiarity with run/pass option designs.
5. Miami Dolphins: Justin Herbert, QB, Oregon
(Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports)
Interestingly enough, Miami might be just fine with the Chargers leap-frogging them, as they end up with the passer that some in the building have been targeting for over a year. It was just a year ago when reports out of Miami were that Dolphins’ owner Stephen Ross was interested in two quarterbacks: Tagovailoa and Herbert.
Now, with both an option for the Dolphins in this year’s draft, many have linked Miami to Tagovailoa. But the decision to hire Chan Gailey as their offensive coordinator does give them a potential schematic fit with both quarterbacks. As we argued yesterday, the Dolphins are a great fit for Herbert’s skill-set, given his background in Oregon’s spread system. That would ease his transition to the pro game, and with both Rosen and Ryan Fitzpatrick in place, they could potentially move one of those players late in training camp, depending on Herbert’s progress as a rookie this summer.
6. New York Giants (via trade with Los Angeles Chargers): Andrew Thomas, OT, Georgia
(AP Photo/Butch Dill)
New York Giants general manager Dave Gettleman said a number of things during his media session in Indianapolis that stuck with me. Two in particular. One I will take to heart, and the other I will ignore with this move to trade down and select the Georgia offensive tackle.
When addressing the media, Gettleman indicated that trading down does carry a bit of risk. What if you trade down, he theorized, from four to eight with four players that you like on your board? You might miss out on all of them is the fear he expressed.
But given how Gettleman could play the board, and still select one of the four impressive offensive tackles in this draft, gives him an option to pick up some additional selections in this draft and continue to build around Daniel Jones.
So while I dismissed the idea of Gettleman’s trade down fear, I will take to heart something else he said. He was asked about the most important position to help a young quarterback and he instantly delivered an incredible response: “Offensive line. I’ve found that it is hard to complete a pass when lying on your back.” And in, perhaps, a shot at all the discussion over Gettleman’s thoughts on analytics he added: “I’ve done that study.”
Here, the Giants trade back and get an NFL ready offensive tackle with experience on both the right and the left sides of the line. Given his SEC pedigree, Thomas has faced some imposing pass rushers during his time in Athens, and he’ll be ready to go up against some of what the NFL has to offer. The combine might have vaulted Tristan Wirfs and Mekhi Becton up many boards, but something tells me that Gettleman will value what Thomas put on tape.
The Panthers could go in a number of directions with this pick. Quarterback is in play, depending on what new head coach Matt Rhule decides to do with Cam Newton and how he handles Kyle Allen and last year’s draft pick Will Grier. Rhule has said all the right things about Newton, he likes Grier dating back to their games against each other in the Big 12, and Allen showed promise at times last year. So it is likely that Rhule keeps all three in Carolina and looks to address other needs.
Offensive line is also an area they could address, and given what we saw from Tristan Wirfs, Mekhi Becton at the combine as well as what we saw on film all season from Jedrick Wills Jr., any one of those players could be in play if the board falls this way.
They also have needs on the defensive side of the football. They could use help up front, they could use some help at linebacker in the wake of Luke Kuechly’s retirement, and they could also use some help in the secondary.
In Simmons, they could get help at all three levels of their defense. They would get a player who has lined up on the defensive line, in the slot, as a box safety and even as a boundary cornerback. They would also get an explosive athlete who posted a 4.39 40-yard dash at the combine, to go with a vertical leap of 39” and a broad jump of 11’. All while measuring in at 6’3 and ½” and weighing 238 pounds. He is an absolute freak of nature, and would revamp their defense in an instant.
In a draft that is talent-laden at the wide receiver position, we have yet to hear one WR called. That streak continues, as the Cardinals pass on every wide receiver on the board to address another glaring need: Offensive line. The Cardinals desperately need to protect Murray next season, and Becton can help in that effort.
Murray was sacked 48 times last season, tied with Russell Wilson and Matt Ryan for the most times sacked in the league. Now yes, sacks are not an offensive line statistic and the quarterback contributes to those sack totals, but the Cardinals do need to give him more time in the pocket. Murray was hurried 63 times last season, fifth-most in the league. With D.J. Humphries and Justin Murray as their starting tackles last season, this position could use a boost.
They get that in Becton. The massive left tackle showed some power and explosiveness both on film and during his combine workout. He has very fluid footwork for a man of his size, and his length will be an asset in Kingsbury’s offense. He could be the guy to protect Murray’s blindside for the next decade.
Everything NFL draft fans need to know about Iowa offensive tackle prospect Tristan Wirfs
Tristan Wirfs | OL | Iowa
Elevator Pitch
Wirfs has all of the tools to be a high-end starting offensive lineman for years to come. From his brute strength to his impressive athleticism to his nonstop motor once engaged with a defender, his skill set has much to be excited about. Regardless of whether teams plan on playing him at tackle or guard, he should be an early pick in this year’s class.
Wirfs garnered a reputation for being a weight room animal at Iowa, and when you turn on his tape, that’s not surprising to hear.
The three-year collegiate starter has a lengthy and muscular frame that is well-built with ideal proportions for an offensive lineman. His bulk translates to power on film, as he plays with powerful grip strength once he latches onto a defender. Wirfs has the raw upper-body strength to manhandle smaller defensive linemen and knock them off balance. Combining that power with a motor that runs high on every down, he has made his fair share of pancake blocks on the field.
Wirfs tested incredibly well at the Combine, leading all offensive linemen in the 40-yard dash, vertical jump and broad jump. That athleticism translates on tape. He has above-average lateral quickness in pass protection, showing flashes of dynamic explosion coming out of his stance to nullify speed rushers off the edge. He has also shown improvement in terms of his ability to get inside hand placement over the course of his collegiate career.
Weaknesses
While Wirfs has shown impressive athletic ability, he can stand to do so in a more consistent manner. His lateral quickness is superb on some plays, but there are also some downs where he struggles to change direction. Playing with better composure is an area where he can improve.
Wirfs’ hands can be a bit slow at times, as he can get better in regards to the quickness with which he counters pass-rushing techniques. He can also overset from time to time, leaving him susceptible to inside moves. His wingspan is also pretty short for an offensive tackle, making it a possibility he moves to the interior in the NFL.
The Jacksonville Jaguars need help on both lines. Todd McShay appeared to be well aware of that in his latest mock.
The Jacksonville Jaguars are in a tough spot with the ninth overall selection. The top talents like Derrick Brown and Jeffrey Okudah are likely to be gone by that point, leaving a bevy of top tackles at the top of the board.
One player I’ve banged the table for this offseason is Iowa offensive Tristan Wirfs, who has the versatility and athleticism that would provide Jacksonville with a stud lineman, regardless of the position he winds up playing. With Cam Robinson coming off of a disappointing season, an extra big-man with tackle experience certainly wouldn’t hurt.
That was just the case in Todd McShay’s most recent mock draft for ESPN. McShay mocked the Jaguars to select Wirfs and Texas Christian’s Ross Blacklock, a talented defensive tackle in the Big 12. Clearly, McShay feels the Jags need to bolster their lines heading into the 2020 season.
9. Jacksonville Jaguars
Tristan Wirfs, OT, Iowa
Wirfs, Cam Robinson and 2019 second-rounder Jawaan Taylor would be a very strong trio of tackles for the Jaguars, and Wirfs could pop inside to guard if Jacksonville decides to go this route. He is 6-5, 320 but lept 36.5 inches in the vertical jump — higher than DeAndre Hopkins did at his 2013 combine — in addition to recording a 10-foot-1 broad jump and running a 4.85 in the 40 in Indianapolis. Did I mention he’s 320 pounds? Edge rusher would be a reach at No. 9, and while the Jags could use another receiver, it isn’t a pressing need. So the athletic Wirfs makes sense as another asset on that line, driving defenders off the ball and protecting Nick Foles, Gardner Minshew II or whoever else is throwing the passes in 2020 and beyond.
20. Jacksonville Jaguars (from LAR)
Ross Blacklock, DT, TCU
Blacklock has very good size and power, and he’d go a long way in improving what was one of the worst run defenses in the NFL last season. The Jaguars opted to decline Marcell Dareus’ contract option for 2020, and Taven Bryan hasn’t worked out well in Jacksonville. Tackle is a huge need. That said, if Yannick Ngakoue does indeed play elsewhere next season, the Jags could look at someone like A.J. Epenesa to replenish the edge.
Most wouldn’t necessarily consider either of these players “steals,” however, they are two dang good football players. Blacklock and Wirfs would be key cogs on opposite sides of the line for years to come and would bring stability to the team. Depending on how the offseason goes, Blacklock could find himself as a starter on the defensive line, and if not, he could be a solid rotational player.
As for Wirfs, the team is still unsure of the left tackle position. Dave Caldwell had hoped that Robinson would become the franchise left tackle, however, after 2018’s ACL injury, that remains an uncertainty. If Robinson returns to his 2017 form, then Wirfs could see a move to guard, becoming a force in the run game. If Robinson struggles again, Wirfs is more than capable of stepping right in at left tackle to become an anchor on the line, protecting the young Gardner Minshew II.
The New York Giants select OT Tristan Wirfs in the first post-NFL Combine mock draft from CBS Sports.
Seven months ago, if someone told you that both Tua Tagovailoa and Justin Herbert would not be selected in the first four picks of the 2020 NFL Draft you would not have believed them.
But that is what Ryan Wilson of CBS Sports is predicting in his latest mock draft. Wilson predicts, like most mockers, that LSU quarterback Joe Burrow will be the top pick in the draft, going to Cincinnati, and Ohio State edge rusher Chase Young will land in Washington with the second pick.
The Detroit Lions have the third pick and Wilson believes that Clemson linebacker Isaiah Simmons, coming off a monster performance at the NFL Combine this past weekend, will be taken at No. 3.
Where does that leave the New York Giants at No. 4? They have a ton of options. Wilson has them taking Iowa OT Tristan Wirfs, who also had an eye-popping combine.
Turns out, Tristan Wirfs is somehow more athletic than any of us thought; at the combine he ran a 4.85, had a vertical of 36.5 inches, and oh by the way, he’s one of the best players in this draft class. As an O-lineman, he can play either tackle position, and even kick inside to guard.
I’m down with this for two reasons. First, the Redskins and Lions made it easy by taking Young and Simmons, so the only other defensive player that could be taken here is Ohio State corner Jeffrey Okudah. I don’t see the Giants passing up Wirfs or Louisville OT Mekhi Becton. They need offensive tackles on both ends of the line.
This is also a prime spot to trade down from. Several teams in the top half of the round might want to move up to get a quarterback and the Giants just might deal the pick if the price is right.
Where does Wilson have the quarterbacks going? He’s predicting Tua will go to Miami at 5 and Herbert dropping down to No. 13 to Indianapolis.
Some scenarios are more likely to play out for the Redskins than others, but we’d be lying if we said any of these options were impossible.
As the days go by, it’s starting to feel more and more likely that the Washington Redskins know what they’re going to do when it comes to the 2020 NFL Draft. With the No. 2 overall pick, and a likely clear shot at taking Ohio State’s DE Chase Young, the selection is seemingly signed, sealed and delivered, two months before draft day.
That doesn’t mean that things can’t change though. As confident as you are that Washington will be the landing spot for Young, you’d be lying if you claimed that it’s guaranteed to happen. This is the NFL, and things can get crazy when that clock is ticking down, especially when there are franchise-altering decisions on the line.
So, who actually has the highest chance of being picked by the Redskins in the first round? We’re about to break it down. If you have any knowledge about how sports wagering goes, then you’ll pick this up quickly — we simply handicapped what we think the odds would be. If you’re new to gambling on sports or are unfamiliar with the terminology, here’s a refresher.
Note: These odds were set under the impression that the Redskins could end up trading their first pick as well. There are a select number of players listed below that would be drafted at No. 2, the rest are handicapped with the assumption that the Redskins would have a pick in the range of 5-10.
DE Chase Young — Ohio State (-500)
GLENDALE, ARIZONA – DECEMBER 28: Chase Young #2 of the Ohio State Buckeyes looks on against the Clemson Tigers in the first half during the College Football Playoff Semifinal at the PlayStation Fiesta Bowl at State Farm Stadium on December 28, 2019 in Glendale, Arizona. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
This doesn’t need much explaining; Young is the HEAVY favorite in this race. Many believe that the dominant edge-rusher is the best defensive prospect to come out of college in several years, and that’s saying a whole lot when you consider that both Nick and Joey Bosa came out of OSU within the past half-decade.
Young had 16.5 sacks in his senior season with the Buckeyes despite missing two games. His impact goes a lot further than that, as well, due to an opposing team’s propensity to send double- or triple-teams to stimy his action on the front line.
Young is about as great of a prospect as you can ask for under a new head coach, and he will likely be the jump-start that this franchise needs to get back into contention.
With (-500) odds, if you wagered $100, you would win $20 in profit.
Offensive tackles had a strong performance at the NFL combine, while tight ends did not. This is good news for the Seattle Seahawks.
The 2020 NFL combine gave the Seattle Seahawks and the rest of the league a chance to see many of their draft targets compared to their peers over the past two weeks.
Often what comes out of the combine is a better overall sense of each positional group, and the depth (or lack thereof) of talent in the upcoming draft class.
For a Seahawks team that needs help at a handful of positions, this combine helped them evaluate which positions they should look to upgrade via the draft, and which other ones they should focus their attention on free agency or the trade market.
Fortunately for Seattle, the combine actually did more to confirm their previous suspicions. The tight end group, collectively, had a really poor showing at the combine – further confirming the team’s decision to sign veteran Greg Olsen as opposed to using draft capital to supplement Will Dissly.
Perhaps the position group that did the most to boost their overall stock was the offensive tackles, another area of need for this team with the pending free agencies of both Germain Ifedi and George Fant.
Many of the best tackles in this draft class are expected to go early in the first round, making them unlikely targets for Seattle. However, a flurry of instant starters available in the draft could help drive down the price of both Fant and Ifedi on the open market – which might clear room for one or both of them to return to the Emerald City.
There’s also a possibility that the team finds someone they like at No. 27 overall, or decides to package some picks to trade up for one of the studs in this draft class – like Mekhi Becton or Tristan Wirfs.
Seahawks fans should feel good about John Schneider and Pete Carroll’s instincts, as the Olsen signing looks even better in hindsight and the team’s ability to upgrade at offensive tackle, or at least bring back some familiar faces, looks even stronger following the combine.
The scouting combine is a fascinating fountain of draft and NFL knowledge. Here are the 20 most important things we learned this year.
Every February, as we rise out of our Super Bowl hangovers, the scouting combine comes along to re-focus our heads into the upcoming league year, draft, and actual season. Here are 20 things we learned this time around,
Free agency could be a whole new ballgame.
(Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports)
Based on the feeling in Indianapolis last week, there are two pendulums that hang over the new league year, which begins March 18: A free-agent quarterback situation the likes of which we’ve never seen before (more on that in a minute), and the status of a new Collective Bargaining Agreement. A group of owners and player representatives from all 32 teams met in Indy last Tuesday, with a 17-14 player rep vote with one abstention taking the proposal to the entire player pool for a ratification vote once a few things are ironed out.
If that goes through, we’re close to labor peace until the end of the decade. The owners are offering a bigger piece of the pie of all broadcast revenue, which should increase drastically with new television deals. Some players are balking at a 17-game season, which the owners seem to see as an inflexible bargaining chip. If there is no agreement, there could be a lockout in 2021 following the expiration of the current CBA. At this point, owners don’t know what the salary cap will be long-term without an agreement. Could this lead to a depressed market in free agency? We will have to wait and see.
