NFL Mock Draft 2020: 1st-Round Projections for Top Prospects After Combine

Clemson linebacker Isaiah Simmons and Louisville offensive tackle Mekhi Becton were two of the NFL draft prospects who accelerated their rises on draft boards at the NFL combine.

Both players impressed with their 40-yard dash times, which added to their already impressive resumes.

Simmons' versatility could make him a top-five selection, but that depends on the direction the Detroit Lions and New York Giants opt to go in. Becton could be part of a run on offensive linemen near the back end of the top 10. The Arizona Cardinals, Jacksonville Jaguars and Cleveland Browns could all shore up their quarterback protection by choosing one of the top interior prospects.

2020 NFL 1st-Round Mock Draft

1. Cincinnati Bengals: Joe Burrow, QB, LSU 

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

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

4. New York Giants: Isaiah Simmons, LB, Clemson

5. Miami Dolphins: Tua Tagovailoa, QB, Alabama

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

7. Carolina Panthers: Derrick Brown, DT, Auburn

8. Arizona Cardinals: Mekhi Becton, OT, Louisville

9. Jacksonville Jaguars: Tristan Wirfs, OT, Iowa

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

11. New York Jets: Jerry Jeudy, WR, Alabama

12. Las Vegas Raiders: CeeDee Lamb, WR, Oklahoma

13. Indianapolis Colts: Jordan Love, QB, Utah State

14. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: C.J. Henderson, CB, Florida

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

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

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

18. Miami Dolphins (from Pittsburgh): Xavier McKinney, S, Alabama

19. Las Vegas Raiders (from Chicago): Yetur Gross-Matos, Edge, Penn State

20. Jacksonville Jaguars (from Los Angeles Rams): A.J. Epenesa, DE, Iowa

21. Philadelphia Eagles: Justin Jefferson, WR, LSU 

22. Buffalo Bills: Andrew Thomas, OT, Georgia

23. New England Patriots: Brandon Aiyuk, WR, Arizona State

24. New Orleans Saints: Kenneth Murray, LB, Oklahoma

25. Minnesota Vikings: Trevon Diggs, CB, Alabama

26. Miami Dolphins (from Houston): Josh Jones, OT, Houston

27. Seattle Seahawks: Patrick Queen, LB, LSU 

28. Baltimore Ravens: Tee Higgins, WR, Clemson

29. Tennessee Titans: Kristian Fulton, CB, LSU 

30. Green Bay Packers: Ross Blacklock, DT, TCU 

31. San Francisco 49ers: A.J. Terrell, CB, Clemson

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

Isaiah Simmons, LB, Clemson

Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images

Simmons turned heads at the combine by recording a 40-yard dash time of 4.39 seconds. The Clemson linebacker also produced a 39-inch vertical leap and a 132-inch broad jump.

His athleticism combined with the versatility between linebacker, safety and edge-rusher should make him a top-10 selection.

ESPN's Louis Riddick commented that Simmons should not drop past the New York Giants at No. 4:

Bleacher Report's Matt Miller and ESPN.com's Todd McShay both have the 21-year-old landing with the Giants in their latest mock drafts.

The only way Simmons does not go to New York is if the Detroit Lions swoop for him at No. 3, but they may want Ohio State defensive back Jeff Okudah to fill a void in their secondary.

In 2019, the Giants had a single player produce more than five sacks and 10 tackles for loss.

Simmons earned 104 tackles, seven sacks, three interceptions and eight passes defended in his redshirt junior season at Clemson.

No matter where he lines up, he would make an impact on the Giants' pass rush. And if he lines up on the interior, he would team up with former Clemson teammate Dexter Lawrence.

The Giants could go in a few different directions at No. 4 since they need to secure the pocket around quarterback Daniel Jones and find him more weapons to work with.

However, Simmons would be the best athlete available to them at No. 4 if Joe Burrow, Chase Young and Okudah are the top three picks.

In that case, the Giants might not be able to pass up on the Clemson star.

Mekhi Becton, OT, Louisville

Timothy D. Easley/Associated Press

The order of offensive linemen off the board could depend on what happens with the quarterback selections.

If the top four is set and Tua Tagovailoa lands at No. 5 with the Miami Dolphins, there might be a frenzy for the No. 6 pick to land Justin Herbert before anyone else does.

If that occurs, the top linemen could be pushed back to the bottom part of the top 10, but luckily for Becton and others, offensive line is one of the top needs of the teams in that area of the draft.

Arizona's Kyler Murray was the second-most sacked quarterback in the NFL, while Cleveland's Baker Mayfield was seventh.

Jacksonville's duo of Gardner Minshew II and Nick Foles was taken down on 41 occasions, which leads us to believe all three teams could be in the hunt for offensive linemen.

Becton stood out at the combine by running a 5.1-second 40-yard dash and bench-pressing 23 reps at 225 pounds.

That convinced both Miller and McShay to predict the 20-year-old as the eighth overall pick to the Cardinals.

While picking Murray's college teammate CeeDee Lamb at No. 8 is an intriguing prospect, the Cardinals must shore up one of their biggest offensive weaknesses.

If Arizona passes on Becton, he should not be on the board much longer, with Jacksonville and Cleveland both in the market for pass protectors.

Once Becton is off the board, Iowa's Tristan Wirfs and Alabama's Jedrick Wills Jr. could follow soon after in what could be one of the first positional runs of the draft.

Follow Joe on Twitter, @JTansey90. Combine information obtained from NFL.com. Statistics obtained from ESPN.com and Pro Football Reference.