2020 NFL Mock Draft - RD1 Picks 17-32

This past draft, the Falcons prioritized the offensive line and the defensive secondary. This came as a surprise, given their lackluster defensive line play, aside of Grady Jarrett and Jack Crawford. While they added hyper-athletic project John Cominsky, he doesn't look to be the sort of speedy edge rusher that Quinn's 4-3 Under requires.

Currently, the following defensive linemen are playing on the final years of their contracts: Grady Jarrett, Tyeler Davison, Jack Crawford, Vic Beasley, and Adrian Clayborn. Stephen Means is already lost for the year with an Achilles injury.

Either Dimitroff will re-sign many of his existing players, or Atlanta will be investing heavy numbers of draft picks along the defensive line. Then there is Deion Jones to deal with, and Atlanta clearly saw how difficult it was to play defense without him last year.

On offense, Austin Hooper will reach the end of his rookie contract, and Mohamed Sanu will reach the end of his contract. All of this sets up this fall as a make-or-break season for the Falcons and Dan Quinn.

Welp the Seahawks re-signed Russell Wilson to the richest contract in NFL history - he'll be earning a heady $35M in the 2019 season. GM John Schneider then made an effort to supply Wilson with weapons by adding freakish WR D.K. Metcalf on Day 2 of the draft, as well as WR's Gary Jennings and John Ursua on the Draft's third day. Schneider also enriched the defense to the tune of six draft picks, including three on Day's 1 and 2.

One area that did not get so much draft attention is the offensive line; only 4th-round OG Phil Haynes was added to that group to protect Russell Wilson.

Per TeamRankings.com, the Seahawks wall has allowed 2.7 sacks per game in 2016 (27th in the NFL), 2.7 spg in 2017 (23rd) and 3.1 spg in 2018 (51 on the season!). Free Agency in 2019 brought the team 33-yo downward trajecting Mike Iupati on a 1-year deal - replacing JR Sweezy, and that's it (3rd string OC Marcus Martin doesn't count).

To summarize: it's reasonable to assume that the Seahawks will again fall in the bottom quartile in the NFL for sacks allowed. The OL allowed 51 sacks last year, and really haven't made any significant moves to improve it. After the season, the OL loses ROT Germain Ifedi, as well as Iupati. It is my concern that Russell Wilson wont be on the field enough to justify his $35M salary.

But hey, the team signed Paxton Lynch!

The Steelers enter 2019 having addressed CB, WR, and ILB in Free Agency and the draft. Those groups are now deep, and fans can watch these proven or pedigreed players jockey for starting roles in the preseason. The WR group will be interesting to watch. Will Moncrief flourish with a HOF QB? How will JuJu handle increased coverage without AB? Will James Washington make a leap in year 2?

In contrast, the thin OLB and TE rooms picked up only a very tall project TE in the draft. At TE, Grimble, who has been a fringe-of-the-roster 3rd-stringer, is, incredibly, a lock to make the roster. The team may well look for a trade in advance of cut-downs to add a TE with some blocking prowess.

At OLB, there are numbers, but only one productive starter. The Steelers' brass picked up Dupree's 5th-year option but he should be viewed as a stop-gap only. By their inaction, the Steelers are showing some confidence that with a full camp, Ola Odeniyi will grab the brass ring and exit camp at least 3rd on the depth chart and bid for a starting role in 2020.

At QB and RB, the roster appears set. Mason Rudolph should push for, and win, the #2 QB job this preseason. Snell should be the presumptive #3 RB with special teams duty. The OL and DL starters are both static, having added players on Day 3 of the draft who will compete for backup roles.

After a 2018 season where the Vikings fell short of supremely high expectations (Super Bowl or BUST!), the team is actually entering the 2019 season under the radar a bit. The Bears are widely expected to win the North, and the Vikings are either projected to finish 2nd or 3rd, in the division, behind the Packers. That probably suits this team just fine. Depending on how far back you want to look, this is a team that is arguably not much different than last year's (though the offensive line should be improved), which is a team that was viewed to be not much different than the prior year's team. A lack of turnover, when you're a successful team, is obviously a good thing, but it remains to be seen if the Vikings will reap the benefits of consistency in 2019. The biggest off season addition was arguably Gary Kubiak to the coaching staff, though maybe Anthony Barr could be in that conversation, as he kind of left, but didn't. With Kubiak came a host of new coaches, who will hopefully turn this offense into an above-average unit, which would be an improvement over last year's group that ranked 18h on FootballOutsiders.com's DVOA rankings. If both the offensive and defensive units can be the Top 10 groups we expect of them, the Vikings could be a team that surprises in 2019.

~Brett Stott, Vikings Analyst

After the first series of OTA's, Dallas appears to have accomplished their depth objectives during the Draft and Free Agency periods. While difficult to grade some positions when the players are not in pads, there are some positives that have been observed:

1) If healthy, Randall Cobb may be an upgrade over Cole Beasley - injured last year, Cobb has exhibited a return of speed and his explosion out of breaks has been impressive. He is actually younger than Beasley (I know, hard to believe), taller and heavier, and is not limited to just the slot position.
2) Some UDFA's have a chance to make the team - prospects with draft grades include DT Daniel Wise and OT Mitch Hyatt . . . and since no WR's were drafted, Jon'Vea Johnson and Jalen Guyton will be given a long look. Kris Richard's influence is evident, as they signed 6'4" CB Chris Westry from Kentucky. History buffs will be rooting for OG Larry Allen Jr.
3) Speed, speed, and more speed - RD4 pick RB Tony Pollard has shown the speed and explosion during 11 on 11 practices . . . and he is no "Scat-Back", as he measures 5'11" and 210 lbs. RD2 pick DT Trysten Hill exhibits an explosive first step and speed in these drills as well, normally not seen in a man measuring 6'3"and 308 lbs. :

- Long Ball, Cowboys Analyst

The Texans won another AFC South division crown last season despite the fact that Deshaun Watson found himself constantly on his back. The Houston QB suffered from a weak offensive line that allowed an NFL-high 62 sacks. Answering the obvious, the team grabbed OTs with their first and second picks in the 2019 draft. Only one mock draft predicted the surprise selection of Tytus Howard in RD1, and Max Scharping (RD2 pick) was criticized for being too clunky and slow for the NFL. The team will face a strong challenge from the division rival Colts and Jaguars Defenses in 2019. For Watson's sake, I hope they prove to be better players than predicted.

The Texans added speed at both the Safety and Corner positions, but more help is needed in the secondary. Meanwhile, the best front seven in the NFL could see the departure of Jadeveon Clowney. The first overall pick in the 2014 draft has yet to sign a long-term contract, and a deal is probably not happening.

Targeted needs for Houston in the 2020 draft are: Edge, CB, and OL. Also, DeShaun Watson would gladly welcome a TD hungry RB such as fellow Clemson alumni Travis Etienne. If he falls, he could be too hard to pass up.

It certainly appears that Cleveland is poised to take another step in the right direction, and actually compete to win this division. Still, there are holes on this roster that will need to be filled next off-season in order to keep the Browns' upward momentum firing on all cylinders. For starters, the Browns did little to address the two Tackle positions this spring, and more questions are on the horizon for the offensive line in general. Center J.C. Tretter and Greg Robinson, who is likely to open the season as the starting left tackle, are both free agents after 2019. The Browns also have a potential out with Chris Hubbard's contract following 2019, and after a season in which Pro Football Focus ranked him as the 50th-overall tackle, including an abysmal 48.9 run-block rating, Cleveland may be enticed to cut ties with the veteran.

On the defensive side, I still have my questions along the defensive line, and in the secondary. I know they brought in Olivier Vernon and Sheldon Richardson, but consistency hasn't exactly been either player's strong suit and it's been five to six years since either one of them put up their best season. I'm a fan of Larry Ogunjobi, but I still believe this team needs a run-stuffer at the nose, and I'm not sure he fits that role. The Safety position is also a major question with Damarious Randall being a free agent, and there's no long-term answer at Strong Safety.

I know optimism is building in Cleveland, and I honestly think that they can not only put together a winning season but also win the division. However, where do they go from there? This roster is still not ready to compete for an AFC Championship or a Super Bowl, so fixing some of these issues in the 2020 NFL Draft will be essential for this franchise.

- Austin Smith, DraftTek Senior Analyst

Well, it's that time again Eagles fans: DRAFT SEASON!!! Yep, with only a few hundred days left to get our ducks in row, it's time that we here at Drafttek get all these 2020 prospects sorted out so that the guys at NFL Network and the other draft sites will know who to talk about in 10 months. For this first CMD, we will forgo discussing specific players, instead focusing on the state of the team along with positional needs, strengths, and weaknesses.

Before we discuss the 2019 season, I feel obliged to point out that for the majority of last offseason, I argued that the biggest need SHOULD be left offensive tackle. Despite a constant barrage of comments such as "There's not enough room for another OT", or "We have BigV and Jason Peters!" or "Running Back is the biggest need", I stayed true to my convictions that after 20 years of elite left OT play, we should not meekly walk into the BigV era and settle for 10 years of average play. Now, after selecting OT Andre Dillard in RD1, I would never dream of being petty and saying "I told you so", because that's not the kind of person I am. Having said that, allow me to say this: I told you so. I told ALL of you so. So now, you people owe me BIG TIME, and I'll expect a lot less arguing in 2020 and a lot more note-taking. Thank you.

Overall, the outlook for the offense seems as stable as any team could hope for. On defense, the Eagles will never have a Linebacker problem, because they simply don't emphasize that position. The team has a lot of young promising cornerbacks (although no clear-cut #1), so they will probably let their investments there mature as opposed to spending money/draft picks to add to that group. The area I could really see them hitting hard is the D-Line. The Eagles' entire defense is based on the pass rush. After losing Chris Long and Michael Bennett, and replacing them with Malik Jackson and Vinny Curry, the thought here is that a net loss just occurred. Factor in Brandon Graham being a year older, and Derek Barnett's injuries, and it feels like another solid pass rusher wouldn't be the worst idea for this group. Jim Schwartz seems to agree.

~Broz, Eagles Analyst

The Packers figure to be a drastically different team headed into 2019. The defensive side of the ball will feature a lot of new names, as GM Brian Gutekunst added three premier free agents in Za'Darius Smith, Preston Smith, and Adrian Amos, as well as two RD1 selections in Rashan Gary and Darnell Savage. Though the offensive side of the ball will feature much of the same cast, first-year HC Matt LaFleur will bring a new look to GB's attack. After going 13-18-1 over the past two seasons, the Packers will still have their eyes set on a Super Bowl win next year.

While it's difficult to focus on specific prospects this early in the process, there are a few position groups that jump out as early favorites in RD1. The Packers have historically shied away from giving contracts to players over the age of 30, which means GB may need to replace players with expiring contracts like RT Bryan Bulaga and DL Mike Daniels. If LaFleur's offensive attack needs a boost, the Packers could also target a non-QB offensive skill position for the first time since 2002.

- James Siebers, Packers Analyst

Indianapolis has become a "darling" pick of many pundits prior to the 2020 season, with some even giving them a nod for an appearance in the Super Bowl at the conclusion of the season! While I'd be giddy should that turn out to be the case, I'm pulling the reins back a bit on that talk --for at least one more year.

The Colts certainly have added a better defense to the mix (5th best defense for points allowed, inside Top Ten for Interceptions and Tackles) on a team that once barely managed to have a handful of standout players on the entire roster. Credit GM Chris Ballard and all the front office staff who have turned in solid drafts during the short "Ballard Era", while continually boasting one of the best cap positions in the NFL.

With all of that being said, Indy still has to "prove it" on the field, with no stumbling through any early-, mid-, or late-season holes like the one they began with a year ago (1-5 record to start the year). Otherwise, they'll not be able to entertain any ideas of gaining home-field advantage in the playoffs, let alone a Super Bowl appearance. It's a young team being built, but one that is definitely on the rise with a roster that has a key ingredient for future success: confidence.

For Khalil Mack, the Raiders receive Josh Jacobs and ______. That will be the storyline for this pick, and the Raiders will be well aware of the consequences should they miss here. Should Carr have a strong season and earn the full confidence of Jon Gruden, I fully expect the Raiders to move down and accumulate more selections. Outside of Guard (where Richie Incognito is a one-year fix) and Linebacker (where Brandon Marshall and Vontaze Burfict are on "prove-it" deals), possible areas of need include Center (if Rodney Hudson is allowed to walk in Free Agency), WR3 (if neither Grant or Renfrow look like studs), Defensive Tackle (a less-one-dimentional bigger body to pair with Hurst and Hall if the Raiders move on from Jelly and Hankins), and Safety (put Abrams down for one spot in Sharpie, but no other safety on the roster is anywhere close to a lock to be on the team in 2020). Tight End is another possibility here, but Gruden is smitten with Waller and seems to like the others on the roster as well.

2019 shapes up as a banner year for the Los Angeles Chargers, meaning that yes, the pressure is on Tom Telesco, Anthony Lynn, and company to deliver a banner to the short-suffering Bolts fans of LA. The state of the franchise is basically rosy: Philip Rivers is enjoying a winning late-career renaissance, the defense has been built to a fever pitch through several years of savvy drafting, and offensive skill positions are covered with stars like Melvin Gordon, Keenan Allen, and Mike Williams. There really aren't a ton of question marks other than going out and getting it done.

NFL.com named the Chargers the NFL's most complete roster, calling them "loaded for bear" heading into 2019. With Gronk out and Brady and Belichick another year older in New England, it appears to be time for all that sowing to deliver some serious reaping this year.

In his inaugural season, Patrick Mahomes delivered one of the greatest QB efforts ever witnessed in modern-day football as he peppered opponents with 50 TD passes. Last year's performance challenged for the greatest season in franchise history. The reigning NFL MVP, the only such moniker in Chiefs' history, is redefining how we view the game's most important position; plus he's given KC fans something that has been lacking since George Brett's quest for the (.400) Holy Grail: a superstar. However, as often happens in the sports world, others on the team did not handle success as well as Mahomes. Star players Kareem Hunt and Tyreek Hill went supernova. By now, even casual fans know the details of the events surrounding these players. Hunt was let go. Hill lost custody of his child, and (to date) has been banished from all team activities.

On the defensive side, the roster turnover -- although also very drastic -- was somewhat more predictable. GM Brett Veach cut bait on injury-prone stars Justin Houston, Dee Ford, and Eric Berry. He also enforced a needed change to the direction of the defense by anointing Steve Spagnuolo as the new Defensive Coordinator and switching to a 4-3 base defense. After engineering two defensive-heavy drafts, there is one position that has suffered from neglect. Veach has yet to acquire a true outside CB. Plus, new contracts for Mahomes, Chris Jones, Mitchell Schwartz, and Sammy Watkins loom overhead.

Look for the Chiefs to target the following positions in RD1 of the 2020 NFL Draft: CB, WR, and OT.

~ KCBudMan, Chiefs Analyst

New Orleans has a tough row to hoe ahead, as they begin to come face-to-face with players that are due more money in new contracts (and deservedly so) based on the value of their production and position. The Saints have recently just "kicked the can" down the road (sort to speak) when it comes to cap limits and managing contracts in the face of the huge amount of cap eaten up by their main stars. They've done this for a few years now with Drew Brees (and probably will again), making sure the team can still sign other critical components to the roster.

However, once Drew decides to call it a career, the Saints need to be ready. Backup QB Teddy Bridgewater will need a new contract soon, and there's really no one behind him, so the Saints will likely move on a solid QB in the 2020 Draft. New Orleans will also need to pony up with their OTs (Offensive Line was 2nd best in NFL in QB sacks allowed, best in QB hits allowed with just 52), Cameron Jordan (Saints' D tied for 5th in Sacks with 49 on the year), and especially WR Michael Thomas(Top ranked wideout in NFL for 2018, 3rd best in 2017), who will need to have a giant increase folded into a new contract by next season, if not before.

Heading into 2019, the biggest question mark on New England's roster is clear: Receiving weapons. With Rob Gronkowski's retirement, the Patriots' offense is going to look very different this coming season. Other than Julian Edelman, who just signed a new extension with the team, Tom Brady does not have much experience throwing to the receiving options on this roster.

New England thought the situation so dire, they took their favorite receiver in RD1 this past April. That may seem like a normal pick on the surface, but the Patriots typically draft the best player available overall, regardless of roster needs. They also have a storied history of trading out of the first round, which they neglected to do as well.

Tight End is even bleaker, as the team is hoping the return of Ben Watson will prove fruitful. However, Watson is now 38 years old, and only managed 400 yards and two touchdowns last season catching passes from Drew Brees. The team also decided to take a flier on Austin Seferian-Jenkins, but he isn't guaranteed to make the final roster.

- Jonathan Rosenberg, Patriots Analyst

Although Les Snead has added his share of stop-gap solutions, the GM followed up by drafting quality apprentices at these same positions that last two seasons. Take Eric Weddle and Clay Matthews, the latest short-term additions, for example. Snead landed high-quality veterans who solidified positions of need. Yet, he was not simply satisfied with these solutions. Weddle will mentor Taylor Rapp, who could develop quickly and challenge for the starting role. Behind the versatile Matthews is a decent list of LB and Edge rushers who were selected in the mid-to-later rounds, including: Ogbonnia Okoronkwo, Micah Kiser, Trevon Young, and Justin Lawler. The result is that the 2019 Rams may sport the most complete unit in the league, and the talent level will not fall too sharply in 2020.

Aqib Talib could become a June 1 cap casualty in 2019. A replacement is still needed for Ndamukong Suh. And, the O-line currently has two open spots to be filled. Yet, the last two drafts yielded plenty of talent to step in at each of these positions. The Rams will truly be set up for a "best player available" scenario in 2020. However, in my opinion, the greater positions of need -- not reaches -- are: DL, LB, OC, and, of course, it will be difficult to pass on the WR talent in this draft.

~LABudMan, Rams Analyst