2020 NFL Mock Draft: Panthers start anew with Jalen Hurts, Cowboys luck into Delpit
player. 31. . EDGE. New York Giants. Chase Young. 1
As bad as a team like the Bengals has been this season, you could make the argument that the Giants have looked worse outside of the one game when Daniel Jones got his first start. But the rookie quarterback can’t play on the offensive line, can’t make the weapons around him healthy and can’t play defense — though he could perform better in his own right. Chase Young, however, can help the defense.
Young is the best individual player in the 2020 NFL Draft class so it’s gratifying to be able to put him at the No. 1 pick with Big Blue taking over that spot. The Ohio State edge rusher should immediately be able to provide a game-changing presence at defensive end that generates a pass rush whenever he gets going using his highly refined technique and elite physical tools.
Cincinnati Bengals. Joe Burrow. 2. player. 56. . QB
If Cincinnati was going to go back to Andy Dalton at some point, it’s hard to imagine why they benched the veteran in favor of Ryan Finley in the first place. Regardless, the Red Rifle re-entered the fold last week and brought the Bengals to 1-11 on the season. And they certainly looked far more competent than they did with the rookie at quarterback but it’s still very much time to turn the page under center.
Enter Joe Burrow, the likely 2019 Heisman Trophy winner and the winner of the raised-his-draft-stock-the-most-this-season award. The LSU quarterback was a middling prospect at the start of the year but has taken a mile-long leap forward with his precision passing and mental acumen at the position. While not the elite toolbox many teams might want under center, Burrow has all the intangibles and performance resume to be the first quarterback off the board.