2020 NFL Draft - Pro Football Rumors

NFL Draft Rumors: Lions, Giants, Dolphins

January 9th, 2020 at 9:52am CST by Zachary Links

Here’s the latest NFL Draft buzz from Bleacher Report’s Matt Miller:

Miller would be positively stunned if the Bengals don’t draft LSU quarterback Joe Burrow No. 1 overall and the Redskins don’t grab Ohio State defensive end Chase Young with the No. 2 pick.
With that in mind, Miller feels the draft truly starts at No. 3 overall, where the Lions pick. Sources tell Miller that they’ll look heavily at Ohio State cornerback Jeff Okudah and Auburn defensive lineman Derrick Brown. Then again, it’s a prime trade-back spot – teams like the Dolphins, Chargers, and Panthers could move up to land a QB.
Unless new head coach Joe Judge sways him in a different direction, Giants GM Dave Gettleman is expected to look at edge-rushers, left tackles, and wide receivers with the No. 4 pick. “He can’t help himself with linemen, so slot your top-rated offensive tackle there,” one scout who previously worked with Gettleman said. Alabama’s Jedrick Wills Jr. and Georgia’s Andrew Thomas rank among the top tackles in this year’s crop.
No team has done more work on Oregon’s Justin Herbert than the Dolphins, who own the No. 5 pick and two more selections later on, Miller writes. The Dolphins will almost certainly go QB here, then shift their attention to offensive tackle, edge-rusher, and running back help.
The same source who tipped Miller off to the Cardinals‘ love of Kyler Murray last year says they’re wild about Oklahoma wide receiver CeeDee Lamb. But, internally, they also feel that the offensive line need is too big to overlook.
The Raiders, with two picks in the first round, are looking to go defense and wide receiver, Miller hears.
The Bills are already nervous about other teams leapfrogging them for wide receivers, Miller hears. The Bills own the No. 22 overall pick and nine total selections in the draft.
The Patriots are impossible to read, but none of Miller’s sources believe that they’ll draft a quarterback early on. Tom Brady has vowed to continue playing, but he’ll also explore his options in free agency.

Jake Fromm Declares For Draft

January 8th, 2020 at 1:06pm CST by Rory Parks

Georgia quarterback Jake Fromm will enter the 2020 NFL draft, as Fromm himself tweeted. The 21-year-old joins a strong QB class that includes Joe Burrow, Tua Tagovailoa, Justin Herbert, Jordan Love, and Jacob Eason.

Given the overall strength of the class, which is not projected to be as talent-laden next year (despite the presumed appearance of Trevor Lawrence), Fromm’s decision is somewhat surprising. After all, he went into the 2019 season as a surefire first-round pick, and perhaps even the No. 1 overall selection, but he turned in a bit of a disappointing year and may tumble out of the first round altogether.

Fromm led the Bulldogs to the National Championship Game as a true freshman in 2017, and he did guide them to a Sugar Bowl win this season. But his 2019 completion percentage (60.8%) was the lowest of his collegiate career, and his TD numbers were down from his sterling sophomore campaign.

He remains capable of making all the throws that an NFL QB is expected to make, and he has played well on big stages. He also appears to have all the intangibles that pro teams are looking for in franchise signal-callers, and with a number of clubs potentially in the market for a rookie quarterback, maybe one will fall in love with him and nab him in the first round.

The Bengals are all but certain to select Burrow, but the Dolphins, Colts, Chargers, and even Patriots are among the teams who could take a look at Fromm.

Antoine Winfield Jr. Declares For Draft

January 8th, 2020 at 12:25pm CST by Rory Parks

Minnesota safety Antoine Winfield Jr. is declaring for the 2020 NFL draft, as ESPN’s Josina Anderson reports (via Twitter). His name is very familiar to NFL fans, as his father, Antoine Winfield Sr., played in the league for 14 seasons after being selected by the Bills in the first round of the 1999 draft. Also a defensive back, the elder Winfield made three consecutive Pro Bowls with the Vikings from 2008-10.

The younger Winfield played in 10 games as a true freshman in 2016 and recorded 52 tackles, a pick-six, and three passes defensed. He missed much of the next two seasons due to injury, but he was a star in 2019, recording seven interceptions, 83 tackles, and three sacks. He did not win the Jim Thorpe award, as his father did in 1998, but he established himself as one of the best safeties in the class.

As such, he has a real chance of being selected in the first round. His injury history may hurt his stock, but he has good technique, is capable against the run and the pass, and has excellent ball skills to boot.

Teams like the Cowboys, Saints, and 49ers could be in play for Winfield, as could his father’s old team, the Vikings.

Donovan Peoples-Jones To Enter Draft

January 6th, 2020 at 6:09pm CST by Sam Robinson

Michigan will lose a key piece of their offense, while the 2020 NFL draft’s receiver pool keeps increasing with high-end prospects. Donovan Peoples-Jones announced (via Twitter) he will enter the draft.

Once the No. 1 wide receiver recruit in the 2017 class, Peoples-Jones became a solid, if unspectacular, weapon for the Wolverines. The 6-foot-2, 208-pound wideout did not surpass 650 yards during any of his three Michigan seasons but did total 14 touchdowns between the 2018 and ’19 campaigns. He also combined for 14 receptions between Michigan’s 2017 and ’18 bowl games. Still, this would profile as a potential-over-production pick.

Peoples-Jones comes in at No. 45 on Scouts Inc.’s player ratings, and Bleacher Report’s Matt Miller slots the three-year Michigan man 38th on his big board. Both rankings account for Alabama’s Devonta Smith declaring, but with the junior opting to stay in school, Peoples-Jones’ chances of climbing into the first round stand to increase.

While several Wolverines wideouts have been drafted in recent years, no Michigan receiver has gone in the first round since Braylon Edwards in 2005.

Alabama WR Henry Ruggs To Enter Draft

January 6th, 2020 at 5:03pm CST by Sam Robinson

There are now two Alabama junior wide receivers in the 2020 draft pool. Shortly after projected first-rounder Jerry Jeudy made his decision to enter the draft, Henry Ruggs is following suit.

Ruggs revealed Monday (via The Players’ Tribune) he will join Jeudy and Tua Tagovailoa in the draft. While Jeudy has been tabbed as a possible top-five pick, Ruggs is Mel Kiper Jr.’s No. 4 receiver prospect (13th overall). Kiper ESPN colleague Todd McShay has the speedster going 18th overall. Ruggs’ speed will enthrall Combine attendees; he was clocked in the mid-4.2-second range for the 40-yard dash at Alabama’s 2019 junior pro day.

The former four-star recruit did not flash statistically like Jeudy but may be the fastest player in the draft. Averaging 17.5 yards per catch for his career, the 6-foot Ruggs caught 24 touchdown passes and exceeded 700 yards in each of his final two Crimson Tide seasons. He suffered a concussion in the Citrus Bowl.

While Devonta Smith returning to school will prevent Alabama from having three wide receivers chosen in the first round, Jeudy and Ruggs going on Day 1 would be mark a rare occurrence. The last time two were drafted from the same school in Round 1 came in 2007, when LSU products Dwayne Bowe and Buster Davis joined Ohio State alums Ted Ginn and Anthony Gonzalez.

Tua Tagovailoa Enters NFL Draft

January 6th, 2020 at 11:12am CST by Zachary Links

Tua Tagovailoa is going pro. On Monday, Alabama’s star quarterback announced that he will enter the 2020 NFL Draft.

Tagovailoa was long expected to enter the draft this year, but his brutal hip injury and subsequent surgery threw those plans into flux. Before the injury, Tagovailoa was projected to be the No. 1 overall pick. Now, between that and the emergence of Heisman Award winner Joe Burrow, no one is quite sure where he’ll land.

After the injury, doctors told the QB that he’ll be able to play football again at 100%. Even then, Tagovailoa conceded that he’ll have some barriers to overcome.

“I don’t think I’d be the same again because there’s, like metal in here, you know?” he said. “I lose some rotation inward, so I won’t be able to twist as much inward and whatnot. I wouldn’t need that as much. When you’re running, you’re almost always opening up your hip. From the doctors say, they expect a full recovery and I’ll be able to go out there and play football again at 100 percent, it’s just I won’t be able to rotate it internally the same way.”

Tagovailoa could have positioned himself as the top prospect in the 2021 draft by returning to school and turning in another strong season, but that would have come with significant risk. Instead of gambling, he’ll cash in his chips now and, in all likelihood, wind up as a first-round selection.

If tests and workouts show that Tagovailoa is truly 100% healthy – or close to it – he could still land somewhere in the top 10. The Lions could theoretically use the No. 4 pick to select Matthew Stafford‘s successor, though they have other pressing needs to fill. The Dolphins could also consider Tagovailoa at No. 5 and ease him into things with Ryan Fitzpatrick serving as their Week 1 starter.

Updated 2020 NFL Draft Order

January 6th, 2020 at 8:36am CST by Zachary Links

After a weekend full of drama and upsets, four more spots have been determined in this year’s NFL Draft order. Most notably – the Patriots will pick No. 23 overall, their highest original pick since 2006.

Here’s the updated rundown, from Nos. 1-24:

1. Bengals (2-14)

2. Redskins (3-13)

3. Lions (3-12-1)

4. Giants (4-12)

5. Dolphins (5-11)

6. Chargers (5-11)

7. Panthers (5-11)

8. Cardinals (5-10-1)

9. Jaguars (6-10)

10. Browns (6-10)

11. Jets (7-9)

12. Raiders (7-9)

13. Colts (7-9)

14. Buccaneers (7-9)

15. Broncos (7-9)

16. Falcons (7-9)

17. Cowboys (8-8)

18. Dolphins (via Steelers 8-8)

19. Raiders (via Bears 8-8)

20. Jaguars (via Rams 9-7)

21. Eagles (9-7)

22. Bills (10-6)

23. Patriots (12-4)

24. Saints (13-3)

Jedrick Wills Declares For Draft

January 4th, 2020 at 8:24pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

The 2020 NFL Draft just added another top prospect to the player pool. Alabama offensive tackle Jedrick Wills will leave school early and enter the draft, he announced on Twitter.

Wills is widely regarded as one of the best offensive linemen in the country, and as things stand right now is almost certain to be a first-round pick. Many analysts think he has a shot to go in the top ten, and Matt Miller of Bleacher Report had him at 15th overall in his most recent mock draft. Miller writes that he is “tailor-made to step in from Day 1” and “has the movement ability with an easy, poised kick-step to play either right or left tackle in the pros.”

Highly recruited out of high school, Wills became a full-time starter as a sophomore in 2018. Alabama’s other starting tackle and potential first-round pick Alex Leatherwood recently announced his intention to return to school. Like seemingly every year there are a bunch of teams picking early in need of tackle help, and the Browns could be a natural fit with the tenth overall pick.

Alabama WR Jerry Jeudy To Enter Draft

January 4th, 2020 at 3:44pm CST by Sam Robinson

Long tabbed one of the best players eligible for the 2020 draft, Jerry Jeudy will forgo his final Alabama season to enter the draft. The junior wide receiver announced he will declare on Saturday (Twitter link).

This comes after Jeudy’s six-catch, 204-yard showing in the Citrus Bowl. The 6-foot-1 talent has been on NFL radars for a while and is a likely top-10 pick. Both ESPN.com’s Todd McShay and Bleacher Report’s Matt Miller have Jeudy listed as a top-five prospect. The five-star 2017 recruit sits third on Scouts Inc.’s ranking of draft-eligible prospects.

The shifty route-runner heads up a wide receiver class that’s long been rated as a potential impact group. Two other Crimson Tide wideouts — Henry Ruggs and Devonta Smith — could well join Jeudy. Both have been tabbed as first-round-level prospects. Both Ruggs and Smith have 2020 eligibility, but the possibility of each going on Day 1 points to both declaring for the draft.

Jeudy submitted two 1,100-yard seasons, combining for 24 touchdown receptions over the past two years, and has been compared to Odell Beckham Jr. The Crimson Tide have seen three receivers — Julio Jones, Amari Cooper and Calvin Ridley — go in the first round in the past nine drafts. Jeudy will run that number to four.

Kenneth Murray Declares For Draft

January 3rd, 2020 at 9:36pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

Add another top prospect to the 2020 NFL Draft pool. Oklahoma linebacker Kenneth Murray is leaving school early to enter the draft, he announced in a video posted to Twitter.

Murray is widely regarded as a first-round talent and one of the best linebackers in the draft. He was taken 18th overall in Matt Miller of Bleacher Report’s recent mock draft. Miller referred to him as “a linebacker with excellent range and the ability to stay on the field all three downs.” As Miller points out, that’s an essential trait for today’s NFL when inside linebackers like Murray need to be able to hold their own in coverage.

Murray became an immediate contributor as a freshman in 2017, and had an absurd 155 tackles as a sophomore last year. This past season, he had 102 tackles, 17 for a loss, and four sacks to go along with four passes defended. He was a first-team All-Big 12 as well as a consensus All-American selection this year.

2020 NFL Draft News & Rumors