2020 NFL Mock Draft: Predictions for Prospects Vaulting into Opening Round

The time for scouting and evaluating is almost over. Soon, NFL teams will be on the clock at the draft and making decisions that could impact the future of their franchise.

The first round of the NFL draft will take place virtually on Thursday, when top college prospects will find out where they'll begin their professional careers. The draft will continue into next Friday and Saturday with the remaining rounds.

Here's a look at how the first night of the draft could unfold, followed by a breakdown of three prospects who have vaulted into late-first-round consideration.

2020 NFL Mock Draft, 1st Round

1. Cincinnati: Joe Burrow, QB, LSU

2. Washington: Chase Young, DE, Ohio State

3. Detroit: Jeff Okudah, CB, Ohio State

4. N.Y. Giants: Isaiah Simmons, LB, Clemson

5. Miami: Tua Tagovailoa, QB, Alabama

6. L.A. Chargers: Justin Herbert, QB, Oregon

7. Carolina: Derrick Brown, DT, Auburn

8. Arizona: Tristan Wirfs, OT, Iowa

9. Jacksonville: C.J. Henderson, CB, Florida

10. Cleveland: Jedrick Wills, OT, Alabama

11. N.Y. Jets: Andrew Thomas, OT, Georgia

12. Las Vegas: Jerry Jeudy, WR, Alabama

13. San Francisco (via Indianapolis): CeeDee Lamb, WR, Oklahoma

14. Tampa Bay: Mekhi Becton, OT, Louisville

15. Denver: Henry Ruggs III, WR, Alabama

16. Atlanta: Javon Kinlaw, DT, South Carolina

17. Dallas: K'Lavon Chaisson, OLB, LSU

18. Miami (via Pittsburgh): Josh Jones, OT, Houston

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

20. Jacksonville (via L.A. Rams): Antoine Winfield Jr., S/CB, Minnesota

21. Philadelphia: Justin Jefferson, WR, LSU

22. Minnesota (via Buffalo): Trevon Diggs, CB, Alabama

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

24. New Orleans: A.J. Epenesa, DE, Iowa

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

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

27. Seattle: Curtis Weaver, DE, Boise State

28. Baltimore: Kenneth Murray, LB, Oklahoma

29. Tennessee: Ezra Cleveland, OT, Boise State

30. Green Bay: Tee Higgins, WR, Clemson

31. San Francisco: Raekwon Davis, DT, Alabama

32. Kansas City: Cesar Ruiz, C/G, Michigan

Antoine Winfield Jr., S/CB, Minnesota

One of the only concerns about Antoine Winfield Jr. is his size, as he stands at 5'9", but that never stopped his dad from having a successful NFL career.

As ESPN's Mel Kiper Jr. pointed out, the elder Winfield was the last defensive back under 5'10" to be drafted in the first round, and that drought could end with his son this year.

After recording 85 tackles and seven interceptions last season at Minnesota, the 21-year-old should be one of the most exciting prospects taken in the second half of the opening round.

Kiper calls Winfield "a Swiss Army knife in the secondary who could play deep safety or slot corner." That should be valuable to teams looking for a boost on defense, especially because he could provide it at multiple positions.

It would make sense for the Jaguars to consider taking Winfield at No. 20 after trading their top two cornerbacks (Jalen Ramsey and A.J. Bouye) since October.

Winfield would give Jacksonville tremendous playmaking ability on the defensive side of the ball, which is something it needs as it reconstructs its secondary for the future.

Yetur Gross-Matos, DE, Penn State

Charlie Neibergall/Associated Press

Yetur Gross-Matos didn't have the biggest season in his final year at Penn State, but he had a solid showing. As a junior, he had 40 tackles and a career-high 9.5 sacks, which led to him deciding to forego his senior season.

ESPN's Todd McShay believes the 22-year-old will be one of the better pass-rushers available late in the first round and appears to think he's deserving of a selection at that point, even if it might take him some time to develop in the NFL.

"He possesses above-average pass-rush talent, the ability to set the edge against the run and the speed to chase players down in pursuit," McShay wrote.

One team that could consider adding a defensive end late in the round is Minnesota, which owns both the No. 22 and No. 25 picks.

It's more likely the Vikings would use the latter selection on Gross-Matos, who should still be available at that point. And with free-agent defensive end Everson Griffen unlikely to come back to Minnesota, the Penn State product could turn into a stalwart at the position in future seasons.

Cesar Ruiz, C/G, Michigan

Charlie Neibergall/Associated Press

Kiper called Michigan's Cesar Ruiz his "top-ranked interior offensive lineman" in his most recent mock draft, and it's easy to see why.

The 20-year-old has shown the potential to play multiple positions along the offensive line, so he could fill in wherever a team needs him. He started at center the last two seasons at Michigan, but Kiper thinks the 6'3", 307-pounder is athletic enough to play either guard position. He made five starts at right guard in his freshman season with the Wolverines in 2017.

At the NFL Scouting Combine, Ruiz ran the 40-yard dash in 5.08 seconds and the 20-yard shuttle in 4.64 seconds. He also has great strength, as he completed 28 reps on the bench press.

If Ruiz is still on the board when the Chiefs pick at No. 32, then the Super Bowl champions should consider adding him to boost their offensive line. Kansas City has a pair of strong tackles in Eric Fisher and Mitchell Schwartz, but adding to its interior line could help its offense get even better in 2020.