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2020 NFL Draft News & Rumors

NFL Draft Rumors: Dolphins, Raiders, 49ers

April 24th, 2020 at 12:18pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Before the Dolphins stuck at No. 5 overall and drafted quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, there were rumblings that Miami wanted to trade up not for a signal-caller, but for an offensive tackle. Had the Dolphins followed through with that plan, they would have been targeting Georgia’s Andrew Thomas, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com. Thomas ended up coming off the board to the Giants at No. 4, so Miami would have had to get to the third overall pick in order to have a chance. The Dolphins ended up finding an offensive tackle later in Round 1 with USC’s Austin Jackson:

Here’s more from last night’s action:

  • The Falcons were heavily linked not only to a potential trade up, but specifically to Florida cornerback C.J. Henderson prior to the draft. Atlanta did want to move up for Henderson, per Rapoport (Twitter link), but they couldn’t find a trade partner for a number of reasons. Both the Dolphins and Chargers wanted quarterbacks, the Panthers refused to trade within the division, the Cardinals were stuck on Isaiah Simmons, and the Jaguars wanted Henderson for themselves.
  • The Raiders were attempting to trade back from the 12th pick before selecting Alabama wideout Henry Ruggs, according to Vic Tafur of The Atheltic (Twitter link). Speculatively, Las Vegas may have been happy to land any of the top-three pass-catchers and figured it could move down, acquire more picks, and still find a wide receiver. Instead, the Raiders surprisingly went with Ruggs, who was widely viewed as the third-best WR behind CeeDee Lamb and Jerry Jeudy.
  • After trading DeForest Buckner to the Colts in March, the 49ers “quietly” tried to sign several free agent defensive tackles with no success, tweets Rapoport. Instead, San Francisco moved back one pick before adding South Carolina defensive tackle Javon Kinlaw. According to Tom Pelissero of NFL.com (Twitter link), Kinlaw was off at least one team’s board due to medical issues. Most clubs, however, deemed him only a “moderate” injury risk.
  • The Cowboys debated between Lamb and LSU edge rusher K’Lavon Chaisson at pick No. 17 before ultimately deciding on Lamb, per Rapoport (Twitter link). Chaisson was a popular target for Dallas in many mock drafts, but when Lamb unexpectedly fell to the middle of Round 1, the Cowboys couldn’t pass. Dallas will now feature a superb three-WR set of Lamb, Amari Cooper, and Michael Gallup.

Saints Looking For Early Second Round Pick In Trade Talks

April 24th, 2020 at 12:18pm CST by Zachary Links

The Saints are looking to trade for an early second round pick, according to Albert Breer of The MMQB (on Twitter). As of this writing, the Saints have zero Round 2 choices, so they’d likely have to deal from their 2021 stockpile to get something done.

Saints GM Mickey Loomis threw everyone a curveball at No. 24 last night with his selection of center Cesar Ruiz. The Michigan product was pegged by many as a second-round type and offensive line depth wasn’t thought to be the Saints’ top priority. Meanwhile, LSU linebacker Patrick Queen and cornerback Kristian Fulton were still there for the taking.

The Saints have a stacked roster, but there are still areas they could target early in Round 2. On defense, Fulton, Alabama’s Trevon Diggs, and Utah’s Jaylon Johnson would all make sense at cornerback. Linebacker could also be an area of need in New Orleans, and the Saints could target prospects like Willie Gay (Mississippi State) or Zack Baun (Wisconsin).

Of course, New Orleans is never afraid to add to its already high-powered offense, and the club could look for another pas-catcher to team with Michael Thomas and Emmanuel Sanders. Denzel Mims (Baylor), Laviska Shenault (Colorado), Tee Higgins (Clemson), and Michael Pittman Jr. (USC) all remain on the board.

Poll: Best Quarterback Available On Day 2?

April 24th, 2020 at 11:51am CST by Dallas Robinson

Heading into Round 1 of the 2020 draft, three quarterbacks — Joe Burrow, Tua Tagovailoa, and Justin Herbert — seemed like near locks to be selected within the first 10 picks, while a fourth (Utah State’s Jordan Love) was viewed as a candidate to be drafted near the end of Round 1.

Well, that’s exactly what happened! Burrow went to the Bengals with the first overall pick, Tagovailoa and Herbert went off the board at back-to-back selections to the Dolphins and Chargers, respectively, and the Packers made a shocking trade up to No. 26 to nab Love.

But with Day 2 of the draft set to get under way tonight, there are still quarterback options available. Lets’s take a quick look at the top signal-callers that remain on the board (in no particular order):

Jalen Hurts (Oklahoma)

Hurts, famously, took Alabama to the National Championship Game in each of his first two seasons as a starter before getting benched for Tagovailoa at halftime of the 2018 title game. An excellent locker room presence, Hurts handled that demotion in stride before transferring to Oklahoma for the 2019 campaign. He posted more than 3,800 yards passing and nearly 1,300 yards on the ground en route to finishing second to Burrow in the Heisman race.

Jacob Eason (Washington)

Like Hurts, Eason was a transfer, spending parts of two seasons at Georgia before wrapping up his collegiate career at Washington in 2019. Eason, a physical specimen at 6’6″, 230 pounds, tossed 23 touchdowns against eight interceptions a season ago, but offered nothing on the ground (19 attempts for three yards). As draft analyst Ian Wharton has noted, Eason has the arm to be a deep passer but has typically stuck with underneath throws.

Jake Fromm (Georgia)

A three-year starter with nearly 1,000 career passing attempts, Fromm is viewed as a quarterback with great makeup and mental processing, but he may not have the physical tools to succeed in the NFL. Seth Galina of Pro Football Focus recently posted an excellent breakdown of Fromm, noting that he simply stopped being able to hit open receivers at some point during the 2019 campaign. Fromm can see the field as good as anyone, but whether he can get the ball to where it needs to go is an open question.

James Morgan (Florida International)

After starting his career at Bowling Green, Morgan transferred to FIU in 2018 and won Conference USA Newcomer of the Year honors in his first season. 2019 wasn’t quite as successful a year, but Morgan is still attracting NFL attention thanks in part to his performance at the combine and the East-West Shrine Game. So far, 11 clubs — including potentially QB-needy teams like the Patriots, Bears, Colts, and Raiders — have been connected to Morgan.

Anthony Gordon (Washington State)

Could fellow Washington State alum Gardner Minshew‘s surprising 2019 rookie campaign help push Gordon up boards? It remains to be seen, but Gordon does have age working against him, as he’ll be 24 years when the 2020 season gets underway. Last year, Gordon completed 71.6% of his passes for more than 5,500 yards and 48 touchdowns in the Cougars’ high-flying offense.

So what do you think? Which of these quarterbacks is the best available on Day 2? Vote below (link for app users):

Broncos Tried To Trade Back Into Round 1

April 24th, 2020 at 11:43am CST by Zachary Links

The Broncos were among the clubs trying to get back into the first round, Tom Pelissero of NFL.com (on Twitter) hears. Their target, according to Mike Klis of 9News, was LSU linebacker Patrick Queen.

The Broncos got their wish at No. 15, landing Alabama’s Jerry Jeudy, their top-ranked receiver. Had Jeudy not been available, they would have looked to trade back for either Queen or fellow ‘backer Kenneth Murray. After landing Jeudy, they tried to get back into the first round for Queen – instead, he went to the Ravens.

Elway wasn’t so sure that he’d be able to get Jeudy at No. 15, but he was pleasantly surprised with how everything turned out.

“It was probably less than 50 percent,” Elway said. “I think that when you look at it he was there a couple of times. We really kind of worked off our mocks with him not being there, and in the situation he wasn’t there, which direction would we go. It was a lot less than 50 percent and that’s why when he was there, we were thrilled that he was there.”

With four picks on Day 2, the Broncos have plenty of ammo if they want to move up for another linebacker. They could also use that artillery to address remaining needs, including cornerback and center. For now, the Broncos’ Day 2 party starts in the second round at No. 46 overall. After that, they have a trio of third-round picks – Nos. 77, 83, and 95.

Eagles Tried To Trade Up For CeeDee Lamb

April 24th, 2020 at 10:33am CST by Zachary Links

In one of Thursday night’s biggest surprises, the Cowboys landed wide receiver CeeDee Lamb at No. 17. The Eagles tried to catch him as he fell by trading up to the Falcons No. 16 pick, Ed Werder of ESPN.com (on Twitter) hears, but they were unable to get a deal done.

Few expected the Cowboys to go WR in the first round, but Jerry Jones took advantage of the opportunity that fell into his lap. And, some say, he came away with the best receiver in a class chock full of exceptional talent. Meanwhile, the Eagles stood pat at No. 21 and nabbed Jalen Reagor, who offers phenomenal speed backed by his sub-4.3-second 40-yard-dash time.

Most prognosticators and insiders believed that Lamb would not be available beyond the Raiders’ No. 12 pick. The Jets, at No. 11, were also a prime landing spot for the 2019 consensus All-American. When Gang Green opted for the braun of Mekhi Becton and the Raiders chose Alabama speedster Henry Ruggs instead, Lamb was left to wait nervously in his living room.

It’s not clear what the Eagles were offering the Falcons to slide back five spots, but it wasn’t enough for them to risk losing out on A.J. Terrell. Eagles fans may be a little extra grumpy about the Cowboys’ big score after learning of the trade attempt, but the Birds can’t be too mad about “settling” for the blazing speed of Reagor.

Lamb finished last season with 62 catches for 1,327 yards and 14 touchdowns. That was Lamb’s second consecutive season with at least 1,000 yards and 10+ scores.

Lions “Never Got A Firm Offer” For No. 3 Pick

April 24th, 2020 at 10:08am CST by Zachary Links

The Lions stayed at No. 3 overall last night and came away with their top target in cornerback Jeff Okudah. They tried to trade back and still grab the Ohio State star but, ultimately, there wasn’t much of a market for the pick. 

“We had a lot of conversations,” GM Bob Quinn said late Thursday night (via Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press). “We never got a firm offer. No team put anything on the table. Had multiple conversations with multiple teams. They were kind of fishing around and we were open for business as you guys know, and nothing was ever put out in front of us to evaluate.”

The Dolphins, at No. 5, were a prime candidate for a swap, but they were intent on acquiring the No. 3 pick without giving up their No. 5 overall choice. Whatever the ‘Fins offered didn’t move the needle for Quinn & Co. – there was no chance of landing Okudah or any of their preferred targets later on in the first round. The Dolphins didn’t up their offer, either, because they were ultimately comfortable with Tua Tagovailoa and confident that he’d still be available with the fifth pick. They were right and, besides, their imagined Godfather offer of the No. 3 + No. 5 wouldn’t have convinced the Bengals to pass on Joe Burrow.

“The few teams that showed a little bit of interest, just ultimately as we got to [Thursday], for whatever reason, decided to stay put,” Quinn said. “And I think looking back, they probably got the guys they probably would have taken at three. So it takes two teams to tango and, listen, we feel good about it…Ultimately, looking back at it, it really didn’t mean much because nothing happened.”

Bengals Select Joe Burrow With No. 1 Overall Pick

April 23rd, 2020 at 7:25pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The wait is officially over. With the No. 1 overall pick in the 2020 draft, the Bengals have selected LSU quarterback Joe Burrow.

Burrow, who joins Kyler Murray and Baker Mayfield as consecutive Heisman winners to be drafted first overall, has long been the favorite to go to Cincinnati at the top of the draft. The Bengals, who earned the No. 1 pick after finishing 2-14 during the 2019 campaign, will now install what they hope is a franchise quarterback in Burrow.

An Ohio native, Burrow posted arguably the greatest quarterback season in the history of college football in 2019, completing 76.3% of his passes for 60 touchdowns (an NCAA record) against only six interceptions. Burrow, who transferred from Ohio State prior to the 2018 season, put up middling results during his first season as LSU’s starter before winning the National Championship in 2019.

While the Bengals had long maintained that they weren’t interested in moving off the No. 1 pick, the Dolphins certainly attempted to make things interesting. Miami pushed Cincinnati, and was still trying to move up earlier today despite the Bengals previously rejecting offers.

Now, Burrow joins a Cincinnati offense that boasts potential despite the club’s lackluster performance in 2019. Burrow will dropped into a unit that includes running back Joe Mixon and wide receivers A.J. Green, Tyler Boyd, and John Ross. Second-year head coach Zac Taylor and general manager Duke Tobin could attempt to find even more offensive talent — perhaps at wideout or along the offensive line — on Day 2 or 3 of the draft.

Despite that firepower, the Bengals are still in the midst of a rebuild even after adding Burrow. Cincinnati did step outside its comfort zone in free agency earlier this year, however, spending ample money to add defensive tackle D.J. Reader, cornerbacks Trae Waynes and Mackensie Alexander, safety Vonn Bell, and linebacker Josh Bynes.

Andy Dalton, the Bengals’ starting quarterback since 2011, remains on the roster. He’s still a candidate to be traded or released, but the veteran recently said there is a “scenario” where he sticks around as Burrow’s backup. Dalton has a $17MM cap figure, however, meaning he’d likely need to accept a pay cut in order for that to be feasible.

Vikings Exploring Trade Up

April 23rd, 2020 at 6:27pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Vikings are talking to teams about a trade into the teens, according to Ben Goessling of the Star Tribune (Twitter link).

Minnesota, which currently holds both the 22nd and 25th overall selections, may have to give up their second-round pick in order to move up, per Goessling. At present, it’s unclear if the Vikings would be willing to do that, but it will likely depend on what prospects are still available.

Most mock drafts have indicated the Vikings will target wide receivers and cornerbacks in the first round of the draft. During the offseason, Minnesota traded wideout Stefon Diggs to the Bills, released cornerback Xavier Rhodes, and lost CBs Trae Waynes and Mackensive Alexander in free agency.

Bengals Will Not Trade No. 1 Pick

April 23rd, 2020 at 5:58pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Bengals will officially not trade the No. 1 overall pick, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link).

All throughout the predraft process, Cincinnati hasn’t expressed any willingness to move off the first selection, but that hasn’t stopped other teams from trying. The Dolphins, specifically, have reportedly even tried to acquire the No. 3 pick with the intent of packaging it with the fifth overall selection in exchange for No. 1. But even an offer that attractive hasn’t swayed the Bengals.

It’s hard to fault Miami for trying, of course, as the club had embarked on a 2019 tanking campaign in order to land a top quarterback. Cincinnati is widely expected to draft LSU signal-caller Joe Burrow with the No. 1 selection.

Texans Discussing Trade Into First Round

April 23rd, 2020 at 5:15pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Texans and head coach/general manager Bill O’Brien haven’t been afraid to make deals this offseason, and they might not be done just yet. Houston, whose first pick currently sits at No. 40 overall, has called teams with an eye towards moving back into the first round, as Dianna Russini of ESPN.com tweets.

Frankly, it’s difficult to believe the Texans have the draft capital required to make any sort of significant move up the board. Previous trades have left their reserve of 2020 and 2021 picks relatively barren. This year, Houston has only two selections (Nos. 40 and 90) within the top-100 picks. In 2021, the club doesn’t have a first- or second-round pick.

Of course, the Texans could attempt other variations of trade proposals. Houston could consider reaching even further into the future and start trading 2022 selections, for example, or send a veteran player along in a potential deal. O’Brien, to be sure, has complete control in Houston and hasn’t been afraid to make all-in trades in the very recent past.

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