2020 NFL Draft - Pro Football Rumors

Browns Take LSU S Grant Delpit At No. 44

April 24th, 2020 at 7:17pm CST by Zachary Links

Grant Delpit is off the board. With the No. 44 pick, the Browns grabbed the standout LSU safety.

The Browns fortified safety by signing Karl Joseph and Andrew Sendejo, but they also wanted to address the group in the long run. Joseph and Sendejo are both on one-year deals and, at this stage of his career, Sendejo profiles more as a supporting cast member.

Delpit notched five tackles and one sack in LSU’s championship victory. All in all, he closed out three seasons with a combined 199 tackles, 17.5 sacks, seven interceptions, 24 passes defended, and two fumble recoveries.

Delpit has demonstrated the ability to lock down defenders in both man and zone coverage. He’s also an effective blitzer, as evidenced by those 17.5 sacks. He’ll have to tighten up his tackling form at the next level, but evaluators say his future is bright.

Buccaneers Draft S Antoine Winfield Jr.

April 24th, 2020 at 7:16pm CST by Sam Robinson

Not that long ago, Antoine Winfield was a standout slot cornerback in the NFC. His son, Antoine Winfield Jr., became a second-round pick Friday, landing with the Buccaneers at No. 45 overall.

Capable of high-end slot coverage, as his father was in Minnesota and Buffalo, Antoine Winfield Jr. finished his Minnesota career as an All-American safety.

The Bucs did not have a safety grade in the top 60, per Pro Football Focus, last season. While Tampa Bay’s defense took a big leap in 2019 — finishing fifth in DVOA — the group needed help on its back end.

Winfield finished with seven interceptions as a senior and registered 83 tackles. Scouts Inc. ranked the 5-foot-9, 203-pound defensive back as its No. 29 overall prospect.

Jaguars Take WR Laviska Shenault At No. 42

April 24th, 2020 at 7:04pm CST by Sam Robinson

A pre-draft injury helped Laviska Shenault tumble out of the first round, but he did not fall too far. The Jaguars used their No. 42 overall pick on the Colorado wideout.

The third wide receiver taken in Friday’s second round, Shenault was long expected to be a first-round talent. But as the Combine revealed a deep wideout class, Shenault’s core muscle injury resulted in a drop into Round 2.

Shenault will join a Jaguars team that houses 2018 second-rounder D.J. Chark as its top wide receiver. At Colorado, Shenault totaled 1,011 yards in just nine games as a sophomore in 2018. The 227-pound talent will be expected to play a key role in helping the Jags determine if Gardner Minshew is a long-term answer at quarterback.

At first, Shenault’s groin issue was not believed to require surgery. However, a slower-than-expected 40-yard dash time preceded the talented prospect undergoing a procedure.

Colts Trade Up With Browns For RB Jonathan Taylor

April 24th, 2020 at 6:54pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Colts will assemble a crowded backfield next season. Trading up from No. 44 to No. 41 with Cleveland, Indianapolis selected Wisconsin running back Jonathan Taylor.

In the deal, the Browns will slide down three spots and pick up a fifth-round selection (No. 160). The Colts, meanwhile, will pair Taylor with incumbent Marlon Mack.

While Mack and Taylor figure to be the headliners in a strong Indianapolis backfield next season, the Colts also have 2018 draftees Jordan Wilkins and Nyheim Hines on their team. The Taylor investment does somewhat cloud Mack’s future with the franchise. Mack is one of many talented 2017 running back draftees going into contract years. With Taylor on board, it would seem less likely the Colts are preparing to pay up to keep Mack.

As for Taylor, the longtime Badgers back possesses sprinter speed totaled a staggering 6,174 rushing yards in three seasons. Taylor’s worst season among those featured 1,977 yards. He posted back-to-back 2,000-yard campaigns in 2018 and ’19. Taylor, who scored 55 touchdowns in college, will play behind one of the NFL’s best offensive lines in Indianapolis.

Lions Select D’Andre Swift At No. 35

April 24th, 2020 at 6:29pm CST by Sam Robinson

With Kerryon Johnson suffering injuries in his first two seasons, the Lions are adding a high-end reinforcement. They took D’Andre Swift with their second-round pick — No. 35 overall.

Mocked by many as a first-round pick and viewed as one of the top skill-position prospects in this draft, Swift will be a prime candidate to contribute immediately.

Nearly as important as Swift’s college resume — two 1,000-yard rushing seasons, each featuring more than six yards per carry — is the Georgia product’s 513 career touches. That is a rather light load for a running back and could well allow Swift to enjoy a longer NFL career. He will follow the likes of Todd Gurley, Nick Chubb and Sony Michel into the league and follows Chubb as an early-second-round pick.

The Lions have struggled on the ground for most of this century, continually deploying sub-average rushing attacks. Detroit has not ranked in the top half of the league in rushing since Barry Sanders‘ 1999 retirement. Johnson, the No. 43 overall pick in 2018, saw his yards-per-carry average plummet from 5.4 as a rookie to 3.6 last season. Johnson has missed 14 games in his first two seasons.

This marks the fourth time since 2011 the Lions have used a second-round pick on a running back. Before Johnson, they drafted Mikel Leshoure in 2011 and Ameer Abdullah in 2015.

Bengals Draft Tee Higgins At No. 33

April 24th, 2020 at 6:18pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Bengals kept A.J. Green via the franchise tag and have Tyler Boyd signed to an extension. They are adding to their receiving corps, starting the second round by taking Clemson wideout Tee Higgins.

Cincinnati was linked to Baylor receiver Denzel Mims but will go with Higgins, a top-end deep-ball threat for Trevor Lawrence during two impact seasons at Clemson. Higgins will join national championship game opponent Joe Burrow in Ohio as a pro. Higgins was seen by many as a likely first-rounder earlier on in the process, but he ended up slipping just a bit.

Receiver didn’t seem like a pressing need for Cincy, but they now have great depth at the position. In addition to Boyd and Green, they’ve also got former first-rounder John Ross on the roster. Higgins didn’t even turn 21 until January, and the Bengals clearly think he’ll be a long-term partner for Burrow.

This past season, Higgins finished with 59 catches for 1,167 yards and 13 touchdowns, averaging a robust 19.8 yards per reception.

Bengals Listening To Offers For No. 33 Pick

April 24th, 2020 at 5:04pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Bengals have one pick in each of the draft’s final six rounds. It appears they would like to change that. They are listening to offers for the first pick in the second round, Tom Pelissero of NFL.com tweets.

Cincinnati received interest at No. 1 but did not appear to seriously consider them before taking Joe Burrow. A report earlier Friday indicated the Bengals were considering both wide receiver Denzel Mims and defensive tackle Ross Blacklock at No. 33, but the team may now want to add some draft capital to help fortify their roster after a 2-14 season.

Although the Bengals were uncharacteristically aggressive in free agency, adding D.J. Reader and Trae Waynes to their defense on high-priced deals, they still have several holes on their roster after their worst season in more than 15 years. Trading down from tonight’s top pick would create more chances for Cincinnati to add starter- or rotational-level talent.

It is not certain how far the Bengals are willing to move down, but teams like the Jaguars (No. 42), Broncos (No. 46) and Falcons (No. 47) have made calls about moving up, per Albert Breer of SI.com. The virtual draft’s second round begins at 6pm CT.

NFL Draft Rumors: Bengals, Colts, Bucs, Colts

April 24th, 2020 at 4:56pm CST by Zachary Links

The Bengals (No. 33) and Colts (No. 34) will kick off the second round and the belief is that they’re both targeting offensive help, Jonathan Jones of CBSSports.com tweets. Beyond that, he gets the sense that defensive tackle Ross Blacklock could be the first defensive player selected in the second round. Earlier today, we heard Blacklock mentioned as a possibility for the Bengals, but they might be more focused on providing help for Joe Burrow instead. That could lead them to Baylor wide receiver Denzel Mims, one of the most intriguing talents left on the board.

Here’s the latest as we get set for the second night of the NFL Draft:

More from Jones (on Twitter), who says “everyone” he’s talked to around the league believes that the Panthers will go after Mims. As previously reported, they’ve been getting calls on wide receiver Curtis Samuel, though they’re not shopping him. Mims, or another wide receiver, could wind up taking Samuel’s spot on the depth chart. The Panthers’ currently sit at No. 38 overall (the sixth pick in the second round), which might not be good enough to get Mims.
Over the last two months, the Buccaneers and Colts have both been high on Washington quarterback Jacob Eason, Albert Breer of The MMQB hears. Eason remains available heading into Day 2 of the draft and both clubs profile as potential fits. Before the night is through, Eason could be tapped as the heir to Tom Brady or Philip Rivers, a perfect scenario for a QB easing into the pro game.
There weren’t a ton of trades in the first round, but it wasn’t for a lack of trying. The Falcons pushed hard to trade up for cornerback C.J. Henderson and the Raiders wanted to move back from No. 12 before taking Alabama wideout Henry Ruggs.

NFL Draft Rumors: Vikings, Jags, Redskins

April 24th, 2020 at 3:55pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Vikings have “done a lot of work on” Boise State offensive tackle Ezra Cleveland, according to Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN (Twitter link), but Minnesota may have to move up in Round 2 in order to land him. Per Wolfson, the Vikings may need to get ahead of the Jaguars at No. 42 if they want to grab Cleveland. Minnesota’s second-round pick doesn’t come until No. 58 overall, so general manager Rick Spielman would need to work some magic in order to move up. Luckily, the Vikings have 12 picks remaining in the draft that could be used as trade ammunition.

Here’s more on the 2020 draft:

Speaking of the Vikings and offensive tackles, the ideas of Minnesota acquiring Redskins tackle Trent Williams and moving up in Round 2 aren’t mutually exclusive, as Ben Goessling of the Star Tribune tweets. Washington wants draft capital it can use this year, and while the club has been asking for a second-round pick, the Redskins could also accept a combination of selections that add up to the value of a second-rounder, per John Keim of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Minnesota could use any number of those aforementioned 12 remaining picks in order to patch together an offer for Williams.
Two clubs were attempting to move into the Buccaneers‘ No. 14 slot in order to land Iowa tackle Tristan Wirfs, which prompted Tampa Bay to move up one spot into No. 13 and take Wirfs for themselves, reports Jenna Laine of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Presumably, the Bucs figured teams moving to No. 14 would also be trying to move to No. 13, which was held by San Francisco. Instead, Tampa Bay shipped a fourth-round pick to the 49ers and added Tom Brady‘s new right tackle.
When the Raiders‘ first came on the clock at No. 12, the club’s initial discussions involved offensive tackles, tweets Josina Anderson of ESPN.com. Oakland’s interest in tackles is a little puzzling, as it already has 2018 first-rounder Kolton Miller on the left side and the high-priced Trent Brown on the right. Eventually, the Raiders settled on Alabama wideout Henry Ruggs.

Bengals Eyeing Mims, Blacklock At No. 33?

April 24th, 2020 at 12:26pm CST by Zachary Links

The Bengals, who hold the first pick in the second round, are high on wide receiver Denzel Mims and defensive tackle Ross Blacklock, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter) hears.

Rapoport also notes several teams looking to move up/down in the order. The Jets, Jaguars, and Falcons are among the clubs interested in making a leap. Potential trade partners include the Colts (No. 34) and Dolphins (No. 39), who are willing to listen on offers to move back.

Cincinnati doesn’t necessarily need any immediate help at wide receiver, as the club boasts A.J. Green, Tyler Boyd, and John Ross as its top three options. However, Green and Ross haven’t been able to stay healthy, and each has just one year remaining on his respective contract (the Bengals hold a 2021 option on Ross that they’ve yet to exercise). Mims would add an explosive option for new quarterback Joe Burrow, and give Cincinnati a long-term asset.

Blacklock, meanwhile, was a draft riser in recent months and was viewed as a potential Day 1 pick. Instead, he’s likely to come off the board at the top of Round 2. The Bengals already have Geno Atkins and free agent acquisition D.J. Reader on the interior of their defensive line, but Blacklock would give them ample depth.

2020 NFL Draft News & Rumors