The NFL Mock Draft for The People
USA Today Sports (4)
Some mock drafts tell you what will happen, others tell you what should happen. This is the only mock draft that tells you what can happen. Welcome to the second annual Mock Draft for The People, the only mock draft not afraid to project far too many trades while predicting the first selection for all 32 teams.
Also, before we start, I'd like to clarify that The Mock Draft for The People is not affiliated with the short-lived ABC courtroom drama "For The People" and had little if anything to do with its cancellation. With that, we begin...
1. Cincinnati: Joe Burrow, QB, LSU
He’s the best QB prospect of the last three drafts, and with Burrow, 2019 first-rounder Jonah Williams and A.J. Green forming a power trio of potential stars Cincinnati didn’t have a year ago, the 2020 Bengals are . . . better but still not particularly good. Aside from that there isn’t much to say except this for this clip of Bob Saget’s character from The Life and Times of Tim (edited to be safe for work):
2. Washington: Chase Young, EDGE, Ohio State
Between Tua’s durability issues and the difficulty projecting Herbert from that mess of an Oregon offense, Washington can’t say with confidence that either are better long-term options than Dwayne Haskins. On top of that, if Jack Del Rio misses out on a chance to add Chase Young to his unit it will probably play out something like this.
3. Detroit: Jeffrey Okudah, CB, Ohio State
Lions GM Bob Quinn knows Isaiah Simmons is the man this defense needs. But he also has spent weeks of self-quarantine scouring the internet for mock drafts and seeing every single one has Detroit selecting Okudah. And if there's one thing Quinn has learned during these weeks of isolation and self-reflection, it's that he's not popular enough to be different. So Okudah slides into the old Darius Slay role of being asked to cover an opponent’s No. 1 receiver for 12 seconds on every snap.
4. N.Y. Giants: Jedrick Wills Jr., OT, Alabama
Desperate for Isaiah Simmons, new defensive coordinator Patrick Graham has spent most of the past three months gaming Google’s algorithm so that an image search for “hog mollies” turns up this result:
Alas, Graham’s efforts are for naught; Dave Gettleman is an Ask Jeeves man. Wills solidifies the Giants' disastrous right tackle spot.
5. Miami: Justin Herbert, QB, Oregon
You can certainly argue that Herbert’s physical traits enable you to build a more expansive system than you could with Tua, who will be reliant on quick-strike. The question is whether Herbert will eventually thrive in whatever system takes form, while Tua (assuming good health) offers a much higher floor. That said, the Dolphins are clearly pushing through a tank-a-thon, so taking the higher-ceiling Herbert and having to pull the plug in a year or two won’t stick in their craw the way it would many other teams.
6. L.A. Chargers: Tua Tagovailoa, QB, Alabama
No one signs a bunch of 30-something veterans to build a win-now roster and then goes into the season with Tyrod Taylor under center, so the Chargers roll the dice on Tua and his lengthy injury history, knowing that they can build an offense that leans on quick-strike stuff and some moving pockets to create opportunities. Hopefully they also do the logical thing and go get Cam Newton as well, allowing them to redshirt Tua in 2020. Or possibly to disassemble the players’ non-injured body parts to assemble one healthy star quarterback—“Voltroning” is the medical term, though the players’ union will likely frown upon that (but, well, considering the CBA they just agreed to…)
7. Carolina: Tristan Wirfs, OL, Iowa
The Panthers are in the running to get Trevor Lawrence in 2021, but they need to rebuild this O-line before they invest in a young quarterback. Wirfs can plug in at his collegiate right tackle position, or they could move him to the left or inside. (Apparently suggesting a collegiate tackle move to guard is the most insulting thing you can say about a man, but he’d be a potentially great guard).
8. Arizona: Isaiah Simmons, LB, Clemson
After being gifted DeAndre Hopkins, the Cardinals might as well address the defense. Why not do it with a back-seven chess piece. (If NFL teams are foolish enough to ignore my roadmap and Simmons is off the board, this is a great spot for C.J. Henderson.)
9. *PROJECTED TRADE UP* Atlanta: Derrick Brown, DT, Auburn
*Trade Up from 16: Atlanta sends Jacksonville the 16th pick and a 2021 second-rounder
With few needs on the roster, Atlanta can get aggressive and come up for a premium player at a position that most teams seem quite set at (and which seems to be oversaturated with talent every year anyway). Brown will look great alongside Grady Jarrett. Well, they’ll look ridiculous in those red gradient uniforms, but if they can get past the humiliation they should be one of the best interior line tandems in football.
C.J. Henderson could be a target as well, but they’ll bank on Isaiah Oliver and Kendall Sheffield holding it down on the back end (or wait until Round 2 to find competition).
10. *PROJECTED TRADE UP* Denver: Jerry Jeudy, WR, Alabama
*Trade Up from 15: Denver sends Cleveland the 15th pick, the second of their three third-rounders (83), and a fourth-rounder (118)
I like Tim Patrick as much as the next guy, but Denver has essentially a collection of No. 4 and 5 receivers (at best) after Courtland Sutton, which is not ideal for the development of Drew Lock. Jeudy is not only the best receiver in the draft, stylistically he provides a great complement to Sutton. If he were to fall to 15 it would be a crime against humanity, so Denver needs to make a move.
11. *PROJECTED TRADE UP* Tampa Bay: Andrew Thomas, OT, Georgia
*Trade Up from 14: Tampa Bay sends N.Y. Jets the 14th pick, a third-rounder (76), and also receive the first of the Jets’ two sixth-rounders back (191)
Just as he did at Georgia, Thomas would play right tackle at first. While Tom Brady had a habit of making mediocre tackles look great during his time at New England, he’ll presumably be throwing downfield more often in Bruce Arians’ offense. That means pass protection will be crucial. Thomas comes into the league with some rough edges, but just wait until he gets a pair of Tom Brady’s magic pajamas.
12. Las Vegas: C.J. Henderson, CB, Florida
This is exactly what Las Vegas needs as they mourn the news that Eli Apple’s contract had fallen through; Henderson is a top-10 talent.
13. *PROJECTED TRADE UP* Philadelphia: Henry Ruggs III, WR, Alabama
*Trade Up from 21: Philadelphia sends San Francisco the 21st pick, a third-rounder (103), the second of their three fourth-rounders (145), and a 2021 second-rounder
Knowing a few teams picking in the teens are eyeing him, and knowing that even if DeSean Jackson comes back healthy in 2020 he’s not a long-term partner for Carson Wentz, the Eagles take the dive and trade up to get the fastest man in the draft.
14. *PROJECTED TRADE UP* Miami: Mekhi Becton, OT, Louisville
*Trade Up from 18: Miami sends N.Y. Jets the 18th pick, a 2021 second-rounder
With the Eagles sniping them for Ruggs, Joe Douglas looks into his laptop camera and tells his staff, to paraphrase that movie, Let’s get the hell out of here! (It’s the movie that has a plane. An action movie. I think one of the guys plays the President. Dave?) Anyway, the Dolphins, with more picks than any team could spend in a lifetime, are all-too-happy to come up and get the last of the Big Four O-linemen in what figures to be an offense built for a lot of running and play-action with Herbert under center.
15. *PROJECTED TRADE UP* Las Vegas: CeeDee Lamb, WR, Oklahoma
*Trade Up from 19: Las Vegas sends Cleveland the 19th pick, the second of their three third-rounders (81)
With five top-100 picks, the Raiders can afford to make a move to get a potential No. 1 receiver. On one hand, they’d be better off with downfield speed, but on the other hand Derek Carr has yet to attempt a throw that traveled further than eight yards in the air in his career. Lamb fits the QB.
16. *PROJECTED TRADE DOWN* Jacksonville: Javon Kinlaw, DT, South Carolina
*Trade Down from 9: Jacksonville receives Atlanta’s 2021 second-rounder
When they aren’t trading down, which is probably what they’ll do quite a bit, the Jaguars can sit around and play best player available. K’Lavon Chaisson makes some sense as a fill-in for Yannick Ngakoue, currently being held against his will on the restricted earnings & prohibited movement tag, but Chaisson and Josh Allen would make them dangerously light on the edges. So they go ahead and grab Kinlaw, with a promise to themselves that they’ll figure it out later.
17. Dallas: K’Lavon Chaisson, EDGE, LSU
I was just talking about that guy! Mike Nolan’s defense has a role for a 30-snaps-per-game edge burner, which is what Chaisson will be as a rookie before potentially blossoming into a fulltime star. With this, the Jones family finally catches a break.
18. *PROJECTED TRADE DOWN* N.Y. Jets: Cesar Ruiz, OL, Michigan
*Trade Down Twice from 11: Jets receives Tampa Bay’s third-rounder (76), Miami’s 2021 second-rounder, sends the first of their two 2020 sixth-rounders back to Tampa Bay (191)
While Jets fans lustily boo the trade down that cost them Ruggs, Douglas lands the guy he wanted all along. Ruiz immediately solidifies either guard spot, and Douglas and Adam Gase get to spend the rest of Thursday night swimming in all their added draft capital like Scrooge McDuck in his money bin.
19. *PROJECTED TRADE DOWN* Cleveland: Ezra Cleveland, OT, Boise State
*Trade Down Twice from 10: Cleveland receives the second of Denver’s three third-rounders (83), Denver’s fourth-rounder (118), and the second of Las Vegas’s three third-rounders (81)
He's a very good left tackle prospect with some durability concerns, but apparently this is who the Browns want. And it’s certainly fitting that he’s going to this team considering his name—I’m referring of course to the fact that new GM Andrew Berry’s favorite 90s alternative soft-rock band is Better Than Ezra. I mean, he recognizes that Gin Blossoms has the deeper overall catalog, but come on, the hits!**
Plus, with all those extra draft picks for the Browns…
**To be clear, the author of this piece does not like either of those bands. They’re fine though. Just not good.
20. Jacksonville: A.J. Terrell, CB, Clemson
The Jaguars seem intent on a plan that the media has dubbed “Intentionally Build a Losing Roster for Trevor Lawrence.” But for decency’s sake they have to find some NFL-caliber cornerbacks to put on the field—Terrell is a good start, and a fit in Todd Wash’s flavor of Cover-3.
21. *PROJECTED TRADE DOWN* San Francisco: Justin Jefferson, WR, LSU
*Trade Down from 13: San Francisco receives Philadelphia’s third-rounder (103), the second of their three fourth-rounders (145), and a 2021 second-rounder
Jerry Jeudy is the best fit for Kyle Shanahan in this class of receivers, but Jefferson is a pretty good consolation prize. He’s a route-running maestro who thrives out of the slot but can play outside as a Z-receiver as well.
22. Minnesota: Jeff Gladney, CB, TCU
He can play inside or outside and starts immediately for a Vikings team that just lost, by rough estimate, 14 cornerbacks this offseason. This is surely who the Vikings are taking here, and anyone claiming differently has truly gone mad.
23. *PROJECTED TRADE UP* Baltimore: Patrick Queen, LB, LSU
*Trade Up from 28: Baltimore sends New England the 28th pick, the first of their two third-rounders (92)
Queen is a perfect fit who fills a desperate need on Baltimore’s roster. And with that, the other 31 franchises celebrate because apparently everyone wants the Ravens to have everything they want and need.
24. New Orleans: A.J. Epenesa, EDGE, Iowa
For the team that already has everything, Epenesa can start his career as a nickel pass rusher on the inside and serve as Cam Jordan’s heir apparent (though the Saints should have learned long ago that Cam Jordan's career will outlive us all).
25. Minnesota: Denzel Mims, WR, Baylor
Mims fills the gaping hole across from Adam Thielen, and while he might have some rough edges entering the league he can be a big-play threat early. He has a large-catch-radius downfield and is a red-zone threat.
26. Miami: Xavier McKinney, S, Alabama
He’ll fill the role Brian Flores wanted Minkah Fitzpatrick to fill, moving around the secondary. McKinney played in the box, over the slot and as a dime linebacker for Nick Saban. And after the microwave cookery class he took at the adult learning annex, he can make a mean taquito as long as it's already assembled and from the frozen food section.
27. *PROJECTED TRADE UP* N.Y. Jets: Brandon Aiyuk, WR, Arizona State
*Trade Up from 48: Jets send Seattle the 48th pick, their third-rounder (68)
And here come the Jets! Drunk on added draft capital, they take John Schneider up on his annual offer to trade out of Round 1. With a slot machine (Jamison Crowder) and deep threat (Breshad Perriman) already in the fold, Aiyuk provides a fierce catch-and-run weapon for Sam Darnold. With that, the Jets are the 2020 NFL Draft Champions.
28. *PROJECTED TRADE UP* L.A. Chargers: Austin Jackson, OT, USC
*Trade Up from 37: L.A. Chargers send New England the 37th pick, a third-rounder (71), Chargers also receive first of New England’s three sixth-rounders (195)
The Chargers get back into Round 1 in an attempt to address the newest hole on their offensive line (if you ask me they should do the OT at 6, pass on the quarterbacks and sign Cam Newton, but Tom Telesco hasn’t asked for my advice yet).
29. *PROJECTED TRADE UP* Minnesota: Jordan Love, QB, Utah State
*Trade Up from 58: Minnesota sends Tennessee the 58th pick, the first of their two third-rounders (89), the first of their two sixth-rounders (201), and a 2021 second-rounder
The Vikings put an end to the madness, as Rick Spielman makes a truly Spielman-esque move back into Round 1 to draft Love, allowing them to take advantage of the fifth-year option. This means they can move on from Kirk Cousins after the 2021 season and turn things over to a guy on a rookie contract. Because with the rookie wage scale that’s how this stupid league works.
30. Green Bay: Jalen Reagor, WR, TCU
Brian Gutenkunst spends the first three hours of the Packers’ Zoom video conference doing what we all do: feigning interest by occasionally nodding when in fact he's looking at a different window. In this case, it’s his Marmaduke fan fiction. (What he has so far: “Marmaduke’s size lands him in a comedic situation. Maybe a box is involved?” It’s rough, but the bones are there.) Anyway, with the Packers now on the clock, he spends the first eight minutes of their allotted time running through names of receivers who have already been selected, before finally landing on the electric Reagor. The diminutive receiver's speed adds a new element to this offense, and his shaky hands will lead to lots of media breakdowns of Aaron Rodgers' body language after drops.
31. San Francisco: Ross Blacklock, DT, TCU
He played out of position at TCU—Blacklock is a 3-technique, not a nose, and he’ll get to fill that role, stepping into the vacancy left by DeForest Buckner.
32. Kansas City: Kenneth Murray, LB, Oklahoma
He doesn’t necessarily fix the Chiefs’ coverage woes among their linebacking corps, but Murray is an electric blitzer, which Steve Spagnuolo will put to good use.
* * *
And now, the moment that truly makes this The Mock Draft for The People: The teams that traded out of Round 1, or weren’t scheduled for a Round 1 pick to begin with.
"On behalf of The People, I, stock photo model of 'Mature Male Politician,' hereby approve of this mock draft."
34. Indianapolis: Michael Pittman Jr., WR, USC
A professional (now, literally) possession receiver, Pittman provides a nice complement to T.Y. Hilton and immediate help for a Super Bowl darkhorse (yeah, I said it).
37. *PROJECTED TRADE DOWN* New England: Cole Kmet, TE, Notre Dame
*Trade Down Twice from 23: New England receives L.A. Chargers’ third-rounder (71), the first of Baltimore’s two third-rounders (92), sends first of their three sixth-rounders (195) back to the Chargers
Bill Belichick, who of course invented the concept of trading down to accumulate draft picks, moves down twice with Kmet always on his mind. They can now use the early third-rounder they picked up from L.A. to draft Jake Fromm.
40. Houston: Jordan Elliott, DT, Missouri
Bill O’Brien offers this pick back to Arizona for DeAndre Hopkins before sheepishly submitting the name of D.J. Reader’s presumed replacement. (Elliott is good, by the way.)
42. *PROJECTED TRADE UP* Tennessee: Robert Hunt, OT, Louisiana
*Trade Up from 58: Tennessee sends Jacksonville the 58th pick it received from Minnesota in previous projected trade, the third-rounder it received from Minnesota (89) in previous projected trade. From previous projected trade down, they keep the first of Minnesota's two sixth-rounders (201) and a 2021 second-rounder
Mike Vrabel submits the pick through maniacal laughter. The Chargers thought they sniped Tennessee for Austin Jackson, but no. Tennessee moved out of Round 1, then hopped back up in Round 2 to snipe the Bears for Hunt, Tennessee's original Round 1 target, who immediately fills their Jack Conklin-sized hole at right tackle.
43. Chicago: John Simpson, G, Clemson
With Robert Hunt off the board, the Bears settle on Simpson. He replaces the retired Kyle Long at right guard and perhaps helps the Bears get back to a power-running identity. Or maybe he ends up winning the quarterback competition.
48. *PROJECTED TRADE DOWN* Seattle: Matt Peart, OT, Connecticut
*Trade Down from 27: Seattle receives N.Y. Jets’ third-rounder (68)
The Seahawks go with the tried and true strategy of taking the best UConn player available and then winning multiple Super Bowls. Just like the Giants did with Will Beatty.
49. Pittsburgh: Lucas Niang, OT, TCU
Depending on how they want to develop him, Niang could unseat right tackle Matt Feiler this year or unseat left tackle Alejandro Villanueva (entering a contract year) in 2021. Or both.
52. L.A. Rams: Troy Dye, LB, Oregon
It’s a weird linebacking class, with plenty of second-tier guys who can hold their own on early downs and as blitzers but few who can cover, with the exception of Dye. He’s going to be (another) liability in run defense for this unit, but the Rams have to do something to replace Cory Littleton.
54. Buffalo: Alton Robinson, EDGE, Syracuse
The draft finally kicks into gear as America’s Team goes on the clock for the first time. With Western New York still celebrating the arrival of Stefon Diggs—for an utterly reasonable price considering his talent and contract—and their resulting ascension to favorite status in the AFC East, they go ahead and add some needed juice to the pass rush with Robinson, immediately erasing Shaq Lawson from the region’s collective memory.
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