TOP 10 OVERALL 2020 NFL DRAFT PROSPECTS

[4/4]

Covid-19 can put a halt to the entire human civilization besides two things … the NFL Draft and my Lions ‘Draft Kit’. It’s draft week!



A lot has changed for the Detroit Lions since part [3/4] … Tua Tagovailoa’s positive medicals has since turned into questionable, new free agent signings and re-signees like offensive lineman Kenny Wiggins.

Player’s are ranked based on overall talent and positional value, pretty much what general manager’s best player available big board would look like if they took their specific team’s needs out of the equation.

However, there is a ‘Lions Take’ in every player’s bio for a local angle on each Top-10 Overall prospect.

Page (1): Top-10 Overall



Page (2): Top-10 Positional



Page (3): Two-Round Lions Mock Draft

Here’s a little breakdown of what you’re seeing in every player’s bio in the Page (1) Top-10 Overall Rankings;

Player Name, Position, School and Player Rating: Player rating is an overall talent rating on a 1-100 scale, a player might have more talent but less positional value, therefore lower on a big board. Tua (88) at 3rd and Okudah (94) at 4th for example. QB positional value trumps talent ratings in that specific case.

Player rating is an overall talent rating on a 1-100 scale, a player might have more talent but less positional value, therefore lower on a big board. Tua (88) at 3rd and Okudah (94) at 4th for example. QB positional value trumps talent ratings in that specific case. Height, Weight: Pretty self-explanatory

Pretty self-explanatory Movement: How far the player has moved in the ranking since the previous ‘Draft Kit’

How far the player has moved in the ranking since the previous ‘Draft Kit’ General Overview: My personal overall take on the player

My personal overall take on the player Pros, Cons: We all got ’em right

We all got ’em right Lions Take : My take on anything important Lions related pertaining to the player

: My take on anything important Lions related pertaining to the player Tape Watched: Game film watched specifically for the rated player

1) Chase Young, EDGE, Ohio State – (97)



(Movement – None)

6’5

264LB

33-3/4 Arms

10″ Hands

Chase Young didn’t participate in the NFL combine and hasn’t been caught ripping a gas mask bong since … so no way he’s getting knocked out of the #1 spot. Not even sure a poor combine would do that or bong would knock him out anyway…

Young dominated every level of competition; during his senior high school season, he led his team to a state championship with 118 tackles and 19 sacks. In his final junior season at Ohio State Young led the NCAA in sacks (16.5) and forced fumbles (7)…even though he was suspended. for two games. Young is not as polished as the Bosas coming out of Ohio State but he’s a better athlete than both with a higher upside.

Pros: Power. Speed. Strength. Effort. Everything you need in football. High motor and he’s constantly trying to gain the advantage with his hands. An elite first step and sets a strong edge but also read the runs great and is strong enough to stack and shed blockers… it’s just the total package.

Cons: Pad level issues will cause him much more problems in the NFL. Stand-up ability isn’t negative, it’s just not as strong as everything else he brings to the table.

Lions Take: The grand prize for most Lions fans … the smart ones anyway. A Chase Young + Trey Flowers combo off the edges could be one of the best in football. If we’re being nitpicky though … Young is best suited to be a 4-3 DE. With Matt Patricia the Lions run a lot of three down lineman, and ask one of their edge rushers (OLB) to do a lot of two-point stance and dropping in coverage and like a 3-4. But if Young falls to the Lions this is a talent you scheme around, not ask him to do what he’s least comfortable doing.

Tape Watched:

2018: TCU, Penn State, Michigan State, Michigan, Northwestern, Washington

2019: Cincinnati, Indiana, Nebraska, Michigan State, Wisconsin (2), Maryland, Penn State, Michigan, Clemson

2) Joe Burrow, QB, LSU – (90)

(Movement – None)

6’3

221LB

30-7/8″ Arms

9″ Hands

Joe Burrow also chose not to participate in the combine drills. So instead of getting to talk about how accurate he is, we got to talk about how small his 9″ hands are.

Burrow is coming off the greatest season for a quarterback in SEC history, but the improvement from 2018 to 2019 was a bit shocking watching the film back to back … try it with the two Auburn games. NFL coaches are drooling at the opportunity to build upon that, but there’s a bit of a ‘he’s only done it for one-year’ factor with Joe Burrow. I don’t see him as some generational prospect like most … just the best in this class.

Pros: Poised. The ability to read coverages is what has set him apart the most in his senior season. Big 6’4 not afraid to stand in the pocket and take the big hit. Prototypical NFL quarterback.

Cons: As a redshirt senior Burrow will turn 24 in his rookie season. Doesn’t have elite arm strength, there’s not a lot of zip on his throws, especially deep. A bit overrated as an athlete/scrambler, it’s nothing special and isn’t likely to get much better.

Lions Take: While they already have their franchise quarterback, if Burrow somehow falls to three they can’t pass up an asset this valuable … figure out the rest later.

Tape Watched:

100% of NCAA snaps

3) Isaiah Simmons, S/LB/CB, Clemson – (95)

(Movement – ⇑2)



6’4,



238 LBS

4.39: 40-Yard



132″ Broad

39″ Vertical



I raised Simmons ‘Player-Rating’ by two-points since the last ‘Draft-Kit, putting him just over Brown & Okudah in both Rating and Ranking. Some will argue Brown & Okudah has more positional value at DT & CB but for 1) it’s not much more than a S/LB … and 2) I think Simmons will rush the QB and play CB in the NFL. What is positional value with Simmons anyway?

The talk of the NFL combine with a 4.39 40-yard dash at 6’4″ 230. Isaiah Simmons is an absolute man freak that looks like Stretch Armstrong out there at times with his eye-popping lengthy limbs. This is the ideal three-down linebacker in today’s NFL, long athletic, versatile and fast.

My personal favorite player in the draft because you might not see anything like him for years to come. Simmons could start at any defensive position on the field besides maybe IDL … maybe. Though he played the majority of his time at OLB at Clemson, I see him translating to a versatile safety at the next level who can drop in the box or even cover the outside.

Pros: Generational prospect with the versatility to be elite in about four different positions. Man to man coverage is elite for an LB or DB. He would be able to rush off the edge but might have a hard time setting the edge due to his lack of strength. Improved each year. Elite closing speed.

Cons: Will need to bulk up if he wants to set the edge in the NFL consistently, but with his length, it wouldn’t take much. Needs to have a better awareness of when routes are entering and leaving his zone in coverage.

Lions Take: While Simmons is the ideal linebacker in today’s NFL, the Lions don’t necessarily share that same philosophy. The Lions like their linebackers on the larger side at least 140, though Bob Quinn himself on has on record saying;

“There’s some players that are good enough to play in any scheme, but some of the smaller, lighter guys that kind of play sideline to sideline really don’t work in this defense.”

Simmons is the epitome of good enough to play in any scheme. He would solve all the slot WR and TE issues the Lions have had in the past and would instantly become Matt Patrica’s favorite chess piece to maneuver from week to week in the gameplan.

Tape watched:

2018: Texas A&M, Florida State, Boston College, Notre Dame, Alabama

2019: Texas A&M, Florida State, Wake Forest, South Carolina, Virginia, Ohio State, LSU

4) Derrick Brown, IDL, Auburn – (92)

(Movement – ⇑2)

6’5

326LB

8.22: 3-Cone

108″ Broad



27″ Vertical

I had Derrick Brown as high as #3 in previous rankings but his knockdown has more to do with Simmons and Tua’s value. Brown didn’t perform well at the combine, but that shouldn’t be a huge red-flag as he dominated the SEC for two straight seasons.Brown later posted a three-cone drill video after NFL personnel told him not to bother re-doing the drills at his pro-day. Somewhere in the 7.00’s.

Just for fun. All Y’all critics get your stop watches out!!!😂😂 pic.twitter.com/MhOV6ANGUW — Derrick Brown (@DerrickBrownAU5) March 1, 2020

Brown is the most powerful DL in this draft, yes – that includes Chase Young. At 6’5, 318, Brown has been a monster ever since he stepped on campus at Auburn playing in all 13 games in his freshman season and has been starting since his sophomore season. According to PFF, Brown didn’t miss a single tackle all season in 42 attempts. Brown would have arguably been the top IDL in last season’s draft. Wanting to pursue his degree, Brown returned for his senior season where he finished with 55 tackles, 12.5 tackles for loss and four sacks and winning the Ronnie Lott Impact Trophy.

Pros: Power would be the word of the profile for Brown and his biggest pro. Excellent explosiveness and hands to compliment the power quite nicely into a complete homewrecker in the interior. No limitations on technique as he can penetrate or hold two-gaps… it’s impressive.

Cons: Doesn’t have a great extension. That’s about it.

Lions Take: Interior pass-rush was the biggest reason for the awful defensive performance last season and is still one the Lions biggest needs even with the free-agent signings. Brown would come in and start from day one. He fits what the Lions are trying to do perfectly with no scheme restrictions. One-gap, two-gap, 0-T, 3-T, rush, run… he can do it all. There’s a lot of talk on Lions Twitter of Brown just being a NT and it’s just not true.

Tape Watched:

2017: Clemson, Georgia (2), UCF

2018: Washington, LSU, Texas A&M, Georgia, Alabama, Purdue

2019: Oregon, Texas A&M, Florida, LSU, Georgia, Alabama, Minnesota

5) Jeffrey Okudah, CB, Ohio State – (90)

(Movement – ⇓1)

6’1

205LB

4.48: 40-Yard



135″ Broad

41″ Vertical



Jeffrey Okudah is arguably the best CB prospect to come out since Patrick Peterson in 2011. He is everything you want from a cornerback prospect and they don’t come out every year… like last year for example. Much like his teammate Chase Young, Okudah dominated at every level, he was a five-star recruit and the number one corner coming out of high school, per 247sports. Only the replicate that success at Ohio State and in the biggest against the best competition.

Pros: According to Pro Football Focus, in 184 snaps in press coverage last season, Okudah didn’t allow a single reception over 12 yards and had a higher coverage grade than Jalen Ramsey in 2015. So, all-worldly in press man-to-man coverage and comes with his own island immediately. Fast, quick and fluid.

Cons: Not as comfortable in zone coverage as he is in man. Tends to keep his eyes in the backfield too long instead of trusting his technique. Needs to be more consistent in run support, tend to let ball-carrier come to him at times.

Lions Take: This is the man mocked to the Lions in almost every mock and good reason. Beyond being an elite prospect worthy of a top-three pick, Okudah is a press-man coverage specialist and the Lions ran more man than everyone not named the Patriots last season.

With the Lions moving on from Slay there’s a chance Okudah is an improvement at CB1, if not – you could still possibly have the best duo of outside cornerbacks in the NFL next season with him and Desmond Trufant. Beyond the hopes of Amani Oruwariye turning into a starting-caliber CB in the NFL … the Lions don’t have anyone else but liabilities back there as of now. As elite of prospect Okudah is, I’m never comfortable taking a cornerback as high as three, but if you ever were too … Okudah might be the one to do it with.

Tape Watched:

2018: TCU, Penn State, Michigan State, Michigan, Northwestern, Washington

2019: Michigan State, Wisconsin (2), Penn State, Michigan, Clemson

6) Tua Tagovailoa, QB, Alabama – (88)

(Movement – ⇓3)

6’0

217LB

30-1/2″ Arms

10″ Hands

The latest reports on Tua have not been great Michael Lombardi said on his podcast that two teams ‘flunked’ Tua in their pre-draft physicals. It’s hard to believe anything reported so close to the draft, but especially in times with such limited media access … I really don’t have anything else to go on.

For me, Tua Tagovailoa’s value comes as a trade asset within the league as I don’t see him as a long-term starter due to being injury-prone. If he’s losing value with the current injury reports … that’s a bigger red flag than he already had coming into the process. It may sound Madden-esque to you, but I’m not letting Tua and his value slip past sixth overall, third overall if I thought he was healthy now.

To be clear, when healthy, I think Tua is better than Joe Burrow. Though a little shorter than Burrow at 6’0 he has the pocket awareness, quickness, speed and deep ball accuracy that makes the top offenses in the NFL hard to stop and really opens you up to a lot more possibilities.

But getting healthy and being ‘cleared medically’ doesn’t mean he’s no longer injury-prone, it just means he’s healed from his last injury. Blake Griffin gets cleared medically before every season.

Pros: Accuracy. Pocket Awareness.

Cons: A brittle man. Not the greatest arm strength.

Lions Take: The Lions are in no way a quarterback-needy team but if Chase Young is off the board and they can’t find a trade partner … Tua is almost to valued by the NFL to pass up. And that third overall pick is too valuable to use on a CB or LB. Let’s hope someone pays the ransom.

Tape Watched:

100% of NCAA snaps

7) CeeDee Lamb, WR, Oklahoma – (88)

(Movement – None)

6’2, 189LB

198LB

4.5 40-Yard



124″ Broad

34.5 Vertical

As expected CeeDee Lamb didn’t wow the combine with is 40-time, but he does all the technical stuff so well he’s still my #1 wide receiver. With 3,292 receiving yards Lamb leaves Oklahoma third all-time in receiving yards. He’s really just a beautiful watch, mastered the art of route running and dances around defensive backs and make the acrobatic catches that will make Sportscenter’s Top-10 next season. I think there are a lot of comps to Lamb and Jerry Jeudy.

Pros: Hands, body control, tracking, ball skills – he just makes the catch… even when it looks like he shouldn’t. A perfect fit for a god-awful quarterback like Mitch Trubisky.

Cons: Not great straight-line speed. Small frame.

Lions Take: Outside of Kenny Golladay the wide receiver position is very much in flux and could use an injection soon. WR in the first is a little too much too soon though.

Tape Watched:

2019: Oklahoma State, Baylor, LSU

8) Tristan Wirfs – (86)

(Movement – None)

6’5

320LB

4.85 40-Yard

121″ Broad

36.5 Vertical

Tristan Wirfs, on the other hand, did wow the combine with most of his drills leading all OT’s in 40-time, broad and vertical. Wirfs make the biggest jump from eleven to eight in last month’s ‘Draft-Kit’, that may be due to him playing his worst game versus Michigan but with the lack of elite talent at the OT position in this draft, Wirfs measurables give him the highest upside. The tape was never far behind anyway as he was already my #2 OT before the combine.

Pros: Before the combine I would have said his power was his biggest pro, you could argue agility is now as well

Cons: Vertical sets: especially against lengthy edge rushers, will play high

Lions Take: The Lions just signed presumed starter ‘Big V’ to play right tackle, but Vaitai might be better inside anyway. Detroit still needs OT help, I’m just not sure Bob Quinn wants it this high, this year.

Tape Watched:

2019: Michigan, Penn State, Wisconsin



9) Jedrick Wills, OT, Alabama – (85)

(Movement – None)

6’4

312LB

5.05: 40-Yard



113″ Broad

34.5 Vertical



Jedrick Wills had the added pressure of protecting Mr. Plastic himself, Tua Tangovialoa’s blind side… maybe that’s why he played right instead of left tackle all the way through his junior season? 2020 doesn’t look to be a great draft class for elite offensive lineman but Wills stands out with Wirfs to me as the cream of the crop so far.

Pros: Fun to watch his bulldozer style in run-blocking. One of the most athletic tackes you’ll see. Incredible footwork and never gets off balance. Enough power to win most NFL matchups.

Cons: Played RT at Alabama. Average lateral mobility.

Lions Take: The same exact angle used for Wirfs can be used for Wills. It’s now a need, but I’m not sure spends a first on tackle this year.

Tape Watched:

2019: LSU, Alabama, Michigan

10) Javon Kinlaw, IDL, South Carolina – (86)

(Movement – None)

6’5

324LB

34-7/8″ Arms

10-4/2″ Hands

Another draft dodger and another monster in the mid-way atop the draft, only 2LB lighter than Derrick Brown, Javon Kinlaw is a wrecking machine up the middle with a wicked first step. Just like mine, expect Kinlaw to shoot up draft boards throughout the draft process. Can play in any technique or front after getting in much better shape prior to his senior season.

Pros: Very quick off the ball, Hand power and great at countering the point of attack

Cons: Lack of moves, processing

Lions Take: Again, interior pass-rush was a major problem last season. The Lions could have Kinlaw as high as top-5 if they like him and are taking current needs into consideration. Even with the signing of Shelton and Williams … Kinlaw would be a 2020 starter.

Tape Watched:

2019: Georgia, Florida, Texas A&M, Clemson

Continue to next page for Top-10 positional and Two-Round Lions Mock Draft…