Lance's 2020 Halfway Mock Draft

You might be thinking, “Right after week 8? That’s way too early to do a mock draft.” And you’re right! I don’t have nearly enough information to do my draft boards, so I don’t yet know who to remove from my board, or who to bump up and down. But I felt like having some fun and to me this is fun. The draft order is as it stands right now, but with the playoff teams I made it to where the correct number of teams from each conference makes up the first six knocked out, the next four knocked out and the two losers from the conference championship while still sticking with order based on records and strength of schedule. At the bottom I’ve included players who were considered but not “selected.”

(Green Bay’s win over San Francisco was not counted toward the records and current playoff standing, only because it would have given San Fran 9 games while everyone else has played 7 or 8.)

1) New York Jets

Pick: QB Trevor Lawrence (Clemson)

Reason: The Jets could very well go 0-16, but their future looks bright. Gase will be gone by season’s end and they’ll be able to try and lure one of the bright offensive minds (Bienemy, Daboll, Roman, or [Joe] Brady) to town with the thought of Lawrence. What’s happened to Darnold isn’t his fault, but he’s probably never going to be a franchise Quarterback, he’s been beaten up too much to be able to mentally come back. Grab Lawrence, stick him behind the O-Line that Joe Douglas has already started improving and give him another pass catcher to pair with Denzel Mims. Also, get an exciting Running Back and then start repairing that defense.

2) New York Giants

Pick: QB Trey Lance (North Dakota State)

Reason: Dave Gettleman should be fired at the end of the season, which means the Giants will have a new GM and a second year Head Coach, neither of which were involved in the decision making to draft Daniel Jones. With no ties to him they could easily decide to go get their guy as long as they remain toward the top of the draft. Lance is a gifted talent. He’s got a great arm, is smart with the football, and he’s athletic. Coming out of NDSU, he may need a little time to catch up, but other than that he’s got everything you need to be a great Quarterback in the NFL.

3) Jacksonville Jaguars

Pick: QB Justin Fields (Ohio State)

Reason: I love Minshew and it breaks my heart to put a Quarterback here, but he’s been too up and down. The Jags (especially their fans) need some stability under Center. I like Trey Lance more, but Fields is the safer pick, so even if the Giants (in this situation) were to pass on Lance, I’d still expect the Jags to take Fields.

4) Miami Dolphins (via Houston)

Pick: WR Ja’marr Chase (LSU)

Reason: I’d love to put Devonta Smith here and have him reconnect with Tua, but Chase is a different kind of talent. He also offers more over the top speed, which is something the Dolphins could really use in their receiving corps.

5) Atlanta Falcons

Pick: DE Gregory Rousseau (Miami)

Reason: FINALLY the Falcons get the world beater they’ve been searching for to come off the Edge and wreck their opponent’s game plan. Rousseau has one year of production after opting out of this season to prepare for the draft, but man what a season it was (19.5 tackles for loss, 15.5 sacks).

6) Dallas Cowboys

Pick: DE Kwity Paye (Michigan)

Reason: I felt Paye might be better suited as a second or third round pick because his production didn’t really match what people have said about his athleticism. But then he went into Minnesota and tallied 2 sacks in Michigan’s dominant victory and I realized he can certainly be a force. Dallas has been terrible on the defensive side of the ball, they need to address several deficiencies to get the defense playing at the same level the offense was (prior to Prescott’s injury). A pass rusher to pair with Demarcus Lawrence would go a long way toward kicking off the reboot.

7) Washington Football Team

Pick: OT Penei Sewell (Oregon)

Reason: Sewell would be a fantastic get a year after shipping out Trent Williams. He has All-Pro potential. They could choose to jump on Zach Wilson and hope that he’s ready to start this season, but Sewell is the better option. They could suffer through another year of Kyle Allen or Alex Smith if it means getting a long term answer on the blindside.

8) Los Angeles Chargers

Pick: C Creed Humphrey (Oklahoma)

Reason: If they want to see continued growth from Herbert they’ll need to make sure the Line is a whole lot better off than it was when they had Rivers. This might seem a little high for a Center, but Humphrey could be the top guy at the position for the next decade plus. The value of a great starting Center cannot be understated.

9) Minnesota Vikings

Pick: DT Jaylen Twyman (Pittsburgh)

Reason: The Vikings could go Alex Leatherwood and shore up the left side of their line, but I like their 2020 second round pick, Ezra Cleveland, to take over at Left Tackle. They could try to trade up for one of the top three QBs, or opt to take Zach Wilson who could develop behind Cousins for the next two years. Or, they could grab a Defensive Tackle and start to restore Zimmer’s defense to its former glory. That’s the route I would expect them to go. Twyman may not yet be this high on most people’s draft boards, but it’s only a matter of time. He had a huge 2019 season (12 tackles for loss, 10.5 sacks) and I think after the combine we’ll see his draft stock soar. They need someone to create pressure from the inside, this would be the guy to get the job done.

10) New England Patriots

Pick: WR Devonta Smith (Alabama)

Reason: I was thinking the Patriots could take Zach Wilson, but then I asked myself would Belichick really want to start over with a rookie under Center and I decided the answer was no. Instead I have him improving the options in the pass game around a veteran. Devonta Smith has great hands, great route running skills and enough speed to create separation which is what they really need in the Receiving corps.

11) Cincinnati Bengals

Pick: TE Kyle Pitts (Florida)

Reason: Pitts is arguably the best player in this draft not named Trevor Lawrence. He’s a mismatch regardless of who is covering him. Athletically he’s like a Receiver, but physically he’s a Tight End. Adding him to a group of pass catchers that includes Tee Higgins and Tyler Boyd would really benefit Burrow’s growth.

12) Carolina Panthers

Pick: LB Micah Parsons (Penn State)

Reason: The Panthers defense is in need of a Luke Kuechly replacement. Jeremy Chinn has been a gem of a rookie so far, but they don’t have that leader in the middle of their defense. Parsons is THE guy in this draft. He’s a top ten talent, but he could fall due to team needs in the top ten and the QBs in this draft class. That works out well for Carolina.

13) Detroit Lions

Pick: QB Zach Wilson (BYU)

Reason: Due to Stafford’s recent back problems and lack of fire this season, Detroit needs to start preparing his replacement soon. If Wilson were to slip to them, and I do mean slip, they shouldn’t hesitate to pull the trigger. He has tons of talent, a great arm, and the improvisational skills that are so exciting to watch in today’s game.

14) Denver Broncos

Pick: CB Shaun Wade (Ohio State)

Reason: I’ve got some work to do to determine if any Cornerback is worth this high of a pick. Right now I would say Wade is, I’d also like to add that I (currently) am glad he went back to school cause it could go a long way toward boosting his draft stock. Denver needs help in their secondary, Wade’s the best player available in that area, they could also opt to trade down, add some draft capital and take one of the other Corners I’d consider to have first-round grades.

15) San Francisco 49ers

Pick: C Josh Myers (Ohio State)

Reason: Priority number 1 for San Fran, shore up the O-Line. There’s plenty of first round talent at all the Offensive Line positions in this draft. Myers could end up giving Humphrey a run for the best Center in the draft. I also wouldn’t rule out his college teammate here, Guard Wyatt Davis.

16) Miami Dolphins

Pick: OT Alex Leatherwood (Alabama)

Reason: Flores dips into the Saban-well just like his mentor taught him. The Dolphins started shoring up their O-Line last season when they took Austin Jackson, Robert Hunt and Solomon Kindley. That shouldn’t stop them from using an early pick to try and continue to improve, especially if it means better protection for their franchise QB. The biggest benefit of this pick would be the versatility it would provide along their O-Line. They could choose to kick Robert Hunt inside (which would probably help him out more), or they could move Leatherwood inside. He’d also give them the ability to move Austin Jackson over to Right Tackle if they felt he was best suited for Left Tackle.

17) Las Vegas Raiders

Pick: DT Christian Barmore (Alabama)

Reason: Last year he posted 2 sacks total, he’s already matched that this year. If he can continue to show that he’s more than just a run stopper then he could be exactly what the Raiders are looking for on the inside of their D-Line.

18) Chicago Bears

Pick: QB Mac Jones (Alabama)

Reason: Unless there’s some magical turn-around in the second half of the season, Foles isn’t the answer under Center. We already know Trubisky isn’t the answer. Enter Jones, who’s draft stock has been climbing. Statistically he is performing well enough to be in the running for the Heisman. And yes, he is surrounded by lots of NFL level talent, but his decision making has been spectacular and his arm strength has been pretty surprising. As of right now I’d prefer him as a second round pick, but the Bears aren’t in position to land any of the top four guys, and they need a new signal caller. Trask is an option, but I like Jones’ trajectory more right now.

19) Philadelphia Eagles

Pick: WR Rashod Bateman (Minnesota)

Reason: The Eagles have a few holes they’ll need to shore up. Going Receiver in the first round for back to back years should not be out of the question. Last year they took Reagor, who is a small, quick guy. Bateman offers a great compliment to that skill set with his larger size and tougher style of play.

20) Jacksonville Jaguars (via LA Rams)

Pick: DT Marvin Wilson (Florida State)

Reason: Wilson’s up and down play is going to cause him to slide, but the idea of the level his talent could take him to should keep him in the first-round. The Jags need to get their D-Line back to where it was when they made the AFC Championship. Wilson would be a high ceiling, low floor option for them.

21) Cleveland Browns

Pick: OG Wyatt Davis (Ohio State)

Reason: The Browns need to continue to improve their O-Line and Myers allows them to do so on the inside.

22) Indianapolis Colts

Pick: QB Kyle Trask (Florida)

Reason: If the Colts can coax Rivers to stick around for one more season this would be perfect. Trask isn’t a pro-ready QB, but he does have the intangibles to become a solid starter. Sitting behind one of the best Quarterbacks of my generation would really help him out.

23) Arizona Cardinals

Pick: CB Caleb Farley (Virginia Tech)

Reason: He’s 6’2 with good ball skills (averaged 3 interceptions and 9.5 deflections in his two seasons). The Cardinals may lose Patrick Peterson this offseason, that’s a big hole to fill, this kid would at least somewhat help.

24) Tennessee Titans

Pick: Edge Quincy Roche (Miami)

Reason: It’s only halfway through the year, but I think it’s safe to say the Vic Beasley experiment is a flop. The Titans still need a pass rusher to pair with Harold Landry and Roche is the best one available at this point. I do like Basham more, but I don’t think he’s a fit for their scheme. Roche was a monster at Temple for three seasons and now he’s making his presence felt down in Miami.

25) Green Bay Packers

Pick: WR Rondale Moore (Purdue)

Reason: Moore is the speedster that the Packers need to help open things up. The injury from 2019 and his smaller frame (5’9”, 180 pounds) would worry me but he’s that Tyreek Hill prototype that Rodgers would love to have.

26) Baltimore Ravens

Pick: OG Deonte Brown (Alabama)

Reason: Losing Marshall Yanda was huge. Deonte Brown is the best available Guard who can give them a long term replacement for the perennial pro-bowler. He’s been paving running lanes for Najee Harris the last two seasons, so he’d be a welcome addition in front of Jackson, Ingram, Dobbins, Edwards and Hill.

27) New Orleans Saints

Pick: DE Carlos Basham (Wake Forest)

Reason: They tried going with the uber-athlete when they took Davenport and it hasn’t really worked out. They still need to fill that hole opposite Cam Jordan. Basham is a sound End. He’s probably not going to blow the doors off Lucas Oil stadium, but he’s efficient, athletic enough and he gets the job done with good technique.

28) Buffalo Bills

Pick: CB Patrick Surtain II (Alabama)

Reason: Buffalo has decent Corners who can play opposite Tre’Davious White, but Surtain would give them a formidable young duo that will cause opposing QBs to have nightmares.

29) Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Pick: Edge Patrick Jones II (Pittsburgh)

Reason: Worst-case scenario for the Bucs this offseason: Brady retires, and they lose Lavonte David and Shaquil Barrett to free agency. If Brady retires I would expect Arians to look for a veteran in free agency as he doesn’t really seem to like young passers. Chances are the Bucs will have a hard time keeping David and Barrett, my money would be on them choosing Barrett even though David is a gem on the inside, but he’ll also be more expensive. So this is a guess pick. Patrick Jones is the best available edge rusher to help bookend their pass rush with Harold Landry. In 2019 he posted 8.5 sacks, through 7 games this season he’s already at 7 sacks.

30) Kansas City Chiefs

Pick: LB Dylan Moses (Alabama)

Reason: The Chiefs addressed their Linebackers last draft when they took Willie Gay Jr. They should continue to look at the position. Dylan Moses has top ten talent and athleticism, but a big red mark when it comes to injuries, which makes it difficult to project where he could land. It makes the chances of a slide down the board pretty high and that means the rich get richer.

31) NY Jets (via Seattle)

Pick: TE Pat Freiermuth (Penn State)

Reason: I’d love to see them take Travis Etienne here and pair him in the backfield with his college teammate (who I have them taking at 1). But the bigger priority has to be adding pass catchers who can open up the field. If I knew what the status of Jaylen Waddle was going to be he’d probably be my pick here (if not higher), but Freiermuth provides more of a guarantee.

32) Pittsburgh Steelers

Pick: OT Daniel Faalele (Minnesota)

Reason: Alejandro Villanueva, Pitt’s starting Left Tackle, is in the final year of his contract, but I think he’ll be brought back. On the other side of the line they had signed Zach Banner to a 1-year deal and he went down before the season even began. Faalele (6’9”, 400 pounds) would give them a monster on the right side to bookend with Villanueva. Don’t let his size fool you though, he’s got good athleticism too.

Just Missed the Cut:

QB Tanner Morgan (Minnesota): He has not looked like he did last season. His completion percentage is down from 66 to 60.9, his QBR is down from 178.7 to 141.4, and his YPA is down nearly 2 whole yards. His on the field struggles go beyond the stat sheet too. The Gophers being 0-2 has a good amount to do with Morgan’s inability to consistently push the ball downfield. His stock has taken a major hit with these first two games.

RB Travis Etienne (Clemson) and Najee Harris (Alabama): Both of these guys are crazy talented. Etienne can do more with 10-15 touches than other guys can do with 25-30. He’s explosive, a home run waiting to happen. Harris has really come into his own, big, punishing runner with deceptive speed when he gets into the open field. Both of these guys could go in the first, but when I went through I couldn’t point to any team and say that they need help at Running Back more than other position.

WR Jaylen Waddle (Alabama): Unfortunately, the explosive Waddle broke his ankle on the opening kickoff against Tennessee. There’s still a chance he decides to leave school after this season anyway. If he does leave he could launch himself back into the first round conversation if he’s back in time to perform at the combine, even just a little.

OT Rashawn Slater (Northwestern), Sam Cosmi (Texas), Dillon Radunz (North Dakota State) and Walker Little (Stanford): These four were left out for different reasons. I think Slater is currently a day 2 guy who could slip into the first, but his decision to opt out may hurt his chances. I like Cosmi, but there are questions about his athletic profile and if he’s not able to answer those at the combine he’s going to slip. Radunz is out of a small school, which won’t rule him out entirely but does make me a little wary. And Walker Little had issues (injury and play) last season that caused him to drop, so he went back to school, but then he opted out. I don’t think he’ll be able to do enough in the offseason to get his name back into the first-round conversation.

OG Trey Smith (Tennessee): He’s not a sure-fire first-round pick and Guard isn’t exactly a position that teams like to put a lot of stock in early unless you are a special talent, or they have a big need.

Edge Aidan Hutchinson (Michigan), Rashad Weaver (Pittsburgh): I’d like to see more production from Hutchinson. If he does stay at about where he was last season then I’d like to see solid testing numbers at the combine before I consider him in the first-round. There are three talented D-Lineman coming out of Pitt that could go in the first-round. The most impressive part to me is that Weaver and Jones are still performing at a high level even without Twyman (who opted out of the season). Jones got the bump over Weaver for me because statistically he’s been more impressive. But Weaver’s 23 tackles for loss and 11 sacks since the start of the 2019 season aren’t too far behind.

DT Mustafa Johnson (Colorado): He’s a tweener, probably too big to play End, probably too small to play Tackle full-time. He’ll likely start out as a pass rush specialist from the inside and in my opinion that’s not the type of player you draft in the first round. Now, if he shows up to the combine at 290 and demonstrates really good athleticism I would reconsider my stance.

CB Tyson Campbell (Georgia), Asante Samuel Jr. (Florida State): Campbell was in my first round consideration, but then he got beat up against Alabama. That’s about as close as he was going to come to playing NFL level talent prior to heading to the NFL, so his stock slipped for me. Samuel has been one of the few bright spots for Florida State this season, but his height (5,10”), and the needs of teams drafting late in the first-round could cause him to slide

Safeties: I don’t currently view any Safety in this class as first round caliber. Richard LeCounte out of Georgia would probably come the closest if I had to choose.