NFL Draft 2020: 1st-Round Order and Prospects Who Can Shake Up Draft Outlook

The best NFL draft prospects and the ones who will set the selection order aren't usually the same.

If there are clear-cut choices at the top—which we have every reason to believe Joe Burrow and Chase Young are this year—then those players dictate nothing for the rest of the player pool. That's why when you read through various 2020 mock drafts, you're likely to encounter some reference to this talent grab starting at No. 3.

After laying out our latest mock first round, we'll spotlight three prospects who could shape the direction of this year's draft.

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, 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: C.J. 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

Prospects Who Can Shake Up Draft Outlook

Tua Tagovailoa, QB, Alabama

At a point in the not-so-distant past, this draft was supposed to be all about Tua Tagovailoa. It sort of still is, just not how the dual-threat quarterback would have ever imagined.

A dislocated hip in November denied him a storybook ending to his Crimson Tide career and cast a cloud of uncertainty over his NFL outlook. With the sports world suspended by the coronavirus pandemic, teams have been denied the opportunity to get a close look at him and his recovery. That could send his stock into a draft-night plummet. Two NFL personnel recently told Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald that spending a top-10 pick on Tagovailoa is "simply too risky."

But believers in Tagovailoa might say that passing him up is the bigger risk. Some evaluators have him as the best quarterback in this draft.

While Tagovailoa is certain to land somewhere in the opening round, he might have one of the widest ranges in that round. It wouldn't be shocking to see someone move up all the way to No. 2 to take him, but there's also a universe in which his slide doesn't stop until the New England Patriots are on the clock at No. 23.

Henry Ruggs III, WR, Alabama

Few attributes get the football world buzzing quite like blazing speed. It's a reason we're all fixated on the 40-yard dash every year at the combine and why that specific event can make someone a star on the predraft circuit.

Henry Ruggs III was already well-regarded before arriving in Indianapolis, but he might have taken it to another level by zipping through a 4.27-second 40. That could nudge him to the front of this wide receiver class.

"Henry Ruggs is my No. 1 receiver in this year's draft class simply because he changes the game the most," NFL.com's Brian Baldinger wrote. "He brings a different kind of speed that will give defenses major problems. ... He's like the Cheetah, Tyreek Hill, but bigger and stronger. That's a dangerous skill set."

If someone sees Ruggs as being capable of transforming their offense, that might get him a much earlier look than people expect. Maybe the New York Giants give Daniel Jones a big-time target, or the Arizona Cardinals think Ruggs can help Kyler Murray take the top off a defense.

But teams might not place such a high priority on pass-catchers, especially if they think the position group is deep enough to find value later in the draft. If that's a popular approach and Ruggs goes after Jerry Jeudy and CeeDee Lamb, Ruggs might be on the board into the late teens or even early 20s.

Jordan Love, QB, Utah State

It seems every year a physically gifted boom-or-bust quarterback prospect captures the attention of the football world. This year, Jordan Love is that prospect.

The 6'4", 224-pounder can make every throw. Plus, he's mobile enough to escape pressure and daring enough to make chunk plays on improvisational plays.

But his willingness to take risks cuts both ways. When it works, he looks like the NFL's next star quarterback. When it doesn't, he looks too erratic with his decision-making to ever land an NFL starting gig.

USA Today's Michael Middlehurst-Schwartz recently wrote about the draft's riskiest prospects and opened with Love. Two current passers were mentioned in the section: Patrick Mahomes and Jameis Winston. How's that for a separation between ceiling and floor?

There are mock drafts where Love is the third quarterback taken and a top-10 pick. There are others in which he doesn't even crack the first round. If one team becomes infatuated with his potential, it could dramatically alter the first-round proceedings. If he slips to Day 2, he could spark a massive bidding war before it ever starts. Whenever he gets drafted, it will surely be notable.