2020 NFL Mock Draft: Dolphins land Tua, Saints take Drew Brees' successor, Patriots find a tight end
Our super-early look at the 2020 NFL Draft features plenty of prospects to put on your watchlist for this season
R.J. White
CBS Sports
May 13, 2019 at 8:58 am ET
Think mock drafts this early are an exercise in futility? If you want to know exactly what's going to happen a little less than a year from now, sure. I can tell you this isn't going to be incredibly accurate. Certain players will go back to school rather than declare early, others will come out of nowhere to enter Round 1 discussion, and still others could suffer devastating injuries that push them down to the later rounds.
But super early mock drafts like this are interesting exercises to see which prospects you should be keeping your eyes on when the college season kicks off. And it's not like we're going to be 100 percent wrong with these picks either; last year, I had Clelin Ferrell at No. 4 and Rashan Gary at No. 12, Drew Lock to the Broncos (see how perfect that fit was?), Greg Little on the Panthers, the Steelers getting an inside linebacker, the Falcons going guard with their first pick and other close calls. So while you shouldn't mark these picks down in pen on your 2020 draft boards, I think there's plenty here worth considering 50-some weeks before the 2020 NFL Draft.
A note about the draft order before you send your angry tweets and emails: It's based off the current SportsLine projections coming out of the 2019 draft. We started with projected win totals, made sure both conferences put six teams into the playoffs, then advanced the better team through each round. If you think we have your team picking too high, just take comfort in knowing this is the best projection we have this early in the process, and the final results are sure to differ.
NFL MOCK DRAFT
ROUND 1
Round 1 - Pick 1
Tua Tagovailoa QB
ALABAMA - SOPH - 6'1 / 218 LBS
PROJECTED TEAM
Miami Dolphins
If the Dolphins have the No. 1 pick in 2020, the trade for Josh Rosen shouldn't preclude them from grabbing a franchise quarterback. Tua is the odds-on favorite to be the top quarterback selected, so he's the logical pick to be the Dolphins' savior.
Round 1 - Pick 2
Andrew Thomas T
GEORGIA - SOPH - 6'5 / 320 LBS
PROJECTED TEAM
Arizona Cardinals
Thomas enters 2019 as the favorite to be the first offensive lineman off the board, and for all the great players the Cardinals might have found in the 2019 draft, they didn't do much to address the weakness of the offensive line.
Round 1 - Pick 3
Chase Young DE
OHIO STATE - SOPH - 6'5 / 265 LBS
PROJECTED TEAM
Oakland Raiders
The Raiders picked up one starting edge rusher at the top of the 2019 draft, and they go back to the well here with Ohio State's next elite player at the position. With Young and Clelin Ferrell starting and Arden Key providing depth, the Raiders should feel great about their future.
Round 1 - Pick 4
Jerry Jeudy WR
ALABAMA - SOPH - 6'1 / 192 LBS
PROJECTED TEAM
Buffalo Bills
It's going to be a great receiver class next year, and if the Bills end up with a top-five pick, they'll be able to get the No. 1 passing-game option they currently lack. Jeudy should be a top-five player overall on every list heading into the year.
Round 1 - Pick 5
Justin Herbert QB
OREGON - JR - 6'6 / 233 LBS
PROJECTED TEAM
Cincinnati Bengals
The selection of Ryan Finley this year shouldn't stop the Bengals from going after one of the top QBs in 2020 if they wind up with a high pick. Herbert was in the mix to be the top QB drafted in 2019 before heading back to school.
Round 1 - Pick 6
Laviska Shenault Jr. WR
COLORADO - SOPH - 6'2 / 220 LBS
PROJECTED TEAM
Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jaguars added a QB this offseason, but they still lack weapons for Nick Foles to live up to the big contract he landed from the team. Shenault had a big sophomore year, and another should solidify him as the top option behind Jerry Jeudy.
Round 1 - Pick 7
Jake Fromm QB
GEORGIA - SOPH - 6'2 / 220 LBS
PROJECTED TEAM
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
If the Bucs end up with another high pick, I can see the front office moving on from Jameis Winston (provided an extension isn't signed before the 2019 season) and going with one of the top options in the 2020 draft. Fromm could force himself in the conversation for No. 1 overall.
For the complete first round...
https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/draft/news/2020-nfl-mock-draft-dolphins-land-tua-saints-take-drew-brees-successor-patriots-find-a-tight-end/
