Monday Morning Draft is back! This is a column that delves into the past weekend’s action from an NFL Draft perspective. As the season goes on, the draft picture and slotting will become more clear, but every Sunday will provide a few hints for next April.
By Charlie Campbell.
Send Charlie an e-mail here: [email protected]
Follow Charlie on Twitter @draftcampbell for updates.
Race for the No. 1 Pick:
Miami Dolphins: The Dolphins played the Chargers close for awhile, but as expected, Miami fell to 0-4 on the season. Miami was blown out in epic fashion the first two weeks of the season by the Patriots and Ravens. The Dolphins went into rebuilding mode after firing Adam Gase to start 2019. Miami accelerated that effort with a bunch of trades, including ripping off the Texans for three premium draft picks for Laremy Tunsil. With the roster lacking a lot of long-term pieces, the Dolphins will be able to draft a lot of the best players available over the next few years. Miami is the favorite to land the No. 1-overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft and could decide to rebuild around Alabama quarterback Tua Tagovailoa.
Cincinnati Bengals: The 0-3 Bengals play tonight against Pittsburgh. In Week 1, Cincinnati played really well on the road, but came up short against Seattle. The Bengals have a new regime in place and could look to upgrade over Andy Dalton if they land the top pick in the 2020 NFL Draft. The Bengals still have some good talents on their offense and their defensive line, so they may not land the No. 1-overall pick over Miami or another surprise team that collapses this season. The Bengals’ offensive line, however, has needed talent and the team already lost 2019 first-round pick Jonah Williams to a season-ending injury. Cincinnati has other weaknesses on the roster, so it could be a long year.
Denver Broncos: The Broncos fell to 0-4 after the Jaguars pulled off the comeback win in Denver. The Broncos were screwed in Week 2 by the NFL’s terrible officiating when a horrible penalty on Bradley Chubb gave Chicago the yardage for a last-second field goal to get a road win. The Broncos probably won’t land the No.1 pick given the talent on their team, but if they are picking high in the first round, quarterback will definitely be a consideration with Joe Flacco being just a stop-gap signal caller and Drew Lock only being a second-round pick who did not impress in the preseason.
Washington Redskins: The Redskins lost to the Giants in New York. Washington is 0-4, but played the Cowboys and Eagles tough in the opening weeks. If the Redskins were to land the top pick or a high first-rounder, they would probably look to trade down as they have their quarterback of the future in 2019 first-rounder Dwayne Haskins.
New York Jets: The Jets had a bye this week. Last week, they fell to 0-3 on the season as the Patriots cruised over them. With Sam Darnold ailing and other mishaps, New York has been decimated by injuries to key players. The Jets could get healthy and be a second-half-of-the-year team as they are still a young squad with a lot of new players on the roster.
Pittsburgh Steelers: Pittsburgh hosts the Bengals tonight. The Steelers fell to 0-3 with a tough road loss to San Francisco. The 49ers did everything they could to give the game away with three fumbles and two interceptions, but Mason Rudolph and the Pittsburgh offense were unable to produce points despite those fortunate breaks. The Steelers traded away their first-round pick to the Miami Dolphins, and that would be a disaster for the franchise if the Steelers end up picking at the top of the draft as they would lose out on potentially landing a true successor to Ben Roethlisberger.
Arizona Cardinals: Arizona lost to Seattle to stay winless at 0-3-1. In Week 1, the Cardinals tied with the Lions after the Lions blew what should have been a win. Arizona is in trouble this year because some bad drafts by general manager Steve Keim have forced the team into rebuilding mode. If the Cardinals land the No. 1 pick for the second straight season, they could trade it for a package of picks to build around Kyler Murray, but the Cardinals will need a new general manager to make the picks or Keim could end up wasting them on prospects similar to Deone Bucannon or Robert Nkemdiche.
Let’s Play Matchmaker:
This section will look at some of the top talent in college football and match those prospects up with teams that have a dire need at the position.
Tennessee Titans: Grant Delpit, S, LSU 
The Titans improved to 2-2 with a road win in Atlanta, but Tennessee’s defense was hurt through the air, with Matt Ryan ending up a few yards shy of 400 yards passing and tight end Austin Hooper nabbing nine catches for 130 yards. The Titans have a quality safety in Kevin Byard, but they could use an upgrade to go next to him.
In 2018, Delpit was a very productive player for LSU with 74 tackles, 9.5 tackle for a loss, five sacks, nine passes batted and five interceptions. The 6-foot-3, 208-pounder has excellent instincts to go along with a good combination of size and speed. He covers a lot of ground in pass coverage in the middle of the field and is a tough run defender. Delpit has the skill set to play some man coverage on tight ends, play strong safety in the box, and even play some free safety in the deep part of the field. He has special ability for the next level.
New York Giants: Jerry Jeudy, WR, Alabama 
The Giants won their second straight game with Daniel Jones at quarterback. While Jones didn’t have as good of a game as he did at Tampa Bay in Week 2, the Giants’ defense forced four interceptions and held Washington to only three points. New York has a great play-maker for Jones in the injured Saquon Barkley, but the team could use a legit No. 1 receiver and Jeudy would be a great fit.
The 6-foot-1, 192-pound Jeudy is a polished receiver who has quickness, size, and excellent technique. He is a superb route-runner who generates separation and is very tough for defenders to cover. Jeudy has run-after-the-catch skills with the ability to produce big plays for his offense. In 2019, Jeudy has 38 receptions for 488 yards and six touchdowns. In 2018, he totaled 68 receptions for 1,315 yards and 14 touchdowns. Jeudy would be a perfect No.1 receiver for Daniel Jones.
Cleveland Browns: Xavier McKinney, S, Alabama The Browns got a much-needed win in Baltimore due to Nick Chubb and Jarvis Landry tearing up the Ravens’ defense, leading Cleveland into a tie for first place. Lamar Jackson still gave the Browns’ defense some problems, and he will be a matchup issue for years to come. Jabrill Peppers was traded away, and Damarious Randall is in the final year of his contract, so adding safety talent could be a necessity for Cleveland.
McKinney is a versatile safety who can a do a lot of things for a defense. In pass defense, he has the flexibilty to play zone in the middle of the field or rotate downfield as a free safety. This season, McKinney has shown man coverage as well. He is a tough run defender who is fast and physical. With his aggressive demeanor, McKinney can fit as the eighth man in the box. He has 28 tackles with an interception and forced fumble in 2019. A defender like McKinney would be great for Cleveland because he could serve as a seek-and-destroy tackler on players like Lamar Jackson and also cover in the middle of the field.
Oakland Raiders: CeeDee Lamb, WR, Oklahoma 
The Raiders pulled off one of the most surprising upsets of Week 4 with a road win over the Colts. Oakland got some splash plays to produce some points that made the difference in its seven-point win. Derek Carr was efficient and avoided turnovers, but the Colts’ defense kept any Raider from having 60 receiving yards. It looks like the Raiders were wise to move on from the train wreck who is Antonio Brown, but they still need a legit No. 1 receiver for Jon Gruden’s offense. Lamb would be a perfect fit.
Lamb didn’t get the attention of teammate Hollywood Brown, but Lamb was very good for the Sooners in 2018. On the year, he hauled in 65 receptions for 1,158 yards with 11 touchdowns. Lamb has 16 receptions for 414 yards with six touchdowns in 2019.
Team sources say that Lamb has the body and physique of a No. 1 receiver in the NFL. They say he has great hands, runs good routes, and is a polished receiver. Lamb makes some ridiculous catches that are reminiscent of DeAndre Hopkins and Odell Beckham Jr. His body control, concentration, and ability to adjust are tremendous, and they put him in position to make a lot of difficult receptions. After the catch, Lamb is dangerous with the ball in his hands, showing elusiveness and physicality as a runner. While he has good size, Lamb does not have mismatch speed according to team evaluators, and they’ve said he could be a 4.55 guy in the 40-yard dash. Lamb is not overly fast, but he uses polished footwork and some suddenness to create separation. His route-running generates separation and makes up for the lack of elite speed.
Los Angeles Chargers: Prince Tega Wanogho, OT, Auburn 
The Chargers’ offensive line has had some issues in pass protection this season, and they could use more talent blocking on the edge. Russell Okung has been out with an injury and is not as good as he once was. In the short term, a player like Wanogho could start out at right tackle and then move to left tackle in the future.
Wanogho has looked very good at times for Auburn and still has some other plays that illustrate that he is raw and needs development, but there is no doubt that Wanogho has a great skill set with a lot of upside if he plays up to his potential. The 6-foot-7, 301-pounder has excellent size with quickness and athleticism. He has a ton of upside and could become a really good starter if he works hard and develops.
Kansas City Chiefs: Kristian Fulton, CB, LSU Kansas City’s weakness at corner has been visible all season, and Matthew Stafford gave more proof of that on Sunday. If the Chiefs falls short of the Super Bowl, it will probably because of their struggles in coverage and stopping passing attacks. Kansas City won’t be picking high enough to land one of the elite corners of the 2020 NFL Draft, so the organization may have to target a second-tier player late in the first round or in Round 2.
Fulton (6-0, 192) has 10 tackles with five passes defensed so far in 2019. He had a mixed game against Texas with some nice plays, but he also gave up a touchdown and was flagged for pass interference. Fulton does a good job of running with receivers and preventing separation, but he needs to improve his discipline and also could stand to do a better job of defending the ball on 50-50 plays. That tape looked more like something out of a second-day pick rather than a true first-rounder. Fulton had 17 tackles with one forced fumble, one interception and seven passes broken up in 2018.
Philadelphia Eagles: C.J. Henderson, CB, Florida 
The Eagles pulled off surprising road upset of the Packers, with the Philadelphia defense providing two clutch goal-line stands in the fourth quarter to get the Eagles to 2-2. Green Bay’s offense hadn’t been producing like it did in recent years prior to playing the injury-ravaged Eagles, as Aaron Rodgers had a lot of success through the air. The Philadelphia secondary couldn’t contain Davante Adams, Geronimo Allison or Jimmy Graham. Upgrading their coverage is a top priority for the Eagles this offseason, plus Ronald Darby is entering free agency. Thus, landing a cover corner could be a necessity for Philadelphia.
Henderson has a few passes broken up, but is dealing with a foot injury. He has been very good in coverage with a rare combination of size and speed, but has shown weak tackling ability. In 2018, Henderson totaled 38 tackles with two sacks, seven passes broken up, two forced fumbles and two interceptions. He was really impressive as a freshman, demonstrating excellent coverage and ball skills. Henderson totaled four interceptions with four passes broken up and 22 tackles that season. Henderson has excellent size to go along with athleticism and natural cover skills to run the route and prevent separation. He possesses a ton of upside as a cover corner as he functions really well in press man or off man coverage.
Team Draft Report:
In this section, we take a deeper look at specific teams and where they stand in regards to the 2020 NFL Draft.
Denver Broncos: The Broncos have had a rough start to the 2019 season, and their offense has continued to be a unit in transition. Aside from a decent game against Jacksonville, Joe Flacco has not fixed the scoring attack. The Broncos have some good young talent on both sides of the ball, but they have a number of needs to address to get back in postseason contention.
Offensively, the Broncos have some skill position talent at wide receiver and running back, but the offensive line and quarterback issues are limiting what the team is able to get out of its scoring attack. If the Broncos land a high first-round pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, they will have to consider a quarterback as Drew Lock has not done enough to prove he is the future at the position. Alabama’s Tua Tagovailoa, Oregon’s Justin Herbert, Washington’s Jacob Eason or Georgia’s Jake Fromm will all get heavy consideration for Denver depending on where the organization is picking.
While the Broncos have a quality defense with some elite talent, they could use a few more upgrades. Denver needs to improve its inside linebackers and secondary to support its tremendous pass-rushers. In my latest mock 2020 NFL Draft, I have the Broncos taking LSU safety Grant Delpit, who would upgrade their run defense and coverage in the middle of the field. Aside from Delpit, they could target a linebacker upgrade on Day 2 because the linebackers have been a weakness since Danny Trevathan left in free agency. Some early-round options include Oregon’s Troy Dye, Oklahoma’s Kenneth Murray, Alabama’s Anfernee Jennings, Texas Tech’s Jordyn Brooks and Alabama’s Dylan Moses – if Moses decides to enter the 2020 NFL Draft coming off a season-ending injury.
Defensively, the Broncos also could use more help at cornerback, where they need some long-term starters and difference-makers. The 2020 NFL Draft is a strong cornerback draft, so Denver could potentially land a future No. 1 corner in the first round. Some good options who the Broncos might be in position to draft include Stanford’s Paulson Adebo, Alabama’s Trevon Diggs, Ohio State’s Jeff Okudah and Florida’s C.J. Henderson. All four of them are big, fast and athletic with the ability to run the route and prevent separation.
Another option to consider in the first round would be a play-making receiver even though the Broncos have a talented young wide out in Courtland Sutton. Adding a No. 1 to go with Sutton could make the Denever quarterback’s job a lot easier and give defenses lots of challenges with where they play their safeties considering they have to be concerned with Sutton, Noah Fans and Phillip Lindsay. Thus, if Alabama’s Jerry Jeudy is available at the Broncos’ first-round pick, it would be tough to pass on him considering how he could inject some serious point-scoring ability to their offense.
Even though the Broncos have had a rough start to the season, they might not be picking high enough to land Tagovailoa or one of the top quarterbacks. If Denver passes on the other quarterbacks, the organization has a number of other options to consider like a play-making receiver or a No. 1 corner. A linebacker upgrade looks like a necessity for Day 2. The Broncos have some elite players on their roster, but they need a few more pieces to put them back in contention in the AFC.
Green Bay Packers: The Packers came close to a 4-0 start but Philadelphia’s goal line defense came up clutch in the fourth quarter to keep Green Bay from winning when they had their best offensive performance of the season. Even though the Eagles offense played well in Lambeau Field on Thursday night, Green Bay looks better positioned to challenge for the NFC with an improved defense that is definitely playing at a higher level compared to how they performed in recent years. Keeping Aaron Rodgers healthy and adding talent around him is the priority for the franchise in hopes that they get another Lombardi Trophy before Rodgers’ career ends. With a limited number of years left, they have to draft well with little margin for error in a tough division and conference.
Many expected Green Bay to address the offensive line in the first round of the 2019 NFL Draft, but the team added more talent to the defense with its two first-round picks. The offensive line could use more talent, and there could be some quality options for the Green Bay to consider in the back half of the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft. Washington left tackle Trey Adams and Stanford’s Walker Little are both potential franchise left tackles who could move to guard or right tackle for the Packers, but both of them would be available that late because they have some injury red flags. Adams has had a lot of injuries in his career, while Little is out for the year after suffering a knee injury in the 2019 season opener. Georgia right tackle Isaiah Wilson would be another candidate to consider if the Packers are picking late in Round 1.
On the inside of the offensive line, the Packers could find some good options. Georgia guard Solomon Kindley could be a plug-and-play starter in the NFL as he is a powerful run blocker who has surprising quickness and athleticism in a big body. Tennessee’s Trey Smith and Oregon’s Shane Lemieux are other guards who could be quality selections in the second round of the 2020 NFL Draft. Wisconsin center Tyler Biadasz is having an excellent season, and he would be a good pick as well. However with Corey Linsley and Elgton Jenkins on the roster, the Packers probably don’t need Biadasz. A guard to serve as an upgrade over Billy Turner would be good acquisition. It also would make sense to draft a tackle like Little or Adams who starts out at guard, but has the ability to move to the edge as eventual replacements for David Bakhtiari or Bryan Bulaga.
The Packers rebuilt their defense in the 2019 offseason with improved safeties, edge rushers, and defensive linemen. They also have a lot of good young talent at cornerback, so the only defensive position they could address is inside linebacker. If Blake Martinez isn’t re-signed, middle linebacker will be a big need for Green Bay. Some early-round options include Oregon’s Troy Dye, Oklahoma’s Kenneth Murray, Alabama’s Anfernee Jennings, Texas Tech’s Jordyn Brooks and Alabama’s Dylan Moses – if he decides to enter the 2020 NFL Draft coming off a season-ending injury. In my latest mock 2020 NFL Draft, I have the Packers taking Jennings, who could help their run defense and pass rush.
Every year that the Packers still have Rodgers coming back is critical for them to have a good draft if they are going to get another championship late in Rodgers’ career like the league saw with Peyton Manning in Denver or Tom Brady in New England. Brian Gutekunst has done a good job of rebuilding the Green Bay defense, and one more good draft might just put the team over the top in the competitive NFC.
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