2020 NFL Draft Results - RD1 Picks 17-32

The Cowboys have decided to incorporate some 6-man football principles in their roster, with final scores at Jerry World liable to be in the range of 55-54! Sorely in need of defensive help, Dallas adds another weapon in their offensive arsenal in the person of CeeDee Lamb. The former Sooner WR is excellent value at the 17th pick, but one has to wonder with K'Lavon Chaisson still on the board . . . however, this very well might be a game of "Keep Away" with the Beagles!

Combo Grade: Value - A, Need - C

- Long Ball, Cowboys Analyst

Oh dear, I'm not a fan of reaching for need. It seems Miami's desperation for an OT clouded good judgement here. I'm sure Jackson would have still been available at #26, so the Fins have missed out on talents like K'Lavon Chaisson and Xavier McKinney (for now). On a more positive note, Jackson is young, and has plenty of room to develop into a decent starter. The USC man is a good athlete and has decent length. Jackson is also a high-character guy, but a lack of strength is worrisome. I can't see Jackson ever being as good as Laremy Tunsil.

Grade: D

- David Payne, Dolphins Analyst

The Raiders needed to grab a starter at WR and CB, and... I'm pretty sure they failed. Taking the 75th player on our board at #19, the Raiders added a corner who mustered a 4.56 at the Combine as the guy they want to line up opposite Trayvon Mullen. Much like Clelin Ferrell, it's clear the Raiders loved Arnette and were willing to reach, despite the consensus that he was a fringe top-10 corner. With Trevon Diggs, Kristian Fulton, Jaylon Johnson, and Noah Igbinoghene all still on the board, I don't know how you justify this pick --even if you loved the Buckeye-- without getting something in a trade-down. Maybe Arnette will surprise once he gets on the field, but, from a value perspective, this is the worst pick thus far in the draft, and it isn't even close.

Grade: D-

Chaisson has many desirable traits as an EDGE rusher: first step explosiveness, hand technique and length, pass-rush counters, competitive toughness, and CHARACTER (was assigned the #18 jersey at LSU). However, the most impressive trait to me is how he maintains body lean at full speed and is able to contort his body into the right position. Looking at his physical structure, he has more lower body thickness than most players with a long frame, thus explaining his ability to maintain balance in the various positions and movements.

Grade: A

- Long Ball, Drafttek Senior Analyst

As the DraftTek Eagles' writer, I'm concerned that there might not be proper "Social Distancing" in the line of Philly fans waiting to do their best double-gainer off the Walt Whitman Bridge. Watching CeeDee Lamb get unexpectedly close to spot #21, only to be snatched up by Dallas, has many Eagle fans screaming for Howie Roseman's head. Reality check: Atlanta isn't legally obligated to accept the Eagles' trade offer.

All along, the Eagles have preached the need to get faster as a team. TCU's Jalen Reagor, despite his Combine 40 time, has the dangerous kind of speed Eagle fans have been screaming for. The hope here is that his atrocious drop percentage was due to horrible QB play. If he can correct that with Carson Wentz, Reagor could provide the same value of Ruggs at a discount price.

Grade: B-

- Broz, Eagles Analyst

After trading away Stefon Diggs and only signing Tajae Sharpe the Vikings still had huge holes at the wide receiver position.

Justin Jefferson measured in at 6' 1" 202 lbs and ran a 4.43 forty at the combine. Last year, Justin Jefferson caught 111 passes for 1,540 yards with 18 touchdowns and averaged 13.9 yards per catch with most of the catches coming from the slot. This was a main criticism of Jefferson. But if you look further, you will see that Jefferson, in his sophomore season, spent 553 of his 697 snaps playing on the outside, and just 133 of his snaps in the slot.

Jefferson could be the best slot receiver in this draft. He does have some detractors who believe that his market share of 25.4% is not indicative of a number one receiver. But his performance in the last 3 games of the season against Georgia, Oklahoma, and Clemson where he caught 30 passes for 448 yards and 5 touchdowns should prove that he is an excellent pick by the Vikings.

Grade: A+

Mark P, Vikings Analyst - DrafttekVikings@Gmail.com

The Chargers defensive unit got younger, faster, and more athletic when the team paid New England a third-rounder to move up 14 slots for Oklahoma LB Kenneth Murray. The rather-shallow assortment of linebackers in this year's draft no doubt pushed the Bolts to make the aggressive move. Murray is a 240-pound flier who has drawn comparisons to Chiefs' stalwart Derrick Johnson. He joins a fast, attacking defense that should be fun to watch. An accomplished QB spy, Murray will use his 4.4 speed to patrol the likes of Patrick Mahomes in the AFC West.

Grade: A-, a strong move at an affordable cost.

- Jud Branam, Chargers Analyst

New Orleans' Harry Connick Jr. Kicking off the National Anthem; how can you beat that? If the Saints wold have snagged a prospect more familiar to members of the Creole State such as, ...let me see... LSU LB Patrick Queen would have been nice. However, Michigan Cesar Ruiz (nicknamed "Ceez in space" for his speedy ability to pull across the line and block) gives the Saints a Day-One starter at Center, as well as player who is quick to spot defensive pass rush assignments. Ruz has everything you want in a Center and more: he's very quick off the snap, has great feet and leverage, smart as a whip, and can also handle the Guard position. The Wolverines have produced a long list of excellent offensive linemen. "Ceez in space" is certainly one of them.

Ruiz, told reporters at the Scouting Combine that he volunteered to play Center when he was a kid because no one else wanted to. It appears that worked out pretty well.

Grade: B+

Well, so much for trading back at 31. San Francisco goes the other direction, sending picks 31, 117 (recently acquired from TB) and 157 to Minnesota for the right to grab Arizona State WR, Brandon Aiyuk. Boasting long arms and natural, sticky hands, Aiyuk has an extremely QB-friendly catch radius. Not unlike current Niner WR Deebo Samuel, Aiyuk turns into a RB with the ball in his hands and is a master of making the first man miss to rack up the YAC (yards after catch). Aiyuk isn't a burner, and his route-running needs some polish, but he has smooth hips to give the defenders the slip before and after the catch. He can challenge defenses at all three levels. The move-up makes the decision to pass on Ceedee Lamb at 14 a little confusing, but Aiyuk should be a nice fit in the Niners' offense.

Grade: B

GM Brian Gutekunst traded up to grab Utah State QB Jordan Love. In many ways, Green Bay is the perfect fit for Love. Love is a premium athlete with loads of arm talent. His ability to throw on the run is captivating, but his 26 turnover worthy plays demonstrate the need for development.

Rodgers' contract indicates that he's the likely starter through at least 2022. I'm sure #12 would've preferred some type of offensive weapon, or at the very least a prospect that would help an NFC Championship team win now.

Still, the fortunes of the franchise are in large part tied to long-term stability at QB. Many second guessed the selection of Rodgers in 2005. Green Bay and Matt LaFleur are banking on the ability to bring Jordan Love along slowly and develop the prospect that threw 32 TDs to 6 INTs in 2018.

Grade: B-

Well, Seattle could not find a partner to trade down and took the best player on their board. Jordyn Brooks is an intriguing prospect that might develop coverage skills, but should be an immediate upgrade in stopping the run (Brooks had 1.93 TFL per game at Texas Tech). With K.J. Wright getting older, this pick does address some need, but by far not their most pressing.

Grade: C+

~ Jeff Chapman, Seahawks Analyst

I did not think Queen would make it to this pick, but there has been a lot of trades ahead of them that made this possible. The LSU linebacker may not fit every system, but I like him in Baltimore's defense. He needs the big guys in front of him to keep him clean, as his size can be an issue with him getting off blocks. The Ravens have that with Calais Campbell, Brandon Williams, and Derek Wolfe. When he can roam free, Queen flies around the field, punishing players when he gets to the ball.
Grade: B+


~ Austin Smith, DraftTek Senior Analyst

After seeing Jack Conklin get away in Free Agency, the Titans needed a player that could be a road grader at Right Tackle, and Wilson can certainly do that. I had Houston's Josh Jones and Boise State's Ezra Cleveland ranked higher, but both are better suited on the left, and probably in zone-heavy systems. Wilson is a monster in the run game with imposing size and power, that can pave the way for Derrick Henry. He is also young with plenty of untapped potential that better technique could reveal.
Grade: B-


~ Austin Smith, DraftTek Senior Analyst

Another young, developmental-type pick for the Dolphins and, unfortunately, another reach. Igbinoghene projects as the Fins' Slot Corner, given that Byron Jones and Xavien Howard are set on the outside. This also seems to cement Bobby McCain as the starting Free Safety. The Auburn man fits Miami's man-cover scheme and has great athleticism and burst; his parents were both Olympians. Igbinoghene is a good Kick Returner but, unlike with Ted Ginn, this surely isn't the reason for picking him RD1. I can't enthuse about this pick, given that it was a reach for a position that wasn't a massive need, and there were better prospects still available.

Grade: C-

- David Payne, Dolphins Analyst

The Vikings had a huge need at cornerback after losing Rhodes, Waynes, and Alexander so it is no surprise they selected one here. Jeff Gladney measured 5'10.2" 191 lbs and ran a 4.48 in the 40 at the combine. Gladney also showed freakish strength for his size. According to the Horned Frogs staff, he squats 620 pounds, benches 400 and cleans 400.

According to PFF, only three FBS cornerbacks have played more coverage snaps (1,487) or seen more targets (232) over the past four seasons than TCU's Gladney. Gladney's high-end production and experience puts him in a league of his own in this class. He's played over 250 more coverage snaps in the past four seasons than any of PFF's top 10 cornerbacks in this class. He also has 42 more targets than any of the 10 cornerbacks in that span.

The Vikings have added an excellent cornerback to their team.

Grade: A

Mark P, Vikings Analyst - DrafttekVikings@Gmail.com

Not gonna lie. I'm more than a little disappointed. KC passed on some fantastic defensive fits in A.J. Epenesa, Kristian Fulton, Zack Baun,and McKinney. Offensive lineman Josh Jones was also passed up. Come on! There's even some RD2-worthy CBs that I could live with.

It's not that I don't see a good fit for the compactly built LSU back Clyde Edwards-Helaire. He's slippery as can be, very versatile in both run and passing game, and very rarely fumbles. But, all that said... he's the sixth RB on my list of candidates: Swift, Dobbins, Taylor, Moss and Akers. then this guy!

Chiefs do need an RB. When Damien Williams was hot, he was hot. Behind him, there really is not much. Veach/Reid obviously value what he brings to the passing game. Edwards-Helaire has great hands catching the ball, breaks quickly on his routes, and is comfortable catching in traffic. He also has great leverage in pass block. (At 5'7" I would hope so!) He's got a ton of potential. I just think we could have held off until mid- to late-RD2.
br>Grade: C-

~KCBudMan, Chiefs Analyst