2020 NFL Mock Draft: 1st-Round Predictions and Stock Watch for Hyped Prospects

With the 2020 NFL draft set to kick off on Thursday, the highlight of the offseason is upon us. After months of speculation and uncertainty, we'll soon know how the first round unfolds.

The draft picture appears a bit different than it did a couple of months ago—and not just because of the league's ban on travel and predraft visits. As the draft draws nearer, more accurate information about teams' opinions is beginning to emerge.

Take Alabama quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, for example. His extensive injury history—and most notably, last year's fractured and dislocated hip—was always going to have an impact on his draft stock. To learn that three franchises have him off their draft boards entirely is surprising, but this appears to be where things stand.

"It's known" that three teams view Tagovailoa as undraftable, according to The Athletic's Bob McGinn.

If healthy, the 22-year-old would be a near-lock to be the second quarterback off the board behind Joe Burrow. Plenty of folks would make the argument that Tagovailoa should even be ahead of the LSU star—and he definitely still has his supporters.

"This is the single best prospect I have ever been around," Trent Dilfer said on NFL Now (h/t NFL.com's Nick Shook).

Some teams just don't agree.

"He's a great college player but, wow, he is fragile," one AFC personnel man said, per McGinn.

To say that Tagovailoa's draft stock is declining would be an understatement. More accurately, though, his stock may have always been lower than perceived, and the truth is just now coming out.

2020 NFL Mock Draft, First Round

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: Jedrick Wills, OT, Alabama

5. Miami Dolphins: Justin Herbert, QB, Oregon

6. Los Angeles Chargers: Tristan Wirfs, OT, Iowa

7. Carolina Panthers: Isaiah Simmons, LB, Clemson

8. Arizona Cardinals: Mekhi Becton, OT, Louisville

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

10. Cleveland Browns: Andrew Thomas, OT, Georgia

11. New York Jets: Jerry Jeudy, WR, Alabama

12. Las Vegas Raiders: CeeDee Lamb, WR, Oklahoma

13. San Francisco 49ers (from Indianapolis): Henry Ruggs III, WR, Alabama

14. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Ezra Cleveland, OT, Boise State

15. Denver Broncos: Justin Jefferson, WR, LSU

16. Atlanta Falcons: Derrick Brown, DT, Auburn

17. Dallas Cowboys: Xavier McKinney, S, Alabama

18. Miami Dolphins (from Pittsburgh): Javon Kinlaw, DT, South Carolina

19. Las Vegas Raiders (from Chicago): K'Lavon Chaisson, Edge, LSU

20. Jacksonville Jaguars (from Rams): Jaylon Johnson, CB, Utah

21. Philadelphia Eagles: Brandon Aiyuk, WR, Arizona State

22. Minnesota Vikings (from Buffalo): Kristian Fulton, CB, LSU

23. New England Patriots: Tua Tagovailoa, QB, Alabama

24. New Orleans Saints: Patrick Queen, LB, LSU

25. Minnesota Vikings: A.J. Epenesa, Edge, Iowa

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

27. Seattle Seahawks: Josh Jones, OT, Houston

28. Baltimore Ravens: Josh Uche, LB, Michigan

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

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

31. San Francisco 49ers: Trevon Diggs, CB, Alabama

32. Kansas City Chiefs: Damon Arnette, CB, Ohio State

Stock Up: CJ Henderson, CB, Florida

Jeff Roberson/Associated Press

While Tagovailoa's stock seems to be slipping, C.J. Henderson's appears to be on the rise. The Florida cornerback has begun to emerge as a potential top-10 selection and has little chance of slipping to the second half of Round 1.

According to Bleacher Report draft analyst Matt Miller, some teams even view the 21-year-old as a better prospect than Ohio State's Jeff Okudah:

While it's hard to see Henderson getting drafted before Okudah, he does appear to be a legitimate top-10 candidate. While a potential run on quarterbacks and/or offensive tackles could push him outside of the top 10, two teams have an obvious need at the corner spot.

The Carolina Panthers need a new No. 1 corner after losing James Bradberry in free agency. The Jacksonville Jaguars need one after trading Jalen Ramsey before last year's deadline.

Henderson didn't have the sort of early draft hype Tagovailoa did, but he has plenty of momentum now.

Stock Down: Jacob Eason, QB, Washington

Early in the draft process, it wasn't hard to find Washington's Jacob Eason being labeled a potential first-round pick.

In fact, you can probably still find the occasional bit of buzz indicating as much. CBS Sports' Sean Wagner-McGough mocked the 22-year-old at 31 following a trade up by the Detroit Lions.

However, you're not likely to find many draft analysts trumpeting Eason as a first-round talent with less than a week to go. Teams may well agree.

One executive said that Eason is "not a grinder," according to ESPN's Jeremy Fowler. He is still getting some hype, though.

"If you just watch him throw it around in a play-catch setting, it's really pretty," one executive said, per Fowler.

Miller currently has Eason ranked as his No. 6 quarterback and a late second-round talent. Let's be honest, six quarterbacks are not going in Round 1. In fact, with Tagovailoa slipping, we might not even see a fourth signal-caller selected on opening night.

Utah State's Jordan Love remains a wild card, and a team could jump back into the first round to snag him. With Tagovailoa and Love both potentially available near the bottom of Round 1, though, Eason is probably out of the conversation entirely.