TSF Mock 1.0

What’s up everybody and welcome back! It’s been a hot minute since I’ve written an article myself and today I decided to treat you guys to two of them! First up I recently sat down and put together my official Truth Serum Football 1.0 Mock Draft for the draft that is now just a few weeks away. This installment of the draft will feature no trades, so if you’re slotted there, you pick there. So here it is folks, my first official mock draft of 2020!

1. Bengals - Joe Burrow - QB - LSU
This is the easiest pick in this draft. Not even Cincinnati can mess this up. Burrow should be a no brainer here and a day 1 starter. With a receiving trio of A.J. Green, Tyler Boyd, and John Ross as well as stud running back Joe Mixon, Burrow will have plenty of weapons at his disposal to start his NFL career. 

2. Redskins - Chase Young - DE - OS

Many consider Chase Young to be the best prospect in this draft. Young is a monster who boasts elite athleticism to complement his size and length. He is very twitchy and had little trouble getting to the quarterback in college. He has a perennial all-pro ceiling and is the perfect player for Ron Rivera to build a defense around. 

3. Lions - Isaiah Simmons - LB - CLEMSON

This pick could go a few different ways. A lot of mock drafters have the Lions snagging Jeffrey Okudah out of Ohio State. Even after signing Jamie Collins I believe the Lions will be too enamored with the upside of Simmons to pass him up here. Simmons was a monster at the combine and can play all over the field. He will help bolster a Detroit defense that ranked 31st in overall defense in 2019.

4. New York Giants - Tristen Wirfs - OT - Iowa

Last season the Giants drafted their future franchise quarterback Daniel “MF” Jones and this season they will start their draft by finding someone to protect him. Tristen Wirfs is the “Hog Mollie” that Dave Gettleman has been looking for. Wirfs has incredible strength and great lateral quickness, and played both OT positions in college. Wirfs should be the cornerstone of the G-Men’s O-line for years to come 

5. Dolphins - Tua Tagaviola - QB - Bama

In all likelihood I don’t think Tua will fall to 5. I think the more likely scenario is Miami uses their abundance of draft capital to move up a few spots and secure him, or another team will spend to jump Miami and lock him down first. Since there are no trades in this mock, Miami will stay put and miraculously get their man. Miami was the frontrunner of the #TankforTua movement, and despite falling a few spots down the board, still managed to bring in the guy who was the consensus number one prospect coming into 2019. If Tua is healthy, he may be the best QB in this draft. 

6. Chargers - Justin Herbert - QB - Oregon

With the Phillip Rivers era in the rearview, the Chargers will select the best quarterback prospect available and land Oregon’s Justin Herbert. Herbert checks all the boxes and has an absolute cannon of an arm. He will likely start the season learning behind Tyrod Taylor who is playing on a one year contract and will be the bridge from Rivers to Herbert. 
 
7. Panthers - Jeffrey Okudah - CB - OSU

Carolina decided to pull the plug on Cam Newton and will move forward with Teddy Bridgewater. With Christian McCaffrey, D.J. Moore, and Curtis Samuel locked in on the offensive side of the ball Carolina will address their defense and fill the hole left by James Bradberry. Okudah is a complete corner prospect who is long, strong, and quick. He can bang with the big guys but has the closing speed to cover the burners as well. This is an absolute steal for Carolina. 

8. Cardinals - Jedrick Wills - OT - Bama

All offseason I thought this was CeeDee Lamb’s inevitable landing spot. Then Bill O’Brien happened. Now Arizona needs to ensure that Kyler Murray has plenty of time to find his brand new All-Pro receiver, DeAndre Hopkins, Wills will be an immediate upgrade on the Cardinal’s offensive line, and his adequate run blocking skills should help to really unlock the Cards offensive potential. 

9. Jaguars - Derrick Brown - DT - Auburn

The elite Jacksonville defense that lead the team to an AFC Conference championship game has been decimated through trades. All hope is not lost as Jacksonville still has talent on that side of the ball and drafting Brown will go a long way in getting back to that elite level. Brown is a complete prospect who has explosive power, a great motor, and fantastic instincts. He has the potential to be the best Jaguars DT since John Henderson.

10. Browns - Mekhi Becton - OT - Louisville

Cleveland is loaded on offense, but has a glaring hole at Left Tackle. Enter Mekhi Becton. Becton set the world on fire running a 5.1 - 40 time, which is incredible for a player listed at 6’7 and 357 pounds. The Browns definitely noticed as they tweeted out the video on their Twitter handle. Expect Becton to be plugged in right away to guard Baker’s blind side, and expect Nick Chubb to be a primary beneficiary of his abilities. 


11. Jets - Jerry Jeudy - WR - Bama

The AFC East is wide open after Tom Brady’s departure and the Jets have to think they can make some noise right now. They lack a true number one receiver and will be drooling over getting to select the first one off the board. Jerry Jeudy is the consensus top receiver and has been hailed by many as the best pure route runner to ever enter the draft. Jeudy will give Darnold a go to target for the first time in his career. 

12. Raiders - CeeDee Lamb - WR -- Oklahoma

New York started the run and Jon Gruden will continue it by selecting CeeDee Lamb out of Oklahoma. Lamb is a stud and the best receiver in this class in my opinion. He is an explosive playmaker who is difficult to tackle and catches everything. He also can step in and be a dynamic return man. Whether it’s Carr, Mariota, or someone else, the Raider’s QB will love having a receiver of Lamb’s stature. 


13. 49ers - Henry Ruggs III - WR - Bama

San Francisco raised eyebrows when they met with Henry Ruggs at the combine. Ruggs was surely out of their range with the 31st pick in the draft. Now that the 49ers have acquired the Colt’s 1st round pick it seems like the stars are aligning for Ruggs to join the defending NFC champs. Ruggs is a burner who nearly broke the record for fastest 40 time at the combine. He will be a great compliment to Deebo Samuel. 

14. Buccaneers - Andrew Thomas - OT - Georgia

The Buccaneers are the prettiest girl in the room after locking in Tom Brady on a two year deal. The Bucs have the best receiving targets in the NFL already and seem to believe in the abilities of Ronald Jones out of the backfield. Protecting Brady will be paramount to the success of this team and drafting big Andrew Thomas out of Georgia will go a long way in improving the offensive line play. Thomas is an absolute mauler who is versatile enough to play either OT spots. 

15. Broncos- Javon Kinlaw - DT - S Carolina

Kinlaw reminds me of Chris Jones. He is raw but his athletic traits are going to have teams drooling over his potential. Vic Fangio is equipped to get the most out of Kinlaw’s raw physical abilities. He can play multiple positions on the defensive line and should only benefit from playing on the same squad as perennial All Pro Von Miller. Denver shouldn’t hesitate to pull the trigger on the former South Carolina star. 

16. Falcons- CJ Henderson - CB - Florida

The Falcons just locked up Dante Fowler to stabilize their defensive line and now look to bolster their secondary. Florida’s CJ Henderson is a great fit for them at pick 16. Henderson has great size and athletic ability that allows him to close in a hurry. He will be a worthy successor to the departed Desmond Trufant.

17. Cowboys- K’Lavon Chiasson Edge LSU

After missing out on CJ Henderson at CB Dallas will instead address the void on the edge left by Robert Quinn. K’Lavon Chiasson’s tape and statistical output don’t quite match up. This can largely be attributed to the ACL tear he suffered in 2018. Chiasson, along with newly signed Gerald McCoy, should help clean up some of Dallas’ run defense woes, and should be able to get to the quarterback with his ridiculous length, and Demarcus Lawerence on the other side of the line. 

18. Dolphins- Johnathan Taylor RB Wisconsin

Miami recently signed free agent Jordan Howard to be their starting running back. Howard, while an effective back, has been inconsistent and missed a good chunk of time. Johnathan Taylor is an absolute stud out of the backfield and if you want to know more make sure you check out Joey’s write up on him. After adding Tua, Miami continues it’s offensive rebuild and selects the best RB prospect in the draft. 

19. Raiders - Kenneth Murray LB Oklahoma

The Raiders will take a long look at Patrick Queen here but won’t be able to resist the NFL readiness Murray. Murray is a decisive player and will make NFL offenses play behind the chains. Has averaged 15 TFL over the past two seasons while wreaking havoc in the Big 12. Look for Murray all over the field as he excels at running sideline to sideline. Murray is a hard hitting playmaker who should make John Gruden a very happy man. 

20. Jaguars - Kristian Fulton CB LSU

After adding a piece to their defensive line earlier in the draft, the Jaguars will set their sights on replacing Jalen Ramsey at the CB position. Kristian Fulton was a star for the championship winning Tigers. Fulton has definitely showcased his ability to cover NFL talent, especially when you watch the Alabama game. He’s phenomenal and getting his hand on the ball and killing big plays. He hasn’t been known to intercept the ball however, one of the few knocks on his game. 

21. Eagles- Tee Higgins WR Clemson

Philadelphia will target a receiver with this pick. Selecting the receiver is no easy task. With plenty of talent still left on the board, I look for Tee Higgins to be selected slightly ahead of Justin Jefferson of LSU. Higgins is tall at 6’4 and has shown elite ball skills. He is a deep threat, and would provide Carson Wentz with the ability to really hit the home run. Unlike predecessor Nelson Agholor, Higgins has pretty good hands as well. With Alshon Jeffrey likely departing from the team, it only makes sense to snatch up the former Clemson Tiger here. 

22. Vikings- Justin Jefferson WR LSU

After acquiring 29 picks for Stephon Diggs, it seems likely that the Vikings will go after one of the celebrated WRs of this draft class. Justin Jefferson has shown that he can eat up targets all day playing in the slot and will absolutely command some attention away from Adam Theilen. He may not be Diggs, but he definitely has upside. Minnesota could go defense here, but I imagine they’ll feast on defense later in this draft with their bevy of selections. 

23. Patriots - Jordan Love - QB Utah State

For the first time this millenium, the Patriots will go into the season without an established franchise quarterback on their roster. While Josh Mcown is a Bill Belicheck guy and will probably be able to keep the team afloat, look for the Pats to draft Tom Brady’s successor in this draft. Jordan Love is the perfect prospect for Bill, and should be thrilled to play for the Patriots. 

24. Saints - Grant Delpit S LSU

With the Saints locking in Emmanuel Sanders to join Michael Thomas they allowed themselves to focus on the defensive side of the ball. Despite locking down DJ Swearinger and Malcolm Jenkins in the off-season I believe hometown boy Grant Delpit is too good to pass up this late in the first. 

25. Vikings - Jeff Gladney CB TCU

Trae Waynes is gone and Xavier Rhodes seems to be regressing so it’s time to inject some new blood into the Vikings secondary. Offensive Line is a need here as well but the position is much deeper than the CB position in this draft. Gladney is a well rounded prospect that can be plugged in right away to start for this Vikings D. 

26. Dolphins- AJ Epenesa DE Iowa

Miami, having already invested 2 first round picks on the offensive side of the ball, switch gears here and grab Epenesa from Iowa. The former Hawkeye DE had 11.5 sacks and 4 forced fumbles in his final collegiate campaign. 

27. Seahawks- Austin Jackson OT USC
Seattle could be looking for an edge rusher at the end of the first round but I believe they will be salivating at the chance to take Austin Jackson out of USC. Austin Jackson is a raw prospect but has all the traits you would want in a franchise left tackle. Jackson is a great athlete but will need to add upper body strength in the NFL. 

28. Ravens- Patrick Queen LB LSU

Baltimore was an offensive juggernaut last season and have to believe they are right in the thick of the Super Bowl race coming into 2020. One area of need is at MLB where Josh Bynes is still a free agent, and it looks like Baltimore has decided to move on. Patrick Queen looks like a natural fit to be their starting MLB. Queen is a sideline to sideline monster with very good instincts. He is a cerebral player and was an instrumental piece in LSU’s dominant defense that led them to a championship. He’s a good blitzer, but is a little undersized for the position. Still he should be a solid prospect for the Ravens to plug in on defense and also should benefit from the team trading for Calais Campbell. 
 
29. Titans- Ezra Cleveland OT Boise St

The Titans went on a magical run last season on the back of Derrick Henry and the running game. Unfortunately for them, Jack Conklin is no longer with the team. This makes Ezra Cleveland the perfect option for them at 29. While he isn’t the absolute mauler that Conklin was, Cleveland is quicker and longer, which should only help the Titans top ranked rushing attack. 

30. Packers - Jalen Reagor WR TCU

Davante Adams is a stud. Everybody knows that. But it was abundantly clear last season that Aaron Rodgers needed another pass catcher to throw to. Luckily for the Packers this class is loaded with them and Jalen Reagor seems like an ideal fit at 30. Reagor is an explosive runner who can take any short quick pass to the house. The key is to get him the ball quickly. Rodgers should have no problem getting the ball in his hands. 

31. 49ers - Trevon Diggs CB Bama

The 49ers defense led them on a magical NFC Championship winning run last week before getting ran over in the second half of the Super Bowl by Pat Mahomes. While their defense is elite CB is a small area of concern. Richard Sherman is entering the final year of his contract and isn’t getting any younger. Trevon Diggs would make a great addition to this secondary, and would be able to learn behind Sherman. Diggs, the younger brother of Stephon, was a former receiver, and thus has a great feel for what his opponent is trying to do. His size, strength, and ability to play the ball should allow him to flourish on the next level. 

32. Chiefs - D’Andre Swift RB Georgia 

Andy Reid finally got his Super Bowl ring, thanks to the ridiculous abilities of Pat Mahomes and the big game play of Damien Williams. While Williams has performed admirably since the exile of Kareem Hunt, the Chiefs run game could use a boost to a unit that trotted out Williams and LeSean McCoy in 2019. Many believe Swift is the best back in the draft and he has an argument. Swift is a smart runner who reacts quickly to his surroundings. He’s also got great hands for a running back and could absolutely feast at the hands of Mahomes. He will be in the running for rookie of the year in this Kansas City offense.