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2020 NFL Mock Draft: Post-Pro Bowl Projections for 1st-Round Prospects
Butch Dill/Associated PressAfter Justin Herbert’s performance at the 2020 Senior Bowl, there is a strong possibility three quarterbacks land in the Top 10 of the 2020 NFL draft.The Oregon quarterback was the highest-rated prospect at the senior showcase, and he thrived all week in Mobile, Alabama, by earning Most Valuable Player and Practice Player of…
Butch Dill/Associated Press
After Justin Herbert's performance at the 2020 Senior Bowl, there is a strong possibility three quarterbacks land in the Top 10 of the 2020 NFL draft.
The Oregon quarterback was the highest-rated prospect at the senior showcase, and he thrived all week in Mobile, Alabama, by earning Most Valuable Player and Practice Player of the Week.
With a handful of teams high up in the selection order holding a need at the position, Herbert, LSU's Joe Burrow and Alabama's Tua Tagovailoa could all hear their names called within the first 10 picks.
There is also a chance multiple wide receivers land in the first 10 selections, with the Arizona Cardinals one of a few franchises looking to upgrade their talent around a young quarterback.
2020 NFL 1st-Round Mock Draft
1. Cincinnati Bengals: Joe Burrow, QB, LSU
2. Washington Redskins: Chase Young, DE, Ohio State
3. Detroit Lions: Jeff Okudah, CB, Ohio State
4. New York Giants: Jerry Jeudy, WR, Alabama
5. Miami Dolphins: Tua Tagovailoa, QB, Alabama
6. Los Angeles Chargers: Justin Herbert, QB, Oregon
7. Carolina Panthers: Isaiah Simmons, LB, Clemson
8. Arizona Cardinals: CeeDee Lamb, WR, Oklahoma
9. Jacksonville Jaguars: Andrew Thomas, OT, Georgia
10. Cleveland Browns: Derrick Brown, DT, Auburn
11. New York Jets: Jedrick Wills Jr., OT, Alabama
12. Oakland Raiders: Tristan Wirfs, OT, Iowa
13. Indianapolis Colts: Grant Delpit, S, LSU
14. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: CJ Henderson, CB, Florida
15. Denver Broncos: A.J. Epenesa, DE, Iowa
16. Atlanta Falcons: Javon Kinlaw, DT, South Carolina
17. Dallas Cowboys: Kristian Fulton, CB, LSU
18. Miami Dolphins (from Pittsburgh): Tee Higgins, WR, Clemson
19. Oakland Raiders (from Chicago): Laviska Shenault Jr., WR, Colorado
20. Jacksonville Jaguars (from Los Angeles Rams): Xavier McKinney, S, Alabama
21. Philadelphia Eagles: Jalen Reagor, WR, TCU
22. Buffalo Bills: Curtis Weaver, DE, Boise State
23. New England Patriots: Justin Jefferson, WR, LSU
24. New Orleans Saints: Yetur Gross-Matos, DE, Penn State
25. Minnesota Vikings: Raekwon Davis, DT, Alabama
26. Miami Dolphins (from Houston): Bryce Hall, CB, Virginia
27. Seattle Seahawks: Austin Jackson, OT, USC
28. Baltimore Ravens: Julian Okwara, EDGE, Notre Dame
29. Tennessee Titans: Mekhi Becton, OT, Louisville
30. Green Bay Packers: Tyler Biadasz, C, Wisconsin
31. Kansas City Chiefs: D'Andre Swift, RB, Georgia
32. San Francisco 49ers: Trevon Diggs, CB, Alabama
Justin Herbert, QB, Oregon
Joe Scarnici/Getty Images
Herbert took full advantage of his opportunity in Mobile, Alabama, by shining every day in practice and in Saturday's Senior Bowl.
The on-field performance may have solidified a Top 10 selection for the senior, who opted to come back to school during the pre-draft process a year ago.
Cincinnati Bengals head coach Zac Taylor, who was in charge of the South squad, was impressed by Herbert and mentioned there are options for the No. 1 pick, per NFL.com‘s Chase Goodbread.
“I thought he had a great week,” Taylor said. “We've still got a long way to go in making that decision. There are a lot of options on the board, of course.”
While the Bengals still have three months to officially decide on who to choose at No. 1, most mock drafts have Burrow going to the AFC North side.
Herbert's performance means more for everyone beneath the Bengals, and it might mean the Washington Redskins could set a high price tag for the No. 2 pick, as a scout told NBC Sports' Peter King.
“Now Washington can sit at two and take [Ohio State pass-rusher] Chase Young, or they can get rich with picks by dealing it for three or four high picks,” the scout said. “Now there are three premier guys left at number two. Justin solidified who he is, and now no one can argue if he goes top five.”
If no trades occur, the Miami Dolphins and Los Angeles Chargers are the natural fits for a young quarterback.
Miami started 38-year-old Ryan Fitzpatrick over second-year player Josh Rosen at quarterback during the 2019 season, and there are some questions about the Chargers' status at the position.
The Chargers could move on from Philip Rivers, who recently relocated from San Diego to Florida, per ESPN.com's Chris Mortensen and Adam Schefter.
“What this means football-wise is to be determined but it was time for us to move back closer to home,” Rivers said.
Rivers is coming off the third 20-interception season of his career, and he finished the campaign with the fewest amount of touchdown passes since 2007.
If the Chargers believe Rivers is on the decline, they could opt to bring him back for a year to help along a young signal-caller, or go in a different direction completely and let someone like Herbert take the reigns of the offense.
No matter what the situations are for teams in the Top 10, Herbert should be coveted by squads trying to upgrade at the sport's most important position.
CeeDee Lamb, WR, Oklahoma
Jeffrey McWhorter/Associated Press
Arizona will not be in the market for a quarterback after taking Kyler Murray with the No. 1 overall pick a year ago.
With the No. 8 pick, the Cardinals could opt to upgrade their wide receiver depth chart with Oklahoma's CeeDee Lamb.
In 2019, Larry Fitzgerald and Christian Kirk led the Cardinals with 804 and 709 receiving yards, respectively.
Only two other wide receivers, Damiere Byrd and Pharoh Cooper, eclipsed the 200-yard barrier in Murray's rookie season.
While Fitzgerald deserves credit for continuing to lead the Cardinals in receiving yards at age 36, the Cardinals need to get younger at the position.
Lamb appears to be a perfect fit in the Arizona offense because of his familiarity with Murray. He caught 65 passes for 1,158 yards and 11 touchdowns in 2018 from Murray.
The Oklahoma junior produced back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons for the Sooners, and if he is chosen at No. 8, he could learn the intricacies of the position from Fitzgerald while teaming up with Kirk as one of the best young receiving duos in the NFC.
Arizona has a handful of other needs, as it has to reinforce an offensive line that allowed Murray to be sacked 48 times and improve a defense that allowed over 400 total yards on 10 occasions.
However, the chemistry between Murray and Lamb could be too hard to pass up, and it may make life much easier in the pocket for the second-year signal-caller.
Follow Joe on Twitter, @JTansey90
Statistics obtained from Pro Football Reference and ESPN.com
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