2020 NFL Draft: Consensus First-Round Picks for all 32 Teams
By John Newman
Kristian Fulton. 7. 87. Pick Analysis. LSU. player. Scouting Report. Cornerback
Before free agency started this past March, most experts thought the Carolina Panthers were in re-build mode, focusing on next year as thei chance to compete in the NFC South. But with the signing of Teddy Bridgewater to a 3-year/$63 million contract ($40 million of which is guaranteed), along with extending Christian McCaffery to the largest contract for a running back in the NFL, don’t expect the Panthers to do anything in the 2020 NFL Draft that doesn’t help them with wins this season.
If the Panthers are hoping to compete in a tough NFC South in 2020, they must increase their secondary protection. Eric Reid and James Bradberry are both gone, along with an assortment of defensive pieces. In a division that now features Tom Brady, Drew Brees and Matt Ryan, the Panthers will need to add an elite cornerback to the roster if they hope to have any chance of staving off high-scoring games this season.
In the 2020 NFL Draft, the best cornerback after Okudah on most draft boards is LSU cornerback Kristian Fulton. He has been the lead outside cornerback for the Tigers since 2018 and will make an immediate impact on the Panthers defense this season.
Fulton had 20 deflected passes during the last two seasons, according to Sports Reference. That is a testament to just how little opposing quarterbacks challenged him in college. In coverage, Fulton is as sticky as they come, can explode out of a backpedal and can challenge receivers of any size at the catch point. Fulton also had 54 tackles in the last two seasons and has experience playing all across the secondary.
Scouting Report. Alabama. Jedrick Wills Jr.. player. 32. Pick Analysis. Offensive Tackle. 8
The Arizona Cardinals extended left tackle D.J. Humphries this offseason, securing the former first-round left tackle. But with one of the worst pass-blocking units in 2019, the team will need to round out the offensive line with an elite right tackle.
The offensive line has been an issue for the Cardinals for the last two seasons and in the 2020 NFL Draft, no right tackle is better for the Cardinals than Alabama’s Jedrick Wills Jr. At 6-foot-5, 320-pounds, Wills is an elite right tackle, who can handle double teams and offer elite pass protection for future gunslinger Kyler Murray.
Murray was sacked 48 times in 2019 and showed plenty on tape to indicate he can be elite one day. But time and again he faced pressure far too early for downfield plays to develop. The Cardinals will need to improve Murray’s pass protection before they can even dream of keeping their heads above water in the ultra-competitive NFC West.
It may be tempting to get another downfield target for Murray in the 2020 NFL Draft. But without adequate protection at the line, no amount of elite wide receivers will save the Cardinals if Murray is taking multiple sacks a game.
player. Cornerback. Florida. C.J. Henderson. 9. 52. Scouting Report. Pick Analysis
The Jacksonville Jaguars defense is a mess and needs a serious overhaul in the 2020 NFL Draft. With A.J. Bouye and Jalen Ramsey gone from the team’s secondary, downfield protection is priority number one in Jacksonville.
C.J. Henderson played cornerback for the Florida Gators and has served a variety of roles on the team’s defense. Henderson can play man-to-man, zone coverage, and even play a role in run defense. He is fast, agile, and intense in his defensive assignments. Although an early-season injury in 2019 zapped some of his effectiveness, his 2018 film is good enough to show how strong he is as a downfield defender.
No cornerback in the 2020 NFL Draft can shut down one side of the field the way Henderson does. He is tough, physical and can dominate receivers at all levels of the field. The fact he played for the Florida Gators will give the pick some hype, as one of the best cornerbacks in Florida stays in the state, at a position typically dominated in Jacksonville by big personalities.
An ankle injury in 2019 will cause some general managers to be concerned about Henderson as a top-ten cornerback. But unless the Jaguars are willing to move up in the draft to get Fulton or Okudah, they will need to take the next best cornerback with the ninth overall pick.