NFL Draft 2020: Top Prospects Who Must Shine in Draft Process to Solidify Stock

There's a reason the term draft stock has embedded itself into the football lexicon.

Just like the real stock market, values attached to NFL prospects will rise and fall between now and the selection period from April 23 to April 25. When everything from medical records and interviews to physical testing and on-field work is up for evaluation, prospects can help or hurt their stocks through any number of reasons.

In this year's draft, everyone not named Joe Burrow or Chase Young has something to gain or lose over the coming months. But a handful of prospects will come under closer scrutiny than most during the draft process.

We will spotlight three of those prospects after laying out our latest mock first round.

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. Las Vegas 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. Las Vegas 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

Prospects Who Can Help Themselves During Predraft Process

Tua Tagovailoa, QB, Alabama

A healthy Tua Tagovailoa is a dream get for any quarterback-needy rebuilder. The prolific passer routinely torched opposing defenses during his tenure with the Crimson Tide, racking up 76 touchdown passes against only nine interceptions the past two seasons.

What makes those numbers even more incredible is that his senior campaign ended in mid-November, when a dislocated hip forced him off the field and finished his collegiate career. That injury is the reason he has so much at stake in the months leading up to April's talent grab.

His recovery seems to be going smoothly, as AL.com's Mike Rodak reported Tagovailoa "is expected to be healthy by April and able to participate in a throwing workout for prospective teams."

To say all eyes in the football world will be on that workout would be an understatement. If Tagovailoa shows he's healthy and not limited, his floor is probably the fifth pick, and teams could trade even higher to take him. But if any warning signs emerge from his practice session, maybe that scares off would-be suitors and leads to this year's surprising slide on draft night.

Justin Herbert, QB, Oregon

A candidate for the top overall pick last year, Justin Herbert instead chose to spend another season in Eugene, Oregon, to polish his mechanics and show the kind of consistency evaluators had been waiting to see.

The results of his senior season were a mixed bag. On one hand, his numbers jumped across the board, including his 66.8 completion percentage, 3,471 passing yards and 32 touchdown passes against six interceptions. On the other, his production could fluctuate from one week to the next. While he had four outings with four-plus touchdown passes, he had another six games with one or none.

So as the 6'6", 237-pounder headed down to Mobile, Alabama, for Saturday's Senior Bowl, he had as much to gain as anyone despite being the highest-rated quarterback in attendance. Scouts still wanted to him put his physical tools to work. And so far, he's delivered.

"Herbert's precision and velocity worked hand-in-hand," B/R's Brent Sobleski noted. "He threw multiple passes into tight windows with ease. A couple receivers even dropped passes because they weren't ready for throws with that much smoke."

Herbert's work isn't finished, but if his Senior Bowl practices are any indication, he will cement his status as a top-10 prospect and might even crack the top five.

Jonathan Taylor, RB, Wisconsin

In the current NFL, draft stocks tied to running backs are inherently volatile. One look at the Super Bowl LIV matchup shows the reason why. Both the Kansas City Chiefs' and San Francisco 49ers' top rushers—Damien Williams and Raheem Mostert, respectively—were once undrafted free agents.

That always makes it tricky to evaluate these prospects since we don't know how NFL teams will feel once they are put on the clock. Production-wise, Jonathan Taylor should be a no-brainer first-rounder. He rushed for an absurd 6,174 yards over three seasons at Wisconsin, turning 50 of his carries into touchdowns.

But that production might work against Taylor in a couple of ways, at least among nitpicky teams. He touched the ball an incredible 968 times, which might scare off future-focused evaluators with longevity concerns. He also had the benefit of rushing behind Wisconsin's consistently loaded offensive line, so some might question how much that inflated his numbers.

He also was infrequently used as a receiving option for the Badgers. His 26 receptions as a junior nearly doubled the 16 he totaled his first two seasons combined. That doesn't mean he can't catch the ball, but scouts from pass-happy offenses will surely keep a close eye on everything from his route running and hands to his pass-blocking skills.

He's clearly an exceptional talent, but if he's utilized differently in the NFL than he was at Wisconsin, will all of that talent be put to its best use? He sneaks inside our first round for now. The next few months will determine whether he can lock down that position or if he's in danger of falling to the second.