NFL Mock Draft 2020: Updated Predictions on Road to Super Bowl 54

On Sunday, February 2, the Kansas City Chiefs and San Francisco 49ers will take part in Super Bowl LIV. This Sunday, many of the NFL's best players will participate in the annual exhibition known as the Pro Bowl.

While being named to the Pro Bowl isn't quite the honor it once was—several players have been added to replace members of the Chiefs and 49ers—it's still a goal for players and NFL franchises alike. For players, the reward is recognition. On draft day, teams are hoping that their selections will become Pro Bowlers.

More importantly, teams are hoping their draft picks help them reach the Super Bowl.

This year's draft is likely to be littered with NFL standouts. The challenge for decision-makers is identifying and drafting them.

Here, we'll take a look at how the first-round might fall, as teams seek the next Pro Bowl and Super Bowl stars. We'll also dig into some of the latest draft-related buzz.

2020 NFL Mock Draft

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: Jerry Jeudy, WR, Alabama

5. Miami Dolphins: Justin Herbert, QB, Oregon

6. Los Angeles Chargers: Tua Tagovailoa, QB, Alabama

7. Carolina Panthers: Derrick Brown, DT, Auburn

8. Arizona Cardinals: CeeDee Lamb, WR, Oklahoma

9. Jacksonville Jaguars: Isaiah Simmons, OLB, Clemson

10. Cleveland Browns: Andrew Thomas, OT, Georgia

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

12. Las Vegas Raiders: Tee Higgins, WR, Clemson

13. Indianapolis Colts: Henry Ruggs III, WR, Alabama

14. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: A.J. Epenesa, EDGE, Iowa

15. Denver Broncos: Jedrick Wills Jr., OT, Alabama

16. Atlanta Falcons: K'Lavon Chaisson, EDGE, LSU

17. Dallas Cowboys: Xavier McKinney, S, Alabama

18. Miami Dolphins (from Pittsburgh): J.K. Dobbins, RB, Ohio State

19. Las Vegas Raiders (from Chicago): Curtis Weaver, DE, Boise State

20. Jacksonville Jaguars (from Rams): Julian Okwara, DE, Notre Dame

21. Philadelphia Eagles: Kenneth Murray, LB, Oklahoma 

22. Buffalo Bills: Laviska Shenault Jr., WR, Colorado

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

24. New Orleans Saints: CJ Henderson, CB, Florida

25. Minnesota Vikings: Bryce Hall, CB, Virginia

26. Miami Dolphins (from Houston): Grant Delpit, S, LSU

27. Seattle Seahawks: Jeff Gladney, CB, TCU

28. Baltimore Ravens: Terrell Lewis, EDGE, Alabama

29. Tennessee Titans: Cole Kmet, TE, Notre Dame

30. Green Bay Packers: Javon Kinlaw, DL, South Carolina

31. Kansas City Chiefs: D'Andre Swift, RB, Georgia

32. San Francisco 49ers: Kristian Fulton, CB, LSU

Burrow is Happy to Play Where it Pays

Jason Szenes/Associated Press

It's been some time since we've seen an NFL prospect try forcing himself away from a particular franchise, but it has happened. The recently retired Eli Manning did it. So did John Elway. LSU quarterback Joe Burrow, likely to be the first quarterback taken in this year's draft, isn't going to reignite the trend.

"Whoever wants to pay me money to play the game of football, I'll play for 'em. It doesn't matter to me," Burrow said, per Josh Wingrove of Bloomberg.

This is good news for whichever team ends up with the No. 1 pick—currently the Cincinnati Bengals but, you know, trades are a thing. As long as Burrow gets drafted early, he's going to get paid quite handsomely.

The rookie wage scale has curtailed the amount of money first overall picks earn on their initial deals, but the salary is still impressive. According to Spotrac, Kyler Murray received a four-year, $35.1 million deal—not too bad for a player with no NFL experience.

The contracts of high first-round picks are almost entirely guaranteed, too, so even if Burrow busts out of the NFL, he's going to get paid.

Justin Herbert Could Enter the Mix for Cincinnati

While Burrow seems like the obvious pick for Cincinnati, one longtime member of the franchise believes that the Bengals aren't completely sold on him just yet.

Paul Alexander, the Bengals' offensive line coach for nearly a quarter of a decade, believes that Oregon's Justin Herbert is also in the mix:

Alexander also mentioned Ohio State edge-rusher Chase Young, though that's less of a surprise. Young is viewed as a can't miss prospect and a generational talent. The shocker is that the Bengals might consider a quarterback other than Burrow.

However, Herbert has flashed all the physical tools needed to be an NFL star. He just hasn't had the big moments or the Heisman highlights of Burrow, but according to Chase Goodbread and Lance Zierlein of NFL.com, Herbert's showing at the Senior Bowl this week has helped his stock:

"Everyone knows he has the talent of a first-round, franchise QB, but the big question for him at this event is how does he lead his teammates? How does he step up and perform consistently? The Senior Bowl gives him a better stage to display his abilities in those areas than the combine, and he's been up to the challenge to this point. I've been very impressed with his intermediate tosses across the field. Those are throws not everyone can make, but he made it look kind of easy."

It's definitely worth keeping an eye on Herbert and the Bengals moving forward.

Terrell Lewis Looking the Part

Butch Dill/Associated Press

Teams that already have franchise quarterbacks won't be looking at the likes of Burrow and Herbert. However, many of them will be looking for defenders who can sack them. Young is the top pass-rushing prospect, but there are several who could go in the first round.

Alabama's Terrell Lewis is one of them, and he showed up at the Senior Bowl looking like a future NFL star.

"He showed up in Mobile looking every bit the part of NFL Pass Rusher. He's 6'5", 258 pounds, and some NFL evaluators think he can add even more weight because at this stage of his development he's a much at getting into the backfield than dropping into coverage," Ryan Wilson of CBSSports.com wrote.

The next step for Lewis will be making it through medical evaluations and showing that he can be a durable member of an NFL squad. Injuries have been his biggest obstacle to this point, as ACL and elbow injuries limited him to just 16 games in three years at Alabama.

Lewis was mostly healthy in 2019, though, and he finished a strong campaign with 31 tackles, 6.0 sacks and 11.5 tackles for a loss. He could be a player on the rise in the coming months.