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2020 NFL Mock Draft: Latest Predictions for First-Round Prospects After Week 16
December 23, 2019
The Cincinnati Bengals have four months to decide who they will select with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2020 NFL draft.
With their loss to the Miami Dolphins, Zac Taylor's team secured the position that will land it either LSU quarterback Joe Burrow or Ohio State defensive end Chase Young.
The Washington Redskins are now in position to take whichever top prospect the AFC North side does not want.
The rest of the top 20 picks will be set in stone after Week 17. The Jacksonville Jaguars, Miami Dolphins and Oakland Raiders could all have two Top 20 selections through trades made over the last two years.
2020 NFL 1st-Round Mock Draft
1. Cincinnati Bengals: Joe Burrow, QB, LSU
2. Washington Redskins: Chase Young, DE, Ohio State
3. Detroit Lions: Andrew Thomas, OT, Georgia
4. New York Giants: Jerry Jeudy, WR, Alabama
5. Miami Dolphins: Jeff Okudah, CB, Ohio State
6. Jacksonville Jaguars: Isaiah Simmons, LB, Clemson
7. Los Angeles Chargers: Justin Herbert, QB, Oregon
8. Carolina Panthers: Tua Tagovailoa, QB, Alabama
9. Arizona Cardinals: Tristan Wirfs, OT, Iowa
10. New York Jets: CeeDee Lamb, WR, Oklahoma
11. Denver Broncos: Grant Delpit, S, LSU
12. Cleveland Browns: A.J. Epenesa, DE, Iowa
13. Atlanta Falcons: Derrick Brown, DT, Auburn
14. Oakland Raiders; CJ Henderson, CB, Florida
15. Dallas Cowboys: Henry Ruggs III, WR, Alabama
16. Indianapolis Colts: Tee Higgins, WR, Clemson
17. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Alex Leatherwood, OT, Alabama
18. Oakland Raiders (from Chicago): Javon Kinlaw, DT, South Carolina
19. Miami Dolphins (from Pittsburgh): Xavier McKinney, S, Alabama
20. Jacksonville Jaguars (from Los Angeles Rams): Kristian Fulton, CB, LSU
21. Philadelphia Eagles: Laviska Shenault, WR, Colorado
22. Tennessee Titans: Paulson Adebo, CB, Stanford
23. Buffalo Bills: Tyler Biadasz, C, Wisconsin
24. Minnesota Vikings: Trevon Diggs, CB, Alabama
25. Miami Dolphins (from Houston): Curtis Weaver, DE, Boise State
26. Kansas City Chiefs: Yetur Gross-Matos, DE, Penn State
27. Seattle Seahawks: Bryce Hall, CB, Virginia
28. Green Bay Packers: Terrell Lewis, LB, Alabama
29. New England Patriots: D'Andre Swift, RB, Georgia
30. New Orleans Saints: Raekwon Davis, DT, Alabama
31. San Francisco 49ers: Austin Jackson, OT, USC
32. Baltimore Ravens: K'Lavon Chaisson, LB, LSU
Burrow makes sense as the No. 1 pick since Cincinnati struggled with quarterback play all season.
Andy Dalton started the season, was benched for Ryan Finley and returned to the starting role once the rookie failed to impress.
Dalton and Finley combined for 15 touchdown passes and 15 interceptions in an offense that has not had A.J. Green available all season.
By drafting the LSU quarterback, the Bengals can start with a clean slate on offense and have a young signal-caller for Taylor to develop.
If the 1-14 squad goes in another direction at the position, it can improve its defense through Young.
The Bengals rank in the bottom five in total yards conceded and forced the fewest turnovers in the NFL going into Week 16.
With either selection, the Bengals will bring in a player with local connections. Burrow is from Ohio and attended Ohio State before transferring to LSU, while Young spent three seasons with the Buckeyes.
Washington would likely rather have Young drop to it at No. 2 since it drafted Dwayne Haskins in the first round in 2019.
Young's potential addition would combine him with Da'Ron Payne and Jonathan Allen on a young defensive line.
If the Redskins beat the Dallas Cowboys in Week 17, they would drop in the draft order pending other results, which would in turn lose them the Ohio State defensive end.
Even though the Dolphins appeared to lose out on the Young sweepstakes by beating Cincinnati Sunday, they are still in a good position to reinforce their roster.
Adding a defensive back or two would be ideal for Brian Flores' side, as it owns the fourth-worst passing defense in the NFL.
DeVante Parker's breakout season could lean Miami away from Alabama's Jerry Jeudy and toward Ohio State defensive back Jeff Okudah at the top of the first round.
If the Pittsburgh Steelers qualify for the playoffs, Miami's second selection will drop a few spots; if not, it will possess a pair of Top 20 selections.
Jacksonville locked into a second pick in that region with the Los Angeles Rams being eliminated from the playoffs Saturday, while Oakland sealed that fate after Week 15 through the Chicago Bears' shortcomings.
The Jaguars are the more intriguing team of the two since their offseason could go in a variety of directions after Nick Foles struggled to hold on to the starting quarterback position.
The AFC South side could swoop up Oregon's Justin Herbert or Alabama's Tua Tagovailoa, or it may put trust in Gardner Minshew II and improve other aspects of its roster.
Since the Los Angeles Chargers and Carolina Panthers may face questions around the respective futures of Philip Rivers and Cam Newton, the No. 2 and No. 3 quarterbacks may be off the board before the Top 10 is over.
Follow Joe on Twitter, @JTansey90.
Statistics obtained from Pro Football Reference.