CLEVELAND — Correctly predicting the entire first round of the NFL Draft feels like asking a person to fill out the perfect bracket for March Madness and its field of 68 schools. Not happening. Damn near impossible.
Remember when Duke math professor Jonathan Mattingly projected that filling out a perfect bracket had odds of one in 2.4 trillion?
That’s how I feel about NFL mock drafts. The NFL Draft is so unpredictable. There are so many variables. Trades. Late scouting information that the public has zero access to. Stupid teams doing dumb things. Yet, similar to the NCAA Tournament bracket, everyone is filling them out and everyone is doing them.
I have yet to see a perfect NFL mock draft. And yes, I’m only talking about the first round, which will be held April 23 remotely for the NFL this year because of the ongoing COVID-19 crisis.
If you’re filling out, or worse yet, reading, a full seven round mock draft… please seek help immediately.
So I’ll be blunt. I’ve been asked by WKYC to put together a 2020 NFL mock draft. No, I’m not predicting the entire first round because I know it will be so inaccurately awful. My attempt at this will be to nail the top ten overall picks of next Thursday’s NFL Draft.
Somehow, I have convinced myself this is possible. The Cleveland Browns pick No. 10 overall, so perhaps after that you don’t even care what happens the rest of that evening. Plus, with my unhealthy habit of watching too much college and pro football in the fall, I’m actually viewing this as a challenge.
If nothing else, this can serve as a guide for us on draft night where we can have some fun and see where I was spot-on with my predictions and also dead-wrong (more likely). Be sure to follow me on Twitter @NickCaminoWKYC April 23 as I will be giving a full play-by-play of yes…..another mock draft.
Here we go…
1. Cincinnati Bengals – Joe Burrow, LSU QB. Honestly, the only question I have is where will Andy Dalton be playing next season? Burrow is a winner. Admittedly, I think “experts” need to pump the brakes on the Tom Brady comparisons. However, Burrow has the makings of a true franchise quarterback that can change the complexion of a Bengals organization that has not won an NFL playoff game since 1990.
2. Washington Redskins – Chase Young, Ohio State DE. Young is probably the best overall player in this draft. He was the best player I watched in college football last season. However, the Bengals desperately need a franchise quarterback, so they can’t get caught up taking a defensive end with the top overall pick. The Redskins make sure he doesn’t slip any further and take him No. 2 overall.
3. Detroit Lions – Jeff Okudah, Ohio State CB. And this pick is why mock drafts are impossible to predict. This is also where my streak of perfection will likely come to a halt Thursday evening. Anywhere you read, every draft analyst and expert have the Lions trading out of this pick. They probably should. However, if I traded Darius Slay and had an opportunity to select a lockdown corner like Okudah, I know what I would do. I say the Lions somehow take Okudah.
4. New York Giants – Tristan Wirfs, Iowa OL. I’m not sure if Daniel Jones is the future franchise quarterback of the G-Men. However, I watched enough of this awful team a season ago to understand they better find an offensive lineman to help protect him in the pocket and create running lanes for Saquon Barkley. I probably have a Big Ten bias, but Wirfs to me is the best O-lineman in this draft.
5. Miami Dolphins – Justin Herbert, Oregon QB. If the Dolphins and Los Angeles Chargers are as desperate for a franchise quarterback as most people believe, they’ll take quarterbacks at No. 5 and No. 6 in this draft. With this pick, I think Miami goes with the Ducks former signal caller. Herbert is solid, makes zero headlines off the field and does not have the injury history of Tua Tagovailoa.
6. Los Angeles Chargers -- Tua Tagovailoa, Alabama QB. If the Dolphins take Tua, then I believe the Chargers will take Herbert here at No. 6. Regardless, this pick must be a quarterback for the Chargers. Phillip Rivers is now with the Colts in Indianapolis and it’s time for this franchise to identify their next leader and quarterback.
7. Carolina Panthers – Isaiah Simmons, Clemson LB. Keep in mind, Luke Kuechly retired in January so Simmons is a force on the defensive side of the football that the Panthers could really use. Simmons is a top-flight ball hawk that can be an immediate playmaker defensively. As much as new head coach Matt Rhule probably wants go offense here, he has six more rounds where he can add to that side of the football.
8. Arizona Cardinals – Jedrick Wills, Alabama OL. This pick will be an offensive lineman for Kliff Kingsbury and the Cardinals, the only question is, who? I’ll go with Wills, who according to some draft analysts is the best offensive lineman this year. All I know is Kyler Murray was sacked way too much last season and if Arizona is serious about keeping their franchise quarterback healthy, they certainly need to beef up that O-line.
9. Jacksonville Jaguars – C.J. Henderson, Florida CB. I’m probably stretching with this pick, but by now I’m sure this mock draft has been blown up with failed predictions. It just seems like Gardner Minshew has enough weapons surrounding him for now and the Jaguars can always add to their offense later in the draft. Henderson is a true lockdown corner that would be the top defensive back in this draft if it weren’t for Ohio State’s Jeff Okudah.
10. Cleveland Browns – Mekhi Becton, Louisville OL. This pick should be a layup for new Browns GM Andrew Berry. Not necessarily Becton, but certainly an offensive lineman. I’ll go with the 6-7, 369 lbs. Becton here for Cleveland as the Browns finally address the protection Baker Mayfield lacked a year ago. It seems as if everyone is still trying to figure out how or why the Browns were so disappointing last season. Look no further than the offensive line. Not much talent and not much depth to begin with. Which makes Nick Chubb’s season even more impressive. Adding Jack Conklin in free agency and hopefully Becton here, should fix any remaining issues on that Cleveland O-line.
Hey! We did it. Now let’s sit back and see how wrong I am, like any good mock draft or NCAA Tournament bracket.
Enjoy the draft.