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Coach KBH’s Mock Draft 1.0 12/31/19

1. Cincinnati Bengals – Joe Burrow, QB

The Bengals have secured themselves the coveted number 1 pick in the draft and with it, they will choose the recently crowned Heisman trophy winner, Joe Burrow. Burrow had an amazing 2019 season and is primed to be Zac Taylor’s franchise QB should he be retained as HC. The Bengals have a lot of problem areas but they won’t have this opportunity again and would be daft to let Burrow slip through the cracks.

2. Washington Redskins – Jerry Jeudy, WR

Jeudy is one of the top WR prospects we’ve seen in a long time. Now that Washington has the QB position sorted, they need to give him weapons to work with. Guice looked fantastic before injuring himself again, so it will be important to see how he recovers, but if Haskins can have Jeudy and Mclaurin to throw to in 2020, he may actually have a chance at succeeding in the NFL.

3. Detroit Lions – Chase Young, EDGE

The Lions actually looked good through the first 5 weeks of this season, especially on offense, but a string of injuries put a damper on proceedings and they have now sunk towards the bottom of the league and find themselves with a top 3 pick. Matt Patricia is a defensive coach and knows that his job is on the line in 2020. If Chase Young does end up declaring for this draft I can’t see him falling past the Lions, who desperately need big additions to their defense.

4. New York Giants – Andrew Thomas, OT

The Giants were ridiculed for the use of their first-round picks in 2019, but Daniel Jones has shown flashes of why he was taken with the 6th overall pick. However, the Giants do not have the pieces around Jones to allow him to succeed. The Giants have such a dynamic RB in Barkley that they need a good O-line for him to work behind and for Jones to stay on his feet long enough to find a receiver.

5. Miami Dolphins – Tua Tagovailoa, QB

#TankForTua may have taken a bit of a diversion during the season, but despite winning multiple games, the Dolphins should still be in a position to draft the franchise QB they have had their eye on for over a year. Tua will be coming off an injury, but unless he doesn’t show enough signs of recovery by April I can’t see the Dolphins going in any other direction than the Hawaiian native.

6. Los Angeles Chargers – Justin Herbert, QB

Herbert hurt his chances of being a top 5 pick by not declaring in 2019 and following it up with a disappointing senior season. However, he finds himself in a draft where there are a few high powered offenses on the lookout for a new QB, and the LA Chargers happen to be one of them. Rivers has been a big disappointment this year and I wouldn’t be surprised if they cut ties with the veteran in the offseason and start fresh in their new stadium with a new QB. Herbert should be ecstatic with this landing spot as he will have a slew of great targets to throw to.

7. Carolina Panthers – Jordan Love, QB

Another QB needy team in the top 10 is Carolina. They have publicly said they are happy with parting ways with Cam Newton, and Allen and Grier haven’t really impressed in their chances this season. They may be reaching to grab Love in the top 10, but if they are worried about who their future signal-caller may be, it might mean they have to grab him sooner rather than later. Another possibility for Carolina is trading up to the 3rd or 4th pick to try and grab Tua before he falls to the Dolphins.

8. Arizona Cardinals – Austin Jackson, OT

The Cardinals shocked the NFL by drafting Kyler Murray as their 2nd 1st round QB in 2 years, however, it was a move that has paid dividends as Rosen can’t beat out 37-year-old Fitzpatrick and Murray had himself a very solid rookie season. He has good pass catchers and solid running backs having traded for Drake midseason, now it’s time to give their star QB some protection upfront. They may opt for a defensive player with this pick but I think O-Line is the biggest need in Arizona.

9. Jacksonville Jaguars – Derrick Brown, DL

The Jaguars seem to be happy with their 2019 surprise star Gardiner Minshew at QB and they have some decent pieces on offense to work with, although they may consider drafting a WR here. A team that have been gashed by the run too many times this year will look to the excellent defensive lineman Brown to help shore up the gaps. Pairing him with Campbell on the defensive front will be enough to scare anyone who lines up opposite.

10. Cleveland Browns – Tristan Wilfs, OT

The Browns finally seemed to be in a position to make the playoffs this season, with a solid WR corps, a great RB, the franchise QB, and above-average defense. But if you listened to and Cleveland fan before the season they would have all told you the same thing, the O-Line sucks. That proved to be the case and it can be said that it was enough to ruin their season and send them into 2020 with a top 10 draft pick. So, with this pick, the Browns select the top O-Lineman left on the board and hope that he will be the missing link to send them to the playoffs in 2020.

11. New York Jets – Ceedee Lamb, WR

The Jets are a strange prospect in the NFL as they seem to have their franchise QB locked up, a top RB and yet, the offense struggled a lot in 2019. Greg Williams turned the defense into a top 10 Defense so they shouldn’t be so worried about that side of the ball. If Robby Anderson leaves in free agency then the Jets will have a big gap to fill on the outside and Lamb is the perfect player to fill that role.

12. Las Vegas Raiders – Tee Higgins, WR

Many will think that Gruden will want a change at QB in 2020, but I believe Derek Carr has done enough to maintain his starter role in this offense and that they should be building around him now. The defense was torrid in Oakland, but getting Abram back from injury will be like having drafted a top safety all over again. With this pick, the Raiders will take their true WR1, a year after they thought they had traded for that in Antonio Brown.

13. Indianapolis Colts – Javon Kinlaw, DT

The Colts were a team many had tipped for the Superbowl in 2019, however, the shock retirement of Andrew Luck left the team reeling and they did well to compose themselves enough to win games at the start of the year. The team needs help in a few areas, but one of the main areas they should be looking to plug with this pick is the defensive line which often found itself exposed to the run.

14. Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Grant Delpit, S

Tampa Bay is one of the most polarizing teams in the NFL. With QB Winston throwing 30 TDs and 30 INTs in 2019, he won and lost games for the team. However, it appears that Arians will look to keep him and work on improving the defense in 2020. Devin White, their 2019 1st round pick, has developed into a star, and improving the secondary is imperative should they want to take another step forward in 2010 and Delpit is the man to help them do just that.

15. Denver Broncos – Henry Ruggs III, WR

Denver took another step in the right direction in 2019, with first time HC Vic Fangio helping to improve the defense in all areas with his extensive knowledge of the game. However, the most promising aspect of the season was introducing rookie QB Drew Lock into the mix and going 4-1 to finish the season. Sutton has taken the leap and looks like a true WR1, Lindsay became the first-ever undrafted player to have back to back 1000 yard seasons to start their career. All in all, lots of positive signs. If Denver can add Ruggs’ speed to this offense they could be a team to keep an eye on in 2020.

16. Atlanta Falcons – Jeffrey Okudah, CB

Okudah will be a lot higher on many boards, but I don’t believe all that many teams need a CB above the Falcons, who desperately need one. Whether it’s Okudah who falls to Atlanta or Fulton if not, the Falcons should definitely be looking to strengthen this area as it may be one of the few position groups holding them back from making another run at the Superbowl.

17. Dallas Cowboys – Kristian Fulton, CB

The Cowboys roster, on paper, is one of the better ones in the NFL and yet year after year they underperform and in 2019 that meant missing the playoffs. Should they lock up Dak Prescott the offense is strong on all fronts, and the defensive line is pretty strong as well, so Dallas should use this pick to strengthen their secondary. With better coaching, this team should have Superbowl aspirations in 2020.

18. Miami Dolphins (From Pittsburgh) – Laviska Shenault, WR

Miami has a lot of needs in this draft having traded away so many key pieces of their team, however, improving the offense has to be the main part of it. Devante Parker has his breakout season much later than expected but showed he can be the main guy in the right scheme, even putting up the biggest numbers against DPOY candidate Gilmore all year in week 17. However, Miami needs more than one good receiver for this offense to work and should use this pick to grab the final of the top 5 WRs yet to be drafted.

19. Las Vegas Raiders (From Chicago) – CJ Henderson, CB

Having improved their offense with the first pick, Las Vegas will look to help their defense here. They found studs at S and DE last year and will look to help the secondary with this pick. In a division with Mahomes and Hill, a high-end CB is a necessity and Henderson should fit the bill.

20. Jacksonville Jaguars (From LA Rams) – Alex Leatherwood, OT

The Jags have their breakout stars in 2019 on offense in Minshew and Chark, but they need to give them some help by keeping Minshew on his feet long enough to throw to him. This pick should help with that. It may not be a sexy pick but it fills a need for the Jags. They may opt to go for a Tackle with their earlier pick, but if not they should definitely be taking one here.

21. Philadelphia Eagles – Isaiah Simmons, OLB

The Eagles defense was a mess in 2019 and needs a big change, especially in the secondary. Simmons converted from a safety to a linebacker and as such, his coverage skills are excellent. If he can play a bit of a hybrid role for the Eagles he could be a key piece in the rejuvenation of this defense.

22. Tennessee Titans – AJ Epenesa, EDGE

At the halfway mark of this season, many would have predicted the Titans to be looking for their next QB in this draft, however, miraculously they seem to have had their future signal-caller already on the roster. Ryan Tannehill has lifted this team and dragged them into the playoffs behind some great play from Derrick Henry, the 2019 rushing champion. With this pick, therefore, the Titans will address a need on the defensive front, something that has struggled slightly this year, with a player who many have gone much higher than this pick.

23. Buffalo Bills – Justin Jefferson, WR

The Bills have had a fantastic season and have ridden a great defense into the playoffs, however, they haven’t been as good as they possibly could be on offense, partly due to a poor WR corps. John Brown has been excellent and Cole Beasley reliable, but other than that it has been quite lacking. After his fantastic game against Oklahoma, I can see Jefferson’s draft stock rising fast and Buffalo will want to give Allen as many weapons as they can for him to succeed and take the team to the next level.

24. Minnesota Vikings – Yetur Gross-Matur, EDGE

The Vikings offense is in a very good place, so I expect the Vikings to make more defensive moves in this draft and in free agency, Hunter has been excellent at getting to the QB this year and if they can add another explosive talent opposite him they could form a downright dangerous duo.

25. Miami Dolphins (From Houston) – Jedrick Wills, OT

Having added a QB and a WR to this offense already, with their 3rd pick of the 1st round I expect the Dolphins to add some security for Tua in the form of Wills, a big lineman who can protect him better than Fitzpatrick was protected in 2019.

26. Seattle Seahawks – Curtis Weaver, EDGE

The Seahawks have had trouble getting to the QB in 2019, it’s as simple as that. Adding Clowney to the mix has helped make the defensive line more formidable, but they need a defensive playmaker who can add sacks to the defense and Weaver can be that guy.

27. New England Patriots – Jake Fromm, QB

The Patriots have not been at their best this season, despite a 12-4 record. The defense has been incredible, but the offense has been particularly bad, with a lot of the blame falling on Veteran QB Tom Brady. If Brady continues like this in 2020 he may be looking to hang up his cleats and I don’t think Stidham is the answer. Fromm is the type of QB who I would expect to thrive in Belichick’s system and I believe he may be the one to lead the Patriots into a new era.

28. New Orleans Saints – Jalen Reagor, WR

The Saints have been one of the best teams in the NFL this season and yet find themselves playing in the divisional round despite a 13-3 record. The defense has been lights out and stud WR Michael Thomas broke the record for most receptions in a season. However, behind him, the depth chart is a little murky, with nobody really stepping up as the WR2. Getting a shiny new receiver to work with should excite Brees and help him extend his career just a little bit longer.

29. Kansas City Chiefs – D’Andre Swift, RB

The Chiefs offense took a slight downturn in 2019 after a historic 2018 season, partly due to the RB position in which they struggled to have anyone lock down the role and make it their own. This RB class is loaded with talent but Kansas will be thinking that if they wait until the 2nd round there’s a good chance most if not all of their preferred RBs will be taken, so they’re better off grabbing him here and giving Mahomes yet another toy to play with.

30. Green Bay Packers – Devonta Smith, WR

The Packers will be bemoaning the fact that all of the top WRs are already off the board as they look to give Rodgers another target to throw at other than Adams. Allison and MVS both looked like they could step up in 2019 but have been huge disappointments thus far. Smith would be a good addition to this offense and could be the key to getting this offense running smoothly again.

31. San Francisco 49ers – Paulson Adebo, CB

The 49ers don’t have many holes to fill, but the secondary could be bolstered by the addition of Adebo. Sherman has been playing at an elite level again this season and finding a good partner to play opposite his would ensure this defense can continue at a high level again in 2020.

32. Baltimore Ravens – K’Lavon Chaisson, EDGE

The Ravens have been the best team in the NFL this season and are very strong on both sides of the ball. The offense shouldn’t need much help in 2020 other than a few minor gaps, but if they can improve the defense, even more, it will help the team continue with their run-first offense. The Ravens have been blitzing a lot on defense and adding another talented body into the mix can only help.