NFL Draft 2020: Analyzing 1st-Round Mock Projections After Bowl Games

It's the middle of January, and unless you're a fan of the San Francisco 49ers, Green Bay Packers, Kansas City Chiefs or Tennessee Titans, your favorite NFL team has already gone into hibernation.

But fear not, downtrodden fanatics. Your savior could be arriving sooner than later.

That's why we love the draft, right? It's the biggest source of hope, faith and belief in a better tomorrow for the entire football world. That's why we digest highlight reels by the dozen, read all the scouting reports we can find and devour mock drafts as soon as someone posts one.

You're in luck, because the latest first-round mock is listed below, followed by a look at three of its most pivotal points.

NFL Mock Draft 2020

1. Cincinnati Bengals: Joe Burrow, QB, LSU

2. Washington Redskins: Chase Young, Edge, Ohio State

3. Detroit Lions: Jeff Okudah, CB, Ohio State

4. New York Giants: Andrew Thomas, OT, Georgia

5. Miami Dolphins: Tua Tagovailoa, QB, Alabama

6. Los Angeles Chargers: Justin Herbert, QB, Oregon

7. Carolina Panthers: Isaiah Simmons, LB, Clemson

8. Arizona Cardinals: Jerry Jeudy, WR, Alabama

9. Jacksonville Jaguars: Derrick Brown, DT, Auburn

10. Cleveland Browns: Jedrick Wills Jr., OT, Alabama

11. New York Jets: Tristan Wirfs, OT, Iowa

12. Oakland Raiders: CeeDee Lamb, WR, Oklahoma

13. Indianapolis Colts: Tee Higgins, WR, Clemson

14. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Grant Delpit, S, LSU

15. Denver Broncos: Henry Ruggs III, WR, Alabama

16. Atlanta Falcons: A.J. Epenesa, Edge, Iowa

17. Dallas Cowboys: Javon Kinlaw, DT, South Carolina

18. Miami Dolphins (via Pittsburgh Steelers): Yetur Gross-Matos, Edge, Penn State

19. Oakland Raiders (via Chicago Bears): Kenneth Murray, LB, Oklahoma

20. Jacksonville Jaguars (via Los Angeles Rams): CJ Henderson, CB, Florida

21. Philadelphia Eagles: Laviska Shenault Jr., WR, Colorado

22. Buffalo Bills: Justin Jefferson, WR, LSU

23. New England Patriots: Jordan Love, QB, Utah State

24. New Orleans Saints: Kristian Fulton, CB, LSU

25. Minnesota Vikings: Neville Gallimore, DT, Oklahoma

26. Miami Dolphins (via Houston Texans): D'Andre Swift, RB, Georgia

27. Seattle Seahawks: Jeff Gladney, CB, TCU

28. Baltimore Ravens: Terrell Lewis, Edge, Alabama

29. Tennessee Titans: Julian Okwara, Edge, Notre Dame

30. Green Bay Packers: Dylan Moses, LB, Alabama

31. Kansas City Chiefs: Jonathan Taylor, RB, Wisconsin

32. San Francisco 49ers: Brandon Aiyuk, WR, Arizona State

Selection Spots That Will Shape the 1st Round

Pick No. 3 (Detroit Lions)

While there's technically a scenario that involves either the Bengals passing on Joe Burrow or the Redskins letting Chase Young slip past them, it either requires the intervention of a higher power or involves some type of apocalyptic event.

In other words, don't look for drama through the first two picks. Instead, get your popcorn ready as soon as the Lions are on the clock.

Their defense needs a lift, the kind a shutdown corner such as Jeff Okudah or a disruptive interior presence like Derrick Brown can provide. Their offense could go into overdrive with one more weapon, like Jerry Jeudy, the top receiver on the board.

But their roster could use a lot of different things, which opens the possibility of a trade down with a team looking to climb the ladder for Tua Tagovailoa or Justin Herbert. If the Dolphins fall in love with one and fear that prospect won't get to No. 5, they line up perfectly for a deal with Detroit.

"Miami's 39th overall pick—the seventh pick in the second round—would be a reasonable swap," Carlos Monarrez wrote for the Detroit Free Press. "The Lions would drop back only two spots to No. 5 and hold two of the first seven picks of the second round: their own 35th pick and Miami's 39th pick."

Pick No. 5 (Miami Dolphins)

Mock drafters (including yours truly) are convinced the Dolphins will take Tagovailoa with the fifth overall pick. But those closest to the team report it may not be so cut and dry.

"As for Tagovailoa, it was reinforced to us how much the Dolphins like him (no surprise there)," Barry Jackson wrote for the Miami Herald. "But it was also reinforced that Miami must be thoroughly comfortable with his medicals in March and April to draft him. And that answer is unknown until he moves further from November's hip surgery."

B/R's Matt Miller previously reported hearing "no team has done more work on Oregon's Justin Herbert than the Dolphins."

The Dolphins obviously need a franchise quarterback. With three first-round picks, they have the ammunition to find one (assuming they think such a prospect exists in this class).

As mentioned above, they could move up if they're desperate to land Tagovailoa or Herbert. Maybe they give them a roughly equal grade and simply see which one is still on the board at No. 5. Perhaps they favor a different, less costly quarterback such as Jordan Love, and they target him with one of their other first-round picks or even atop the second round.

Or maybe Miami thinks highly enough of Clemson's Trevor Lawrence or Ohio State's Justin Fields to give Ryan Fitzpatrick another year behind the wheel and decides to address the position next year.

While so many crystal balls are connecting the Dolphins to Tagovailoa, it will be fascinating to see what happens if that prediction doesn't come to fruition.

Pick No. 8 (Arizona Cardinals)

Forget what the Cardinals' 5-10-1 record might make you think. Things are happening down in the desert, where quarterback Kyler Murray and coach Kliff Kingsbury are hoping to spawn the sport's next dynasty.

Last summer, Arizona laid the foundation and gave the franchise an identity. Now, it is hoping to bring its vision to light, which is always an intriguing step in the roster-building process.

If three quarterbacks go among the first seven picks, that pushes down the top talents at most other positions. The Cardinals could then have their pick of the litter at any spot they desire.

Maybe they'd opt to help Murray with a true No. 1 receiver or an elite offensive lineman. Maybe they'll focus on a defense that surrendered the fifth-most points per game. They could decide they're too early in their rebuild to consider team needs and instead take the best-player-available route. If one of those quarterbacks slips, perhaps they'd even move down for extra picks.

The Cardinals captured excitement when they brought Murray and Kingsbury together. Now, the hard work of building around them begins, and their first step could reveal plenty about the direction of this team.