The first day of the 2020 NFL Draft is in the books. Now, the Redskins shift their attention to Day 2 as they look to add a quality player at 66 and potentially trade Trent Williams.
The first round of the 2020 NFL Draft has now come and past and the Redskins ended up with the player that had been the favorite for the No. 2 selection all along. The team went with Ohio State edge rusher Chase Young, choosing to go with talent over need in the first round and opting not to trade down. That matched well with Ron Rivera’s draft strategy, so it made sense.
Now, heading into Day 2, the Redskins have some key decisions to make. First of all, they need to decide who to target with the 66th overall pick. And second, they need to see if they can, in fact, get a Day 2 pick in exchange for Trent Williams. Luckily, a number of tackle-needy teams could consider trading for him at the right price.
With that said, it’s time to take a look at a mock of the 2020 NFL Draft’s second and third rounds ahead of Day 2.
33. Cincinnati Bengals: EDGE Zack Baun, Wisconsin. The Bengals could go with an offensive lineman like Josh Jones here to help protect Joe Burrow. But they also could try to upgrade their defense given their already solid-looking offense and Jonah Williams’ return from a missed rookie season. Baun had 12.5 sacks last year for Wisconsin and could give the Bengals a versatile linebacker and edge rusher.
34. Indianapolis Colts: CB Jaylon Johnson, Utah. The Colts could go with several corner options here, but Johnson may fit what they’re looking for best. He was productive for the Utes and would mesh well with what the Colts have at corner in Kenny Moore, Xavier Rhodes, Rock Ya-Sin, and T.J. Carrie.
35. Detroit Lions: RB D’Andre Swift, Georgia. As much as a defensive tackle would make sense here, Swift may be too good to pass up for the Lions. Kerryon Johnson is talented, but has trouble staying healthy. Perhaps with Swift there to carry the load, the duo could become a ground-and-pound offense that takes some pressure off Matthew Stafford and keeps him from getting hit too much.
36. New York Giants: WR Chase Claypool, Notre Dame. The Giants fixed one of their biggest remaining offensive weaknesses in the first round by selecting offensive tackle Andrew Thomas. Could they fix another by adding a third receiver to their offense? Claypool would give the team a big-bodied option to go with speedster Darius Slayton and quality slot-man Sterling Shepherd. If the team wants to help Daniel Jones, this may be the way to do it.
37. New England Patriots: EDGE A.J. Epenesa, Iowa. I love Epenesa’s fit in New England. He’s well-coached, big, long, and while he may not be the best athlete, he always found a way to be productive at Iowa. He could be a nice complement to Chase Winovich, a better athlete, and the Patriots would surely find a way to utilize Epenesa’s versatility.
38. Carolina Panthers: CB Trevon Diggs, Alabama. The Panthers lost a bigger, more physical corner when they elected not to re-sign James Bradberry in free agency. Here’s a quality replacement, as some thought that Diggs was the third-best cornerback in this draft class.
39. Miami Dolphins: RB Jonathan Taylor, Wisconsin. The Dolphins probably like multiple running backs considering their decision to pass on one at No. 30 overall and go with Noah Igbinoghene. Taylor was a strong runner at Wisconsin and totaled multiple seasons of 2,000-plus yards. He’d be a huge upgrade over Jordan Howard and would take pressure off Tua Tagovailoa, whenever he may be on the field.
40. Houston Texans: DT Ross Blacklock, TCU. Bill O’Brien could do anything with the DeAndre Hopkins pick, but we’ll assume that he hasn’t completely lost his mind yet. Blacklock was a potential first-round player who could find a home playing next to J.J. Watt. He’d at least help replace D.J. Reader, though he’s much smaller than the departed nose tackle.
Picks 41-48
41. Cleveland Browns: S Xavier McKinney, Alabama. This would’ve been a pick to watch for Trent Williams, but that was before the Browns took Jedrick Wills in the first round. Instead, the Browns are getting a total steal for the Browns. McKinney could’ve been a top-20 pick, but the safety position’s value has been depressed in this draft. McKinney would be an upgrade over Andrew Sendejo and Karl Joseph, both signed as free agents, and could be a long-term starter in the Cleveland secondary.
42. Jacksonville Jaguars: OT Josh Jones, Houston. Another year, another second-round steal that happens to be a tackle falls into the Jaguars’ lap. The Jags need a blindside protector to afford them a chance to move Cam Robinson inside to guard. Jones has a solid frame, kept his quarterbacks mostly clean at Houston, and should only get better at the NFL level.
43. Chicago Bears: CB Kristian Fulton, LSU. Using Artie Burns as a starter opposite Kyle Fuller isn’t recommended for the Bears. Nor is trusting Buster Skrine on the outside. Fulton could at least challenge the Steelers’ former first-round and Skrine for a job in the secondary.
Washington Commanders
44. Indianapolis Colts: WR Michael Pittman Jr., USC. The Colts need a No. 2 wideout for their offense. They have a couple of good tight ends and T.Y. Hilton, but they need more to help Philip Rivers find success. Pittman recorded 101 receptions for 1,275 yards and 11 touchdowns in 2019 and has a nice combination of size and speed for the next level.
45. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: RB Cam Akers, Florida State. The Bucs are probably a bit upset that Clyde Edwards-Helaire is off the board, as he could be an ideal pass-catching back for their offense. But they won’t complain about landing Akers, a semi-local player who should be an upgrade over Ronald Jones and could be a steal.
46. Denver Broncos: OT Ezra Cleveland, Boise State. Garett Bolles has never developed as the Broncos hoped after they made him a first-round pick in 2017. Here’s some competition for him. Cleveland is a great athlete and should have a chance to unseat Bolles if the Ute can fix his penalty issues.
47. Atlanta Falcons: DT Justin Madubuike, Texas A&M. The Falcons probably would’ve gone with Javon Kinlaw had he been on the board with the 16th pick. Madubuike is a good athlete and was once considered a potential first-round pick. Had he returned to school, he may have played himself into that conversation.
48. New York Jets: WR Denzel Mims, Baylor. The Jets need a potential No. 1 receiver after landing their potential left tackle of the future in Mekhi Becton. Mims is a big, athletic pass catcher with an insane catch radius. Sam Darnold will love throwing to him.
Picks 49-56
49. Pittsburgh Steelers: DT Neville Gallimore, Oklahoma. Gallimore is a bit short for a tackle, but he’s stout and is a good pass rusher. The Steelers lost Javon Hargrave in free agency but Gallimore could emerge as a quality replacement and would challenge Chris Wormley and Daniel McCullers for playing time.
50. Chicago Bears: OT Prince Tega Wanogho, Auburn. The Bears offensive line regressed badly last year. How have they addressed it this offseason? They signed Germain Ifedi after losing Kyle Long. That’s about it. Wanogho is raw, but he has upside and could challenge for a left tackle job in the future. He gave up no sacks last year despite playing in the SEC. Perhaps he could bump either Charles Leno or Bobbie Massie inside to guard or he could take over if any lineman struggles in 2020.
51. Dallas Cowboys: EDGE Yetur Gross-Matos, Penn State. This is a steal. Gross-Matos was in the running to be a first-round pick, but he falls to this point in the draft. The Cowboys will happily scoop him up and won’t feel so bad about picking CeeDee Lamb over K’Lavon Chaisson in Round 1 (it was the right move, Lamb just didn’t fill a need).
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52. Los Angeles Rams: OL Robert Hunt, Louisiana Lafeyette. The Rams are desperate for some offensive line help. They could add help at any position, and Hunt is one of the best on the board here. He’ll push Austin Corbett and Austin Blythe for playing time at both guard positions.
53. Philadelphia Eagles: CB Cameron Dantzler, Mississippi State. Getting Darius Slay in a trade with Detroit was a good start. Lining up another Mississippi State product across from him will be even better. Dantzler has great size, very good tape, and if not for a poor 40 time, he’d go higher than this.
54. Buffalo Bills: S Grant Delpit, LSU. Here’s another steal, as the safety position went untouched until the 41st pick. The Bills already have Micah Hyde and Jordan Poyer. But why not add a third safety who can fit in with their defense and play in the box? Delpit could be a sub-package Swiss-army knife nightmare for opponents. And with the Bills having few needs, they can afford to add a luxury here.
55. Baltimore Ravens: WR Tee Higgins, Clemson. Higgins has a huge 6-foot-4 frame and should have a chance to win jump balls. He’d pair well with Hollywood Brown and would give Lamar Jackson yet another weapon to target on offense.
56. Miami Dolphins: WR Laviska Shenault, Colorado. After filling needs at quarterback, tackle, cornerback, and running back in that order, the Dolphins can take the best value here. That would be Laviska Shenault. He has some injury concerns, but he’s a great downfield threat and is built like a running back. He could be a versatile weapon for Tua Tagovailoa and a nice complement to DeVante Parker.
Picks 57-64
57. Los Angeles Rams: EDGE Bradley Anae, Utah. Anae is a pure pass rusher and would help to replace Dante Fowler, who enjoyed a great campaign with the Rams last season. Pairing Anae with Aaron Donald would be fun to watch.
58. Minnesota Vikings: G/C Matt Hennessy, Temple. At this point, the Vikings have missed out on the sure things at tackle. So, they’ll go for a guard/center option. They seem to like Hennessy, so he may be the pick here.
Also, it’s worth noting that this is the Trent Williams sweet spot. If the Vikings get here with no true starting tackle options available, they may call up the Redskins in the hopes of getting Williams. It may not be with this pick, but it’s definitely a pick to keep an eye on. But if they go with a tackle here, that would be bad for the team’s chances of moving Williams.
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59. Seattle Seahawks: EDGE Josh Uche, Michigan. I had Uche mocked to the Seahawks in the first round on Wednesday, but here, he’s available for them in the second round. Funny how that works out.
60. Baltimore Ravens: OL Lloyd Cushenberry, LSU. Cushenberry is a high-character player with the versatility to play both center and guard. For the Ravens, he’d be tasked with helping to replace Marshal Yanda. That’s not easy, but Cushenberry will give it his all.
61. Tennessee Titans: RB J.K. Dobbins, Ohio State. The Titans need depth behind Derrick Henry if they want their ground-and-pound offense to keep working. Dobbins could pair really well with Henry and make the duo an unstoppable one-two punch.
62. Green Bay Packers: TE Cole Kmet, Notre Dame. The Packers can’t go into the season with Marcedes Lewis as the top option on their tight end depth chart. Cole Kmet is considered to be one of the best tight ends in a weak class, but he’s a fine value here late in the second.
63. Kansas City Chiefs: OT Matt Peart, UConn. It came down to the trenches here. I was between defensive lineman Marlon Davidson and offensive lineman Matt Peart. Given the Chiefs’ need for some youth at tackle, Peart seemed like the better option here.
64. Seattle Seahawks: S Jeremy Chinn, Southern Illinois. Chinn doesn’t fill a need, but he fits a mold that the Seahawks like. A productive, athletic defensive playmaker who should find success at the NFL level.
Picks 65 and 66
65. Cincinnati Bengals: OT Lucas Niang, TCU. The Bengals nab one of the last quality tackles still on the board right before the Redskins pick. They could use someone to challenge Bobby Hart and Niang has the upside needed to be a quality starter.
66. Washington Redskins: OT Saahdiq Charles, LSU. The keywords above were “one of the last”. There are still a couple of options here in Charles and Charlie Heck. They may not be as strong as the other options, but they’re solid nonetheless.
Charles has done well in interviews and he’s the type of player that will find success at the next level if he can add strength to his frame. He’d be a logical choice to replace Trent Williams and the team should be happy to land his services here.
There are other options. K.J. Hamler is on the board, though the team doesn’t really need another small, speed-based receiver. Elsewhere, Ashtyn Davis could draw consideration at safety or Adam Trautman could be a target at tight end. But for now, I prefer Charles. We’ll see soon enough what happens with the ‘Skins pick.
I’m going to stop there because it’s 3:30 a.m. and the Redskins don’t pick again until the fourth round. We’ll have updates on the latest rumors throughout the day, so keep it right here at Riggo’s Rag for all the latest Redskins news and notes.