We find ourselves less than 10 days away from the 2020 NFL Draft, and a great deal of attention in the draft community is being focused on projecting what will happen in the first round. One of the hottest storylines focuses on how the quarterbacks could come off the board.
Has Oregon’s Justin Herbert really surpassed Alabama’s Tua Tagovailoa as the quarterback to be drafted after LSU’s Joe Burrow? Do the Cincinnati Bengals take Burrow, or do they do the unthinkable and trade the pick to a team like the Dolphins? Not all teams have the luxury of having multiple first-round picks like Miami. In fact, there are five teams with no first-round pick in the 2020 Draft.
Related: 7-Round 2020 NFL Mock Draft Version 3.0: Which QB for Miami?
The Buffalo Bills, Chicago Bears, Houston Texans, Indianapolis Colts, and Pittsburgh Steelers are the teams that currently do not have a first-round selection in the 2020 NFL Draft, yet they all have holes in their roster to fill. Luckily for them, there should still be premium talent available on the second day of the draft.
Buffalo Bills
Team Needs: EDGE, OL, CB, RB
2020 Draft Picks: Round 2 (#54), Round 3 (#86), Round 4 (#128), Round 5 (#167), Round 6 (#188), Round 6 (#207), Round 7 (#239)
The Buffalo Bills currently do not have a first-round pick in the draft but make no mistake about it, they put it to good use. The Bills traded this pick to the Minnesota Vikings for wide receiver Stefon Diggs. It’s a brilliant trade by the Bills, as they desperately needed to find a true number one receiver for quarterback Josh Allen, and no player available when Buffalo was scheduled to pick would be the caliber of Diggs.
Buffalo currently holds seven picks in April’s draft. The team’s biggest need is enhancing their pass rush. Lorenzo Alexander retired, and Shaq Lawson signed with the division rival Miami Dolphins during free agency. Jerry Hughes is still a productive player, but he can’t burden the load by himself. If the team decided to utilize pick 54 to fill this need, potential options would include Terrell Lewis (Alabama), Jonathan Greenard (Florida), and Alex Highsmith (Charlotte).
The Bills’ offensive line is a solid group, but they definitely need some help on the interior. The middle rounds of the draft should present the Bills with some intriguing options, such as Ben Bredeson (Michigan), Shane Lemieux (Oregon), and Damien Lewis (LSU).
Despite signing Josh Norman to lineup opposite of one of the league’s best cornerbacks, Tre’Davious White, the Bills must add some depth to the cornerback position. Norman was only signed to a one year deal, so it is doubtful that he has a long-term future in Buffalo. A player that would be a really good fit for the Bills defense with their third-round pick would be Louisiana Tech cornerback Amik Robertson. He is a confident, twitchy, and fluid player that could become one of the draft’s biggest steals if he meets his potential.
While Devin Singletary flashed brilliance at times during 2019, Buffalo should be on the lookout for a player to compliment him. Let’s not forget that Frank Gore was very productive for them in 2019, but he won’t be back with the team in 2020. UCLA’s Joshua Kelly and Appalachian State’s Darrynton Evans are intriguing late-round options for the Bills.
The Bills will have to sit out of round one in the 2020 draft, but they still should be able to find themselves a quality edge-rusher to compliment Hughes and improve the roster depth overall with their seven picks.
Chicago Bears
Team Needs: OL, CB, S, WR
2020 Draft Picks: Round 2 (#43), Round #2 (#50), Round 4 (#140), Round 5 (#163), Round 6 (#196), Round 6 (#200)
The Chicago Bears come limping into this year’s draft, as their organization made some very questionable decisions this offseason. First, there was a trade for Nick Foles, which makes little sense because Foles was one of the few quarterbacks available that might not be better than their current option in Mitch Trubisky. It seemed like a foregone conclusion that the Bears would chase Cam Newton, but they opted for Foles instead.
Next, after watching him fail and fail miserably, for some reason, the Bears signed tight end Jimmy Graham. Since leaving New Orleans, Graham has been a shell of the player he was, and I don’t expect him to regain his magic in Chicago.
The Chicago Bears only have six selections in the 2020 Draft, so they must use those picks wisely. While interior offensive line is their biggest need following the sudden retirement of Kyle Long after the 2019 season, it is unlikely they address this in the second round. Simply put, the value isn’t there outside of Michigan’s mauling center Cesar Ruiz. The positions Chicago should attack in round two are cornerback and wide receiver.
The Bears lost Prince Amukamara in free agency, creating a void at cornerback opposite Kyle Fuller. Jaylon Johnson (Utah), A.J. Terrell (Clemson), and Damon Arnette (Ohio State) are players worth keeping an eye on. You may wonder why they would go after a wide receiver. If you dig a little deeper, it makes sense. Anthony Miller and Taylor Gabriel are good football players, and Allen Robinson is an absolute stud, but if quarterback remains the team’s Achilles heel, why not flood the offense with viable weapons? TCU speedster Jalen Reagor and USC’s physical receiver Michael Pittman are two players that would complement the passing game quite well.
With only six draft picks, the Bears better be doing their homework. A draft that gives them two starters and provides aid to Mitch Trubisky would be a well-designed plan.
Houston Texans
Team Needs: WR, CB, EDGE, RB
2020 Draft Picks: Round 2 (#40), Round 3 (#90), Round 4 (#111), Round 5 (#171), Round 7 (#240), Round 7 (#248), Round 7 (#250)
The Houston Texans once had one of the most talented rosters in the NFL. They had two of the league’s best defensive players in J.J. Watt and Jadeveon Clowney, the league’s best wide receiver in DeAndre Hopkins, and a future superstar at quarterback in Deshaun Watson. Then, Bill O’Brien happened.
First, the Texans practically gave away Clowney to the Seattle Seahawks, as they only acquired a third-round pick for him. Next, it was a head-scratching trade in which the Texans sent a 2020 first-round pick, a 2021 first-round pick, and a 2021 second-round pick to the Miami Dolphins for left tackle Laremy Tunsil. While he has never made the Pro Bowl, Tunsil is one of the best left tackles in the league, but the draft capital that Houston gave up to acquire him was gigantic.
Now, the Texans are in contract extension discussions with Tunsil with absolutely zero leverage. Most recently, the Texans committed one of the biggest blunders in NFL history. They traded Hopkins (yes, THAT Hopkins) to the Arizona Cardinals for a second-round pick and a banged-up David Johnson. Most recently, the Texans traded a second-round pick to the Los Angeles Rams for Brandin Cooks. Cooks has become quite the journeyman, now playing for his fourth team in his six-year career.
In order to make up for the horrific moves made by O’Brien, the Texans must hit a home run with the 2020 Draft, or they have no chance at competing with the Indianapolis Colts and Tennessee Titans for the AFC South. Priority number one: replacing Hopkins. The issue here is that I am not sure there is a wide receiver in the draft who is talented enough to do so, and that includes the sensational Jerry Jeudy.
With their first of seven draft selections, Clemson’s Tee Higgins is a player they should target. Higgins has exceptional size and excels at winning the contested catch. Currently, the Texans have a smaller, but quick wide receiver group. I know they signed Randall Cobb and just traded for Cooks, but that is not enough to replace the void left by Hopkins. They need to bring some size and a red zone threat to the unit, and Higgins accomplishes that.
Cornerback remains a major positional need, despite the resigning of Bradley Roby, but the position they must address first is edge rusher. Watt is getting older and has recently battled multiple injuries. A few players that would make sense for the Texans in the third or fourth round would be James Lynch (Baylor), Alton Robinson (Syracuse), and Jabari Zuniga (Florida). Selecting one of these players should instantly bolster the pass-rush.
Carlos Hyde was a productive player for the Texans in 2019, but they haven’t attempted to bring him back. While Johnson was included in the Hopkins trade, he was horrific in 2019, and it seems injuries have caught up with him. They do have Duke Johnson, but he hasn’t proven to be more than a complimentary back in his career. Boston College running back A.J. Dillon would be a solid fit in the middle rounds.
Things could go south in a hurry for the Texans and O’Brien if they start slow in 2020. Anytime an organization trades its best player, expect the fans to bring the pressure. O’Brien is currently facing a great deal of scrutiny for the moves he has made, which has practically eliminated the Texans’ draft capital.
Indianapolis Colts
Team Needs: WR, QB, EDGE, CB
2020 Draft Picks: Round 2 (#34), Round 2 (#44), Round 3 (#75), Round 4 (#122), Round 5 (#160), Round 6 (#193), Round 6 (#197)
The Indianapolis Colts don’t have a first-round pick in 2020, as they sent it to the San Francisco 49ers for All-Pro defensive lineman DeForest Buckner. While the Colts had a shot at landing an elite receiver prospect for freshly signed quarterback Philip Rivers, there is no arguing Buckner’s greatness.
With that said, the Colts’ main objective must be finding some reliable pass-catchers to support Rivers and take some of the load off of T.Y. Hilton. Arizona State’s Brandon Aiyuk and Clemson’s Higgins are two players that would provide an instant boost.
Their commitment to Rivers isn’t long, so it is paramount that the Colts start thinking long-term and grooming their quarterback of the future. Jalen Hurts (Oklahoma) and Jacob Eason (Washington) would be great selections with pick 44. In round three, Indianapolis should look to enhance their pass rush with players such as Khalid Kareem (Notre Dame), Jonathan Greenard (Florida), and Bradlee Anae (Utah) presenting great value.
Let’s say the Colts draft Aiyuk, Eason, and Anae with their first three picks, and after that, they could use their remaining four selections to add depth at cornerback and offensive line. Rivers couldn’t win with a loaded roster in San Diego and Los Angeles, so I am not putting much stock into the Colts in 2020. However, they sure will be fun to watch.
Pittsburgh Steelers
Team Needs: RB, QB, OG, DT
2020 Draft Picks: Round 2 (#49), Round 3 (#102), Round 4 (#124), Round 4 (#135), Round 5 (#198), Round 7 (#232)
The Steelers were quite the surprise in 2019. After Ben Roethlisberger went down to injury, many thought the Steelers were destined for a disastrous season and were bashed for trading their first-round pick in 2020 to the Miami Dolphins for Minkah Fitzpatrick. Fitzpatrick, along with T.J. Watt, emerged as two of the best defensive players in the NFL, and the Steelers’ defense flashed glimpses of greatness.
James Conner has been pedestrian and injured frequently during his tenure as a member of the Steelers. The 2020 Draft will present an opportunity to upgrade at the running back position, with Wisconsin’s productive Jonathan Taylor being a phenomenal option. This would be the “playing-it-safe” move, but if the Steelers wanted to be bold, the player they should take is Oklahoma quarterback Hurts.
Hurts is far from a finished product, and his development is key. However, he is an electric play-maker that would have the opportunity to learn behind “Big Ben”. Hurts brings off-the-charts intangibles to the table and a player with a skill-set similar to that of division rival Lamar Jackson. For the Steelers, the second day of the draft should be spent trying to upgrade the running back position and finding the heir apparent at quarterback.
After the second day, it’s about filling holes and providing depth. The team’s long-term starter at guard, Ramon Foster, retired, which creates a hole to patch up. One player that would be a tremendous replacement for Foster is the mammoth Clemson guard John Simpson.
Also, one of the league’s most underrated players, Javon Hargrave, signed with the Philadelphia Eagles. Larrell Murchison (North Carolina State), McTelvin Agim (Arkansas), and Leki Fotu (Utah) would all be welcomed additions to the Pittsburgh defensive front. It wouldn’t be the NFL Draft without the Steelers finding a gem at wide receiver late in the draft. SMU Mustangs’ wide receiver James Proche could be that player in 2020.
The Steelers are not only a playoff team in 2020, but if Roethlisberger returns to form, they are a contender in the AFC. Adding some dynamic play-makers to their offense could really pay some huge dividends.