2020 NFL Draft: First-round 2020 NFL mock draft with trades

The Eagles have two units that need desperate help: wide receiver and defensive backs. I wasn’t in love with the wide receiver options in this spot for the Philadelphia Eagles and decided to take the best available defensive back in the 2020 NFL Draft class. Xavier McKinney is a do-it-all defensive back that you can play in several ways. His talent and versatility will make him a dynamic piece on this defense day-one.

I have seen this selection for the Buffalo Bills a lot lately and it makes a lot of sense. Buffalo’s receiving core is filled with small-bodied speedy receivers and they don’t have a notable target over 6-feet tall. Tee Higgins gives Josh Allen and this offense a red-zone target that can win with his size and length. Higgins’ aggressiveness and ability to high-point the football will help give Allen a different receiving threat stylistically.

Dwayne Haskins goes to New England to become the heir to the throne that Tom Brady sits on. I think that Haskins can find a lot more success in a scheme like the Patriots has than in Washington. With Rivera taking who he thinks is his guy in Tua, the former first-round pick is on the market and he makes a lot of sense for the Patriots.

With the Patriots’ first-round pick that the Redskins would acquire, they take a physical offensive tackle that’ll help protect the future at quarterback. Tua has his injury concerns and if that is the route that Washington wants to take, they must invest in protection for him. Mekhi Becton has some impressive tape where his resiliency and aggression pops out immediately. Add some technical refinement from NFL coaching to his size and strength and you have a great tackle in the NFL.

Drew Brees is on the back-end of his career and Teddy Bridgewater is likely out the door. With that being said, they need to take advantage of all the young talent they have on their roster and ensure they have a smooth transition to stay afloat after Brees’ retirement. Jacob Eason is a project player, but with his tools and good coaching and mentoring from Brees and Sean Payton, there is no reason Eason can’t find success in New Orleans.

The Minnesota Vikings need interior help on the offensive line, but there aren’t any in the 2020 NFL Draft that warrant a first-round selection in my opinion. Instead, I decided to go with the best player available at a position of need for this Vikings roster. Kristian Fulton’s weaknesses were put on display in the College Football Playoffs but he is still a smooth coverage cornerback that can make a meaningful impact for an NFL team early.

Cam Newton traded to the Miami Dolphins? Yes. The Dolphins missed out on the top quarterbacks in this mock 2020 NFL Draft, so they can go out and bring in a veteran that has shown the ability to be an MVP caliber player when healthy. Miami takes another risk in trading for a quarterback using draft capital, but if they allow Newton to get fully healthy, Brian Flores and this coaching staff can find success with him at quarterback.

The Panthers now own the selection here and decide to find more athleticism on the defensive line to pair with last year’s first-round selection, Brian Burns. Neville Gallimore is starting to see his 2020 NFL draft stock rise, yet it is nothing compared to the boost it’s going to see after the combine. Gallimore cut weight before the 2019 season and is now one of the most dynamic interior linemen I have seen in this draft class.

The Seattle Seahawks need to add talent to their defense. With that being said, I am taking my highest-rated remaining defense player in Yetur Gross-Matos. Gross-Matos has the perfect size and frame for an edge rusher in the NFL. His natural athleticism and strength project so well to the NFL level. With good coaching at the next level, he should develop and add more efficient pass-rush moves. He has so much room to grow with so much talent already.

Baltimore has yet to find a pass-rush presence from the defensive end position that is consistent. They drafted Jaylon Ferguson last year, but he doesn’t have the athleticism to make you believe he has much potential. Terrell Lewis has the juice. He has had injury issues during his career at Alabama, but this year he stayed healthy and showed a lot of burst and athleticism on the edge. Adding Lewis to this group can give them the explosive playmaker they need.

A.J. Brown was an excellent choice in last year’s draft and looks like a future star in this league. Corey Davis just hasn’t worked out. The Titans need another dynamic weapon in their passing game so that they aren’t so reliant on Derrick Henry to carry the offense. Justin Jefferson is rising quickly, especially after his remarkable performance against Oklahoma. Jefferson can add a lot to this young receiving core and help propel this offense moving forward.

Davante Adams is one of the NFL’s best receivers. Outside of him, however, the Green Bay Packers are without weapons on the offensive side of the ball. Granted, Aaron Rodgers has still found success and is still in the hunt for Super Bowl 54, but bringing in a dynamic piece in Laviska Shenault Jr. gives Rodgers and this offense another playmaker that you can utilize in many ways to find success.

The Kansas City Chiefs have one of the most explosive offenses in the NFL. Tyreek Hill, Sammy Watkins, and Mecole Hardman are a great trio of wide receiver targets for Patrick Mahomes. At running back, however, the Chiefs are very lackluster. D’Andre Swift is the best running back prospect in the 2020 NFL Draft. He is a versatile playmaker that would find a ton of success in this Chiefs offense. He would add another dimension to this already dynamic offense.

The 49ers don’t have many picks in the 2020 NFL Draft. This trade would help them gain additional draft capital in the middle rounds to help add contributional pieces to this talented roster.

The Eagles may trade back into the first round if they like the value of a speedy receiver in this spot to gain the 5th year option. Philadelphia is going to have a lot of draft picks in this draft, so going all-in on a down-field weapon may be an option for this team. Philadelphia has a down-right poor wide receiver room. There is no threat to the big play and adding Jalen Reagor could be hugely beneficial.

This mock draft style isn’t meant to be taken as a projection, yet should be used to talk about potential movers in the 2020 NFL Draft. There are some current players leaked to trade rumors this offseason that could see themselves be moved on draft night. Follow me on Twitter @AlexGilstrap for all things 2020 NFL Draft.