Finding Perfect Homes for 2020 NFL Draft's Best Remaining Players

The first round of the 2020 NFL draft featured plenty of fireworks, but there are still some exciting players available heading into the second and third rounds on Friday night. 

Although this year's first round didn't feature a ton of big surprises and trades, there were still plenty of noteworthy storylines. The Miami Dolphins got the quarterback that fans have begged for since the start of last season in Tua Tagovailoa, while the Dallas Cowboys got an exciting new weapon in wide receiver CeeDee Lamb. And the Oakland Raiders honored Al Davis by taking the fastest player in the draft, Henry Ruggs III.

Of course, just like every year, there were a few surprises, such as Oakland's pick of Ohio State cornerback Damon Arnette. Also, some players that analysts had first-round grades on did not hear their names called on Thursday night.

So, with teams gearing up for Day 2 of the draft, let's take a look at the 10 best players still on Matt Miller's final big board after the first round and which teams would be the perfect landing spots for those players.

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Draft Recap and Big Board

D'Andre Swift, Running Back, Georgia

John Raoux/Associated Press

Prospect Rank: 15

Best Landing Spot: Miami Dolphins 

Although he wasn't the first running back taken in the draft, Matt Miller's top-ranked player at the position is still on the board.

The Bulldogs have produced a lot of exciting NFL running backs over the past years, including Todd Gurley, Nick Chubb and Sony Michel. Swift is looking to live up to that pedigree after a solid final season with Georgia that included 1,218 rushing yards and seven touchdowns.

Swift definitely lives up to his last name because he can flat-out fly. The prospect possesses elite change-of-direction ability, planting his foot in the ground and making defenders miss in open space with ease. With good vision and patience at the line of scrimmage, he can wait for an opening and use his impressive acceleration and burst to break away for explosive plays regularly.

Such a big-play threat would be a perfect addition to a quickly rebuilding Miami Dolphins offense, which added a potential franchise quarterback in Tua Tagovailoa and a young and athletic offensive tackle in Austin Jackson. 

Jordan Howard and Kalen Ballage are far from stars at running back, which makes Miami a great landing spot for such a talented player at the position.

Yetur Gross-Matos, EDGE, Penn State

Barry Reeger/Associated Press

Prospect Rank: 21

Best Landing Spot: New York Giants

A handful of edge-rushers and defensive linemen found themselves sliding down in the draft on Thursday night, but the one with arguably the most surprising fall was Penn State's Yetur Gross-Matos.

Gross-Matos had 17 sacks over the past two seasons and was the most intimidating player on the Nittany Lions defense. He looks physically bulky, but he does a surprisingly good job making inside moves on offensive linemen thanks to some impressive lateral agility. 

With nearly 35-inch arms, the Penn State prospect's length is one of his biggest assets. It allows him to control blockers and disengage when needed, whether to keep gap responsibility or get into the backfield and take the quarterback down.

Gross-Matos has the size (6'5", 266 lbs) to be an intriguing edge-rusher, but he lacks the quick-twitch explosiveness to consistently win around the edge at the next level. A team like the New York Giants, which could move him around and even kick him inside for snaps as a 5-technique defensive end, would be a great spot for the Penn State prospect to make the most of his talents right away.

Xavier McKinney, Safety, Alabama

Richard Shiro/Associated Press

Prospect Rank: 22

Best Landing Spot: Jacksonville Jaguars

A lot of cornerbacks heard their names called on Thursday, but this year's top safeties sat all night without hearing their names called. Miller's top-ranked safety, Xavier McKinney, likely won't be waiting much longer once the draft resumes Friday.

McKinney was a versatile piece for the Alabama Crimson Tide last season, spending time as a slot corner, deep safety and in-the-box safety. That versatility allowed him to fill the stat sheet and earn third-team All-American honors.

Head coach Nick Saban trusted McKinney to move around the defense because of his strong instincts and great click-and-close ability. His speed allows him to cover ground quickly and either break up passes downfield or meet a ball-carrier breaking toward the line of scrimmage with purpose.

That kind of versatility would fit great in Jacksonville's secondary. Although the Jaguars already drafted a cornerback in CJ Henderson with a top-10 pick, McKinney could roam the defensive backfield and be a great player to pair with fellow former Crimson Tide safety Ronnie Harrison.

Double-dipping this early at defensive back after also taking an edge-rusher in K'Lavon Chaisson could help bring Duval's defense back to glory. 

A.J. Epenesa, Defensive Lineman, Iowa

Justin Casterline/Getty Images

Prospect Rank: 23

Best Landing Spot: Houston Texans

Early in the 2019 college football season, Iowa's A.J. Epenesa was expected to be one of the top picks in this year's draft. However, a rough predraft process meant the former Hawkeyes defensive star spent all Thursday night waiting without hearing his name called.

Epenesa gave Big Ten quarterbacks nightmares over the last two seasons, racking up 22 total sacks. His physically imposing 6'5", 275-pound frame made him a difficult assignment for offensive tackles, and he made a habit of causing chaos in opponents' backfields.

With great play strength, good pad level and solid arm extension, Epenesa wins at the line of scrimmage by using those skills to push offensive linemen into the backfield. He has good technique and hand usage to disengage but is also disciplined enough to maintain gap integrity and not give ball-carriers open rushing lanes.

Given his frame, Epenesa is more of a tweener, but he projects best as a defensive end if he's able to add some weight.

The Houston Texans would be a fun place to watch him develop as his presence would take some much-needed pressure off J.J. Watt on the defensive line.

Tee Higgins, Wide Receiver, Clemson

Jamie Schwaberow/Getty Images

Prospect Rank: 28

Best Landing Spot: Indianapolis Colts

This year's class of wide receivers is exceptionally deep, as made evident by the six players at the position taken in the first round. The good news for teams in need of a wide receiver in the second round is that promising young players like Clemson's Tee Higgins are still available.

Having Trevor Lawrence throwing him passes in college certainly helped his production, but Higgins' big-play ability was still impressive for the Tigers the past couple of years. His 2019 campaign included a ridiculous 19.8 average yards per reception to go along with 1,167 yards and 13 touchdowns.

With a long, athletic frame at 6'4" and 216 pounds to go along with good body control, Higgins is a master of the contested catch deep downfield. He has solid explosiveness and can gain ground quickly when going deep.

Although he can struggle against press coverage and needs to work on developing his release package, the tools are already there for Higgins to be a vertical threat. That size and agility make him such an appealing target for the Indianapolis Colts, who have the 34th overall pick, to pair with a smaller speedster like T.Y. Hilton.

Philip Rivers could use some weapons on his new team.

Antoine Winfield Jr., Safety, Minnesota

Bruce Kluckhohn/Associated Press

Prospect Rank: 29

Best Landing Spot: Carolina Panthers

As the son of a former three-time Pro Bowler and Minnesota Vikings great, Antoine Winfield Jr. is an exciting name to keep an eye on, and he should be taken early on Friday night.

Winfield was the defensive leader for a very strong Minnesota Golden Gophers team last season. He was a unanimous first-team All-American, finishing the year with 88 total tackles, seven interceptions and three sacks.

Although undersized for a safety at 5'9" and 203 pounds, Winfield has elite instincts and range to cover sideline to sideline when deep downfield. His ability to flip his hips and change direction quickly when tracking the ball can be a handful for quarterbacks trying to get him out of position.

That size might be why Winfield slipped out of the first round, but players like Budda Baker in Arizona have proved that size isn't all that matters on defense. The Carolina Panthers, who could desperately use a free safety and have the 38th overall pick, would be a great landing spot for Winfield as they begin to rebuild the franchise in the post-Cam Newton era.

Jonathan Taylor, Running Back, Wisconsin

Michael Conroy/Associated Press

Prospect Rank: 30

Best Landing Spot: Los Angeles Rams

If this were a decade ago, being the most decorated and productive running back in college football of the past two years would've made Jonathan Taylor a surefire first-round pick. Unfortunately, as the running back position becomes less and less valuable, players like Taylor have to be patient on draft day.

Taylor left Wisconsin with back-to-back seasons of over 2,000 yards rushing, notching 42 total touchdowns over those two years. He nearly had three consecutive 2,000-yard seasons, finishing just shy of the mark as a freshman with 1,977 yards on the ground.

At 5'10", 226 pounds, Taylor is the total package for a running back. He has the vision and burst to be a home run threat and the contact balance, play strength and mentality to finish runs by keeping his feet moving through tacklers. His lateral agility and elusiveness also allow him to make guys miss in open space.

With Todd Gurley gone, the Los Angeles Rams could use another workhorse running back, which makes Taylor the perfect candidate. His run style, combined with Sean McVay's innovate play designs, could allow Taylor to be one of the most productive backs in the league.

Zack Baun, Linebacker, Wisconsin

Butch Dill/Associated Press

Prospect Rank: 32

Best Landing Spot: Cleveland Browns

Taylor wasn't the only Wisconsin prospect disappointed to not hear his name called Thursday. Former teammate Zack Baun was hoping to sneak into the end of the first round, but it didn't happen.

Fortunately, the linebacker shouldn't have to wait too long on Friday. He was a second-team All-American last season and got plenty of face time with NFL scouts at both the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis and the Senior Bowl in Mobile, Alabama.

As a fearless competitor with explosiveness off the snap, the Badgers used Baun as both an edge-rusher and off-ball linebacker, with the prospect projecting best at the latter in the NFL. His ability to break downhill quickly and diagnose blocking schemes allows him to play up runs frequently.

Baun's speed and instincts also mean he is a reliable defender in coverage, making him an ideal linebacker candidate for a team like the Cleveland Browns, who could use a Week 1 impact starter.

Josh Jones, Offensive Tackle, Houston

Butch Dill/Associated Press

Prospect Rank: 33

Best Landing Spot: Cincinnati Bengals

Offensive tackle was clearly a need for a lot of teams this year, with six of them taken in the first round on Thursday night. While a lot of the big names are gone, one in particular, Josh Jones, might feel like he got snubbed.

Despite being ranked higher by Miller, Jones had to watch USC's Austin Jackson get picked at No. 18 overall by the Dolphins. Jones was likely expecting to go after the likes of Jedrick Wills, Andrew Thomas, Tristan Wirfs and Mekhi Becton, but seeing yet another tackle go before him had to sting.

Jones is far from a finished product, but his size at 6'5" and 319 pounds, along with his athleticism is what had scouts turning their heads at this year's Senior Bowl. He will need to continue working on both his hand usage and footwork, particularly in his vertical pass sets, but flashes on tape showed the potential of a future NFL starter.

Although he might be thrust into the fire if he's drafted by the Cincinnati Bengals, having No. 1 overall pick Joe Burrow to protect could be the motivation he needs to continue working on his craft and becoming a long-term starter.

Jaylon Johnson, Cornerback, Utah

Alika Jenner/Getty Images

Prospect Rank: 34

Best Landing Spot: Chicago Bears

Cornerbacks were taken early and often in the first round, with six being selected and a few of those names being relative surprises. What was even more surprising was that Utah's Jaylon Johnson didn't hear his name called despite so many corners being taken off the board.

The Utes had a terrific season in the Pac-12 behind strong performances from players like Johnson, who was a second-team All-American and first-team all-conference player. His aggressive and physical play style made him a fan favorite and a very intriguing NFL prospect.

With length, size, technique and effort, Johnson is the ideal press-man cornerback for the NFL. His instincts and mental processing allow him to recognize route combinations and releases to limit separation, and he has the natural ball skills to break up passes and create turnovers.

There aren't a lot of holes in Johnson's game, but playing at Utah might have made it easier for teams to overlook him during the scouting process. However, a team like the Chicago Bears, who need a cornerback and didn't have a pick to snag one in the first round, could be sprinting to the phone to take Johnson early in Round 2.