NFL: Live Draft Updates
Below are live updates for the 2020 NFL Draft on Thursday, April 23.
1. Cincinnati Bengals: Joe Burrow (QB/LSU): Burrow has been the top pick in both of our mock drafts and now the Bengals have made it official as they bring in the 6'4 quarterback from Athens, Ohio. The Heisman Trophy winner threw for 5,671 yards, 60 touchdowns, and six interceptions on 76.3% passing last year. He'll step in alongside Vonn Bell, A.J. Green, Joe Mixon, and D.J. Reader with the Bengals. Our pro comparison for Burrow is Jared Goff.
2. Washington: Chase Young (EDGE/Ohio State): Young is the best player in the draft and would have been the #1 pick if the Bengals didn't need a quarterback.He had 46 tackles, 16.5 sacks, six forced fumbles, and five pass deflections in his third and final season with Ohio State. The edge rusher already has an NFL-ready body at 6'5 and 265 pounds and he will fit in perfectly with Trent Williams in Washington. Cameron Jordan is our comparison for him.
3. Detroit Lions: Jeff Okudah (CB/Ohio State): Okudah becomes the first defensive back taken tonight as the Lions desperately needed a corner back after trading Darius Slay earlier in the offseason. Matt Patricia gets the best DB in the draft and will pair him with Jaime Collins and Justin Coleman on defense. Okudah totaled 35 tackles, nine deflections, and three interceptions last year. His pro comparison is Xavier Rhodes.
4. New York Giants: Andrew Thomas (OT/Georgia): Thomas wasn't viewed as the top offensive tackle by most people but New York takes him with the fourth pick and the 320-pound lineman will be tasked with protecting Saquon Barkley and Daniel Jones in the backfield. Thomas is 6'5 and helped the Bulldogs go 36-7 over the last three seasons at Georgia. He played in 13 games last year under Kirby Smart and our comparison for him is Duane Brown.
5. Miami Dolphins: Tua Tagovailoa (QB/Alabama): Tagovailoa was the projected #1 pick at the end of last year but fell a few spots because of multiple injuries, including a season-ending knee injury. He threw for 2,840 yards, 33 scores, and three touchdowns on 71.4% passing. Tagovailoa, who is 6'1 and 218 pounds, will have veteran DeVante Parker as his top target. The Alabama-product's pro comparison is Drew Brees.
6. Los Angeles Chargers: Justin Herbert (QB/Oregon): Herbert would have been a top-10 pick in the draft last year but decided to return for his senior season. A year later and he gets picked sixth by the Chargers. Herbert threw for 3,471 yards, 32 touchdowns, and six interceptions with the Ducks. He completed 66.8% of his passes. Our pro comparison for Herbert is Joe Flacco, and he'll join a team with weapons in Keenan Allen and Mike Williams.
7. Carolina Panthers: Derrick Brown (DL/Auburn): Brown, who spent four seasons at Auburn, compiled 55 tackles, four pass deflections, four sacks, and two forced fumbles in his senior year with the Tigers. He is 6'5 and weighs 318 pounds. He'll join a team that is in the midst of a rebuild as Matt Rhule takes over as coach. Brown joins a team with a lot gaps on defense and he'll look to help them improve immediately. Our comparison is Leonard Williams.
8. Arizona Cardinals: Isaiah Simmons (LB/Clemson): Simmons was a 3-star recruit heading into Clemson but he became one of the best defensive players in the country and is now headed to Arizona. The 6'4 linebacker, who can play other positions on defense, totaled 104 tackles, seven sacks, three interceptions, and one forced fumble last year with the Tigers. Simmons has elite speed and strength, and our pro comparison is Benardrick McKinney.
9. Jacksonville Jaguars: C.J. Henderson (CB/Florida): Henderson has extreme talent and he's going to be staying in Florida as the Jaguars drafted with the #9 overall pick. The Florida-product had 33 tackles, 11 pass deflections, and one sack last year with the Gators. The 6'1 cornerback's pro comparison is Chris Harris Jr. and Jacksonville will try to improve their defense with the likes of Henderson, Myles Jack, and Rodney Gunter.
10. Cleveland Browns: Jedrick Wills (OT/Alabama): Wills is headed to Cleveland with the 10th pick, where he will look to keep Baker Mayfield, Nick Chubb, and Kareem Hunt upright. The 6'4 offensive tackle spent three years under Nick Saban, which will prepare him for the NFL, and he joins an offense that has a ton of potential with wideouts Odell Beckham Jr. and Jarvis Landry. Wills' pro comparison is Jason Peters.
11. New York Jets: Mekhi Becton (OT/Louisville): Becton is one of four offensive tackles that we had projected in the top-15 and he goes to the Jets with the 11th pick. The Louisville-product is an absolute monster at 6'7 and 364 pounds, and he hasn't even played an NFL game yet. New York has players like Le'Veon Bell and Sam Darnold that need a better offensive line and Becton will look to provide that, alongside veteran George Fant.
12. Las Vegas Raiders: Henry Ruggs III (WR/Alabama): Ruggs is the first player drafted following the Raiders' move to Las Vegas and he becomes the first wide receiver off the board. We had them selecting Alabama teammates Jerry Jeudy, but they go another direction in Ruggs, who has elite speed. He ran a 4.27 40-year dash at the combine and had 746 receiving yards, 40 touchdowns, and seven catches last year.
13. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Tristan Wirfs (OT/Iowa): Wirfs is the fourth offensive tackle that we projected in the top-15 and the Buccaneers traded up one pick to make sure they got him. He'll now head to an increasingly talented team with Shaquil Barrett, Tom Brady, Mike Evans, Rob Gronkowski, Ndamukong Suh, and others. Wirfs is 6'5 and weighs 320 pounds, and his job will be to make sure Brady stays as clean as possible.
14. San Francisco 49ers: Javon Kinlaw (DT/South Carolina): Kinlaw is the first player picked that we didn't have projected as the 49ers traded back one spot and selected the 6'5 defensive tackle. The South Carolina product seems like the prototypical John Lynch player and he will replace DeForest Buckner on the line after Buckner was traded earlier in the offseason. The 49ers will look to repeat as NFC champions, this time with Kinlaw in the mix.
15. Denver Broncos: Jerry Jeudy (WR/Alabama): Jeudy becomes the second wideout drafted, both of them coming out of Alabama, and he'll be a top target for second-year quarterback Drew Lock. Jeudy was our fifth ranked prospect on the board after going for 1,163 yards, 77 receptions, and touchdowns. He also averaged 15.1 yards per catch last year with the Crimson Tide. Our pro comparison for the 192-pound wide receiver is Amari Cooper.
Photo Credit: Sporting News.
