2020 NFL Draft: Latest Rumors on James Morgan, D'Andre Swift and More

The 2020 NFL draft is a week from Thursday. While much of the predraft storylines continue to surround the first round and the quarterbacks who will be selected there, a middraft signal-caller is beginning to generate a fair amount of buzz.

According to Eric Edholm of Yahoo Sports, numerous teams are showing interest in Florida International quarterback James Morgan:

That list includes some teams that notably need a new franchise signal-caller, like the Miami Dolphins, Los Angeles Chargers and New England Patriots. While the Dolphins and Chargers may be looking to take a quarterback high in the draft—they own the fifth and sixth overall selections, respectively—Morgan could be a premier target for the Patriots.

New England has journeyman Brian Hoyer and second-year quarterback Jarrett Stidham on its roster. The team could view Morgan as a future starter, though.

The FIU signal-caller began to generate serious chatter at the East-West Shrine Game in January. He finished 9-of-14 for 116 yards and a touchdown in that all-star exhibition. In 2019, he threw for 2,560 yards with 14 touchdowns and five interceptions.

While Morgan isn't going to be a Day 1 pick, the 6'4", 229-pound Wisconsin native has enough physical upside that he could warrant a selection on Day 2.

"There's a lot of buzz on him," one NFL executive said, per Kalyn Kahler of SI.com.

Expect that to get a little louder between now and the start of draft weekend.

Dolphins Interested in D'Andre Swift, Other Top Running Backs

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While Morgan won't be a first-round pick, Georgia running back D'Andre Swift well could be. The Bulldogs star rushed for an impressive 1,218 yards in 2019, and he has a pro-style skill set that offensive coaches will covet.

"Tempo and decisiveness are his calling cards, making him a highly talented inside/outside zone runner. He's a cerebral runner who understands block timing and uses quick-cut agility and rare spatial awareness to read and react to defenses beyond the second level," NFL Media's Lance Zierlein wrote.

There's a legitimate chance that the Dolphins scoop up Swift with one of their three first-round selections.

According to Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald, the team has shown a lot of interest in Swift and the other top backs in this year's class:

"A Dolphins official has been telling people how much the team likes Georgia's D'Andre Swift, and Miami planned to bring him to team headquarters this month before the NFL banned such visits, according to a source with direct knowledge.

And it was notable that Dolphins running backs coach Eric Studesville took Wisconsin's Jonathan Taylor to dinner in the days before on-campus contact with players was stopped due to coronavirus. Meanwhile, Miami also planned to bring FSU's Cam Akers to team headquarters before coronavirus scuttled that; they've reached out subsequently to him, according to a source."

Jackson also mentioned that the Dolphins are looking to pair a young runner with free-agent addition Jordan Howard. It appears likely that they'll get their youngster within the first few rounds of the draft.

Giants Looking to Upgrade Offensive Line

The New York Giants own the fourth overall pick in this year's draft. According to SNY's Ralph Vacchiano, there's a chance that general manager Dave Gettleman could trade down from that spot—but not far.

"A few months ago, I was convinced the Giants were going to trade down. Now? Not so much," he wrote. "And honestly, I think if they do it's going to be with the Dolphins at 5 or the Chargers at 6, and the price will be something small—maybe a third-round pick, if they're lucky."

Regardless of whether Gettleman trades out of the fourth spot or stands pat, it's looking like the offensive line will be his primary concern.

"It is by no means a lock this early in the process, but the consensus of sources who spoke to SNY is that the Giants will take a tackle at No. 4, and quite possibly take another offensive lineman—likely a center—in Round 2," Vacchiano wrote in a separate post.

This likely won't come as a shock to Giants fans, as building around Daniel Jones and Saquon Barkley has to be high on New York's priority list. The Giants have Nate Solder at left tackle and added Marcus Cannon at right tackle in free agency; however, Solder doesn't appear to be a long-term answer.

Solder has just $6.5 million in dead money remaining on his contract after this season. Last year, he allowed an alarming 11 sacks, according to Pro Football Focus.