2020 NFL Mock Draft: Bold Predictions for 1st Round's Most Volatile Prospects

As NFL teams go deeper on their draft boards, more risks pop up with certain players. 

Whether it be performance last season in college football, NFL combine numbers or the track record of a certain position, some franchises could be inclined to turn away from prospects. 

For a handful of players, there will be some volatility from their projected draft position to where they actually land.

Utah State quarterback Jordan Love could experience this the most come April 23 if there isn't a significant need at the position outside of the top 10.

The top running backs in the draft class, such as Georgia's D'Andre Swift, could also suffer after a single player at the position landed in the first 32 picks in 2019.

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, OT, Alabama

11. New York Jets: Andrew Thomas, OT, Georgia

12. Las Vegas Raiders: Jerry Jeudy, WR, Alabama

13. San Francisco 49ers (from Indianapolis): CeeDee Lamb, WR, Oklahoma

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

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

16. Atlanta Falcons: Javon Kinlaw, DT, South Carolina

17. Dallas Cowboys: K'Lavon Chaisson, EDGE, LSU

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

19. Las Vegas Raiders (from Chicago): Kristian Fulton, CB, LSU

20. Jacksonville Jaguars (from Los Angeles Rams): Austin Jackson, OT, USC

21. Philadelphia Eagles: Justin Jefferson, WR, LSU

22. Minnesota Vikings (from Buffalo): Josh Jones, OT, Houston

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

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

25. Minnesota Vikings: Yetur Gross-Matos, DE, Penn State

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

27. Seattle Seahawks: A.J. Epenesa, DE, Iowa

28. Baltimore Ravens: Tee Higgins, WR, Clemson

29. Tennessee Titans: Patrick Queen, LB, LSU

30. Green Bay Packers: Zack Baun, LB, Wisconsin

31. San Francisco 49ers: Jeff Gladney, CB, TCU

32. Kansas City Chiefs: Trevon Diggs, CB, Alabama

Bold Predictions For Volatile Prospects

Jordan Love, QB, Utah State

Andres Leighton/Associated Press

The Indianapolis Colts' signing of Philip Rivers and first-round exit through the trade for DeForest Buckner took away one of Love's top potential suitors. 

With the Colts off the board, the Utah State signal-caller could experience a drop into the late first round, or at worst into the second round.

The New England Patriots would make sense as a destination for Love since they only have two quarterbacks on their roster.

While there is trust in Jarrett Stidham, the Patriots could be willing to bring in a young arm to compete with last year's fourth-round selection.

The concern around Love compared to other top quarterbacks is his decrease in production from 2018 to 2019. In 2018, he threw for 3,567 yards, 32 touchdowns and six interceptions and followed that up with 3,402 passing yards, 20 touchdowns and 17 picks.

The 21-year-old finished his collegiate career with 317 yards and three scoring passes against Kent State in the Frisco Bowl, but it was not enough to power the Aggies to a victory.

Part of the struggle came from the adaptation to a new system after head coach Matt Wells departed for Texas Tech.

However, an argument can be made that a player of Love's caliber should not fall back on the system change as an excuse for a dip in numbers. 

If New England looks past Love, he may have to wait to hear his name called on the second day of the draft since the teams choosing from No. 24-No. 32 do not have glaring needs at the position.

Prediction: New England takes a chance on Love at No. 23. 

D'Andre Swift, RB, Georgia

John Amis/Associated Press

The shelf life of running backs in the NFL makes it hard to justify taking one in the first round. In 2019, Josh Jacobs and Miles Sanders were the only ones at the position to be selected in the first two rounds. 

There were middle- and late-round gems in that class, though. Devin Singletary turned into an important part of the Buffalo offense, while Alexander Mattison, Benny Snell Jr. and others earned more playing time later in the campaign.

D'Andre Swift comes to the NFL off back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons at Georgia in which he averaged over six yards per carry. He thrived behind one of the best offensive lines in the nation, which is a luxury he may not have right away in the NFL.

The Miami Dolphins make the most sense for Swift in the first round since they would have used two picks to fill needs before their decision at No. 26. They could pair him with Jordan Howard to try to improve on a brutal season in the rushing game. 

However, the 21-year-old's usage rate could be a concern for certain teams, as he carried the ball on 440 occasions over three seasons. That worry could affect Jonathan Taylor's draft status as well, as he ran the ball 320 times last season alone for Wisconsin.

If Miami opts to fill another need at No. 26, it could always return to Swift at No. 39.

The Kansas City Chiefs could be an interested party at No. 32, but Andy Reid typically selects running backs in the later rounds. His highest draft pick at the position was LeSean McCoy at No. 53 in 2009.

Prediction: Swift goes to Miami at No. 26 despite some hesitation about the longevity at the position.

Follow Joe on Twitter, @JTansey90

Statistics obtained from ESPN.com