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: Miami almost blew its draft positioning with a touchdown in the final seconds of the fourth quarter against Washington, but the Dolphins failed on the two-point conversion to lose 17-16 to the Redskins. Miami is now to 0-5 on the season.
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 0-5 Bengals lost on the road in a close game with Baltimore. 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.
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.
Washington Redskins: Jerry Jeudy, WR, Alabama 
The Redskins won their first game of the year, with Adrian Peterson running all over Miami and the defense dominating Josh Rosen. Terry McLaurin continued his fantastic season with 100 yards and two touchdowns through the air. Washington needs more receiving weapons for Dwayne Haskins when he eventually takes over, and Jeudy would be a great addition for Washington.
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 42 receptions for 528 yards and six touchdowns. In 2018, he totaled 68 receptions for 1,315 yards and 14 touchdowns. Jeudy would be a perfect receiver to go with McLaurin and Haskins.
Houston Texans: Kristian Fulton, CB, LSU 
Pat Mahomes was clearly not the same playing with his injured ankle, and that helped protect the Texans’ vulnerable secondary. Houston does not have a first-round pick for the next two years thanks to the Laremy Tunsil trade, but the Texans might be able to find a long-term starter at corner in the second round next April.
Fulton (6-0, 192) has 15 tackles with six 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.
New York Jets: CeeDee Lamb, WR, Oklahoma 
The Jets welcomed the return of Sam Darnold to the field, and he led them to their first win of the season by throwing for 338 yards on Dallas. New York got a 92-yard touchdown from Robbie Anderson, and Jamison Crowder had a quality performance, but the team could still use more long-term weapons for Darnold as Demaryius Thomas is just a stop-gap receiver at this stage of his career. Adding a potential No. 1 receiver would make a lot of sense for the Jets in the 2020 NFL Draft.
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. 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 the lack of elite speed. In 2019, Lamb has 28 receptions for 610 yards and 10 touchdowns.
San Francisco 49ers: Solomon Kindley, G, Georgia 
The 49ers got an impressive road win in L.A. as their defense completely shut down Jared Goff, holding the Rams quarterback to only 78 yards passing. The 49ers got enough from their offense, but they had a hard time moving the ball, including 99 yards rushing on 41 attempts. Aaron Donald hasn’t been the same this year, but he came alive against San Francisco with two sacks. Adding more talent to the inside of their offensive line would make sense to help San Francisco’s rushing attack and the pass protection for Jimmy Garoppolo. Kindley could be a plug-and-play starter for the 49ers if he is a late first-round pick.
Team sources are raving about Kindley (6-4, 335), and he could end up being a special guard prospect. Kindley is a big blocker with a thick build, but area scouts are raving about the way Kindley can move and feel his movement skills alone could him a starter in the NFL. On top of Kindley being an easy mover in a big body, he has nastiness to him and really gets after defensive players. Kindley helped pave the way for D’Andre Swift and Elijah Holyfield as Georgia’s starting left guard in 2018. He broke into the starting lineup as a redshirt freshman in 2017 and blocked well to help Georgia reach the National Championship. Kindley has talent around him and behind him to be a riser throughout the 2019 season.
Denver Broncos: Antonio Gandy-Golden, WR, Liberty 
The Broncos won their second straight game, behind their defense which demolished the Titans and led Denver to a 16-0 shutout. The offense continues to struggle for the Broncos, and they need to add more play-makers who can move the ball and produce points. In the first or second round of the 2020 NFL Draft, Denver could find another receiver to go with Courtland Sutton and Noah Fant.
This season, Gandy-Golden has 34 receptions for 728 yards and five scores. Gandy-Golden is a very impressive natural hands catcher with excellent size who is dangerous after the catch and has enough quickness to get downfield. The 6-foot-4, 220-pounder is a size mismatch and has some physicality to him. He is calm with defenders closing in on him and does a superb job of playing the ball. As a sophomore, Gandy-Golden had 71 receptions for 1,037 yards with 10 touchdowns. He played better than the numbers illustrate. Gandy-Golden could form a dangerous twin-towers combination with Courtland Sutton.
Minnesota Vikings: Javon Kinlaw, DT, South Carolina 
The Vikings’ passing attack finally got moving with a big game against Philadelphia during which Kirk Cousins threw four touchdown passes and had 333 yards. Carson Wentz brought the Eagles back before Minnesota put them away however. This year, the Vikings’ defense has produced some edge rush, but they could use another interior rusher to provide more pressure in the pocket from the interior.
Kinlaw has been superb for the Gamecocks in 2019. He has 18 tackles with five sacks and has caused a lot disruption at the point of attack. The first thing that stands out about Kinlaw is his size. He is a tall, thick and good-looking athlete. After passing the eyeball test, one can see some special ability as Kinlaw really fires off the ball. He is quick to close and has strength to fight off blockers. Kinlaw gets in trouble when he stands up too high, and working on his technique will help him to get more out of his excellent skill set. In the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft, Kinlaw would be a good choice for Minnesota.
New England Patriots: Prince Tega Wanogho, OT, Auburn 
In Week 5, the Redskins were able to play the Patriots close in the first half due their defensive line making life difficult for Tom Brady. The Giants then hung with New England for a while in Week 6 thanks to a strip-sack of Brady that was returned for a touchdown. The Patriots’ offensive line has been a weakness due to a lot of injuries up front and the loss of some veterans in free agency in recent years. New England could use more young talent up front to protect Tom Brady, and Wanogho would be a great talent for offensive line coach Dante Scarnecchia to work with. Late in the first round or in the second round, Wanogho could make a lot of sense for the Patriots, if he gets there.
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 length, quickness and athleticism. He has a ton of upside and could become a really good starter if he works hard and develops. Wanogho could become a franchise left tackle with the coaching of Scarnecchia.
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.
Miami Dolphins: The Dolphins have a real shot at going 0-16 this season, but once they get through a rough 2019 season, things could start to turn around for them because they are loaded with draft picks over 2020 and 2021 to rebuild their roster with early-round talents. If Miami drafts well over the next two years, the organization will have the roster in position to be a playoff contender with a core group of players who could lead the franchise for another decade or more.
The first decision for Miami will be whether to target a quarterback in the 2020 NFL Draft. At this point, Josh Rosen hasn’t played well enough to be considered the future franchise quarterback. Some fans would like the Dolphins to pass on Alabama’s Tua Tagovailoa and Oregon’s Justin Herbert to give Rosen the 2020 season and if that doesn’t work out then target Clemson’s Trevor Lawrence or Ohio State’s Justin Fields in 2021. However, it is very hard for the Dolphins to bank that they will get a top-two pick two years in a row. Miami could easily end up being improved in 2020 and end up with a pick in the No. 5-10 range and see the desired quarterbacks not get to the team’s draft slots, and the team can’t bank on whichever teams that are picking high will be willing to pass on Lawrence or Fields in a trade down. NFL teams do accept rebuilding for a year, but the decision-makers in Miami will need to show that the team is getting better next year in order to survive, so the team will be fighting hard to win every game in 2020. Thus, Tagovailoa makes sense as the Dolphins’ pick if they land the No. 1-overall pick. He is the best quarterback prospect and worthy of going at the top of the 2020 NFL Draft.
The Dolphins robbed the Texans in the Laremy Tunsil trade and the Steelers in the Minkah Fitzpatrick trade, so the Dolphins have a lot of directions they could go. In my latest mock 2020 NFL Draft, I have the Dolphins bringing Tagovailoa’s No. 1 receiver to Miami with Jerry Jeudy being the selection with Miami’s choice from the Steelers. Miami needs more play-making receivers for whoever is their quarterback, and Jeudy would be an excellent choice, especially if the Dolphins pick Tagovailoa, which would bring a receiver who he already has a well-developed relationship with and has played with for years. That would be a dream pair of picks for Miami. If the Dolphins miss out on Jeudy, they could target other first-round receivers like Colorado’s Laviska Shenault, Oklahoma’s CeeDee Lamb, Liberty’s Antonio Gandy-Golden or TCU’s Jalen Reagor.
Miami does need a left tackle to replace Tunsil, so the team could target Georgia’s Andrew Thomas with one of those picks. Or the organization could consider other tackles later on in the first round with candidates like Washington’s Trey Adams, Stanford’s Walker Little, Iowa’s Tristan Wirfs, Texas’ Sam Cosmi or Auburn’s Prince Tega Wanogho. Some of those tackles could make sense as Miami’s pick at the top of the second round.
Defensively, the Dolphins could consider taking an edge rusher to go with Christian Wilkins, such as Ohio State’s Chase Young, Penn State’s Yetur Gross-Matos or Iowa’s A.J. Epenesa. Cornerback is another position to consider because Miami could use a running mate to go with Xavien Howard. Ohio State’s Jeff Okudah, Alabama’s Trevon Diggs, Stanford’s Paulson Adebo and Florida’s C.J. Henderson are all worthy candidates for Miami’s second or third pick in the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft.
Even though this is a painful year for Dolphins fans, I really believe the future is bright in Miami. The team is loaded with five first-round picks and other extra picks on Day 2. The Dolphins also will have money to spend on free agents. If the Dolphins draft well in 2020 and 2021, they could become a powerful team in the AFC.
New York Giants: For a lot of the leadup to the 2020 NFL Draft, I had the Giants taking Daniel Jones high in the first round, and in my final mock draft, I had them taking Jones with the sixth-overall pick. While that pick was widely criticized by various uninformed media members who probably watched very little Duke football over the past few years, it looks like an excellent decision as Jones is off to a very strong start to his NFL career. The Giants’ offensive line is rather average, Saquon Barkley has been injured, and the wide receivers are mediocre at best. So Jones has not had a lot of help. With Jones’ strong debut, the future is looking bright for the Giants to build up the roster around him.
In my latest mock 2020 NFL Draft, I have the Giants taking Penn State edge rusher Yetur Gross-Matos. New York’s young edge rushers have flashed some at times this season, but the team could use one lead dog to be the engine of the pass rush. Having a dynamic pass-rusher to go next to Dexter Lawrence would give other teams lots of problems in blocking assignments and help protect the secondary. New York probably won’t be picking high enough to land Ohio State’s Chase Young, but Gross-Matos would be an excellent addition. Other edge rushers the Giants could consider early include Iowa’s A.J. Epenesa, Alabama’s Terrell Lewis and Florida’s Jon Greenard.
Another huge need on the roster is cornerback. DeAndre Baker has struggled as a rookie, but he is a talented player who will improve as he gains experience and gets coached up for the NFL. The Giants probably won’t be picking high enough for Ohio State’s Jeff Okudah, but they might have a shot at Alabama’s Trevon Diggs, Stanford’s Paulson Adebo or Florida’s C.J. Henderson. However after taking a cornerback in the first round last year, it might be wise to use that resource to add a difference-maker for the defensive front or the receiving corps. Other corners the Giants could consider on Day 2 of the 2020 NFL Draft include Utah’s Jaylon Johnson, LSU’s Kristian Fulton, Virginia’s Bryce Hall and Clemson’s A.J. Terrell.
The Giants have to get some long-term receiving weapons for Daniel Jones. Golden Tate turns 32 after next season, and Sterling Shepard is a No. 2 or 3 receiver. In the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft, New York could have some good options. The team probably won’t be picking high enough to land Alabama’s Jerry Jeudy, but there could be other good options to consider as a long-term No. 1 wide receiver. Those players are Colorado’s Laviska Shenault, Oklahoma’s CeeDee Lamb and Liberty’s Antonio Gandy-Golden. Any of those three would bring size to the receiving corps to provide a mismatch for Jones.
The Giants could also consider continuing to build up their offensive line, or perhaps address the middle of their defense at linebacker. The New York roster has a lot of needs, so the team will have to draft well and add talent in free agency. While the Giants have a lot of needs to fill, they have some great building blocks with one of the NFL’s best young offensive play-makers in Saquon Barkley and a young franchise quarterback on a rookie contract who offers incredible savings for four more years. If the Giants can draft well over the next few years, it would not surprise me at all if Jones and Barkley lead them to a Lombardi Trophy.
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