The Washington Redskins are likely to stay put with the No. 2 overall pick. But what happens if they trade down? We take a look in our latest NFL mock draft.
The 2020 NFL Combine is now here. The chance for prospects to impress will be in primetime for the first time in the event’s history, and there’s no doubt that the Redskins will be keeping a close eye on a number of players at the combine.
That said, it seems that the team is all but locked in on taking Chase Young if they stay put with the No. 2 overall pick. The Ohio State defensive end is the best defensive player in this draft class and he figures to be a stud at the NFL level.
The latest rumors have tied the Redskins to Young. And it seems unlikely that they’ll move the No. 2 pick unless it’s for a massive deal.
But what if they do get a big-time offer? What if a quarterback bidding war begins and the ‘Skins get blown away and decide to make a trade? It’s still possible even if it’s not the likely outcome at this point. There are still two months ahead of the draft, and things can change rapidly.
So, ahead of the NFL Combine, we’re going to take a look at what a mock draft could look like if the Redskins do trade down. Because if they stay put at No. 2, it’s basically a foregone conclusion that they’ll take Young. But if they move down, any number of options could be on the table.
With that said, here’s a look at a pre-combine mock draft with the Redskins electing to trade down and grab a number of picks that will help them rebuild the weakest parts of their team.
Let’s start with the obvious. It seems highly likely that the Bengals are taking a quarterback. And it seems very likely that quarterback will be Joe Burrow.
Entering the 2019 college football season, Burrow was viewed as a potential mid-round pick at best. He had been a decent starter for LSU during the previous season, his first as a starter, and it looked like he had the tools to be a good developmental project.
But then, Burrow took the field for the ’19 season. He caught fire and so did his draft stock.
More from Riggo's Rag
- What will Emmanuel Forbes bring to the Washington Commanders?
- Highlighting the best Commanders 2023 NFL Draft betting props
- 3 late Commanders rumors drawing buzz ahead of the 2023 NFL Draft
- 4 bold predictions for the Commanders 2023 NFL Draft
- Commanders News: Chase Young trade, draft day, CB riser and Sam Howell
Playing in LSU’s offense coached by Steve Ensminger and passing game wunderkind turned Panthers offensive coordinator Joe Brady, Burrow put up massive numbers. He completed 76.3 percent of his passes for 5,671 yards, 60 touchdowns, and six interceptions while leading LSU to a National Championship. And he was every bit as good as those numbers indicate.
The strides that Burrow made, especially regarding his accuracy, make him a top prospect for the 2020 NFL Draft. The fact that he never really had a game in which he struggled during LSU’s magnificent season and his calm, cool, collected leadership ability indicate that he should translate well to the NFL and has what it takes to be a franchise quarterback.
Of course, there are some concerns with Burrow. He really is a one-year wonder at quarterback and it’s fair to ponder if parting with Brady will impact him. Additionally, it could take him some extra time to develop at the NFL level, much like it did during the course of his five years combined at Ohio State and LSU.
Still, Burrow seems to have the “it” factor that teams look for at quarterback. He’s accurate, composed, and while he may not have the best arm strength, he can get the ball where it needs to go. He is the heavy favorite to be the No. 1 overall pick and barring a surprise, he should don a striped helmet in 2020.
I know, I know, I know. Some of you really want to see Chase Young here and mocked to the Redskins. Rest assured, if the team stays put, there’s almost no doubt that they will take the Ohio State pass rusher. And currently, staying put seems to be their top option.
But at the same time, it’s well within the realm of possibility that the team could trade down. They have a lot of first-round talent on their defensive line and while Young would certainly be an upgrade, the team may want to fill more of a need on the defensive side of the ball in the secondary or at linebacker.
If so, the best option would be for them to trade down to maximize the value of the No. 2 pick. There could be a bidding war to get Tua Tagovailoa, so in this circumstance, the ‘Skins might be able to squeeze a few draft picks out of a team while still being in position to land a top talent.
The Dolphins would be a team that could move up to get a guy like Tua. They obviously want a quarterback and given that they were tanking this season, a year in which Tagovailoa was largely expected to be the No. 1 pick before Burrow’s emergence and his own injury, they certainly have interest in the Alabama product.
Tagovailoa had an excellent career at Alabama and completed 69 percent of his passes for 7,442 yards, 87 touchdowns, and just 11 interceptions over the course of three years of action for the Crimson Tide. He’s notably famous for his role in the team’s comeback win over Georgia in the National Championship Game as a freshman, when he replaced Jalen Hurts at halftime to lead the squad to victory.
While Tagovailoa has health concerns related to an ankle injury he has dealt with for a couple of seasons and a brutal hip injury that ended his college career, he still will be a high pick if everything goes well at the NFL Combine. And there are a few teams that will be interested in him in the top 10, so a trade up with either the Redskins or Lions seems possible.
We’ll see what ends up happening down the road. But the Redskins should at least consider accepting this type of offer from Miami. It would give them a chance to add two first-round talents and continue to build on both sides of the ball. But if they believe Young should be the pick here, that’s more than okay.
This would seemingly be close to Chase Young’s floor. The only way he could fall to No. 4 is if both the Redskins and Lions trade out of their slots and allow quarterback-needy teams a chance to move up and grab a passer.
That said, I don’t think that the Lions would pass on Young in this scenario. The team has a defensive-minded head coach in Matt Patricia and needs a true complement on the defensive line for Trey Flowers.
Young is one of the most dynamic prospects in this draft and he may well be the No. 1 player overall. He was hyper-productive during his time at Ohio State, and logged a whopping 16.5 sacks in his final year with the Buckeyes. He has excellent speed, burst, get-off, and knows how to use his hands to make life difficult for opposing tackles.
At the NFL level, Young should perennially be a double-digit sack artist. After all, he had at least 10.5 sacks in each of his two seasons as a primary starter at Ohio State. So, why shouldn’t he find success at the next level? He’s somewhat similar to Myles Garrett, and we’ve seen what he’s capable of doing at the point of attack.
Again, Young could well be off the board at this point if the Redskins don’t trade down. And if the ‘Skins stay put, the Lions may move this pick to acquire more assets and accelerate their rebuild.
There also remains an outside chance that the Lions could target a quarterback in the upcoming draft given the uncertain future of Matthew Stafford, who dealt with a bad back last year. If they like Tua enough, could they take him here? Or better yet, trade up with the Redskins to ensure they get him? The latter would be the ideal scenario for almost every Washington fan, especially if they can recoup a second-round pick in the process, but we’ll see what ends up happening.
Could the Giants use some corner help? Sure. Defensive line? Yeah, that too. What about receiver? I’d say they could use a potential No. 1 option. And linebacker? They need one of those too.
But it’s hard to imagine Dave Gettleman not using this pick on an offensive tackle given how the draft is likely to fall. Gettleman is big on play in the trenches and loves his “Hog Mollies” on the offensive line. In a strong tackle class, Gettleman will likely relish a chance to 1) have his pick of the tackle crop and 2) strengthen Daniel Jones’ protection ahead of his second season.
The only question is about which tackle he will select. There are a number of players in the running to be the No. 1 tackle off the board, and all could easily be top-15 picks. But at the end of the day, I think it’ll be Mekhi Becton who catches Gettleman’s eye.
Becton is a 6-foot-7, 368-pound behemoth who figures to be one of the top testers at the NFL Combine. He is freakishly athletic for his size and generates a lot of push at the point of attack. The technique still may need to be refined a bit, but the foundation is there. Couple that with his strength and ability to move in space, and Becton could become a steamroller on the field.
The ceiling that Becton has will make him well worth a selection, and he could challenge for a job at left or right tackle. The G-Men need to replace free agent Mike Remmers at right tackle, so Becton could go over there. Conversely, they could flip Nate Solder to the right side and leave Becton at what may be a more natural position for him.
But either way, Becton represents an excellent choice for the Giants. And though he may not be considered the No. 1 tackle right now, he should rocket up draft boards if he performs as expected at the combine.
And the Redskins are now on the clock and will be with the fifth overall pick, the 18th overall pick, and Miami’s early second-round pick. They’ll also probably try to get a first or second-round pick in 2021, as that’s probably what the price will look like if the Redskins trade down. That said, the Dolphins may not bite on this package, so the compensation is very fluid.
But anyway, in this mock, the Redskins have the fifth overall pick and with it, they’re going to address the defense. With Trent Williams seeming more open to a return, they don’t have as big a need at offensive tackle, so this pick likely comes down to Jeffrey Okudah and Isaiah Simmons.
While Simmons has many fans in the scouting community and could be a versatile chess piece in Washington, I’m inclined to go with Okudah here for a couple of reasons.
I think that Okudah is a slightly better prospect than Simmons as a whole and I think that the Redskins really need some help at corner in the wake of Quinton Dunbar’s trade request. Even if they sign a free agent at the corner position, they’ll still either need an outside upgrade, a slot upgrade, or potentially both, depending on what the new coaching staff thinks of Fabian Moreau.
Okudah was excellent in coverage last year for Ohio State and did a great job erasing half the field. He matched up well with opposing No. 1 receivers, has an athletic, well-sized frame, and has the ability to stay with receivers with ease. He grabbed three interceptions last year and looks like a true No. 1 corner.
In what is shaping up to be a rather weak corner class, the Redskins should look to add the most talented player in the group early on. Okudah is arguably the second-best defensive player in the 2020 class behind only his teammate, Young, so grabbing him now makes sense.
If the ‘Skins get two free-agent corners, then the pick would be Simmons here. And really, it’s close to a coin-toss between the two. But as I said, I slightly prefer Okudah in this scenario so we’ll stick with him for now. We’ll see if that would be the same after the combine (or if this scenario is even realistic if the ‘Skins really hone in on Young with the No. 2 pick).
Philip Rivers and the Chargers have virtually confirmed that they are going to part ways. The Chargers may be in on some of the free-agent quarterbacks that are available — and they may particularly have their eye on Tom Brady, as they look to attract new fans in L.A. — but it’s hard to see them landing a big-name that will be a sure-fire franchise quarterback for them.
Enter Justin Herbert. The Oregon product has spent four years in school and has the prototypical size that teams look for in quarterbacks. He’s mobile, has a very good arm, and is pretty accurate. He seems to be trending toward being a top-10 pick and the Chargers seem to like him, so it could be a match made in heaven.
Herbert did well at Oregon and consistently kept the Ducks in the College Football Playoff hunt. They never made it there during his four years as a starter, but they came close in 2019. And that season saw Herbert complete 66.8 percent of his passes for 3,471 yards, 32 touchdowns, and six interceptions.
All around, that’s a very solid line. And it accurately depicts Herbert’s potential for the next level.
Herbert has a very high ceiling thanks to his prototypical frame, arm strength, and arm talent. At the very least, he seems like he will be a solid starter. The question is whether or not he will continue to develop and become a true leader. He had some trouble fading in bigger moments at Oregon, and that’s part of why they never made the CFP while he was there. That doesn’t entirely fall on him, but it’s still notable, as he did lose some winnable games.
Will that change at the NFL level? It remains to be seen. But no matter what, Herbert’s skills should make him a competitive starter and he should be a good fit in Los Angeles. It may behoove him to spend some time behind a veteran before he gets the starting job. The Chargers could sign Jameis Winston or someone of that ilk to compete with him.
Once again, this pick came down to two defensive players. This time, it was Isaiah Simmons and Derrick Brown. But Simmons ever so slightly edged Brown here for one major reason.
The retirement of Luke Kuechly is going to have a devastating effect on the Panthers defense. Kuechly was the heart and soul of that group, and he was a lot of fun to watch during his playing days. He’s definitely one of the best linebackers I’ve ever seen play, and without his instinctive tackling ability and elite coverage skills, the Panthers are going to struggle on defense.
But one way they could struggle less would be by selecting Simmons. The Clemson product is one of the most versatile players in the draft and would be an ideal fit for the Panthers 3-4 defense (though coordinator Phil Snow has said that they will be multiple this year, meaning they’ll run plenty of 4-3 concepts). Simmons will replace Kuechly as a linebacker but could also log snaps at safety and on the edge as the Panthers use him as a matchup nightmare-type defensive weapon.
The Panthers already have a linebacker/safety hybrid in Shaq Thompson. He mostly plays linebacker now, but pairing him and Simmons could create a really versatile middle linebacker duo and at the very least, help offset the loss of Kuechly. The team still has a solid defensive line and while they’ll need to replace Gerald McCoy, there will be ample opportunities to do that later.
I expect Simmons to do really well at the combine and show off his versatile skill set. And his production during his final collegiate season (104 tackles, 16.5 tackles for loss, eight sacks, three interceptions, and nine pass defenses) is the stuff of dreams. He’ll help to revitalize the Carolina defense and that will at least give them a shot to be more competitive than they were the final four games of the 2019 campaign.
This has to be where Derrick Brown’s slide ends. If the Redskins stay put at No. 2 and take Young, it’s possible that Brown could be the No. 3 pick if the Lions don’t move down. That’s how talented he is.
But in this mock, Brown falls a bit further out of circumstance. He simply lost out on being selected due to lack of positional need and the Panthers going in another direction at No. 7.
Brown has been one of the most dominant defensive linemen in the SEC over the course of the past two seasons. He’s a big-bodied force at the point of attack and over the course of the past three years, he has generated 31.5 tackles for loss and 11.5 sacks. Those numbers may not jump off the page, but it’s important to note that he’s an interior defensive lineman. So, those numbers are actually really good.
More from Commanders Draft News
- What will Emmanuel Forbes bring to the Washington Commanders?
- Highlighting the best Commanders 2023 NFL Draft betting props
- 3 late Commanders rumors drawing buzz ahead of the 2023 NFL Draft
- 4 bold predictions for the Commanders 2023 NFL Draft
- Bet365 VA Bonus Code – Claim $200 Guaranteed With Sign-Up Bonus
Brown gets good penetration and is a very effective run stopper. He could stand to add some more pass rushing moves to his arsenal, but at 6-foot-5, 318 pounds, he has excellent size, strength, and has enough athletic ability to make plays in the backfield.
The Cardinals really need some help on their defensive line. Zach Allen was a solid pickup in the third round of the 2019 NFL Draft, but he only played in four games as a rookie before suffering a neck injury. Aside from him and 31-year-old nose tackle Corey Peters, the team doesn’t have much. Brown would be an instant upgrade and would afford Allen more opportunities to face single teams, as opponents will be focused far more on Brown and Chandler Jones.
Unless the Cardinals really want to take a right tackle here, Jedrick Wills and Andrew Thomas would fit the bill, Brown seems like the no-brainer for the squad.
The Jaguars are likely resigned to stick with Nick Foles and Gardner Minshew at quarterback next year. And it’s possible that either could emerge as a solid starter, though my money would be on Foles as he was playing well in the season opener against the Chiefs before he got hurt.
That said, in order to make sure the Jags have a chance to evaluate their quarterbacks, they’re going to need to make sure the offense is in working order. They’ll need to add some better play at the tackle position but will also need to add a receiver to complement D.J. Chark and create a true one-two punch at the position.
At this point, Jerry Jeudy is one of the best prospects available. He is an elite route runner with great speed and excellent production from his time at Alabama. He should be a successful No. 1 option at the NFL level and his route running ability coupled with Chark’s speed would make the duo very difficult to guard.
For a guy that has put up consecutive 1,000-yard seasons with 10-plus touchdowns, Jeudy doesn’t get enough hype. Guys like his teammate, Henry Ruggs, get a lot of attention because of his burning speed (among other strong attributes that Ruggs has) but Jeudy just has such a well-rounded skill set and elusiveness that should make him hard to tackle in the NFL.
Jeudy should impress at the combine and may test similarly to former Alabama receiver Calvin Ridley, who he compares favorably to. But Jeudy’s overall skill set is better and his ceiling is higher than that of Ridley, so he shouldn’t suffer the same fall that Ridley did when he fell to the No. 26 pick in the 2018 NFL Draft.
Usually, when your starting left tackle from the previous season plays poorly ahead of free agency and then is arrested for trafficking 157 pounds of marijuana across state lines during the offseason, they don’t return to the team. And that appears to be the case with the Browns and Greg Robinson.
It seemed likely that the former No. 2 overall pick by the then-St. Louis Rams and the Browns were going to part anyway. But if there was ever any doubt, it was erased when Robinson was arrested.
Now, the Browns have to find a new starting left tackle. And they should probably upgrade the right tackle position as well. And they are probably regretting trading Kevin Zeitler to the New York Giants, as their interior offensive line wasn’t quite as strong last year as it was during Baker Mayfield’s first season.
In short, Mayfield needs better protection. In a stacked offensive tackle class, the Browns will have a chance to give that to him. At this juncture, the choice came down to Andrew Thomas and Jedrick Wills, but I gave Wills the slight advantage.
Wills is one of the most fluid movers of this draft class despite being a 6-foot-5, 320-pound offensive tackle. He has excellent footwork and if he works out well at the combine, as expected, the athletic tackle could be the first offensive lineman off the board in this class. For now, he seems like a good fit in Cleveland, as he could either fit in at left tackle or stick at his collegiate position of right tackle and provide the team with a massive upgrade.
Here’s another team that could really use an offensive tackle. The Jets are set to have four of their five starters on the offensive line hit free agency and aside from left tackle Kelvin Beachum, none were too good in 2019.
The Jets are going to have to try to overhaul their offensive line. They should look to bring back Beachum and maybe add a center or guard in free agency, but then they will likely look at tackles in the first round. Could they look at a receiver like Henry Ruggs or CeeDee Lamb? Sure.
But their need to protect Sam Darnold is greater than their need to get him weapons, at this juncture. Especially in a deep receiver class.
Washington Commanders
The Jets also get lucky in this scenario as Andrew Thomas is one of the top talents left on the board. In fact, he may be the top talent. Thomas was once viewed as a likely top-five pick and the first tackle off the board, but the rise of some more athletic options have knocked him down a peg. Even still, Thomas is a sound blocker with good technique and a proven track record of strong play at Georgia.
For the Jets, Thomas would be a natural fit at left tackle if Beachum leaves. And if they re-sign him, Thomas could kick over to the right side. Conversely, the Jets could also target a free-agent tackle to man the right side and target a left tackle in the first round. A pairing of Thomas and Beachum would make sense, but so too could a pairing of Thomas and Jack Conklin. Or Bryan Bulaga. In a solid year for tackles in free agency and in the draft, the possibilities are endless.
If there is a run on tackles before this and another prospect gets pushed down, the Jets may opt to take that player instead. But for the time being, Thomas seems like a good bet and a perfect fit for one of the Jets’ biggest needs.
The Antonio Brown experiment didn’t work out for any team this season, but it was especially disappointing for the Raiders. They gave up draft capital to get him yet he didn’t play in a single game for them before he forced his way out with his behavior.
Now, the Raiders will have a chance to find a true No. 1 receiver in this draft class. With two first-round picks, they’re well-positioned to land a pass catcher at either juncture. And CeeDee Lamb is the best option on the board.
Lamb is seen by some as the top receiver in this class. I still have him ranked behind Jeudy, but it’s easy to see why people like Lamb. He’s a big-bodied guy with a history of terrific production in Oklahoma’s offense. He was a top target for Baker Mayfield, Kyler Murray, and then Jalen Hurts during his career and amassed at least 807 yards and seven touchdowns in each of his three seasons.
Each of the past two seasons, though, Lamb has posted 1,100-plus receiving yards and 11-plus touchdowns. He is a good route runner, has good hands, and can win contested catches. His speed isn’t great, but he’s quick enough to find space and can make plays deep.
There is sometimes a stigma against Big 12 receiving prospects, as they play in a pass-happy league that has often featured bad defenses. But that shouldn’t scare anyone away from Lamb. He matched up against some legitimate competition in 2019 and averaged 21.4 yards per catch. He knows how to win and while his deep-threat ability may be capped in the NFL, he will still function well as a No. 1 receiver with excellent route-running ability.
Maybe the now-Las Vegas Raiders will want to get a flashier receiver to match their new city. IF so, Henry Ruggs makes sense. But for now, Lamb would complement speed threat Tyrell Williams and possession slot-man extraordinaire Hunter Renfrow very well. Add in tight end Darren Waller and this four-man receiving corps is looking pretty solid.
The Colts are a tough team to figure out. On the one hand, they may want a quarterback. On the other, they may find their challenger to Jacoby Brissett in free agency and settle on a second-round successor.
That said, if they don’t land a quarterback in free agency, they could try to take one here. There aren’t many that fit the draft range, but we’ve seen teams reach for quarterbacks before. Could they go for a steady guy like Jake Fromm here? Or what about a wild card like Jacob Eason or Jordan Love? It’s possible, but I’m going to bet against it as they should have a shot to either land one in the second or trade back into the first to land one of the top-six quarterbacks.
Needs-wise, the board dictates that either Henry Ruggs or Javon Kinlaw are the best players. Ruggs may fill the bigger need, as he would be a much-needed complement to T.Y. Hilton, but Kinlaw is probably the better player. For that reason, I’ll tentatively go with Kinlaw.
Kinlaw was one of the biggest winners of the Senior Bowl as he showed off his upside and skill set while also showing what he had as a leader. The Colts have some quality pieces on their defensive line, but Kinlaw would be better than most of their interior players.
Kinlaw has a 6-foot-6 frame and has logged 10 sacks from the interior over the course of the past two seasons. Getting that kind of interior pressure could help the Colts immensely, as they have a lot of solid players up front, but could use someone to help bring them from middle of the pack (they tied for 15th in sacks with 41) to top-10 unit.
If the Colts don’t love Kinlaw, they could take Ruggs. Or they could trade down. They’ll have options for sure, but taking a QB here would be a reach unless Love, Fromm, or Eason lights up the combine.
Tampa Bay is only a few pieces away from completing their offense. They need to settle on their quarterback, though my money is on the team signing Philip Rivers in free agency. Rivers just moved his family to Florida, isn’t returning to the Chargers, and would get to work with an excellent offense with the Bucs, so they really should sign him if they can.
The second biggest need is running back. Ronald Jones and Peyton Barber were both pedestrian, so trusting either seems less than ideal.
And finally, right tackle could be a need if 34-year-old Demar Dotson leaves in free agency. Dotson has long been a quality starter, but he may not have a lot left in the tank. And Tristan Wirfs would be a good replacement.
Wirfs is a really great tackle that played on the right side at Iowa. He would be a natural fit at that position in Tampa. While he did have some issues against quicker edge rushers, Wirfs is a mauler in the run game and has great size at 6-foot-5, 322 pounds. He’d be a good alternative to Dotson or a potential successor and elite swing tackle if Dotson returns on a short-term deal.
The Bucs could also consider some options on the defensive side of the ball, as they need some safety help, some edge rushers if they can’t retain Shaq Barrett and Carl Nassib, and some defensive linemen to flank Vita Vea. But Wirfs is probably the best player on the board at a position of need, so he should be the pick here.
Ruggs has already been mentioned as an option a number of times in this mock draft, but here, he finally comes off the board. The Broncos are in need of another receiver target after trading Emmanuel Sanders and Ruggs seems like a good fit for them.
Ruggs is likely to test as one of the fastest players in this draft class. He was known as a burner during his time at Alabama, but his deep speed isn’t his only great attribute. He’s also a good route runner and has good hands, so he should be a multi-faceted weapon at the next level.
During his final collegiate season, Ruggs caught 40 passes for 746 yards and seven touchdowns. His production may not be massive compared to some other first-round receivers, but it’s worth noting that he was sharing targets with Jerry Jeudy, Devonta Smith, and Jaylen Waddel (at times) during the season. So, that explains why his numbers are a bit lower than some of the other first-round candidates at receiver.
But what is important is the fact that Ruggs has averaged 17.5 yards per catch during his career and has 25 total touchdowns on 100 career touches. That’s an amazing TD percentage and it speaks to the fact that 1) he can turn any play into a massive gain or touchdown and 2) he is good in the red zone because of his combination of speed, quickness, and route-running ability.
If Ruggs tests well at the combine, he could go higher than this. He could have a rise similar to the one that John Ross had in 2017, when he went No. 9 overall. That said, Ruggs’ skill set is better than Ross’ and he has proven to be more durable than the Cincinnati Bengals receiver was in college. So, his ceiling is higher.
Ruggs would be an ideal fit with Courtland Sutton and Noah Fant in the Broncos offense. He’d give the team another true deep threat to pair with Drew Lock’s massive arm. That should keep the Broncos competitive on offense, especially if Lock and Ruggs can develop some chemistry early on.
The Falcons were one of the biggest disappointments in the NFL last season. Despite having a pretty loaded offense and a solid-looking defense, they got off to an awful start and only caught fire in the second half of the season. That doomed them in a strong NFC, but the late-season push was enough to save Dan Quinn’s job for another year.
If Quinn wants to avoid his seat catching fire early in the season, he is going to have to add some more talent to the team’s defense. The team has some concerns in the secondary and at linebacker with De’Vondre Campbell hitting free agency, but their biggest weakness probably would be the edge rush.
Vic Beasley has regressed considerably since being a first-team All-Pro back in 2016. He had an NFL-best 15.5 sacks that season but since then, he has just 18 sacks in three seasons. With Beasley set to hit free agency, it may be time for Atlanta to move on and find someone to play across from Takk McKinley, who had a career-worst 3.5 sacks last season.
K’Lavon Chaisson is a player that is rapidly moving up boards. He has excellent athletic ability and a 6-foot-4, 250-pound frame that should afford him the opportunity to win on the edge at the NFL level. He is still developing, but his size and athleticism should be on display at the NFL Combine. And if he performs well, that will give him a chance to continue climbing draft boards.
For now, no player makes more sense for Atlanta than Chaisson. He fills their biggest need and is one of the best players available. They’ll certainly hope that he makes it to this slot on draft day.
The Dallas Cowboys are about to enter cap hell this offseason. They’re due to see three of their top talents hit the free-agent market in Dak Prescott, Amari Cooper, and Byron Jones. They may not be able to keep all of them, and it seems that Jones could be the odd man out if Prescott and Cooper sign extensions.
That said, it’s possible that the Cowboys may let Cooper walk or slap him with one of the tags, depending on how CBA negotiations go and if they’re able to use both tags. If Cooper is on a short-term deal or if he leaves, the Cowboys will need to add another receiver to their offense to give Prescott weapons to work with. Luckily for them, this is a good receiver class and Shenault is one of the top players available.
Shenault is a 6-foot-2, 220-pound receiver with a thick build and excellent positional versatility at the NFL level. For Colorado last season, he caught 56 passes for 764 yards and four touchdowns, but he also added 161 yards and two touchdowns on 23 carries. He carried the ball 17 times the previous season as well, so it’s clear that he can be used as a runner out of the backfield, whether it’s as a running back or on jet sweeps.
Shenault isn’t the fastest receiver. And he’s not the best route runner. But he has very good hands and has still proven to be a playmaker during his time at Colorado. He should make contested catches at the next level but is explosive enough to earn separation. And that makes him a candidate to be a No. 1 receiver.
For the Cowboys, Shenault could take a crack at replacing Cooper. Or if the team brings Cooper back, Shenault could play the slot with Michael Gallup serving as the deep threat opposite Cooper. That would give the Cowboys plenty of weapons for Prescott to target, so this seems to be a sensible option.
Going with a safety like Alabama’s Xavier McKinney or LSU’s Grant Delpit could make sense here as well. But for the time being, I prefer Shenault as the option for the Cowboys.
The Redskins have a couple of nice options here with the pick they acquired in the trade from the Miami Dolphins. They could target a safety like Xavier McKinney or Grant Delpit to pair with Landon Collins, and McKinney did get a lot of consideration given that he’s an Alabama product. But ultimately, it was too hard to pass on Kenneth Murray.
The ‘Skins do need help at linebacker, and that’s one of the reasons that Isaiah Simmons was so heavily considered for the No. 5 overall pick in this draft. But one of the reasons I had the Redskins passing on him at that juncture was because Murray figured to be available with this selection. And, lo and behold, he was.
Murray is a well-built linebacker with a 6-foot-2, 238-pound frame. He’s thick and physical and will be a great tackler at the NFL level. In his final two seasons at Oklahoma, he logged 257 tackles, 29.5 tackles for loss, and 8.5 sacks as a do-it-all player. He’s aggressive — which can sometimes be a disadvantage for him, but mostly works as an advantage against the run — and has the makings of a strong all-around linebacker.
Murray isn’t as athletic as Simmons. Nor is he as good in coverage. But Simmons is a hybrid safety/linebacker whereas Murray is a true linebacker. So, it’s to be expected that Murray wouldn’t be quite as good in coverage. He can still hold his own and if he shows fluidity at the combine, that should help his stock to improve.
For the Redskins, Murray could be a starter at middle linebacker given the uncertain status of Reuben Foster. And if Foster returns, the two can play alongside Cole Holcomb and the team can mix up their looks with the three of them.
Other options with this pick include the two aforementioned safeties, a speed threat receiver like Jalen Reagor, or an offensive tackle like Austin Jackson, pending the Trent Williams situation.
The Raiders are probably bummed out in this scenario that the Redskins took Murray. They have a massive weakness at linebacker and would’ve liked to pair him with his Oklahoma teammate CeeDee Lamb to get two playmakers on each side of the ball with their two first-round picks.
Alas, it wasn’t meant to be. And instead, the Raiders will focus elsewhere on the defensive side of the ball. They could use a cornerback to pair with Trayvon Mullen and C.J. Henderson is the best one available.
Henderson didn’t make a lot of splash plays at Florida last season, but he did log a career-high 11 pass defenses. So while he didn’t get an interception after totaling six combined in the previous two years, he still made an impact on opposing receivers.
Henderson is really good in coverage and does great sticking to receivers. He doesn’t allow a lot of separation and is aggressive in staying with his opponent. He has good athleticism, solid size (6-foot-1, 202 pounds) and should find a way to be an outside starter at the NFL level. He will definitely have to improve his tackling, though, as he struggled immensely in that area.
Mike Mayock loves football players, so he may ultimately want to shy away from Henderson when watching some of his late-season play. But it’s worth noting that Henderson was dealing with an injury that caused him to miss three games this season, and that could’ve impacted his play/willingness to tackle. If he can show that he loves the game during combine interviews, perhaps the Raiders will give him a shot with their second first-round pick.
Earlier, the Jaguars were able to land their receiver. Now, they’re able to land a starting tackle.
Though the team selected Jawaan Taylor in the second round of the 2019 NFL Draft, they still need to add some talent at tackle. Cam Robinson has struggled as a starter since being a second-round pick in 2017 and allowed eight sacks while committing 11 penalties last year. That’s not good.
Meanwhile, swing tackle Cedric Ogbuehi, a former first-round bust of the Bengals, is set to hit free agency.
More from Commanders Draft News
- What will Emmanuel Forbes bring to the Washington Commanders?
- Highlighting the best Commanders 2023 NFL Draft betting props
- 3 late Commanders rumors drawing buzz ahead of the 2023 NFL Draft
- 4 bold predictions for the Commanders 2023 NFL Draft
- Bet365 VA Bonus Code – Claim $200 Guaranteed With Sign-Up Bonus
Austin Jackson is one of the more polarizing potential first-round tackles, but he has excellent athletic ability and a nice-looking 6-foot-6, 310-pound frame. He didn’t play his best this season for USC, but there is a reason for that. Jackson actually donated bone marrow to his sister to help her combat a rare blood disease during the 2019 offseason. So, he got off to a slow start as he recovered from that.
As the year went along, Jackson’s play improved, and he showcased the abilities that make him a potential first-round pick (athletic ability, length, and strength at the point of attack). And his selfless act certainly speaks to his high overall character.
Jackson will need to clean up some technique issues at the next level, but the Jaguars won’t mind helping him do that. He can challenge Robinson for the left tackle role and perhaps the team will kick Robinson inside to guard to see if he can be any better at that spot.
Last year the Eagles receiving corps was something to behold. The team simply couldn’t stay healthy at the position and at one point, Greg Ward was literally the only healthy receiver on the roster.
No, seriously. They had to play a lot of three tight end sets with one guy split out wide. It was a disaster and frankly, it was a miracle that they made the playoffs with these issues.
In a deep receiver class, the Eagles are absolutely going to invest in the position this year. They simply need to. They can’t rely on the injury-prone Alshon Jeffery and DeSean Jackson and while Ward was solid and J.J. Arcega-Whiteside has upside, they need one more option to be a true starter for them.
Justin Jefferson fits the bill. The LSU receiver had a prolific 2019 campaign while playing for the national champs. Jefferson caught a whopping 111 passes for 1,540 yards and 18 touchdowns. He has a big 6-foot-3, 192-pound frame and should be able to make contested catches while also serving as a downfield threat.
Jefferson would be a nice fit for the Eagles as he has the potential to be a No. 1 receiver thanks to his length and explosive ability. If he does well at the NFL Combine, he should lock himself into the top-25 picks, but the Eagles seem like a perfect landing spot.
Adding John Brown and Cole Beasley to the Buffalo offense really helped the Bills to remain competitive last season. But they’re still one weapon short of having a strong receiving corps.
The Bills tried a plethora of options as their No. 3 receiver last year but couldn’t quite find one that consistently worked. Isaiah McKenzie, Duke Williams, and Robert Foster worked in spurts, but all are better as depth options.
At this juncture, Jalen Reagor is the best receiver left. And while the Bills may want to find more of a bigger-bodied option to pair with slot-man Beasley and the 5-foot-10 Brown, Reagor could also be an effective option for them.
Reagor is a true burner and will certainly clock an excellent 40-time at the combine. He totaled only 43 catches for 611 yards and five touchdowns during his final college season, but that was related to some of the poor quarterback play he dealt with throughout his final year. With a big-armed quarterback like Josh Allen, his production could skyrocket.
Would it be nice to give the Bills a 6-foot-4 guy like Tee Higgins? Sure. But adding Reagor could make their offense even more explosive than it already is. Having two true burners in Brown and Reagor will make it incredibly difficult for teams to play the Bills, especially with Allen’s elite arm strength. So, perhaps they’ll do it and take an unconventional approach with their receivers in the 2020 season.
And hey, it’s not like they don’t have a big tight end, Dawson Knox, on the roster.
The Patriots seem likely to trade this pick. They gave up a second-round pick to get Mohamed Sanu last season and Bill Belichick covets those. So, they’ll probably move down and try to get another selection this time around.
However, I’m not going to project a trade-down here for the moment. The Colts may like to move up, but I’m not confident that they’ll need to depending on which veteran quarterback they land in free agency.
And speaking of veteran quarterbacks hitting free agency, the Patriots have a pretty notable one. Tom Brady is set to be an unrestricted free agent for the first time in his career and there’s no guarantee that he’ll return to the Patriots. But even if he does, the team may have to invest in a successor depending on how Jarrett Stidham is developing.
More from Riggo's Rag
- What will Emmanuel Forbes bring to the Washington Commanders?
- Highlighting the best Commanders 2023 NFL Draft betting props
- 3 late Commanders rumors drawing buzz ahead of the 2023 NFL Draft
- 4 bold predictions for the Commanders 2023 NFL Draft
- Commanders News: Chase Young trade, draft day, CB riser and Sam Howell
If the Patriots do try to draft a quarterback, it seems like Jake Fromm would be someone that intrigues him. As I mentioned when I mocked Fromm to the Patriots on the WalterFootball.com Podcast, Fromm didn’t have a great junior year, but he has all the intangibles that teams look for in a quarterback. He smart. He’s accurate. He’s a great leader. And he has been a winner for the most part.
Fromm completed 60.8 percent of his passes for 2,860 yards, 24 touchdowns, and five interceptions as a junior. His supporting cast, however, was much weaker than it was the previous season when he completed 67.4 percent of his passes and had a similar TD-INT ratio. So, if he gets better players to surround him, he could find success quickly.
Fromm does have some arm-strength limitations, so there will be questions about his downfield throwing ability. But his ability to work the short and intermediate game is up there with the best of them. And again, if he has better receivers surrounding him, he could emerge as a rock-solid NFL starter who should make few mistakes and be hard to stop.
If Brady is gone, Fromm could have a chance to start right away. But if Brady stays, Fromm would have a chance to learn from the best and learn from a quarterback he could model his game around. Brady has never had the strongest arm, but he knows exactly how to lead a team and has improved his downfield ability each and every year.
We’ll see if this match ultimately ends up happening and if the Patriots try to trade down to make it happen. But if the team adds a lot of weapons in free agency to plan for one more run with Brady, this pick could work out well and set up the team to be successful once he finally retires.
The Saints really don’t have a lot of needs this offseason. They only have a few holes to fill if they want to emerge as true contenders.
While the teams could use another linebacker and maybe a receiver to pair with Michael Thomas, their biggest need comes at corner. Trying Giants rejected Janoris Jenkins and Eli Apple at the position last season didn’t work, so they’ll have to find a long-term partner for Marshon Lattimore, one of the league’s best corners.
Trevon Diggs could qualify. Brother of Stefon Diggs, Trevon is a great cornerback who was once considered the No. 1 overall corner prospect in this draft. He has since slipped a bit but if he performs better in workouts, it could give him a chance to up his draft stock a little bit and sneak into the back end of the first round.
Diggs grabbed a career-best three interceptions and defended eight passes in his final year at Alabama. He was coming off a foot injury that ended his junior campaign and has only played defensive back for three years. But he still has really good coverage skills. He just needs time to develop.
Diggs’ instincts are his main area for improvement. As mentioned, he was a receiver early in his collegiate career, so it’s understandable that he would take time to transition to the other side of the ball. The more reps he gets, the better off he’ll be holding up in coverage. And the Saints should be able to iron out those issues and turn him into a strong No. 2 corner.
Much like the Cowboys, the Vikings are in cap hell. That’s largely thanks to the massive guaranteed contract they gave to Kirk Cousins. Cousins is set to be a free agent after this offseason, but his deal will start to wreak havoc as the Vikings will have to part with some talented players this offseason because they can’t afford them.
One such player may be Anthony Harris. The free-agent safety is one of the best cover men in the NFL and he led the league in interceptions last season with six. A team with a lot of cap space could easily outbid the Vikings for his services, so they may have to find a replacement.
Luckily for them, the draft’s consensus top safety is on the board. Xavier McKinney. The Alabama product could’ve gone in the top 15 but slipped a bit as a few safety-needy teams passed on him to address other positions.
Over the course of his two seasons as a starter, McKinney did a bit of everything for Alabama. He totaled 169 tackles, 11.5 tackles for loss, six sacks, five interceptions, and 15 pass defenses while providing great coverage in the back end. He an all-around great player and should pair well with Harrison Smith, another one of the NFL’s best safeties.
McKinney fills a need and is clearly the best value on the board. The Vikings won’t waste much time handing in their draft card if this happens, and McKinney is one of the biggest steals in this mock.
The Dolphins probably want to get a receiver or a tackle here, but D’Andre Swift may be too good to pass up. The Georgia product is the best running back in this class and had the Dolphins kept their No. 18 pick in this mock, they may have targeted him there.
Swift posted consecutive 1,000-yard seasons at Georgia. He has averaged 6.6 yards per carry during his career. And even better, he makes an impact as a receiver and has consistently averaged 9.0 yards per catch or more in his three college seasons.
Despite his production, Swift never had more than 200 carries in a season. That’s mostly due to the running back talent that Georgia always seems to have, as they’re always using multiple guys under Kirby Smart. But he can be a three-down starter and impact the game in a number of ways.
Swift is, well, swift. He has good top-end speed, solid burst, good vision, and good elusiveness. And though he’s just 5-foot-9, he has a thick 215-pound frame and should be durable enough to be a bell cow at the next level.
The Dolphins could really use Swift. His presence would take the pressure of Tua Tagovailoa early in his career, as he’d always have a guy to hand off to or check down to. And considering that the Dolphins were using Patrick Laird in a rather sizable capacity at the end of last season, Swift should be a major upgrade over him.
Other options for Miami here include Tee Higgins, Shane Lemieux, and Josh Jones.
It’s really hard to figure out what the Seahawks are going to do. Every year, it seems like they do something surprising in the first round. From James Carpenter to LJ Collier, they’re certainly unpredictable.
While that may be the case, we’re still going to try to predict the unpredictable because, why not? And if the Seahawks settle on a defensive prospect, they may target Yetur Gross-Matos.
My good friend and co-expert here at Riggo’s Rag, Ian Cummings, recently published a first-round mock of his own at Pro Football Network and had the Seahawks taking Gross-Matos. Here’s what he said in that piece.
"Yetur Gross-Matos is a great get for the Seattle Seahawks this late. Gross-Matos is a fighter who’s persevered through a great deal of adversity, and his persistent instincts show up on the field as well. The 6-foot-5, 264-pound edge rusher has an impressive spark in his step, and he covers ground very quickly for his size. Couple his mobile freedom with his length and power at the point of attack, and Gross-Matos is a versatile prospect who can maximize his upside with some more development in Seattle’s defense."
I tend to agree with that, and Gross-Matos fits the mold that Seattle looks for in their players. He’s a big, long athlete who should develop into a solid contributor on the edge.
The Seahawks could use some edge help, too. Jadeveon Clowney is set to be a free agent and the team needs a partner for him anyway. So, everything is coming up Gross-Matos for the Seahawks at this point in the mock.
I almost had the Ravens go with Grant Delpit here, but the extension that they recently signed Chuck Clark gave me enough pause to reconsider. And with A.J. Epenesa on the board and filling a big need, it makes more sense for the team to keep him.
Though the Ravens were the No. 1 seed in the AFC last season and had a well-rounded team, one of their biggest weaknesses was their pass rush. They only had 37 sacks on the year which ranked 21st in the NFL. Former Redskins edge rusher Pernell McPhee played in about 25 percent of the defensive snaps last season, so that demonstrates just how desperate the team is for edge help.
With Matt Judon set to hit the open market, the need could become a gaping hole for the Ravens, too. So, they may just opt to take the best edge rusher here provided that one of the top options is on the board.
Epenesa was once considered a potential top-10 pick but slipped a little bit after struggling to start the season. However, Epenesa was excellent to close the campaign and managed a career-high 49 tackles and 11.5 sacks. And he found success against fellow first-round prospect Austin Jackson in Iowa’s bowl game, so that should demonstrate that he can perform against top talent.
If the Ravens can retain Judon and draft Epenesa, they’ll be in much better shape at the rush linebacker position. They’d have two true starters and would have a bunch of guys capable of being better in depth roles.
If you look up the definition of raw in the dictionary, Noah Igbinoghine’s picture would be next to it. Well, not actually, but you get the idea.
Igbinoghine has only played a couple of seasons at cornerback. Before that, he was a wide receiver. But the Auburn coaching staff rightly thought that he’d be better on defense. And Igbinoghine has proven to be a great option on that side of the ball.
Standing at 5-foot-11, 200 pounds, Igbinoghine is a great athlete. He knows the ins and outs of being a receiver and while his technique at corner is still in development, he surely knows how to work in coverage. He figures to test well at the combine and his potential was showcased in his 2019 tape.
Despite being raw, Igbinoghine was able to hold up well in coverage in a tougher than usual SEC, at least from an offensive standpoint. That has led his stock to rise and if he tests well, he could cement his status as a late first-round pick.
The Titans could use some help at corner. Malcolm Butler and Adoree Jackson are solid, but Logan Ryan is set to hit free agency. And both Butler and Jackson get burned at times. Igbinoghine would add another athlete to that secondary and give them ridiculous upside. And even if he’s not ready to play a major role out of the gate, the Titans will find a way to use him.
The closest thing that the Packers had to a No. 2 receiver last year was Allen Lazard. That’s not going to cut it if they want to continue to be a contender.
The Packers invested a lot in potential-based receivers like Lazard, Marquez Valdes-Scantling, Geronimo Allison, Jake Kumerow, and Equanimeous St. Brown. But to date, none have really been consistent enough to provide a threat across from Davante Adams.
Adding a guy like Tee Higgins to the mix could benefit the Packers. Higgins has a massive 6-foot-4 frame. And while his speed may not be the best, he will be a contested catch weapon at the next level and true red-zone threat.
Higgins has caught exactly 59 passes in each of the past two seasons, grabbed 25 touchdowns combined over those campaigns, and has a career average of 18.1 yards per catch. And again, it’s not because he’s a burner, per say. He simply knows how to win jump balls in coverage and make big plays downfield.
That’s the type of player Aaron Rodgers needs. Someone aside from Adams who will give him a fighting chance every time he throws the ball. Higgins seems like an ideal fit in Green Bay and while he may not be a first-round lock, he should be in the conversation.
If he runs a slow 40 time, perhaps the Packers will try to trade down with a team that could be after a quarterback. The Colts, Panthers, and Bucs may be interested in trying to land Jordan Love or Jacob Eason while guaranteeing a reasonably-priced fifth-year option.
Grant Delpit is another safety who could go earlier than this. Delpit was a beast as a sophomore at LSU, but he took a step back during his junior year. His tackling wasn’t quite as good and he just seemed slightly off during the season.
That said, Delpit does still have amazing upside. And it’s possible that he was doing his best to preserve his draft stock last season while nursing an ankle injury. So, that has to be taken into account.
The 49ers are also in a position where they can afford to take a guy like Delpit. They have very few weaknesses. They could add a receiver to their roster or shore up their corner depth, but it makes the most sense for them to take the best player available. And that’s Delpit.
The 49ers are set to see safety Jimmie Ward hit free agency. If he doesn’t return, Delpit could be a nice replacement. If Delpit can hone his tackling instincts and take better angles, he could emerge as a steal. There was a time when he was considered to be a shoo-in for the top-10, so getting him in the late first round is excellent value.
Delpit (6-foot-3, 203 pounds) recorded 65 tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss, two sacks, two interceptions, and seven pass defenses last season. If he plays with the intensity and aggressiveness he did at LSU, he should be a great NFL player.
Rounding out the mock draft is the NFL champion Kansas City Chiefs, and they do something that Andy Reid loves to do. They address the trenches.
Patrick Mahomes is a Russell Wilson-type quarterback in that he doesn’t necessarily need an elite offensive line in front of him to find success. That’s because Mahomes is mobile. That said, the team should still look to upgrade the interior of the line, as they had some issues there last year when Ryan Hunter had to start and Stefen Wisniewski is set to be a free agent.
Shane Lemieux is one of the better guards in this draft class and he fits the range here. Playing at Oregon, Lemieux has experience blocking for Justin Herbert and was a four-year starter. He was steady, has good size at 6-foot-4, 317 pounds, and has really good technique that should make him a plug-and-play starter.
For the Chiefs, Lemieux could come in and compete right away at left guard and may ultimately win the job. That could push Wisniewski into a backup role if the Chiefs re-sign him. Or, they could give that role to Andrew Wylie. Either way, Lemieux would likely be an upgrade and help the Chiefs immensely.
That’ll wrap up this mock draft, and I expect that this will change a lot after the NFL Combine. But for the time being, this is just one way that things could shake out if the Redskins do elect to trade down.