2020 NFL mock draft: Detroit Lions select Tua Tagovailoa

The Minnesota Vikings made it all the way to the Divisional Round this season, thanks to a strong effort on defense, solid play from running back Dalvin Cook, and a consistent season from Kirk Cousins. The knock on Cousins has been that he cannot win the big games, but he did win a Wild Card round game on the road against the New Orleans Saints.

In the Divisional Round, the Vikings were blasted by the San Francisco 49ers, as they just were not talented enough up front on offense to stop the 49ers elite pass rush. In fact, Cousins ran for his life for most of the season, something that must be addressed with their first round pick this April.

With pick No. 25 in the first round, the Vikings can still get an offensive tackle that can come in and start right away in Austin Jackson from USC. This is a draft class loaded with talent at tackle, and after committing so much money to Cousins a few years back, they have to do a better job of protecting him if they are ever going to get over the hump in a tough NFC.

With their third and final first-round pick in the draft, the Miami Dolphins select a player who is really turning heads during the draft process. That player is Josh Jones from Houston, who has garnered as much draft buzz as any other offensive lineman in the process so far.

Looking back on Miami’s first round, they bring in a franchise quarterback in Justin Herbert, a shutdown cornerback in Kristian Fulton, and now a guy who can play left tackle for ten years in Jones. That is a pretty good haul in the first round, and it makes up for the losses of Minkah Fitzpatrick and Laremy Tunsil this past season.

Miami actually played good football under head coach Brian Flores last season, and with all this draft capital, you have to think better times are coming in South Beach. They also hold two first round picks in the 2021 NFL Draft, so by the time this team kicks off for the 2021 season, they could be a legitimate contender in the AFC East.