2020 NFL Draft: First round mock draft as the NFL season begins
19. Seattle Seahawks: Julian Okwara, EDGE, Notre Dame
Right now, the Seattle Seahawks are sitting pretty good at the edge rusher position. However, we have no idea if Jadeveon Clowney and Ezekiel Ansah will be around after this season. Chances are, the Seahawks will be looking to build up their stock of edge rushers once again in the 2020 NFL Draft.
Julian Okwara is an extremely raw prospect who has not made much of an impact throughout his college career. That could certainly change during his final season at Notre Dame, but as of now, his NFL draft stock is mostly based on projection.
That being said, it doesn’t take much to see what he can become. Okwara is a quick and explosive edge rusher who fires out of his stance quickly and immediately gets himself upfield. He is extremely bendy around the edge and has some nice power at the point of attack. If he can ever learn to get lower and play with leverage and develop a strong pass rush plan, the sky is the limit for Okwara.
20. Minnesota Vikings: Paulson Adebo, CB, Stanford
Paulson Adebo is a converted wide receiver who shows tremendous natural ball skills at the cornerback position. He is also an extremely physical defensive back who excels in press coverage and is not afraid to step up and make plays against the run.
Adebo moves well in space and sticks to receivers on a consistent basis. Simply put, he is a potential lockdown cornerback on the outside who could quickly become a fantastic defensive playmaker at the next level. Cornerback is not a huge immediate need for the Minnesota Vikings, but Adebo is undoubtedly worth the investment.
21. Dallas Cowboys: Bryce Hall, CB, Virginia
Another cornerback comes off of the board here, as the Dallas Cowboys snag Bryce Hall with the 21st pick of this mock draft. Hall is a big and long cornerback who shows good speed and impressive change-of-direction skills for a cornerback of his size.
He uses his length well in coverage and attacks the ball in the air extremely well. I would like to see Hall be more aggressive on the outside. He has the skills to be a legitimate lockdown corner, but he tends to give away too much space and allow too many easy throws on short routes. However, the skills are certainly in place for him to become a tremendous boundary cornerback at the next level.