5 possible surprise picks for the Eagles in the 1st-round of NFL Draft

The 2020 NFL Draft is fast approaching and with the Eagles looking to make changes up and down the roster, Howie Roseman and company could have a few surprises in store.

The Eagles have been linked to Henry Ruggs III and Tee Higgins for weeks now, but what if Howie Roseman believes in the depth at receiver in the draft and decides to lean another way in the first round?

With the Eagles looking to make a splash, here are five players who could be sleeper picks for Philadelphia in the first round.

***

Sep 7, 2019; Fresno, CA, USA; Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports

1. Antoine Winfield, Jr. — Safety — Minnesota

With a name to match his game, Winfield Jr., the son of a former Ohio State and NFL star, is rising up draft boards because of his ability to dictate a game at different levels.

Winfield Jr. announced that he was skipping his final two years of eligibility after earning consensus All-American honors and tying the single-season Gophers record with seven interceptions.

Winfield led the Gophers with 88 total tackles while helping them knock off Auburn in the Outback Bowl to finish 11-2 for the most wins in program history since 1904.

Pages: 12345

Ravens mock draft: Triple-dipping at OLB in our latest 4-round mock draft

In our latest four-round mock draft, we have the Baltimore Ravens grabbing three OLB and the best safety in the 2020 NFL Draft

As the Baltimore Ravens’ needs continue to change with every move in the offseason, we’ve been keeping a keen eye on the 2020 NFL Draft. A free-agent signing or a roster cut will alter what the Ravens do come April and the draft. With the latest round of moves that included cutting safety Tony Jefferson, I took another stab at a comprehensive mock draft for Baltimore.

I used the Draft Network’s mock draft simulator with their predictive big board. In this mock draft, I simply followed my own draft board and picked the best player still available, as long as it makes any real sense. That ultimately meant picking prospects that didn’t necessarily fill an immediate need but also not reaching for a prospect that would have either. It’s the mentality we often see the Ravens utilize come draft day, so it’s hopefully a little more accurate than solely going after needs with each pick.

We kick things off with a surprise in the first round.

1st round (No. 28) – S Xavier McKinney, Alabama

I got the best safety in this draft class. While not an immediate need thanks to Baltimore having both Earl Thomas and Chuck Clark under contract, it’s the type of move we’ve seen the Ravens make before when drafting players like cornerback Marlon Humphrey.

McKinney is a great all-around safety. He’s an absolute thumper when coming down to make the tackle but with textbook technique so guys don’t typically get out of his grasp. McKinney also has a decent amount of range and can play a more typical centerfield, free-safety type role.

Most other mock drafts have McKinney going in the top-20 picks pretty easily with some having him as a top-10 option. I think McKinney would start on a good number of teams in the NFL from Week 1 of his rookie season but letting him sit and learn behind Clark and Thomas would be a huge win for both him and the Ravens. It’s a move that could really pay off in 2021, allowing Baltimore to part ways with Thomas and gain $6 million on the salary cap, according to Over The Cap.

It might not be the dominant pass rusher Ravens fans were hoping for here but without either trading up or reaching for a player with a second-round grade, the board just didn’t fall that way.

No. 28 / No. 60 / No. 92 / No. 119 / No. 124

Pages: 12345

2020 NFL Draft: Clint Lamb’s first mock draft, picks 17-32

The 2020 NFL Draft is still technically months away, but the time has come to start figuring out where all the top-tier college talents will land at the next level. Alabama has several of its former players currently being projected as first-round …

The 2020 NFL Draft is still technically months away, but the time has come to start figuring out where all the top-tier college talents will land at the next level.

Alabama has several of its former players currently being projected as first-round picks by other draft analysts, but we decided to do our own mock draft after diving into over 150-plus prospects (and counting).

The record for most first-round picks in a single draft by the Crimson Tide sits at four, which has happened multiple times under head coach Nick Saban.

Will this be the year that record is finally broken? According to this mock draft, the answer to that question is yes.

Note: The is the second half (picks 17-32) of Clint Lamb’s first mock draft of the offseason. The first part (picks 1-16) can be found here.

17. Dallas Cowboys – Xavier McKinney, S, Alabama

A lot of other draft analyst have LSU’s Grant Delpit as the top safety in the 2020 draft class. I, however, am not one of those people.

Sure, the difference in skill level and potential impact between the two is marginal, but at this point in their careers, I trust McKinney to be a more complete player — mostly due to more consistent tackling.

The Cowboys are desperate for a playmaker on the back end of the defense, especially with Xavier Woods going into a contract season.

McKinney can play in the box, be a single-high safety or can roll down and cover the slot as a nickel guy. That sort of versatility would go a long way in helping push an improving Dallas defense over the top.

Pages: 12345678910111213141516

2020 NFL Draft: Bills opt for Round 1 DB in CBS Sports mock

Buffalo Bills select defensive back in CBS Sports’ latest 2020 NFL Draft mock.

Could the Bills actually take a defensive back in the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft? CBS Sports seems to think so.

Buffalo’s secondary has led the way under the team’s current coaching staff led by Sean McDermott, since his 2017 hiring. Still, that unit is refreshed with Alabama safety Xavier McKinney. Here’s why:

Buffalo exceeded expectations this season, which is a testament to their coaching staff. When you look at the roster, there are several areas in need of an upgrade. In an ideal world, the best prospect available would be a wide receiver but that is not the case. Instead, they build out their secondary with Xavier McKinney, who is capable of playing the boundary and field cornerback positions as well as either safety role.

Of all the position groups the Bills might need refreshed least, safety could be up there. Micah Hyde and Jordan Poyer roam that area for the Bills and while Poyer is entering a contract year in 2020, he still has plenty of game in him at 28. Draft McKinney, who is touted as a first-round talent at the upcoming draft, wouldn’t make much sense for the Bills, even if he was moved to cornerback.

Especially since the likes of edge defenders K’Lavon Chaisson and Yeter Gross-Matos are still on the board, along with receivers Justin Jefferson and Laviska Shenault.

The Bills’ projection in this particular mock are certainly among the most questionable so far this offseason. Do the Bills like to put themselves in the best position to take the best player in any position when their pick comes along? Of course, but it’s still a scenario that’s hard to imagine.

[lawrence-related id=55142,55131,55063,55055]

Todd McShay mock draft 2.0 has Cowboys choosing Xavier McKinney over Grant Delpit

The Cowboys need help at the safety position, but ESPN’s Todd McShay thinks they’ll bypass the one most fans are clamoring for.

Grant Delpit got all the safety love, it seemed, from NFL teams who closed out 2019 looking to bolster their back ends in 2020. Playing for the national champs certainly helped catapult the two-time consensus All-America selection and Jim Thorpe Award winner into the spotlight. Even causal fans who may have tuned to see what all the Joe Burrow fuss was about probably came away impressed by the ballhawking defensive back who’ll certainly be a first-round talent come April.

Draft guru Todd McShay, in his most-recently-updated mock (paywall), indeed thinks Dallas will go with an SEC safety to provide the team some much-needed secondary help. But with the 17th overall pick, he has the Cowboys zigging when everyone expects them to zag.

Xavier McKinney, S, Alabama

Jerry Jones has quite an offseason ahead of him. Dak Prescott, Amari Cooper, Robert Quinn and Byron Jones headline a talented — and expensive — list of players headed toward free agency. If cornerback Jones is one of the odd men out, a secondary that mostly held passing offenses at bay but struggled to produce takeaways gets weaker. And the Cowboys have needed a safety since the days when Roy Williams and Darren Woodson roamed the defensive backfield. McKinney has some range as a deep safety — he pulled in three interceptions on the back end for Bama last season.

McShay believes the Cowboys will actually pass on Delpit, leaving him on the board to land in New England with the 23rd pick.

McKinney, bidding farewell to Tuscaloosa as a junior, is listed as a 6-foot-1-inch 200-pounder. He played in 13 games as a true freshman coming out of Roswell, Georgia. He became a starter for the Crimson Tide as a sophomore and ended the season as MVP of the 2018 Orange Bowl. Last season, he recorded 95 tackles, 3 sacks, and 4 forced fumbles to go with his three interceptions. He was named first-team All-SEC for those efforts.

[lawrence-newsletter]

WATCH: Mel Kiper explains why Tua Tagovailoa, Dolphins are good fit

The 2020 NFL Draft is set to take place in Late April in Las Vegas, and it’s poised to be another Crimson Tide takeover in the first round with some mock drafts having eight former Alabama players being selected in the first round. The most talked …

The most talked about player heading into the draft is former Alabama quarterback, Tua Tagovailoa.

Mel Kiper joined ESPN and spoke on his thoughts regarding Tagovailoa and the struggling Miami Dolphins as a pair.

My thoughts on why I projected quarterback Tua Tagovailoa to the Dolphins at No. 5 in my 2020 Mock Draft 1.0. pic.twitter.com/wJpXzJWz8L

— Mel Kiper Jr. (@MelKiperESPN) January 24, 2020

Kiper, a seasoned NFL draft analyst, says that the Dolphins would be smart to draft Tagovailoa, essentially deeming them the winners of the ‘Tank for Tua’ sweepstakes.

He also goes on to explain that having the former Heisman finalist sit out a year and “red shirt” would not be the worst idea, citing Patrick Mahomes as an example of how that could work.

The Dolphins have an ideal situation in their quarterback room. They have Ryan Fitzpatrick under contract for one more season, to which they can let him play until Tagovailoa is healthy and ready to play.

There is still plenty of time until the 2020 NFL Draft, but Roll Tide Wire will keep you updated on all things Alabama football as needed.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]

2020 Draft: Top 4 early contenders for Cowboys at No. 17

Dallas has a world of options in the draft and an unknown set of needs. Here are 4 candidates emerging as best fits at the end of January.

The Dallas Cowboys have a multitude of needs in 2020. The question will remain open, at least through March, if they will work on improving those areas without veteran help or what they will leave to improve during April’s draft.

The conventional wisdom is to fill holes during free agency so you can draft freely come April, but with 30 free agents, the Cowboys are going to have a lot of holes to fill. Of course, mock drafts exist in a vacuum of free agency help during the first two-plus months of the calendar year. For now, the assumption is that open holes remain that way and for the Cowboys, this opens up endless possibilities.

Dallas could use help at several levels of both offense and defense this offseason.

Running back is taken care of, with Ezekiel Elliott and Tony Pollard inked for the next three years (Elliott for seven, but his guarantees run out after 2022). The offensive line is good for a few seasons, though the club could look to improve the backup depth. Assuming Dak Prescott is resigned. Dallas won’t be looking to make a major investment at quarterback, either.

Wide receiver and tight end, though, have their share of question marks for Dallas. Amari Cooper isn’t signed, Randall Cobb is out of contract and Jason Witten is likely leaving the club. Only Michael Gallup and RFA Blake Jarwin are guaranteed to return to the passing game.

On defense, there are more questions than answers. DeMarcus Lawrence is the only starting defensive lineman who is guaranteed to return. Robert Quinn, Maliek Collins, Antwaun Woods and Michael Bennett are all up in the air as free agents of some kind.

Linebacker depth is a question, and both Jaylon Smith and Leighton Vander Esch regressed, though the club is invested in both so heavily they’ll each get the 2020 season, at least, to prove their bounce back-ability. In the secondary, there’s a lot of questions with all of the corners (starting with Byron Jones) either out of contract or entering their walk year, Jeff Heath’s contract is finally up and there’s room to add talent besides Xavier Woods.

All of this, at least until some free agents are inked, lead to four regular objects of affection for the Cowboys to select at No. 17, according to mock drafts.

Defensive Tackle Javon Kinlaw (South Carolina)

Wide Receiver Henry Ruggs III (Alabama)

Safety Xavier McKinney (Alabama)

Safety Grant Delpit (LSU)

The majority of mock drafts, at least until the combine results start shuffling prospects around, are looking to deliver one of these four players to Dallas.

Kinlaw is the longshot to be available. He’s a highly disruptive player with a high ceiling as a pass-rushing interior lineman. The way he gets to Dallas could be the injury route, as he has knee concerns that knocked him out of Senior Bowl week after two practices. Ruggs is a speed-demon wide receiver the Cowboys thought they had in Tavon Austin when he was healthy enough to be on the field the last two seasons.

The safeties . . . well, Dallas has neglected the position for so long it’s become laughable.

Over at NFL.com, where they have a multitude of draft analysts to match the multitude of positional openings, there are conflicting opinions on where Dallas goes first. Bucky Brooks thinks the Cowboys should roll with the speedy WR Ruggs.

Adding speed, quickness and playmaking ability to the receiving corps could be a priority with several gifted free agents poised to hit the market.

Meanwhile, Lance Zierlein rolls with McKinney on the back-end.

Assuming Dallas locks up pending free agent Byron Jones, McKinney would give the ‘Boys a versatile, interchangeable safety who can also line up over the slot.

An interesting note is that both analysts had the other’s pick available when Dallas was on the clock. Zierlein could’ve shipped them Ruggs, Brooks could’ve assigned McKinney.

Kinlaw was gone in both (No. 9 in Zierlein’s mock, No. 14 in Brooks’), and Delpit was available in both.

Certainly, the Cowboys could look at other positions, or other players at these positions. The needs are numerous at this time of year and the options are plentiful.

[polldaddy poll=10498227]

[vertical-gallery id=637870][lawrence-newsletter]

CBS NFL analyst predicts 7 Alabama players in first-round mock draft

Ryan Wilson, a CBS NFL analyst, has released his most recent mock draft for the 2020 NFL Draft. As we get closer to the date of the draft, we get a better understanding of where teams sit in terms of who is on their draft board. The 2020 Senior Bowl …

Ryan Wilson, a CBS NFL analyst, has released his most recent mock draft for the 2020 NFL Draft.

As we get closer to the date of the draft, we get a better understanding of where teams sit in terms of who is on their draft board.

The 2020 Senior Bowl is upon us and the Super Bowl LIV matchup is set.

Wilson’s first-round mock draft is full of talent from different programs from all across the country, but there are seven players that made the list that re products of the University of Alabama.

4. New York Giants – Jedrick Wills, OL

The Giants are going all in on their future quarterback, Daniel Jones. However, if he wants to be able to throw, he’ll need to be protected, that’s where Wills comes in.

Pages: 1234

49ers get secondary help with last pick in 2020 mock draft

The latest USA TODAY mock draft has the 49ers winning the Super Bowl, and getting a steal late in the first round.

There are two elements of the latest USA TODAY mock draft that matter for the 49ers.

The first is that they’re picking last. The second is the actual pick – Alabama safety Xavier McKinney.

Picking last would mean the 49ers won Super Bowl LIV. In this specific mock, they knocked off the Chiefs, which pick No. 31 overall. That last spot from a draft standpoint might actually help the 49ers in their pursuit of additional draft picks after sending their second, third and fourth-round picks out in trades. Having the No. 32 slot may mean a team wanting a the fifth-year of control that comes with a first-round will be willing to shed assets to climb back into the first round.

The pick itself is interesting considering the 49ers’ safety situation. Jimmie Ward is coming off his best year as a pro after signing a one-year deal to return to San Francisco this offseason. Jaquiski Tartt next season is entering the final year of his two-year extension.

There’s a very real possibility the 49ers opt to let the 28-year-old Ward walk in free agency in favor of a younger, cheaper option. McKinney would fit that bill. He’s a touch bigger than Ward at 6-1, 200 pounds, but he has a lot of the same skill set that makes Ward an invaluable piece in the back end of the 49ers’ defense.

McKinney’s tape shows a tackler willing to mix it up near the line of scrimmage, and the range to play deep in the ‘Eraser’ role Ward takes on in the secondary. The Alabama product became a full-time starter in his second season, and in two years playing full time for the Crimson Tide posted 175 tackles, 13 tackles for loss, 6.0 sacks, five interceptions and 15 pass breakups.

It’s hard to imagine a player of McKinney’s caliber at such an important position will fall all the way to the last pick in the first round. Chances are the 49ers trade down from their first pick to accumulate some more selections, and safety could wind up being one of their top needs. If that is the case and they don’t find a trade partner, McKinney would be a terrific value late in the first round.

Alabama S Xavier McKinney declares for 2020 NFL draft

Alabama safety Xavier McKinney is leaving school early to enter the 2020 NFL draft

View this post on Instagram

I • V • MMXX #rolltideforever

A post shared by Xavier Mckinney (@mckinney15__) on Jan 5, 2020 at 10:18am PST

One of the best safety prospects in the country is making the early jump to the pro ranks.

Alabama’s Xavier McKinney has decided to forego his remaining eligibility and enter the 2020 NFL draft. He announced his decision via Instagram on Sunday.

A complete player who excels both in coverage and in run support, McKinney will duke it out with LSU’s Grant Delpit for the rights to be the first safety drafted in 2020. He is widely regarded as a premier prospect in the defensive backs group. He should be a lock to hear his name called among the top 20 picks.

[vertical-gallery id=611135]