2020 NFL Draft: Consensus First-Round Picks for all 32 Teams

This one is a no-brainer. With Joe Schobert leaving in free agency and a young defense still developing, the Cleveland Browns will need a do-it-all linebacker. With Clemson playmaker Isaiah Simmons on the Browns defense, the Browns will get a next-level boost at all levels of the field.

Simmons is one of the most coveted defenders in the 2020 NFL Draft and only falls out of the top nine in this scenario because the team’s drafting before the Browns had more glaring needs. It wouldn’t be surprising if a team moves up to draft Simmons before the tenth pick. He is that good.

Simmons is a versatile defender, who can protect whatever section of the field a defensive coordinator needs. He can play middle linebacker, slot cornerback, safety and even do some pass-rushing, if need be. At 6-foot-4, 230-pounds, Simmons has the wingspan and speed to challenge even the fastest wide receivers and the strongest running backs.

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Simmons is a generational talent, something the Browns are seriously lacking on defense. In 2019, the Browns defense gave up 48 penalties, gifting 524 yards to opponents in the process, per NFLPenalties.com. That was more than any other team in the AFC North. They will need a defender in 2020 that can get results without putting the team at risk for unnecessary penalties.

The New York Jets had an abridged season in 2019, losing second-year quarterback Sam Darnold for three weeks due to an illness early in the season. Had the Jets been able to hold on to Darnold during that time they might have been able to get past a 7-9 record and make a serious playoff push.

Now, in the 2020 NFL Draft, they need to focus on bringing in big playmakers, who can stretch the field for Darnold and make big plays downfield.

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With CeeDee Lamb the Jets can do all of that and more. Lamb is the best wide receiver in the 2020 NFL Draft and has shown for three seasons at Oklahoma why he is a dynamic deep threat on the field. With three different quarterbacks across three seasons, Lamb has averaged 19 yards per reception, bringing in 173 passes for 3,292 yards and 32 touchdowns.

Lamb has all the skills a team could want from a true, number one receiver. He can beat defenders with his speed, his route running, his yards after the catch. He is slippery, making him a nightmare for defensive backs to cover and can attack the ball at the reception point. He is proactive in moving defenders and can bully most cornerbacks at the line of scrimmage.

There is very little to dislike about Lamb and bringing in a productive wide receiver for Darnold in 2020 will breath new life into the Jets offense this season.

With the freshly minted Las Vegas Raiders setting up in the desert in 2020, they will need deep threat receivers to wow the fans and keep up with an increasingly competitive AFC West. If the Raiders hope to beat the likes of Patrick Mahomes and Drew Lock, they will need to outscore them and get yards quickly. They tried to do that in 2019 by bringing in Antonio Brown but, well, that one didn’t work out so well.

Like Lamb, there is very little to dislike about Jerry Jeudy as a deep threat wide receiver. He can defeat cornerbacks at the line of scrimmage. He can fly down the field with his 4.46-40-yard speed. He may have fewer touchdowns than Lamb in three seasons, but he was also competing every season to see receptions against other Alabama receivers.

This could be the last season for Raiders quarterback Derek Carr. The front office clearly likes him, otherwise, they wouldn’t keep him another season. But without a true number one receiver since Amari Cooper left in 2018, Carr has been forced to work with less than stellar talent downfield.

Even with rumors that the team is looking to “move on” from Carr, the Raiders quarterback finished the 7-9 record last year with some impressive stats. The Raiders finished the 2019 season ninth-best in passing yards, per NFL.com. He had 21 touchdowns, threw for 4,054 yards and a 70 percent completion rate.

Carr is not the problem with the Raiders offense. With a true number one receiver again and a better defense than he has ever had during his time in the NFL, the Raiders could become serious contenders in the AFC West in 2020.