NFL Draft 2020: Breaking Down Experts' Latest Mock Drafts

The Detroit Lions look like early winners of the NFL's 2020 predraft process.

With Tua Tagovailoa now expected to throw in front of prospective employers by April, the stars are aligning for a potentially epic bidding war at the No. 3 pick.

Since the first two spots seem all but cemented—Joe Burrow to the Cincinnati Bengals and Chase Young to the Washington Redskins—the third is effectively where the draft starts. The Lions aren't in the quarterback market, so even though they have several needs elsewhere, it could be in their best interest to trade down with a franchise searching for its next signal-caller.

The Miami Dolphins, Los Angeles Chargers and Carolina Panthers all have top-10 picks and questions at quarterback. The Indianapolis Colts, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Oakland Raiders and New England Patriots might all address that position in this draft, too.

The third pick isn't the only place with uncertainty, though. Below, we'll examine three other spots generating different opinions among expert mock drafters.

Options Abound at No. 4

With Daniel Jones already in place, the New York Giants aren't thinking quarterback, which could make them a logical trade partner. But if they stand pat, they could go any number of different directions.

Both Pro Football Focus' Michael Renner and USA Today's Michael Middlehurst-Schwartz are calling for an injection of physicality with Alabama's offensive tackle Jedrick Wills Jr. That may not be the most valuable pick—Wills ranks eighth on the latest big board from B/R's Matt Miller—but Wills is the highest-rated tackle. He's also potentially key to keeping Jones upright and opening rushing lanes for Saquon Barkley.

Miller has the Giants snatching up Alabama receiver Jerry Jeudy, the consensus top player at the position. He's not the biggest wide receiver around, but he checks every other box for a true No. 1 target. Miller likens Jeudy to "Odell Beckham Jr. without the controversy."

Two other experts have New York addressing a defense that surrendered the third-most points per game this season. CBS Sports' Josh Edwards projects Clemson's do-it-all linebacker Isaiah Simmons here, while Sporting News' Vinnie Iyer has Iowa's dynamic edge-rusher A.J. Epenesa.

Panthers Could Do Anything at No. 7

The Carolina Panthers are in the evolutionary process. Sweeping changes have already come to their coaching staff—including the arrivals of head coach Matt Rhule and offensive coordinator Joe Brady—and it's possible the quarterback position is next.

Former MVP Cam Newton can't get healthy. Kyle Allen is an exclusive-rights free agent. Will Grier got limited run as a third-round rookie, and none of it was encouraging.

But unless the Panthers move up, they might miss out on one of the three passing prospects typically taken in the top 10. Obviously, they aren't getting Burrow, but it's tough to see Tagovailoa or Oregon's Justin Herbert falling this far. Does that motivate them to make a move? Or are they confident enough in their own quarterback collection to address a different spot?

The non-QB names linked to them are exciting. Both Miller and Iyer are projecting the arrival of Ohio State's shutdown corner Jeff Okudah. Edwards and Middlehurst-Schwartz are thinking offensive tackle in the forms of Wills and Georgia's Andrew Thomas, respectively. Finally, Renner wants to juice the pass rush with Epenesa.

Cardinals Helping Kyler Murray at No. 8

The Arizona Cardinals might've only won five games this past season, but they have what a lot of bottom-feeders don't: a clear identity.

The football marriage of quarterback Kyler Murray and head coach Kliff Kingsbury makes Arizona's football vision clear: This team wants to blow the doors off its opponents on offense.

The Cards don't have the pieces to be that dynamic yet, but they dropped hints of how the final product might look. Over their final three outings—two of them wins—they averaged 29.7 points, which would have ranked as this season's third-highest average.

Helping Murray is on the minds of most mock drafters. Iyer and Edwards both have the Cardinals making Jeudy the first receiver off the board. Miller, who already mocked Jeudy elsewhere, has Arizona going with Oklahoma's playmaking pass-catcher CeeDee Lamb. Renner is bringing different help by way of Iowa offensive tackle Tristan Wirfs. Finally, Middlehurst-Schwartz calls for a defensive reinforcement in the versatile Simmons.