2020 NFL Draft: Chargers make a big move up in this 2020 NFL mock draft

Here is a brand new mock draft just days away from the 2020 NFL Draft.

Well, ladies and gentlemen, it is finally draft week.

So far this offseason we’ve seen a massive shakeup in the NFL landscape including several trades that have such as the Houston Texans dealing perennial Pro-Bowl wide receiver Deandre Hopkins to the Arizona Cardinals, among others that have tossed around the team selection order.

During free agency, we witnessed Tom Brady’s departure to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers after spending the last 20 years in Foxborough with the New England Patriots.

Then, of course, there is the elephant in the room with the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic around the world. What was planning to be a fun 2020 NFL draft week in Las Vegas, has now been relegated to a virtual setting where the NFL GMs will convene via Zoom call to make their selections.

Obviously, a global pandemic affects the flow of everyday life but the 2020 NFL Draft shall press on nonetheless. We are still getting the spicy rumors and intrigue of who our favorite teams will take on Thursday night.

With the silly season still rolling on up until the 2020 NFL Draft night, here is a first-round mock draft to keep the anticipation going.

Barring any sort of day one surprises or any astronomically large trades, Joe Burrow will be Cincinnati Bengal Thursday night. Burrows’ combination of top-notch decision making, touch and playmaking ability is precisely what the Bengals need under center going forward.

For a while, there were speculations that this pick could be a certain quarterback from the University of Alabama but as of right now, the Washington Redskins seem to be going with Chase Young here. Young is the best edge rusher in the 2020 NFL Draft and is the best overall player in the class as well. Blending proper burst and hustle in addition to sound pass-rushing technique, Young would be the final piece to a formidable Washington front seven.

With our first trade in this mock draft, we have the Los Angeles Chargers moving up three spots to select Tua Tagovailoa with the third pick. Despite the league’s reported concern over Tua’s lower-body injuries, the Chargers jump ahead of the Miami Dolphins in the 2020 NFL Draft to select their quarterback of the future. Injury aside, Tua’s ability to create plays with legs, and tactfully work down the field is an invaluable asset for an NFL team. With few holes on the roster, the Chargers are in a great situation for success in 2020.

Despite the conflicting rumors surrounding the New York Giants here at pick four overall, here they select offensive tackle Jedrick Wills. With Daniels Jones firmly in place as the starter going forward after a promising rookie season, General Manager Dave Gettleman gets his young quarterback some much-needed blindside protection.

After Tua went to the Chargers three picks earlier, the Miami Dolphins select quarterback Justin Herbert here with the fifth of the 2020 NFL Draft. There has been a bevy of rumors swirling recently about the Dolphins connection to the quarterback from Oregon. Herbert is somewhat of a projection, given some of his shortcomings with decision making and pocket presence. But his athleticism, arm talent, and ball placement are enticing intangibles that would make the Dolphins pull the trigger here.

After trading back and acquiring more capital, the Detroit Lions still manage to come away with the best overall corner in the 2020 NFL Draft in Jeffrey Okudah. After dealing Darius Slay to the Philadelphia Eagles, the Lions brought in veteran Desmond Trufant to fill the void. Adding Okudah to a secondary that already includes Justin Coleman would give Detroit a dominant corner trio.

This offseason, the rebuilding Carolina Panthers saw one of their cornerstones in Luke Kuechly retire at the age of 29, leaving a hole at linebacker alongside Shaq Thompson. Although Isaiah Simmons isn’t purely an inside linebacker, his versatility gives Matt Rhule a viable defensive chess piece. Simmons can be put in multiple different alignments such as safety, off-ball linebacker, edge and even at corner if the situation calls for it.

In recent weeks, the Atlanta Falcons have been one of the few teams rumored to be looking at trading up in the 2020 NFL Draft, potentially for a corner. The player they seem to be having their eye on is Florida’s C.J. Henderson. After releasing Trufant, the Falcons depth at corner now consists of players like Jordan Miller, Isaiah Oliver and Kendall Sheffield. Taking Henderson would give the Falcons a true number one corner to pair with their already young secondary.