2020 NFL Draft: First-Round “What I would do” 2020 NFL mock draft

With Brown and Kinlaw off of the board, it comes down to edge rusher or cornerback for the Atlanta Falcons here. Any cornerback feels like a bit of a reach here, making K’Lavon Chaisson the fairly obvious choice. The edge rusher position gets pretty ugly after Young and Chaisson, so if the Falcons want to fill this obvious hole through the 2020 NFL Draft, they better make Chaisson a priority.

Chaisson has long arms and is extremely quick off of the ball. He shows impressive upfield burst and bends around the edge with ease. While he is best known as a speed rusher, Chaisson does show some nice power at the point of attack and can hold his own against the run. A tremendous long-term prospect who could also come in and make an immediate impact, Chaisson would be a nice pick for Atlanta here.

The defensive line and secondary stand out as the most immediate positions of need for the Dallas Cowboys as we enter the 2020 NFL Draft. Honestly, this board does not break particularly well for them, but Xavier McKinney is the one player at those position groups who stands out as a good value here at No. 17.

McKinney is an extremely talented and versatile safety prospect who can shine in a variety of roles. He is best used as an in-the-box safety, using an aggressive style to make plays against the run and the best. McKinney is solid in zone coverage but is better when he is lined up in man. He is strong against the run and has a knack for creating pressure on the quarterback when asked to blitz.

Cornerback is a more immediate need for the Cowboys, but I just did not like the options available. Plus, McKinney could take some snaps at slot cornerback, which would help that clear need. Simply put, McKinney is the best player available who could come in and fill an immediate need for this team.

This pick is going to look like a reach to many, but the more I watch Lucas Niang, the more I love his game. The injuries are obviously a major concern, but if he can just stay healthy, this guy is going to be an impact player at the offensive tackle position for many years.

Niang is a big, long and powerful offensive lineman who uses his long arms well in pass protection. He fires off of the ball quickly and absolutely dominates at the point of attack. At 6-foot-6, 315 pounds, you would not expect Niang to be able to get out and move well, but he is an extremely athletic offensive tackle prospect who can make blocks at the second level. He also sets up into his pass sets quickly and does a nice job of simply mirroring opposing edge rushers.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers picked up a valuable pick earlier in their trade-down earlier in this mock. Here, they snag a talented player who could step in and protect Tom Brady at the right tackle position right away. If he can stay healthy, we could look back at Niang as a big-time value pick in this range.

The slide of Justin Herbert finally ends. I understand that there is no chance this will happen in the actual 2020 NFL Draft, but this mock draft is just what I would do, and honestly, I am not a big Herbert fan.

I appreciate his big arm and fantastic athleticism at the quarterback position. I also like the accuracy that he shows at certain times. That being said, this guy simply did not read the field well in coverage. He relied on his first read far too often and did not show the ability to play off-schedule. I realize that Herbert has big upside, but I would not be betting on him to become a true franchise quarterback at the next level.

That being said, in this range of the draft, his talent and upside are worth taking a chance on for certain teams. The Las Vegas Raiders have done a nice job of building up the rest of their roster. Now, they find themselves an exciting quarterback prospect to groom behind Derek Carr. I am not the biggest Herbert fan, but this would be a nice spot for him to land.

Earlier in this mock draft, the Jacksonville Jaguars made an aggressive trade up for an elite cornerback prospect. Here, they get quarterback Garnder Minshew a talented wide receiver to work with.

Justin Jefferson is a smooth route runner who simply knows how to get open. He is a smart player who can find space in the short to intermediate-range and has the quickness and burst to make some plays after the catch. Simply put, he is a dynamic weapon out of the slot who could quickly become a premier playmaker for Minshew and the Jaguars.