NFL Mock Draft 2020: Round 1 Projections for Top Prospects Based on Latest Buzz

Not to alarm any NFL diehards out there, but we might be reaching the point of information overload as the 2020 draft approaches.

Each new report seems to send us in a different direction.

ESPN's Todd McShay put Jordan Love ahead of Justin Herbert in his March 31 mock. B/R's Matt Miller brought word that "multiple teams" prefer Herbert to Tua Tagovailoa. Now B/R's Mike Freeman reports some clubs "don't believe there's a huge difference" in the skill sets of Tagovailoa and Joe Burrow.

There are 10,000-piece jigsaw puzzles that might be easier to solve than deciphering this draft class.

But the mock drafts must go on, so we will follow our latest with projections concerning the top prospects generating the biggest buzz of late.

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: Isaiah Simmons, LB, Clemson

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: Tristan Wirfs, OT, Iowa

9. Jacksonville Jaguars: Javon Kinlaw, DT, South Carolina

10. Cleveland Browns: Mekhi Becton, OT, Louisville

11. New York Jets: Jedrick Wills Jr., OT, Alabama

12. Las Vegas Raiders: Henry Ruggs III, WR, Alabama

13. San Francisco 49ers (via Indianapolis Colts): Jerry Jeudy, WR, Alabama

14. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Andrew Thomas, OT, Georgia

15. Denver Broncos: CeeDee Lamb, WR, Oklahoma

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

17. Dallas Cowboys: CJ Henderson, CB, Florida

18. Miami Dolphins (via Pittsburgh Steelers): Austin Jackson, OT, USC

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

20. Jacksonville Jaguars (via Los Angeles Rams): Josh Jones, OT, Houston

21. Philadelphia Eagles: Justin Jefferson, WR, LSU

22. Minnesota Vikings (via Buffalo Bills): Jeff Gladney, CB, TCU

23. New England Patriots: A.J. Epenesa, Edge, Iowa

24. New Orleans Saints: Jordan Love, QB, Utah State

25. Minnesota Vikings: Tee Higgins, WR, Clemson

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

27. Seattle Seahawks: Xavier McKinney, S, Alabama

28. Baltimore Ravens: Patrick Queen, LB, LSU

29. Tennessee Titans: Yetur Gross-Matos, Edge, Penn State

30. Green Bay Packers: Denzel Mims, WR, Baylor

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

32. Kansas City Chiefs: Kenneth Murray, LB, Oklahoma

Projections Based on Latest Buzz

Dolphins Bypass Tua

For a long time, the Dolphins and Tua Tagovailoa were a match made in mock-draft heaven. But when the team set its sights on this quarterback class last year, it put both Tagovailoa and Justin Herbert on its radar.

With the April 23 opening night of the draft rapidly approaching, it seems Herbert is not only still in the running but might be leading the race.

"I'm told by multiple league sources that the Dolphins aren't convinced Tua is the best option and could instead target Oregon's Justin Herbert," Miller wrote. "The situation is fluid, but the buzz around the league is that Herbert has the most fans in the Dolphins' draft room."

This buzz is easy to buy. So much of Tagovailoa's stock has been tied to his medicals—he dislocated his hip in November—and the predraft process during this pandemic hasn't stop teams getting a close-up view. He has major question marks when it comes do durability, and it's not like he has the biggest arm in the draft.

Herbert has his own concerns—most revolving around inconsistency—but he's also overloaded with physical tools. It isn't hard to picture Miami trusting its player development skills, buying big on Herbert and trying to tap into his massive potential.

Love Won't Crack the Top 20

Betting against infatuation in a quarterback with Jordan Love's natural gifts is usually a bad idea. It might be here too.

McShay's latest mock has Love off the board as the sixth overall pick. Miller's latest report includes the note that "one very well-connected scout mentioned that Jordan Love is a name to watch [at No. 6]."

Love is the boom-or-bust prospect of this quarterback class. Even his numbers at Utah State highlighted his peaks and valleys: 32 touchdowns against six interceptions in 2018; 20 scores and 17 picks this past year. His 2019 team wasn't nearly as talented, but there are some decision-making improvements he will need to engineer.

Modern football franchises are often willing to take on QB packages, but that might not be enough to get Love into the top 20. If the Dolphins and Los Angeles Chargers go different routes and the Jacksonville Jaguars and Las Vegas Raiders address other positions, Love could slide into the 20s, which might be best for him since he would have time to develop and iron out his weaknesses.

Raiders Will Go CB in 1st Round

The Raiders are a wild card in seemingly every draft, but their priorities appear pretty straightforward.

They need a go-to target at wide receiver, and they should have a chance to grab one of the class' top pass-catchers with the 12th overall pick. They could also use a lockdown cornerback, and NBC Sports' Scott Bair reported the position "is a high priority" and that the team will "likely" address the spot with one of its first-round picks.

As Bair noted, the Raiders courted almost every shutdown corner on the market, pursuing both Byron Jones and Chris Harris Jr. in free agency and "kicking the tires" on a Darius Slay trade. They appeared to add 2016's 10th overall pick, Eli Apple, but then the sides couldn't finalize their agreement.

In other words, they know they need help at the position. And the draft could be the perfect place to find it. They'll surely give CJ Henderson consideration at No. 12, but they would have to be happy with our scenario of adding a No. 1 receiver at that spot and still grabbing a top cornerback prospect seven picks later.