With the NFL Draft two days away, beginning this Thursday, April 23, NBC Sports’ Peter King, Chris Simms, Mike Florio, Cris Collinsworth, Tony Dungy, and Jac Collinsworth continue to offer their takes on team needs, prospect breakdowns, and the uniqueness of this year’s virtual draft set up across NBC Sports platforms, including PFT Live, Lunch Talk Live with Mike Tirico, The Rich Eisen Show, the Chris Simms Unbuttoned podcast, Peter King’s “Football Morning in America” column, and more.
NBC Sports’ 2020 NFL Draft coverage continues this week and is hosted on NBCSports.com, NBC Sports’ YouTube channel, and social media platforms.
Following is a selection of quotes from NBC Sports’ football insiders and analysts on the 2020 NFL Draft:
PROSPECT ANALYSIS
Simms on LSU QB Joe Burrow: “It’s the cleanest film I’ve ever seen from a college quarterback.”
Cris Collinsworth, who played for the Bengals, on the top quarterback prospect: “I think Joe Burrow is the player. Once (Bengals owner) Mike Brown thinks he’ll have a quarterback, he will stick with that guy.”
Jac Collinsworth on Burrow: “I’m all in on Joe Burrow. I have seen enough through the playoff and national championship game. He’s more mobile than people think and I love that he is an Ohio guy.”
King on Alabama QB Tua Tagovailoa: “In the draft this year, the most fateful decision will be another medical one…to draft Tua Tagovailoa with his injury history, or to pass him by.”
Simms on Tagovailoa: “I don’t think he’s a Top 10 talent even without the injuries. With the injuries, I just look at it and go there’s no way, you’d have to be crazy…I would be actually floored, jaw-on-the-floor shocked, if Tua ended up being picked in the Top 10. I would think for sure, once he hits No. 10, business will be open for Tua.”
Cris Collinsworth on Tagovailoa: “I think someone will jump up to No. 2, 3, or 4 and take him…I like his energy, frenetic style, throwing motion and think he will be a top three to four player.”
Simms on Oregon QB Justin Herbert: “I think he’s got the best arm of any of these quarterbacks in this draft.”
King on having Miami trading up to No. 3 to select Oregon QB Justin Herbert in his mock draft: “My pick is based on Miami choosing to go conservative here instead of trying to hit a triple in the gap by picking Tua Tagovailoa.”
Simms on the potential of Herbert and Utah State QB Jordan Love: “They can be superstar physical talents who I think can take over games.”
Florio on a team potentially trading with the Chiefs for the No. 32 pick to take Love: “The Teddy Bridgewater move, the Lamar Jackson move. Maybe that’s the Jordan Love spot…To me, that’s a very intriguing spot.”
Dungy on if he could select one player in this year’s draft: “Joe Burrow is special, Tua (Tagovailoa). You’ve got some quarterbacks. I love Justin Herbert…I just think Chase Young, if you have a chance to get this special pass rusher who everybody says really was more dominant than Nick Bosa in college, I like that pass rusher.”
Simms on LSU RB Clyde Edwards-Helaire: “I don’t think it’s close. I think this guy is clearly the best running back…There’s no weakness to anything he does. He makes the most with the least.”
Simms on Wisconsin RB Jonathan Taylor: “Can run you over in the hole, moves the pile forward every time I watch him…has some elite traits, but this is the fastest guy in the (running back prospect) group.”
King on Georgia RB D’Andre Swift vs. Taylor: “I think Swift is going to go before Taylor…I think he’ll get picked low in the first round. Taylor may get picked low in the first round as well, but I just hear a little bit more buzz (about Swift).”
Simms on this year’s wide receiver draft class: “This is the No. 1 position in the Draft. It’s so deep, it’s never-ending.”
King on this year’s wide receiver draft class: “The incredible excess at receiver in this draft makes so many teams with wideout needs say they’ll wait till the second and third rounds.”
Simms on Oklahoma WR CeeDee Lamb: “CeeDee Lamb is the best wide receiver in the draft…He’s almost like DeAndre Hopkins in size, but Jarvis Landry with the ball in his hands.”
Simms on LSU WR Justin Jefferson: “One of my favorite players in the draft. I don’t understand why he’s not getting more hype.”
Simms on Alabama WR Henry Ruggs III: “This is a guy like Tyreek Hill…You can’t look at him as a traditional wide receiver. He is a weapon.”
Simms on Alabama WR Jerry Jeudy: “If he gets drafted in the first round, I’m not going to sit here and say that’s a stupid pick…I just don’t know if there’s any elite traits.”
Jac Collinsworth on Notre Dame WR Chase Claypool: “One of those monster guys that looks like Michael Thomas. A tight end body and just so aggressive when going up to get the ball.”
King on the depth of offensive tackles in this year’s draft class: “There are going to be at least five tackles picked in the first round.”
Simms on this year’s defensive lineman class: “Five or six (defensive lineman) could be drafted in the first round. I think it’s a position that is being overlooked.”
Simms on Ohio State edge rusher Chase Young: “He’s in a class of his own. This is super freak territory we’re talking about.”
Simms on LSU edge rusher K’Lavon Chaisson: “He’s the most naturally gifted pass rusher in this draft…This is one of my favorite player’s I’ve watched in this draft.”
Simms on DTs Derrick Brown and Javon Kinlaw: “Without a doubt, (these guys) are top five commodities…huge, huge ceilings, I would be shocked if they weren’t drafted in the Top 10.”
Simms on Clemson’s Isaiah Simmons: “He’s a superfreak athlete, he’s like a praying mantis with muscles. He can do everything.”
King on Oklahoma LB Kenneth Murray: “He’s the best pure linebacker in the draft, a sideline to sideline menace…He’s also a future NFL Man of the Year, a totally too-good-to-be-true guy who helps his parents raise three siblings with special needs.”
Simms on Florida CB CJ Henderson: “I think he’s the most physically gifted of the group…There’s no weakness to this guy’s football game.”
Simms on Ohio State CB Jeff Okudah: “He lacks just the raw explosiveness for me sit there and go, ‘He’s the best corner in the draft’…There is no way I would take Okudah on the Top Five.”
TEAM NEEDS
King on Arizona: “I’ve always seen (GM Steve) Keim as a pick-the-best-player guy. And with the multiple defensive gifts of (Clemson’s Isaiah) Simmons, he’d qualify as that if there at eight.”
Simms on Arizona: “They need depth at cornerback.”
Simms on Atlanta: “Cornerback…I think this is an area of the football team that is glaring, that needs improvement.”
King on Baltimore: “(Oklahoma linebacker Kenneth) Murray to the Ravens is a football match made in heaven. I’d love to see it happen.”
Florio on Carolina: “A quarterback they can develop. They don’t have to rush him to the field…Get a guy Matt Rhule is comfortable with that he can grow and develop.”
Cris Collinsworth, who played for the Bengals, on Cincinnati at No. 1: “I think Joe Burrow is the player. Once (Bengals owner) Mike Brown thinks he’ll have a quarterback, he will stick with that guy.”
King on Cincinnati: “There’s little chance the Bengals will trade out of this pick. LSU’s JoeBurrow makes too much sense for the long-term best interests of the franchise.”
Florio on Denver: “If you have your franchise guy — and I think they have him in Drew Lock — you do what you can to help him find weapons, especially in a year like this where there are so many competent receivers in the draft”
Florio on Detroit: “I want an impact player up front…If I’m the Lions, I’m tempted to trade down, but don’t want to blow the shot of getting somebody that can be a difference maker right away.”
Simms on Detroit: “They were the worse pass rush team in football last year. They lost Darius Slay and need cornerbacks badly, elite ones.”
Simms on Green Bay: “A speed receiver. They need a guy that scares defensives and opens up Devin Funchess and Davante Adams…I’ve been wanting this for Aaron Rodgers for six years now.”
Simms on Indianapolis: “I would go wide receiver or tight end, and if you pinned me down, I would go wide receiver. They don’t have a first-round pick…I would think Chris Ballard thinks about (wide receiver) in the second or third round”
Florio on Kansas City: “I think (wide receiver) is what they need to make the best offense in the NFL even better. To be as good as they are offensively without that work horse running back is amazing.”
King on Kansas City: “Craziest rumor of the first round: Chiefs want to trade up for Henry Ruggs if he falls into the 20s. Insane. Do they want every sub 4.35 guy in the National Football League?”
Simms on Las Vegas: “I wouldn’t be shocked if they took one (wide receiver) at 12 and another in the third or fourth round of the draft as well.”
Simms on the LA Chargers: “They need another offensive tackle…I know they have Bryan Bulaga at tackle…They have people that can fill in, but I don’t know if they have ‘that guy’ (on the roster).”
Simms on the LA Rams: “They need a standup, middle linebacker more than anything.”
Simms on Minnesota: “I think they need to come out of this draft with a defensive back…With Mike Zimmer as a defensive coach, I would think that is priority No. 1 for a team that has a bunch of holes to fill.”
Florio on Minnesota: “I’m far more concerned with the offensive line. The offensive line needs to hold together long enough for Kirk Cousins to deliver the football to whoever is open.”
King on New England, who he has trading up for a QB in his mock draft: “Think if you’re (Bill) Belichick, because your team never finishes 3-13, you never have a chance to get one of the best quarterbacks in the college game. Until (Tua) Tagovailoa‘s hip popped out of the socket last November.”
Florio on New Orleans: “I think running back is an area they should consider, Latavius Murrayhas plenty of wear and tear, Alvin Kamara was banged up last year and is going to be up for a big contract.”
King on the NY Giants: “The Giants would trade down for a good offer; Dave Gettleman has said no to draft trades for so long, but this year those in the Top 10 tell me he’d definitely do it…(Iowa’s Tristan) Wirfs or Jedrick Wills of Alabama would likely play right away at right tackle for New York.”
Simms on San Francisco: “Biggest thing to me is cornerback. Richard Sherman is still good but getting up there in age. Look at the rest of the position, and you say who else is there?”
Florio on San Francisco: “Don’t be stunned if they find a cornerback to supplant Richard Sherman.”
Simms on Seattle: “Cornerback jumps out to me…but I’m going to go pass rusher…Their defensive scheme requires a pass rush and I’m not sure they have one guy that worries you coming off the edge.”
Simms on Tampa Bay: “Offensive tackle. If you want Tom Brady to play for two more years, you need a tackle to protect him.”
King on Washington potentially selecting Ohio State’s Chase Young at No. 2: “Building the NFC’s best pass-rush east of Santa Clara (Young, Montez Sweat and maybe vet Ryan Kerrigan) is the way to go.”
KING’S 2020 FIRST-ROUND MOCK DRAFT
| 1) Cincinnati: LSU QB Joe Burrow | 17) Dallas: Alabama S Xavier McKinney |
| 2) Washington: Ohio St. edge Chase Young | 18) Miami: Iowa edge A.J. Epenesa |
| 3) *Miami: Oregon QB Justin Herbert | 19) Las Vegas: LSU CB Kristian Fulton |
| 4) New York Giants: Iowa T Tristan Wirfs | 20) Jacksonville: LSU WR Justin Jefferson |
| 5) *Detroit: Ohio St. CB Jeff Okudah | 21) Philadelphia: Alabama WR Henry Ruggs III |
| 6) Los Angeles Chargers: Georgia T Andrew Thomas | 22) Minnesota: Alabama CB Trevon Diggs |
| 7) Carolina: Auburn DT Derrick Brown | 23) **San Francisco: Houston T Josh Jones |
| 8) Arizona: Clemson defensive player Isaiah Simmons | 24) New Orleans: Clemson CB A.J. Terrell |
| 9) Jacksonville: Florida CB C.J. Henderson | 25) Minnesota: Clemson WR Tee Higgins |
| 10) Cleveland: Alabama T Jedrick Wills | 26) Miami: USC T Austin Jackson |
| 11) New York Jets: Louisville T Mekhi Becton | 27) Seattle: Penn State DE Yetur Gross-Matos |
| 12) Las Vegas: Oklahoma WR CeeDee Lamb | 28) Baltimore: Oklahoma LB Kenneth Murray |
| 13) **New England: Alabama QB Tua Tagovailoa | 29) Tennessee: Georgia T Isaiah Wilson |
| 14) Tampa Bay: South Carolina DT Javon Kinlaw | 30) Green Bay: USC WR Michael Pittman, Jr. |
| 15) Denver: Alabama WR Jerry Jeudy | 31) ***Dallas: Michigan C Cesar Ruiz |
| 16) Atlanta: LSU edge K’Lavon Chaisson | 32) Kansas City: TCU CB Jeff Gladney |
| * Trade between Miami and Detroit | |
| ** Trade between New England and San Francisco | |
| *** Trade between San Francisco and Dallas |
