First-Round 2020 NFL mock draft with many interesting trades

C.J. Henderson was not always the most physical defender in college, but he is an extremely smooth and athletic cornerback prospect who has obvious upside in coverage at the next level. Henderson is impressive in man coverage and shows tremendous natural ball skills. Simply put, this guy can stick to receivers and make plays on the ball. The Falcons have a clear need at the cornerback position and they find a good one after trading down in this 2020 NFL mock draft.

The Raiders already traded down once in this 2020 NFL mock draft and they do it again here. The Tennessee Titans are the team coming up, giving up a third-round selection to go from pick 29 to 22. Penn State edge rusher Yetur Gross-Matos is the target for the Titans in this trade scenario.

Gross-Matos is extremely long edge rusher who also shows a nice combination of power and athleticism. He gets good upfield burst as both a pass rusher and run defender, and can also bend around the edge a bit. Gross-Matos is a tough and physical defender who also shows plenty of raw upside on the edge. He would be a nice fit for the Titans’ defense and would also fill a position of need for the team.

The quarterback position could certainly be in play for the New England Patriots here, as could a pass-catcher. However, never count out Bill Belichick taking a defender in the first round, especially if the guy played for Nick Saban.

Terrell Lewis is an exciting EDGE prospect who consistently wins at the line of scrimmage. He has a variety of pass-rush moves and an impressive combination of length, athleticism and strength up front. Lewis has a scary injury history, but he is undoubtedly a talented guy who could come in and make an immediate impact for Belichick and the Pats.

There is a lot to like about Oklahoma linebacker Kenneth Murray. He moves extremely well in space, sheds blocks at a high level, is always around the ball and he can put pressure on the passer in the blitz game. He is an extremely physical and mobile linebacker who has plenty of upside at the next level.

That being said, Murray’s instincts in coverage are lacking. He is adequate at best in short zone coverage and struggles even more in man. He undoubtedly has the athleticism to succeed in this are, but he has not put it on tape yet.

Murray is a gifted prospect and this linebacker class leaves plenty to be desired. This will likely make him a first-round pick, but his coverage ability has me concerned. In this 2020 NFL mock draft, the New Orleans Saints take a leap of faith with Murray, taking him to lead their defense from the middle.

Trevon Diggs lacks ideal speed at the cornerback position, but he makes up for it with his great size and length. Diggs is an extremely physical and competitive cornerback who excels in press coverage. He may get beat deep at times, but Diggs will also consistently compete at the catch point. As long as they do not consistently line him up against speedsters, Diggs would likely have a ton of success for the Minnesota Vikings.

Josh Jones has been absolutely fantastic at the Senior Bowl and has put himself in the first-round conversation. With their third and final pick of this 2020 NFL mock draft, the Dolphins snag Jones to be the primary protector for Tua Tagovailoa going forward.

Jones is a fluid athlete at the offensive tackle position, consistently getting off of the ball well and mirroring opposing edge rushers at a high level. He gets set up in his pass sets quickly and shows strong overall hand usage in pass protection. Jones also sinks in and anchors at a high level and has a mean streak in the run game. He will play through the whistle and is constantly looking to drive the defender to the ground.

A first-round haul of Tagovailoa, Epenesa and Jones would be strong for the Miami Dolphins.

The Jacksonville Jaguars are back in the first round! Sorry, Seahawks’ fans, but you know this is possible (if not likely). The Seahawks love to find value by trading down and in this 2020 NFL mock draft, they trade right out of the first round. The Jaguars use the third-round pick that they acquired from the Jets earlier to come back into the first to snag the RB1 in the 2020 NFL Draft, D’Andre Swift.

Swift is an extremely quick and elusive back who is incredibly difficult to defend in open space. He is a fantastic fit for the modern NFL, as he is a big-time threat on the ground and through the air. Swift is an absolute game-breaker with the ball in his hands and has nearly unlimited upside at the next level.

Earlier, the Jags took Simmons and Fulton to solidify their defense. Here, they find themselves a dynamic offensive playmaker who they could use in a variety of ways. I love this day one scenario for Jacksonville.

I feel like Tee Higgins should have probably gone earlier, but the depth of this wide receiver class could push them down the board a bit. Higgins is a big and physical receiver on the outside who shows an extremely wide catch radius and impressive contested-catch ability. He is not a burner, but he has shown the ability to separate deep down the field and he tracks the ball in the air extremely well.

The Baltimore Ravens would benefit from finding Lamar Jackson a dynamic pass-catcher or two and Higgins is a guy who could come in and immediately contribute. This is a strong fit and great value for the Ravens in this 2020 NFL mock draft.

The Las Vegas Raiders traded down twice in this 2020 NFL mock draft, putting themselves in position to snag Patrick Queen here at No. 29. Queen has been a fast riser in recent weeks and it is easy to see why. He is an extremely active and athletic linebacker prospect who always seems to be around the ball.

The Raiders have been looking for a playmaker at the linebacker position for a while now. They find one with the 29th pick of this 2020 NFL mock draft.

I would love to see the Green Bay Packers add some legitimate speed to their wide receiver group this offseason. Davante Adams is fantastic, but he needs some help and a pure speed guy would compliment him well. KJ Hamler has more than enough speed and quickness to make an impact in this offense.

Hamler is incredibly explosive and elusive in the open field. He consistently creates separation in his routes, can make defenders miss with ease and can take it to the house from anywhere on the field. He is a tremendous deep threat and strong playmaker in the short to intermediate range.

Size is a major concern here and Hamler has struggled with drops at times. However, he is a consistent threat who defenses have to pay attention to when he is on the field. The Packers need to find a receiver to help take some pressure off of Adams and I think Hamler could be that guy.

Damon Arnette significantly improved at Ohio State this past season and should be considered a potential first-round pick in the 2020 NFL Draft. The Kansas City Chiefs need help at the cornerback position and take a chance on Arnette in this 2020 NFL mock draft.

Arnette is a strong man coverage defender who is physical at the line of scrimmage and sticky throughout the route. He shows impressive quickness and overall athleticism and is not afraid to come up and defend against the run. Arnette also shows good ball skills this season and should be able to come in and make an immediate impact at the next level.

With the final pick of this 2020 NFL mock draft, the Cleveland Browns trade back into the first round to land a talented player at the safety position. The San Francisco 49ers do not have many valuable picks in the 2020 NFL Draft and will likely consider trade-down scenarios. The Browns take this opportunity and bring in Xavier McKinney to help fill a need on the back-end.

McKinney can do a little bit of everything at the safety position. He is a strong in-the-box run defender and a crafty blitzer who can create pressure on the passer in unique ways. He is also a strong man-to-man defender who can handle most tight ends and running backs and some slot receivers. McKinney also shows solid range as a deep safety and impressive overall ball skills.

The Browns took care of their top need earlier in this mock and they trade up to solidify their next biggest positional need here.