2020 NFL Mock Draft, final 7-round prediction: Patriots trade up for QB
TRADE ALERT: Panthers send No. 38 and 113 to 49ers for No. 31
As previously mentioned, the San Francisco 49ers are looking for trade partners for both of their first-round picks. They succeeded in trading out of No. 13 and now they are successful at No. 31 as well. At the end of the first round, the mysterious Panthers make an aggressive move to land another first-round defensive playmaker to start establishing their identity in a new era.
Grant Delpit has had mud kicked on him relentlessly throughout the draft process for his lack of physicality and apparent regression from 2018 to 2019. However, he was playing hurt and, when you look at 2018, you see a prototype playmaker on the back end of the defense. Carolina getting him with the 31st pick, even after trading up, could be one of the steals of the draft sooner rather than later.
Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs just won the Super Bowl on the back of Andy Reid’s offense that is predicated upon getting speed into space and letting it work. And while upgrading the defense with the No. 32 pick might make things easier for the offense, so too would adding Jonathan Taylor at running back and having an offense capable of putting up 50 points in any given week.
At Wisconsin, Taylor was the entirety of the offense for the Badgers. And he was still an elite force with over 2,000 rushing yards in each season. He’s a home-run threat in the ground game whenever he touches the ball but also progressed as a pass-catcher, albeit with limited usage. I think the Chiefs make a total luxury pick and make their biggest strength even more terrifying for opponents.