2020 NFL Draft: First-Round 2020 NFL mock draft with counterintuitive picks throughout

With Logan Ryan gone and the offense looking to recreate the 2019 production, the Tennessee Titans look to add defensive help in their secondary in the 2020 NFL Draft. A.J. Terrell has all the raw, physical traits a defense is looking for at cornerback. At 6-foot-1, he has the size and speed to play in most NFL schemes.

With 13 passes defended and six interceptions in 38 games, Terrell showed he can be a solid playmaker in the secondary. Since being outscored on deep passes will likely be an obstacle again in the team’s pursuit of another AFC Championship (See last AFC Championship Game), the Titans can use all the help they can get in the secondary.

The Green Bay Packers are slated to add a wide receiver in the first round by most draft experts. The logic here is Aaron Rodgers only seemed to have a good connection with Davante Adams in the last two seasons and therefore needs a new wide receiver to throw to. But after watching Rodgers target Adams 71 more times than the next wide receiver on the roster in 2019, it would appear perhaps it’s not a talent problem and more a Rodgers problem.

If the Packers can’t improve the offense independently of Rodgers they might as well improve the defense. Grant Delpit is the most athletic safety in the 2020 NFL Draft. He is fast, energetic, and can be a playmaker at the catch point, no matter where on the field that is.

Finishing his LSU career with 199 total tackles and 17.5 tackles for a loss, Delpit is useful at the line of scrimmage against the run. With seven sacks and eight interceptions in his career, Delpit shows to have a wide range of uses on the defense and can be a versatile playmaker at all levels of the field.

This will help the Packers a lot, as they ranked 14th against the pass in 2019 and 23rd against the rush, according to NFL.com. It is hard to imagine a scenario where that would be good enough to repeat a trip to the NFC Championship Game.

With the 49ers second pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, they will finally get their lead wide receiver to replace Sanders on the offense. Denzel Mims from Baylor is fast, especially for a prospect measuring in at 6-foot-3, 218-pounds.

His explosiveness off the snap will help redirect defenders away from short to intermediate passes. His size should give him excellent blocking abilities for run plays and screen passes, a wide receiver skill definitely valued in the Shanahan offense. Mims can also stay fast after contact and should be a nice long term producer for the offense in San Francisco.

The Kansas City Chiefs have an embarrassing number of skill players on their roster. They just won the Super Bowl and are liable to trade this pick for more draft capital next year. However, if they do keep their first-rounder in the 2020 NFL Draft and Xavier McKinney from Alabama is still around, it would be irresponsible not to draft him.

Tyrann Mathieu was brought in last offseason and showed what a difference one good strong safety can have on the defense. But with him entering his eighth season in 2020, having another strong safety that can be a do-it-all defensive back to step in is never a bad thing. McKinney can fall into coverage, play slot cornerback or blitz off the edge as an extra pass-rusher.

Mathieu played all over the defense in 2019 and was one of the leaders on the roster. He played a variety of roles for the team. With McKinney learning behind him, the Chiefs would secure an explosive, versatile playmaker in the secondary for years to come.