The 2020 NFL Draft has come and gone, and now it’s time to get in to the picks. I dig in to the selections and analyze if the team made the right picks, addressed their needs, ignored their needs, reached for a player, etc. I also talk about any moves that have been made since free agency. I get in to all that and much more in this series. Let’s continue with the NFC West.
Arizona Cardinals
Selections:
Round 1: LB Isaiah Simmons
Round 3: OT Josh Jones
Round 4: DT Leki Fotu, DT Rashard Lawrence
Round 6: LB Evan Weaver
Round 7: RB Eno Benjamin
Analysis: The Cardinals had a very exciting free agency, adding an All-Pro receiver and some new defensive starters in Jordan Phillips, Devon Kennard, and De’Vondre Campbell. They followed that up with a very strong draft, despite not having a second-round pick (worth it).
With the 8th overall pick, the Cardinals had one of the most versatile defenders in college football fall to them, Isaiah Simmons out of Clemson. A top prospect in this draft, Simmons is the ultimate Swiss army knife, with the skills to play linebacker, safety, cornerback, and even edge rusher. He’s officially listed as a linebacker, but HC Kliff Kingsbury and DC Vance Joseph will have fun moving Simmons around and creating the matchups they like. Simmons is uber-athletic, and can cover running backs and tight ends and stuff the run. I’m excited to see this guy in the league.
Having to wait until the third round, the Cardinals saw a guy waiting for his name to be called, a guy who many thought could’ve been a first round pick. That guy, is offensive tackle Josh Jones. Jones has an opportunity to be the Cardinals future right tackle starter, but he’s buried on the depth chart behind Kelvin Beachum and Justin Murray at the moment.
In the fourth round, the Cards added a pair of defensive tackles in Leki Fotu and Rashard Lawrence, the latter, out of LSU, is considered a steal. Arizona has had a rough go of trying to rebuild the defensive line *cough* Robert Nkemdiche *cough*, ever since losing Calais Campbell. They now have plenty of new pieces to plug up the middle of the defensive line.
Conclusion: Few teams have had more hype entering 2020 than the Arizona Cardinals. I am one of those people who is in on this team, but I’m not getting my hopes too high. Their situation is almost identical to the Browns in 2019: acquiring a star receiver via trade for their second-year quarterback after a promising rookie year. The Browns fell flat on their face, and I fear the same could happen to the Cardinals, but I trust this organization and coaching staff much more than the Browns. The roster still has work to be done, but they got plenty of building blocks.
They have one of the best wide receivers group in the league, one of the best pass rushers, and a secondary that is much improved, and just paid one of their best players in Budda Baker, arguably the most underrated player to be given a massive extension. I’m excited to watch some Cardinals football in 2020. The league is so much better when the red birds are good.
Los Angeles Rams
Selections:
Round 2: RB Cam Akers, WR Van Jefferson
Round 3: OLB Terrell Lewis, S Terrell Burgess
Round 4: TE Brycen Hopkins
Round 6: S Jordan Fuller
Round 7: LB Clay Johnston, K Sam Sloman, G Tremayne Anchrum
Analysis: The Rams seem to hate having high draft picks. They haven’t made a first-round selection since Jared Goff in 2016, but they’ve made some solid selections with their mid-round picks, although few, and I think the same will be said for their top picks in this draft.
With the 52nd pick, the Rams selected a potential Todd Gurley replacement in running back Cam Akers out of Florida State. With Gurley out of the picture, it’s unclear who the top guy is, so they’re likely going with a running back by committee approach. I heard an interesting take that maybe Sean McVay wasn’t a fan of having a clear No. 1 back and ultimately wants to have a committee of backs so he can shuffle guys in and out based on the situation. Akers is more of an early down inside runner with some elusiveness. Darrell Henderson is a speedy, shifty, outside-zone runner, and Malcolm Brown is more of a goal-line back. Three very different skill sets, three ways for McVay to gameplan.
With their second, second-round pick, the one they acquired in the Brandin Cooks trade, the Rams selected a receiver, Van Jefferson out of Florida. I’ve been hearing some really good things about Jefferson throughout training camp, and could very well be one of the rookie stars of 2020. Although this group lost Cooks, they still have Robert Woods and the newly rich Cooper Kupp, and if the hype is real, Jefferson can be an upgrade.
Conclusion: The Rams stunk in 2019. They had some roster turnover and injuries they were not prepared for, and it bit them in the ass. They had no depth anywhere because they traded away picks to build depth, and now those guys they acquired and paid are no longer with the team. They went all in on a championship and ultimately failed, now its time to reload, refocus, and get right in 2020. It won’t be easy in this division though, they got playoff calibers throughout the West, can they overcome the hype around the other teams and emerge as underdogs?
San Francisco 49ers
Selections:
Round 1: DT Javon Kinlaw, WR Brandon Aiyuk
Round 5: OT Colton McKivitz
Round 6: TE Charlie Woerner
Round 7: WR Jauan Jennings
Analysis: The defending NFC Champions entered the draft with two first round picks after trading away DeForest Buckner to the Colts. They’ve undergone some big changes since the Super Bowl, but a strong draft, plus a mid-draft trade acquisition can make up for those losses and hopefully get them back there.
With the pick they acquired in the Buckner trade, and trading back one spot, the 49ers drafted his replacement, Javon Kinlaw out of South Carolina. Love this pick for the Niners, it replaces a need I didn’t realize they really needed because they were so deep there, but if makes sense. He joins a dominant defensive line that was the best in football in 2019 that featured five first-round picks, and they still have five first round picks, 3 of 5 on rookie deals.
With their second first-round pick, originally holding the 31st pick, they traded up to the 25th pick and selected wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk. The 49ers lost Emmanuel Sanders in free agency, and desperately needed another receiver as that was a clear hole on their roster throughout 2019. Yes they have the best tight end in football, but the wide receivers are lacking star talent. Aiyuk may not be that big of a name yet, but he will have plenty of opportunities to shine in a dim group. Deebo Samuel is hurt, so they’ll be relying on Aiyuk and others big time.
While the rest of the selections aren’t really worth mentioning, what they did on day three of the draft is definitely worth talking about. Washington had been trying to trade star left tackle Trent Williams for a year per his request after sitting for all of 2019. The 49ers swooped in and traded a fifth-round pick and a future third-rounder to take Williams off their hands. The 49ers did not show their hand, creating leverage, as they suddenly needed a left tackle as longtime starter Joe Staley informed the team of his retirement. He told them ahead of time, but they kept it a secret in order to not show their need and get the best deal. This is a good deal for both sides, as Williams refused to stay in Washington, and the Niners get an elite starter who is fresh and ready to roll.
Conclusion: The 49ers had a solid draft filling two major needs, but I can’t help but point out the lack of attention towards arguably their most glaring need: cornerback. Richard Sherman was great last season, but did show his age and lack of speed. They were alternating guys starting opposite him with Ahkello Witherspoon and Emmanuel Moseley, and they really need an upgrade there. That defensive line can only rush for so long, they need a lockdown secondary to give them time to rush the passer, and vice versa. I really think their lack of secondary depth will come back to bite them unless they make a move. Other than that, this is a very talented team. I don’t think last year was a total fluke, but I just have a feeling they’ll take a step back this year. I don’t want that to happen, but this division is just so tough, you can’t pinpoint the top team. It could be the Niners, or maybe not, we’ll see.
Seattle Seahawks
Selections:
Round 1: LB Jordyn Brooks
Round 2: DE Darrell Taylor
Round 3: G Damien Lewis
Round 4: TE Colby Parkinson, RB DeeJay Dallas
Round 5: DE Alton Robinson
Round 6: WR Freddie Swain
Round 7: TE Stephen Sullivan
Analysis: The Seahawks are one of the more successful and well-run franchises, but there’s just something about their drafts that just don’t do it for me. They’re similar to the Patriots, they rarely take the high-profile names, with some exceptions (D.K. Metcalf) but they’re mostly names you haven’t heard of, but they did take positions of need, so they do get that. Let’s dive into this no-names.
With the 27th pick, the Seahawks selected a linebacker, Jordyn Brooks out of Texas Tech. This team was projected to take a defensive player, and there were plenty of star guys still available (Patrick Queen, Yetur Gross-Matos) but they went with a guy I had never heard of in Brooks. The Seahawks love to do this: either try to trade out of the first round or draft a guy no one has heard of to attempt to show off their scouting skills. They did it last year with L.J. Collier, we’ll see how Brooks works out. And it’s not like the Seahawks desperately needed another linebacker. They have the best in all of football in Bobby Wagner, plus veterans K.J. Wright and Bruce Irvin, along with young guys like Cody Barton, Ben Burr-Kirven, and Shaquem Griffin. It’s rare to see such depth at linebacker with so many teams that are severely lacking in that area.
In the second round, the Seahawks double-dipped on defense with defensive end Darrell Taylor. Again, never heard of Taylor before the draft, but pass rush was a need for the Seahawks after losing Jadeveon Clowney. Taylor may not see the field early, but he’ll have some opportunities behind Collier, Benson Mayowa, and Rasheem Green.
It wasn’t until the third round when Seattle addressed their top need in my opinion, selecting guard Damien Lewis out of LSU. The narrative around the Seahawks offense for years has been the poor offensive line play. They’ve made strides in recent years to address it, and Lewis is a very nice addition. They parted with starters Justin Britt and D.J. Fluker, so there is an interior line spot available to Lewis to take. They did sign several veterans in free agency, including B.J. Finney, so there is competition there, along with Ethan Pocic and veteran Mike Iupati.
Conclusion: The 2020 Seahawks are primed to return to the playoffs. They’ve got some injuries to overcome, but I believe this team has what it takes to be repeat playoff contenders. It won’t be easy. This is the toughest division in football that could yield three, maybe even four playoff teams. Either way football in 2020 is going to be fun and interesting, let’s have a season!
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