The Raiders are on the clock, leaving me to ponder when my brain will start accepting the “Las Vegas Raiders” as an actual sports team and not the title a weird, 90’s action movie.
11. New York Jets: Mekhi Becton, tackle, Louisville
Becton is 6’7” and 364 pounds. He is coming off winning the Jacobs Blocking Trophy and received first team all-ACC honors. He has a 7-foot wingspan, the kind that makes one wonder if he maybe he could try out for the NBA (assuming that this will exist in the near-future). There might be some concerns that his weight could become a problem, but that’s not a major concern given his position.
If the New York Jets make a pick without their fans being able to boo it, have they really made a pick?
10. Cleveland Browns: Jedrick Wills Jr, tackle, Alabama
Never mind about the production values, they just totally cut back to Roger Goodell before he was ready.
The Browns choose Jedrick Wills Jr.Unlike Andrew Thomas, Wills Jr. has exclusively played as a right tackle so far, but he’s an absolute monster at the position. During his 2019 for Alabama, he gave up just a single sack in 714 snaps. He’s not super-speedy, but he makes up for it in strength.
9. Jacksonville Jaguars: CJ Henderson, CB, Florida
The weird thing about this draft is that it hasn’t been that weird. Everything’s basically playing out as expected so far.
Henderson is super-fast and super-talented. He also had zero interceptions last year. He might have the most talent of any cornerback in the draft but he also is coming off a somewhat down year marked by an ankle injury and some questions about his tackling. He feels like a player who is either going to be a star or a bust, with little in-between.
Updated
And now we’re getting a weird, awkward conversation via television between Goodell and Burrow. It should be noted that there have been absolutely no technical hiccups here so far, it’s been rather smooth going.
8. Arizona Cardinals: Isaiah Simmons, lots of different things, Clemson
I was about to ask whether Simmons was going to be the player to unexpectedly fall this draft, but the Cardinals are one step ahead of me. It’s impossible to summarize what exactly Isaiah Simmons is and what he could be in the NFL. His main selling point is that he doesn’t really have a position, as he skips between linebacker, safety, pash-rusher and cornerback. Maybe that will frustrate some teams, it’s nice to know exactly what you’re getting in and whether or not he will fit your needs, but in the modern NFL, there’s something to be said about a player you can shift from position-to-position based on the situation. In any case, the 100+ tackles and 8 sacks he picked up last season certainly look eye-popping no matter where he ends up playing.
7. Carolina Panthers: Derrick Brown, DT, Auburn
The Panthers take Auburn’s Derrick Brown. I’m going to be lazy here and just quote a tweet from Pro Football Focus: “Derrick Brown didn’t miss a single tackle on 42 attempts all season and had a 90.6 pass-rushing grade.” He can also play a little nose-tackle and is difficult to block no matter where ends up. The dude is strong is what I’m getting at.
CBS Sports
(@CBSSports)Derrick Brown with deceptive speed!pic.twitter.com/TuicTMJwNQ
April 24, 2020
Updated
6. Los Angeles Chargers: Justin Herbert, QB, Oregon
At 6ft 6in, he’s the kind of tall, strong-armed quarterback that would perfectly fit the role if you were casting a movie. He threw for 32 touchdowns and just six interceptions in his last season with Oregon. Herbert looks to be a solid QB in the NFL, but there are questions about whether he could be the type of player that can truly stand out at the highest level or whether he’s another Brock Osweiler.
Jake Arthur
(@JakeArthurNFL)Justin Herbert is the successor to Philip Rivers. Size, toughness, arm strength and scrambling ability are all there.
This here is a big boy play: pic.twitter.com/fbkT592Dc3
April 24, 2020
Updated
Updated
5. Miami Dolphins: Tua Tagovailoa, QB, Alabama
They very much do take a quarterback and possibly the steal of the draft.
Tagovailoa is one of the biggest names in this field. In another universe, Tagovailoa is the first overall draft pick. That is not this universe, as he suffered a dislocated hip back in November. During his Alabama career he boasted a ridiculous touchdown percentage, 12.7% (the best in Division I history by a lot), and he’s a dynamic rusher as well. And who could forget when he came off the bench at halftime to lead Alabama to an unforgettable comeback win over Georgia in the 2017 national championship game. The only question is: how healthy will he be and how healthy can he remain?
In this still image from video provided by the NFL, Tua Tagovailoa, front center, holds up a phone during the NFL draft on Thursday. The Dolphins selected Tagovailoa with the fifth overall pick. Photograph: AP
Updated
Miami Dolphins are on the clock, the question here is whether or not they go for a quarterback here.
4. New York Giants: Andrew Thomas, OT. Georgia
While he’s not quite at Isaiah Simmons levels of versatility, Thomas has played 15 games at right tackle and 26 games at left. Thomas has been impressive at preventing pressures but needs work at being a more consistent blocker.
Updated
Not everyone is happy with the Joe Burrow/Cam Newton comparison:
Email from Nyles Glynn:
Dude, Cam Newton is currently without a team!
That is fair enough, but that has more to do with Newton’s injury history than his talent.
3. Detroit Lions: Jeff Okudah, CB, Ohio State
Detroit takes Ohio State’s Jeff Okudah with the third pick.
One of those players whose talent and potential makes him look better than what the numbers might tell you (he has three career interceptions, for one thing). He’s shown a gift at excelling in man-to-man coverage and has the flat-out speed that should make him an effective starter right out of the gate. One of those players who might find himself at the professional level.
Tony Dombrowski
(@tonydombrowski)Jeff Okudah was a BEAST with Ohio State last season.
34 total tackles
28 solo tackles
1 TFL
3 INT
9 passes defended
1 FFHe’ll look very good in Honolulu Blue 🔥
(via @NFL)
pic.twitter.com/B4UGJWdZ9IApril 24, 2020
Updated
Chase Young is not just a great player but he’s not a bad singer either.
2. Washington: Chase Young, defensive end, Ohio State
Washington, as expected, take Chase Young with the second overall pick. An elite pass rusher, Young is probably the most heralded defensive player in the draft. In his last two seasons Young has 27 sacks, including a record 16.5 in 2019. He was a Heisman finalist, just the ninth defensive player to become one since 1982.
Mark Bullock
(@MarkBullockNFL)Here are all of Chase Young’s 16.5 sacks from last season. #Redskins pic.twitter.com/MIFb8PEgI2
April 16, 2020
Updated
How good is Joe Burrow? Well…
ESPN Stats & Info
(@ESPNStatsInfo)LSU QB Joe Burrow caps an incredible last several months…
He joins Cam Newton (No. 1 overall in 2011), Leon Hart (1949) and Angelo Bertelli (1943) as the only players all-time to win a Heisman, win the national championship and go 1st overall all in the same academic year. pic.twitter.com/QAsjAAZiaz
April 24, 2020
“There is only one Tiger King and its Joe Burrow.” That’s some nice SEO work there.
There is absolutely no way it should have taken that long to announce that.
Bengals pick Burrow at No. 1
1. Cincinnati Bengals: Joe Burrow, QB, LSU
The LSU quarterback threw for seven touchdowns in the Tigers’ playoff win over Oklahoma. He ended up throwing for 60 touchdowns last year and just six interceptions. Theoretically, some of that success could partially be a product of LSU’s offense but it’s hard to see how a season this incredible could be a mirage
Updated
The Cincinnati Bengals are on the clock and, you know, I’m going to make a wild guess and say that they will pick Joe Burrow.
And here we have Dr. Fauci talking about social distancing.
And Roger Goodell pops up and encourages us all to boo him from home, to keep up the tradition of booing the commissioner.
Boo! Photograph: AP
Updated
Twitter is pointing something out that I completely missed: I don’t recall there ever being a national anthem in any of the previous drafts.
Harry Connick Jr. plays piano and sings a quick jazzy run through the Star Spangled Banner. So far, the production values have been about as good as one could possibly expect under the circumstances.
Updated
Roger Goodell, working from home, starts things off with a salute to all those combating the coronavirus pandemic. And asks us to observe a moment of silence.
And we’re officially off! As a sign of this being a very special episode of the NFL Draft, they get Peyton Manning to recite some words on football and hope. It’s not entirely un-cheesy, but it’s well-done.
Here’s what our current draft order looks like. It will almost certainly change as teams decide whether they want to make a trade or not.
1. Cincinnati Bengals
2. Washington
3. Detroit Lions
4. New York Giants
5. Miami Dolphins
6. Los Angeles Chargers
7. Carolina Panthers
8. Arizona Cardinals
9. Jacksonville Jaguars
10. Cleveland Browns
11 New York Jets
12. Las Vegas Raiders
13. San Francisco 49ers (from Indianapolis)
14. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
15. Denver Broncos
16. Atlanta Falcons
17. Dallas Cowboys
18. Miami Dolphins (from Pittsburgh)
19. Las Vegas Raiders (from Chicago)
20. Jacksonville Jaguars (from Los Angeles Rams)
21. Philadelphia Eagles
22. Minnesota Vikings (from Buffalo)
23. New England Patriots
24. New Orleans Saints
25. Minnesota Vikings
26. Miami Dolphins (from Houston)
27. Seattle Seahawks
28. Baltimore Ravens
29. Tennessee Titans
30. Green Bay Packers
31. San Francisco 49ers
32. Kansas City Chiefs
Updated
Meanwhile, ESPN’s coverage paused its football talk to give Jennifer Hudson a chance to sing the late, great Bill Withers’s “Lean On Me.” It’s the first of what promises to be many references to our current situation.
Ian Watson
(@Ian__Watson)@HunterFelt Here’s hoping the Raiders pick up the WR they covet at 12. Jeaudy or Lamb will be fine. 19 BPA or maybe trade down and pick up an extra 2nd. Have a good one!
April 23, 2020
Those are definitely the top two receivers in this draft class, we’ll see where they end up.
Just in case you need any more evidence that we’re all going through the same things:
Joey Burrow
(@Joe_Burrow10)Nobody’s allowed to make fun of me tonight none of the barbershops are open
April 23, 2020
This is not going to be one of the more fashionable drafts in sports history.
While you’re waiting here, you might want to read Oliver Connolly’s take on Isaiah Simmons, who almost certainly be a Top 10 pick today, and the future of NFL defenses.
Despite that, it’s very possible that this might be the most-watched NFL Draft ever since there literally hasn’t been any live sports for over a month. Last weekend, sports fans found themselves counting down the hours until ESPN aired the first two episodes of its Michael Jordan documentary series. It’s getting really rough and it will be nice to have something to watch where the outcomes aren’t predetermined.
Preamble
Just a note to start things off: this is going to be a strange one. Thanks to the worldwide pandemic we’re all dealing with, this year’s NFL Draft is being held remotely. What has traditionally been a slick, made-for-television spectacle will now be something of a chaotic jumble. The players themselves will be responsible for providing their own camerawork which, as we learned from ESPN’s Horse Tournament, could give this whole affair a DIY feel.
Considering the restrictions imposed upon them by the COVID-19 outbreak, the NFL should consider itself relieved that they have found a way to hold the draft at all. To put things mildly, we’re in unchartered waters right now. If you’d like to join the conversation today, feel free to send us an email (to hunter.felt.freelance@theguardian.com) or Twitter (@HunterFelt), and we’ll include them in this liveblog as we go on. The 2020 NFL Draft is set to start around 8pm EST, but we’ll be back before then.
Updated
Hunter will be here shortly. In the meantime here’s a look at Graham Searles’ projected picks for tonight’s first round.
1) Cincinnati Bengals
Pick: Joe Burrow, quarterback, LSU. The Bengals have to take Burrow. He has the potential to lead them for the next 15 years and to finally get Cincinnati that playoff win Andy Dalton failed to provide. Burrow excelled in his final year at LSU leading the Tigers to an undefeated college championship. Burrow completed 76.3% of his passes for 5,671 yards, 60 touchdowns and six interceptions. Free agency showed a new era may be dawning in Cincinnati and Burrow is the man to make it concrete.
2) Washington
Pick: Chase Young, edge rusher, Ohio State. Washington have a no-brainer of their own in Young. Ron Rivera can build a strong defensive identity with a player following in the footsteps of premium Ohio State edge defenders, Joey and Nick Bosa. A 6ft 5in wrecking-ball whose tremendous speed off the line allowed him to rack up 16.5 sacks, 21.5 tackles for a loss and seven forced fumbles across 12 games in 2019. Tua Tagovailoa could be an upgrade on Dwayne Haskins but the inability to assess the quarterback’s fitness up close makes Young the sensible pick.
3) Detroit Lions
Pick: Jeffrey Okudah, cornerback, Ohio State. The Lions need a replacement for Darius Slay after trading him to Philadelphia. Okudah can slip straight into Slay’s role as Detroit’s leader in the backfield and make an impact as the best shutdown corner entering the league.
4) New York Giants
Pick: Jedrick Wills, offensive tackle, Alabama. Offensive line is a must-upgrade for the Giants. Wills, Mekhi Becton and Tristan Wirfs all would do exactly that for head coach, Joe Judge, but Wills makes sense as Judge was once Nick Saban’s assistant in Alabama. Familiarity tips the scales in Wills’s favour without the ability to meet with prospects this year owing to lockdown.
5) Miami Dolphins
Pick: Justin Herbert, quarterback, Oregon. The Dolphins can pick from the best of the rest with Burrow off the board. Herbert gets the nod over Tagovailoa due to the latter’s fitness problems. His 6ft 6in frame and huge arm pass the eye test. Three rushing touchdowns against Wisconsin in Oregon’s Rose Bowl victory showed he can shift when needed too.
NFL draft 2020: Cincinnati Bengals take Joe Burrow with No 1 pick in virtual event – live! - The Guardian
0 Comments: