2020 NFL Draft: Identifying ideal landing spots for top SEC prospects

The SEC is rich with first-round prospects in the 2020 NFL Draft. Many of these players have the talent to become instant-impact players for their respective franchises, and some have the potential to become Day 1 starters if they end up with the right team and situation. Let’s take a look at the most ideal landing spots for many of the premier SEC prospects in the NFL Draft.

Joe Burrow, QB, LSU

Best fit: Cincinnati Bengals (1st)

The Bengals waste little time securing Andy Dalton’s successor with the first pick. Most notably, Joe Burrow showed remarkable poise and leadership in the heavyweight SEC tilt against Alabama and looked superhuman against Oklahoma in the playoff semifinal, tossing seven touchdowns in the first half. Burrow has consistently showcased proper decision-making, elite pocket awareness, and stellar improvisational skills. The Bengals will need to address the porous offensive line via free agency or later in the draft, but Bengals coach Zac Taylor gets his young quarterback to groom and grow with.

Jedrick Wills, OT, Alabama

Best fit: New York Giants (4th)

Depending on who you ask, Georgia’s Andrew Thomas could very well be selected in this spot, but I have Jedrick Wills graded as my top tackle in this draft. 

The oft-maligned Giants offensive line has seemingly tried everything to patch things together in the trenches, often to no avail. Nate Solder, signed to a massive free-agent deal in 2018, hasn’t quite lived up to his billing, and his bookend — Mike Remmers — is a less-than-ideal starter. Wills is a powerful mauler in the running game and displays nimble feet and athleticism in pass protection. His technique is more advanced than you might expect from such a young player.

I consider Wills to be among the safest players in this draft and believe he will provide exceptional protection for franchise quarterback Daniel Jones for the next decade — a career that could very well land him in Canton if he plays to his potential.

Tua Tagovailoa, QB, Alabama

Best fit: Miami Dolphins (5th)

This feels like it is destined to happen.

Had it not been for the debilitating hip injury sustained late in the season, it’s very likely that Tua Tagovailoa doesn’t fall this far. While there is an obvious risk that comes with selecting the Crimson Tide star this high, the tantalizing talent will ultimately be too tempting to pass up. Tagovailoa will miss valuable training time during the pre-draft process, as he continues to work his way back from the injury that ended his season prematurely. If he’s anywhere close to healthy, however, the prospects of adding a potential franchise quarterback to be the face of the organization should entice Miami enough to pull the trigger. 

Derrick Brown, DT, Auburn

Best fit: Carolina Panthers (7th)

If Derrick Brown were to make it this far, I could foresee the Jacksonville Jaguars, a team known for prioritizing the defensive line, potentially look to move up two spots to snag the Auburn standout.

The Panthers need help on all three levels of the defense, but adding Brown to spark their interior rush would effectively improve every position. Brown (6’5″, 318) has the ability to affect both the run and pass and will be a plug-and-play starter from Day 1. While he possesses the strength to anchor against the run, it is his explosive burst off the ball and violent hand usage that gives offensive linemen fits. Quarterbacks are most affected by pressure up the middle, as it forces them off their spot and doesn’t allow them to step up in the pocket, and Brown has the potential to become a game-wrecker.

Andrew Thomas, OT, Georgia

Best fit: Cleveland Browns (10th)

The other blue-chip offensive tackle shouldn’t make it past Cleveland. The Browns have struggled to find consistent offensive line play for years now, so adding a formidable blindside protector like Andrew Thomas will help the star-studded Browns offense reach their potential in 2020.

Jerry Jeudy, WR, Alabama

Best fit: New York Jets (11th)

With speedy deep threat Robby Anderson expected to leave Florham Park via free agency, the cupboard will be extremely bare for New York Jets quarterback Sam Darnold. Jamison Crowder is an effective third option in a passing attack, but he’s primarily a chain-moving slot receiver. Demaryius Thomas, acquired in a trade with New England in September, doesn’t appear to have much left, and Quincy Enunwa missed the entire 2019 season with a neck injury.

Enter Alabama’s Jerry Jeudy.

Easily the most efficient route runner in the draft, Jeudy is tremendously smooth in and out of breaks and boasts exceptional ball skills. The nuanced route runner should be able to navigate through NFL secondaries with relative ease — even as a rookie. Darnold gets a much-needed playmaker on the outside.

Henry Ruggs, WR, Alabama

Best fit: Las Vegas Raiders (12th)

The Raiders fielded one of the least-dynamic tandems of pass catchers in 2019 in Tyrell Williams and Hunter Renfrow. To make matters worse, the duo only combined for mere 91 catches on the season. With the team likely moving to Las Vegas in 2020, the need for an electric playmaker to galvanize the fanbase has never been more crucial, which leads me to Henry Ruggs, the fastest player in this draft. A threat to score any time he touches the football, Ruggs will open things up for the entire offense. The 6-foot, 190-pound pass-catcher recorded 40 receptions for 746 yards (18.7 YPC) and seven touchdowns for the Crimson Tide in 2019.

Kristian Fulton, CB, LSU

Best fit: Philadelphia Eagles (21st)

The Eagles desperately need help at wide receiver as well, but I opted to go with a premium position — and bigger need — at #21.

Whether it was Terry McLaurin, DeVante Parker, Darius Slayton — or most recently, D.K. Metcalf — the Eagles’ secondary struggled to contain opposing pass-catchers. Even more concerning was the fact that Sidney Jones and Rasul Douglas — second and third-round picks, respectively — watched from the sideline as Jalen Mills and Avonte Maddox surrendered big play after big play to Metcalf in the Wild Card matchup. 

At six-foot, 200 pounds, Fulton possesses the desired build to hold up on the perimeter at the next level. His long arms and physicality at the line of scrimmage enable him to often re-route receivers at the line of scrimmage and challenge the catch point on contested catches. The LSU star never seems to panic if a receiver gets position, often relying on makeup speed and exceptional technique. It’s feasible to think that 2019 starters Ronald Darby and Jalen Mills have played their last games in midnight green. Taking Fulton at #21 could be the first step at solving the ongoing cornerback carousel.