2020 NFL Mock Draft: Full first round with playoffs looming
By Brad Weiss
87. . Defensive Tackle. Carolina Panthers. Derrick Brown. 7. player
The Carolina Panthers finished up their season on a sour note for the second straight season, and they will now look for their new head coach. Outside of the coaching search, the Panthers also have to figure out what they are going to do with Cam Newton, whose season ended early via an injury, and there is no telling what he still has in the tank.
One bright spot for this Panthers team this season was running back Christian McCaffrey, who became only the third player in league history to rush and receive for 1,000 yards. On the defensive side of the ball, the team got good play from 2019 first rounder Brian Burns, who had 7.5 sacks, including one in each of the last two games.
In the 2020 NFL Draft, Carolina should once again look to bolster the defensive line, this time bringing in Derrick Brown from Auburn. The best defensive tackle in this draft class, Brown has the ability to stop the run, and get after the quarterback, and would be an excellent addition alongside Burns, and Kawaan Short going forward.
8. player. 32. . Wide Receiver. Arizona Cardinals. Jerry Jeudy
If there is one team that should be proud of how they finished in the NFC West, it should be the Arizona Cardinals, who appear to have a bright future ahead. 2019 first overall pick Kyler Murray played extremely well as a rookie, and despite his diminutive size, looks to be a quarterback they can build this team around.
In order for Murray to reach his full potential, the Cardinals are going to have to get him more weapons, and adding Jerry Jeudy with the No. 8 overall pick makes a lot of sense. Jeudy is a guy who could come in and start alongside Larry Fitzgerald and Christian Kirk on this Cardinals wide receiver group, giving Murray three excellent weapons in the passing game.
Nobody really knew what to expect from Murray and first-year head coach Kliff Kingsbury this season, but they certainly exceeded expectations. The NFC West is loaded, with three teams that fought for a playoff spot all season long, and it should not be long until the Cardinals find themselves in that mix.