Below are the Top 10 CB Prospects for the 2020 NFL Draft:

Joe Burrows (LSU QB) is the NEW Trendy #1 Pick, But Will He Live Up To The Hype? 

The consensus of 2020 NFL Mock Drafts for the #1 overall pick currently sit at about 50% Tua and 50% Burrows.

At the beginning of the season, no one but Joe Burrows would have mocked him no. 1 overall. Until his spectacular performance against the elite Alabama D, most experts still thought Tua was the consensus 1^st QB taken (with a couple Justin Herbert truthers sprinkled in). Even in September, after only a couple games, the NFL really started to take note. Scouts still thought Burrows was at best a high 2^nd round pick (see “Multiple Teams See Day 2 Ceiling on Burrow”).

I am not 100% convinced either way as of yet, but I am leaning towards wanting him if I have the first overall pick. His competitive nature & resiliency will take him very far. 

After leaving Ohio State, where in high school he won Mr. Ohio in 2015, he took the SEC by storm. Joe won the QB battle at LSU his first year, giving the ultra-talented Tigers their first elite talent since Jamarcus Russell (and as long as he doesn’t tell his coaches he watched film on the blank tapes they gave him, his career will last longer than that former LSU QB taken with the #1 pick). He continued to shine throughout the 2018 season, but was not considered more than a flyer in the draft.

Then boom, in the very talented SEC conference he has been tearing up defenses, not making mistakes, & proving to have nerves of steel when needing to make big plays. The Tigers currently sit at number one in the CFB playoff rankings & Burrows is clearly their leader on the field & in the locker room. Not only is he a Heisman favorite, but he is now a favorite to be the #1 pick in the 2020 draft.

Even PFF, who did not have him rated in their top 10 QB prospects prior to the season, has him as their #1 prospect, grading out at a 92. Just comparing his stats from his Junior year to now there are some eye popping improvements, that really speaks to his progression.

His 2018 stat line was 2894 yds; 16 tds  5 ints; 57.8% completion percentage; racking up 400 yds rushing and 7 tds on the ground vs 2019 with at least 3 more games to go 3687 yds; 38 tds  6 ints; 78.6% completion percentage; racking up 215 yds and 3 tds on the ground.

The thing that helps me have more faith in Burrows jumping up draft boards so quickly is his completion percentage & ability to play mistake-free football. Those were both massive question marks coming into the season & he has completely wiped those concerns from my mind. Cincinnati knows what to do here, draft the home state talent that just might win the Heisman this year.

Below is a compilation of the Top 32 NFL Prospects for the 2020 Draft:

Joe Burrows – QB – LSU

Chase Young – DE – Ohio State

Jeff Okudah – CB – Ohio State

Andrew Thomas – OT – Georgia

Jerry Jeudy – WR – Alabama

Justin Herbert – QB – Oregon

Austin Jackson, OT, USC

Grant Delpit, S, LSU

Derrick Brown, DE/DT, Auburn

A.J. Epenesa, DE/OLB, Iowa

Kenneth Murray, LB, Oklahoma 

Paulson Adebo, CB, Stanford 

CeeDee Lamb, WR, Oklahoma

Jake Fromm, QB, Georgia

Trevon Diggs, CB, Alabama

Yetur Gross-Matos, DE, Penn State

Jacob Eason, QB, Washington 

Raekwon Davis, DE/DT, Alabama

Isaiah Simmons, S, Clemson

Albert Okwuegbunam, TE, Missouri 

Laviska Shenault, WR, Colorado

Walker Little, OT, Stanford

Troy Dye, LB, Oregon 

Jalen Reagor, WR, TCU

D’Andre Swift, RB, Georgia

Justin Jefferson, WR, LSU

Alex Leatherwood, OT/G, Alabama 

Jon Greenard, DE, Florida

Shane Lemieux, G, Oregon

Javon Kinlaw, DT, South Carolina

C.J. Henderson, CB, Florida 

Andrew Thomas – OT – Georgia

Andrew Thomas is a big, strong offensive lineman. He has good quickness and athletic ability. He isn’t afraid to be tough and aggressive when it comes to blocking, and uses his size to his advantage. Thomas shows good balance in being able to stay upright on plays where he is getting his legs taken out from under him, which is hard for any offensive lineman to do. Unsurprisingly, Andrews shows strength in run blocking and is able to get leverage on the defenders, pushing them backwards. He also has the ability to move upfield and block on the second level.

Thomas may need to work a bit on his footwork in order to be able to handle the elite pash rushers in the NFL, but he has all the gifts to be a very solid LT. 

Jonathan Allen is an elite tier prospect, and his 2016-2017 season showed it. Allen wasn’t afraid to take on blockers and dominate both the pass and the run. Allen has a unique mix of size and athleticism that is rarely seen in most players. One area that Allen really seems to stand out is his agility. This agility, mixed with his high level of awareness really allows for Jonathan Allen to shine. Allen is constantly paying attention to how the play is developing. And he has good instincts and discipline to make sure that he makes the right decisions.

Jonathan Allen comes from an Alabama defense that is stacked with talent. This leads to some questions about whether Allen is benefiting from defenses not being able to key on him. However, if you watch the games, you can see Allen is the player that is shining and standing out above the rest. Allen looks like one of the most NFL ready players to come around in a long time. Allen has the cliché “nonstop motor” that evaluators tend to drool over. You can see Allen running down players and getting assists on tackles that most linemen would never even get to. If Allen continues to keep this level of discipline and effort, I have no doubt he will contribute early and go on to be a perennial Pro Bowler.

While Myles Garrett is a talented player and has unlimited upside, there is no denying the productivity and NFL ready prospect that Jonathan Allen is.

Jonathan Allen Going Number 1 Overall

Jonathan Allen has been a beast on the defensive side of the ball. As talented as Alabama’s defense is, there is something to be said about one player that shines above the rest. The agility that Jonathan Allen has for his size is something that is unmatched. Just watch any highlight film of him, and you will be amazed at how well he can move and adjust to any play. Allen has a true nonstop motor, and can always be seen chasing down players and assisting on tackles that most lineman wouldn’t even get to.

Allen also has made some incredible defections and interceptions, something that is rare for a player his size. Allen’s play looks effortless on the field, and you can see teams constantly game planning around him to try to minimize his effectiveness.

Allen is a new breed of disruptive interior lineman. (While some are projecting him as a DE, I think his best fit is as a 4-3 DT.) One comparison might be to the Los Angeles Rams’ Aaron Donald. The mix of disruptiveness in the run game, and pass rushing skills makes Allen and Donald a hot commodity. Pass rushing DE/OLB types have been getting the praise for the last decade, but we may be seeing a shift back to talented inside linemen.

Allen’s awareness of what is happening on the field is second to none. On any given play you can see Allen looking around for how the play is developing, and deciding on the right position to be. He is a very technically sound and disciplined player, which when added to his skill set makes him a tremendous NFL ready prospect.

Myles Garrett

Myles Garrett is no doubt a talented player. He has the ability to completely dominate and disrupt on the defensive side of the ball.

Garrett has the athleticism to set him apart from most other players on the field. Garrett knows how to use these to his advantage and especially wreak havoc on weaker opponents.

One area of concern is that Garrett may have some trouble with more talented opposition. Alabama’s LT Cam Robinson (a 1^st or 2^nd Round NFL Draft Pick) was able to keep Myles Garrett in check for most of the game. One problem with pass rushers like Garrett is sometimes they are so talented, that they do not necessarily have to develop good technique and a variety of moves because their pure athleticism allows them to dominate their opponents. Now I’m not saying this is necessarily the case with Garrett, but it is something to look out for. There are a lot of bull rushing plays that Garrett might not be able to replicate so easily in the NFL. Garrett seemed to become a bit discouraged in the Alabama game when he wasn’t able to be an immediate force and presence that he is traditionally used to.

That being said, it could just be nitpicking of an extremely talented player. I could go on and on about the praise Myles Garrett deserves, but that is nearly everywhere you look online. Garrett has the talent and passion to be a force in the league, I’m just not sure that he is as polished as Jonathan Allen at this point.

As of right now, my choice for the number 1 overall pick would be Jonathan Allen. I believe he has been shown to be an absolute stud in a talented defense. As long as Allen has some other talented players around him in the NFL, I believe he will make a strong immediate impact and be a Pro Bowl caliber player for years to come.