2020 NFL mock draft: Cowboys land Henry Ruggs

The Carolina Panthers will be looking for defensive replacements this offseason, especially after captain Luke Kuechly has decided to retire. For new head coach Matt Rhule, he knows the defense must upgrade in a very tough NFC South, and they add a key piece with the No. 7 overall pick this April.

Derrick Brown is the best defensive tackle in this draft class, and on this Panthers defense, he fills one of the bigger weaknesses of the unit. Brown has the size and strength to push offensive linemen aside, can cause havoc in the run game, but also has the athleticism to get into the backfield and make plays happen.

Carolina has decided they are going to roll with Cam Newton in 2020, so that should rule out them possibly moving up to get a quarterback early on. Staying here,  they get a cornerstone defensive talent, bolstering a unit that has to face the likes of Drew Brees and Matt Ryan twice a season.

While the Arizona Cardinals did bring back D.J. Humphries this offseason,  that does not mean that they are done making  moves along the offensive line. This is a unit that needs multiple upgrades this offseason, especially if they want to protect their No. 1 asset in second-year quarterback Kyler Murray.

During the Combine, Iowa’s Tristan Wirfs dominated his offensive tackle competition, and lands in our mock as the first offensive tackle taken this April. He is big, strong, and super athletic, and even if Humphries stays on the left side, Wirfs can start on the right side right away, giving Murray tremendous bookends moving forward.

People did not know what to make of Murray when the team took him No. 1 overall last April, but he showed as a rookie that he can win games at the NFL level. This is a franchise that plays in a very tough division, but they are building up their roster the right way, and by adding Wirfs, they get significantly better up front.