NFL Draft: McKechnie Mock 2.0

This article is part of our NFL Draft series.

The first round is just hours away, so here's my last crack at projecting how it will play out Thursday night. There are some similarities between this one and my Mock 1.0 from earlier in the week, but the Top 10 looks drastically different in this version. I also recommend reading Mario's latest mock and listening to the latest RotoWire NFL Podcast to finish your draft prep. Without further adieu, here's my last mock for 2020.

Round 1, Pick 1: Cincinnati Bengals

The Pick: Joe Burrow, Quarterback, LSU

I just can't see this one going any other way. Burrow is the obvious call.

Round 1, Pick 2: Washington Redskins

The Pick: Chase Young, EDGE, Ohio State

Washington addressed its quarterback situation in 2019 with Dwayne Haskins and even if he's ultimately not the guy, it's too early to call it quits on him. With that, Washington will just have to settle for getting the best player in the draft. 

Round 1, Pick 3: Miami Dolphins via trade

The Pick: Tristan Wirfs, Tackle, Iowa

Lions receive: Nos. 18, 26 and 70 in 2020

Dolphins receive: No. 3 and No. 109 (4th Rd.) in 2020

Maybe I'm a sucker for falling for a report that came out a day before the draft. But the more I thought about it, the more this felt plausible. Miami has a surplus of first-round draft capital and Detroit can get quite the haul in this scenario. The Lions could theoretically package its new pair of first-round picks to move back up if it so chooses. And the Dolphins end up jumping the Giants to get their first choice at tackle. 

Round 1, Pick 4: New York Giants

The Pick: Andrew Thomas, Tackle, Georgia

I'm standing firm on the Giants going tackle with their first pick and Thomas could be their top-ranked player at the position for all we know, so maybe the Dolphins' jump to No.3 won't sting too bad after all. 

Round 1, Pick 5: Miami Dolphins

The Pick: Tua Tagovailoa, Quarterback, Alabama

The injury risk is significant with Tagovailoa, but so is the difference in talent between him and Justin Herbert. I don't see Tagovailoa failing if he stays healthy, while Herbert could never miss a game due to injury and still peter out before the end of his rookie deal. 

Round 1, Pick 6: Los Angeles Chargers

The Pick: Justin Herbert, Quarterback, Oregon

The Chargers have to at least try to find their franchise quarterback in this class, and Herbert would be the pick in this scenario unless they begin to actively shop the pick after Tagovailoa comes off the board. 

Round 1, Pick 7: Atlanta Falcons (via trade)

Panthers receive: No. 16, No. 47 in 2020

Falcons receive: No. 7 in 2020

The Pick: Jeff Okudah, Cornerback, Ohio State

The Falcons are going to be looking to trade up Thursday night, and Okudah falling outside the top five would make for the perfect time to swoop in, even if it means trading with a divisional rival. 

Round 1, Pick 8: Arizona Cardinals

The Pick: Jedrick Wills, Tackle, Alabama

Arizona likely wasn't expecting to have the top two tackles off the board by the time it was on the clock Thursday, but that's how it unfolded here. Wills is still a good consolation and will be an immediate starter on the right side of the line. 

Round 1, Pick 9:  Jacksonville Jaguars

The Pick: CJ Henderson, Cornerback, Florida

The Jaguars have a lot of holes to fill, and nabbing a corner like Henderson would be a good first step toward fixing the secondary. 

Round 1, Pick 10: Denver Broncos via trade

Browns receive: Nos. 15 and 46 in 2020

Broncos receive: No. 10 in 2020

The Pick: Henry Ruggs, Wide Receiver, Alabama

Denver is another serious candidate to trade up, and Cleveland might be more willing to listen in this scenario if the top three tackles are off the board. I feel confident that Denver will go receiver, so why not add a speedy downfield threat to compliment Courtland Sutton?

Round 1, Pick 11: New York Jets

The Pick: CeeDee Lamb, Wide Receiver, Oklahoma

The Jets are a good bet to go receiver at 11 and it's possible that the Jerry Jeudy knee story from Wednesday was enough to bump Lamb to the top of their wish list. 

Round 1, Pick 12: Las Vegas Raiders

The Pick: Jerry Jeudy, Wide Receiver, Alabama

The Raiders figure to be in the market for a receiver with their first pick, and even though they won't have their pick of the litter with Ruggs and Lamb gone in this scenario, Jeudy is a fine consolation. 

Round 1, Pick 13: San Francisco 49ers

The Pick: Derrick Brown, Defensive Lineman, Auburn

The 49ers are rumored to be shopping both their first round picks but if Brown is still on the board at 13 he'll be hard to pass up as a potential replacement for DeForest Buckner. 

Round 1, Pick 14: Tampa Bay Buccaneers

The Pick: Mekhi Becton, Offensive Tackle, Louisville

Tackle and running back are Tampa's biggest weaknesses, and 14 is too early for a running back this year. If Becton is still there, this is an easy call. Of course, that's assuming the Buccaneers don't make a deal for Washington's Trent Williams.

Round 1, Pick 15: Cleveland Browns

The Pick: Isaiah Simmons, Linebacker, Clemson

The Browns are weak at linebacker and would be getting a Top 10 talent in Simmons, who could slip due to a lack of clearly defined role at the next level. 

Round 1, Pick 16: Carolina Panthers

The Pick: K'Lavon Chaisson, EDGE, LSU

The Panthers could have a dynamic pair of young edge rushers if Chaisson pops and Brian Burns continues to develop. 

Round 1, Pick 17: Dallas Cowboys

The Pick: Kristian Fulton, Cornerback, LSU

Losing Byron Jones was a major blow to the Dallas secondary, and even though Fulton is a far cry from an Okudah or Henderson, he's still a solid option at 17 that can contribute right away. 

Round 1, Pick 18: Detroit Lions

The Pick: Javon Kinlaw, Defensive Lineman, South Carolina

The Damon Harrison experiment didn't work and now the Lions have a need for interior line help. Kinlaw has some injury history concerns but he can be a disruptive force in the middle of Matt Patricia's defense. 

Round 1, Pick 19: Las Vegas Raiders

The Pick: Jaylon Johnson, Cornerback, Utah

Mario sold me on the virtues of Jaylon Johnson on this week's pod, so I'll swap him in over Jeff Gladney for this pick as I still believe the Raiders go corner at 19.

Round 1, Pick 20: Minnesota Vikings via trade

Jaguars receive: Nos. 22, 89 in 2020

Vikings receive: No. 20 in 2020

The Pick: Brandon Aiyuk, Wide Receiver, Arizona State

The Eagles are also in the market for a receiver, and the Vikings have the capital to jump ahead of them and get the receiver at the top of their board. Aiyuk would have big shoes to fill in replacing Stefon Diggs, but he has solid physical tools and can run the full route tree and I'm sold on him as a first-round talent.

Round 1, Pick 21: Philadelphia Eagles

The Pick: Justin Jefferson, Wide Receiver, LSU

I'm sticking with Jefferson to the Eagles as my prediction here. He's a perfect fit that can immediately improve a shaky and thin receiving corps. 

Round 1, Pick 22: Jacksonville Jaguars

The Pick: Xavier McKinney, Safety, Alabama

It's a weak class at safety but even with that taken into account, McKinney would be a fine value at 22. His football I.Q. can help him overcome average athleticism for his position. 

Round 1, Pick 23: New England Patriots

The Pick: Kenneth Murray, Linebacker, Oklahoma

The Patriots are always tough to predict in a mock, and this year it feels even more wide open than usual. Linebacker is a need, and though Murray is raw, he has more than enough tools to appeal to Bill Belichick. 

Round 1, Pick 24: New Orleans Saints

The Pick: Patrick Queen, Linebacker, LSU

Queen is the more polished player between he and Kenneth Murray and he'd be an instant upgrade over Alex Anzalone. 

Round 1, Pick 25: Minnesota Vikings

The Pick: A.J. Terrell, Cornerback, Clemson

Terrell has a prototypical frame to work as an outside corner, which is exactly what the Vikings need after losing several key pieces in the secondary during the offseason.

Round 1, Pick 26: Detroit Lions

The Pick: Jeff Gladney, Cornerback, TCU

He's no Darius Slay, nor is he Jeff Okudah. But Gladney is a fierce competitor with advanced coverage skills that can be an asset in the Detroit secondary. 

Round 1, Pick 27: Seattle Seahawks

The Pick: Yetur Gross-Matos, EDGE, Penn State

Gross-Matos is a bit one-dimensional and Seattle invested a first-rounder on the edge last year with the L.J. Collier pick, but Gross-Matos' one dimension is special. He's a long athlete that can dominate off the edge and is arguably the second-best edge defender in the class behind Chase Young.

Round 1, Pick 28: Baltimore Ravens

The Pick: Cesar Ruiz, Interior Offensive Line, Michigan

If both Murray and Queen are off the board at 28, the Ravens will likely address the interior of its offensive line as they look to replace Marshal Yanda. Ruiz is a standout athlete for his position and won't be 21 until June. 

Round 1, Pick 29: Tennessee Titans

The Pick: Neville Gallimore, Defensive Tackle, Oklahoma

Gallimore likely needs to add some mass to play on the interior in Tennesssee's scheme but he's an explosive athlete that can take on double teams and also generate an interior pass rush. 

Round 1, Pick 30: Green Bay Packers

The Pick: Jalen Reagor, Wide Receiver, TCU

The Packers will be positioned to take whoever they have at the top of their receiver board and still come away happy with the selection. Reagor would add an explosive element that has been sorely lacking in the Green Bay passing attack of late.

Round 1, Pick 31: Indianapolis Colts via trade

San Francisco receives: Nos. 44 and 75 in 2020

Indianapolis receives: No. 31 in 2020

The Pick: Jordan Love,  Quarterback, Utah State

San Francisco is all the more likely to shop 31 if it doesn't move off of 13, and Indianapolis has the ammo to be a viable trade partner. Indianapolis can get a developmental piece in Love who can learn behind Philip Rivers for at least one year before taking the reins. 

Round 1, Pick 32: Kansas City Chiefs

The Pick: D'Andre Swift, Running Back, Georgia

The rich get richer as Kansas City adds another explosive element to its offense. Kansas City would be justified going with Jonathan Taylor or even J.K. Dobbins here, but the sense I'm getting is that Swift is the first running back off the board Thursday.