AROUND THE NFL

In a late-night session, by the thinnest of margins, the NFLPA’s Executive Council approved sending a CBA to the members for a vote.  Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com:

The NFL Players Association unexpectedly raised the bar for sending the current CBA proposal to the full union for a vote. Early Wednesday, that bar was cleared.

Per a league source, the vote by the 32-member board of player representatives was 17 for, 14 against, and one abstention. That gave the measure the minimum number of votes needed to send the measure to the full union, based on the re-interpretation of the NFLPA Constitution that the union communicated to agents on Monday.

The proposed CBA won’t go to the full union with a recommendation for the players to accept it, however. It has been believe that, ultimately, the absence of a recommendation won’t matter, and that the rank and file will indeed accept the proposed deal.

It’s unclear whether and to what extent the NFL adjusted the terms of the proposal that the league officially ratified last Thursday. What is clear is that the full member of the union (roughly 1,900 dues-paying members) will cast an up or down vote on the new CBA. If 50 percent plus one approve, it will be adopted.

NFC NORTH

MINNESOTA

QB KIRK COUSINS is entering the final year of his contract and the question of an extension is arising.  Courtney Cronin of ESPN.com:

Two years ago, the Minnesota Vikings went to the NFL combine in search for their next franchise quarterback.

The Vikings went through evaluations of their own pending free agents and those on other teams, and in the end, decided to go all-in on Kirk Cousins.

The conversation surrounding how much it would cost to sign the former Washington Redskins quarterback started during NFL combine week in 2018. The groundwork of Cousins’ three-year, $84 million, fully guaranteed deal was laid out in Indianapolis between the Vikings’ front office and Cousins’ agent, Mike McCartney.

Two years into Cousins’ contract, the Vikings are in a similar spot, headed to the combine to figure out whether they will sign Cousins, 31, to an extension or table negotiations.

After leading the Vikings to a playoff win over the Saints in New Orleans — the first of his career — Cousins put himself in line for a deal that could solidify Minnesota’s quarterback situation for the next few years.

As the Vikings begin a long week in Indianapolis, extension talks for Cousins will be their top priority.

The price tag

By the end of the week, the rumored price tag associated with an early extension for Cousins will undoubtedly circulate at the combine. The type of deal Cousins will command is of relevance to a pending free-agent-quarterback market dominated by names such as Tom Brady and Philip Rivers, not to mention the others who are waiting to get paid, such as Dak Prescott and, eventually, Patrick Mahomes.

When McCartney helped Cousins become the first quarterback in NFL history to land a multiyear, fully guaranteed deal, a precedent was set.

Will Cousins want another fully guaranteed deal? And will this new contract again be short-term, allowing him to hit free agency in a few years?

It’s hard to believe Cousins’ representation will want to accept anything less than what they’ve already worked to earn, which would put another fully guaranteed deal on the table. It’s also difficult to see the Vikings wanting to structure a new deal in that same fashion.

Minnesota discovered some hard truths about Cousins’ deal, as it inhibited the team from being active in free agency last season. Cousins had cap hits of $24 million in 2018 and $29 million in 2019 and is on the books with a $31 million hit this season, which accounts for almost 16% of the Vikings’ total cap. He also has had a no-trade clause.

The obvious benefit of an extension would be to lower Cousins’ 2020 cap number to give the Vikings some flexibility going into free agency. The Vikings began clearing some space last week when defensive end Everson Griffen voided the remaining three years on his contract, creating $13.1 million in cap savings. The Vikings were projected to be $10 million to $12 million over the cap, so that move essentially brought the Vikings back to ground zero. A Cousins extension would create more wiggle room.

What’s In Store For Cousins?

What might Kirk Cousins be looking for numbers-wise in a new contract with the Vikings? It’s important to look at other quarterbacks who signed new deals after him in 2018 and how those contracts were structured.

QUARTERBACK           SIGNED            LENGTH   BONUS         AVG./YEAR      GUARANTEED

Russell Wilson                April 17, 2019  4 years       $65M                $35M          $107M

Ben Roethlisberger         April 24, 2019    2 years       $37.5M            $34M           $67.5M

Aaron Rodgers                Aug. 29, 2018   4 years       $57.5M           $33.5M         $98.2M

Jared Goff                      Sept. 3, 2019    4 years       $25M              $33.5M         $110M

Carson Wentz               June 11, 2019     4 years       $16.4M          $27.75M         $109.9M

If Cousins seeks another fully guaranteed contract, McCartney’s biggest challenge will be building a case for a deal of that magnitude over the ones signed by Russell Wilson, Ben Roethlisberger and Aaron Rodgers, who have won Super Bowls. If Cousins were to sign a four-year extension with north of $120 million in guaranteed money (potentially entirely guaranteed), he would be in the range of making $30 million to $32 million per year. Expecting more — something in the realm of $35 million per year — is difficult to justify given Cousins has won one playoff game in his career.

But taking a hometown discount doesn’t benefit Cousins after the type of season he had. If he replicates that success in 2020 without having signed an extension, he’s in line to make even more as a free agent. So expecting Cousins to take a team-friendly deal, or whatever the Vikings opt to counter with, might result in a deal not getting done.

Importance of a deal before free agency

For the Vikings’ sake, Cousins needs to be the first domino to fall this offseason. With a handful of other decisions to be made, particularly on defense with pending free agents Griffen, Trae Waynes, Mackensie Alexander and Anthony Harris, the Vikings need to know where their finances will be tied up in order to plan out the rest of 2020. That includes who they’re able to bring back and which free agents they can pursue in March.

It also benefits the rest of the quarterback market for Cousins to sign an extension ahead of free agency, so other QB agents can know how they want to structure deals for their clients.

In Cousins’ case, inking an extension now might not be in his best interest. With the aforementioned free-agent-quarterback names waiting to get paid along with Mahomes, who might be the first $200 million QB in history, Cousins’ opting to play out his contract and becoming a free agent in 2021 could be the most lucrative option. If he waits to sign an extension post-Mahomes, he could be looking at an average of $36.5 million to $38 million per year.

Cousins was the trendsetter in 2018, becoming the richest QB in the NFL for a matter of weeks before Matt Ryan signed an extension with the Atlanta Falcons. This time around, it might be advantageous to wait it out to see how much others are in line to earn (Prescott in the immediate term, Mahomes thereafter) before negotiating.

If Cousins doesn’t agree to an extension …

Then the Vikings need to draft a quarterback in April. But before we get to concocting highly aggressive trade scenarios that would put the Vikings in play for one of the top QBs (like sending a haul to trade up and draft Alabama’s Tua Tagovailoa in the top five), there are other options that appear more feasible, at least in the short-term.

If Cousins’ reps and the Vikings can’t agree to a number for an extension, he will play out the final year of his contract. In the meantime, Minnesota could look to the late first round (Washington’s Jacob Eason) or second round (Oklahoma’s Jalen Hurts or Georgia’s Jake Fromm) to draft a quarterback who could learn under Cousins and possibly be in line to compete for the job in 2021.

At a minimum, the Vikings would have a bridge quarterback in the mix who could one day take the reins of the offense or serve as a trade candidate. A Cousins extension might help financial matters for the next several years, but if the Vikings’ front office and coaching staff isn’t on the same page with him being the long-term solution, it might be worth letting Cousins play out the final year of his deal and then moving on.

NFC SOUTH

TAMPA BAY

Coach Bruce Arians does not sound like a man anxious for more JAMEIS WINSTON.  Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times tries to read between his comments:

He called Jameis Winston “an unknown quantity.” He brought up the 30 interceptions. He said the five games in December with 11 touchdowns and 10 interceptions wasn’t what he was looking for.

“As a head coach, you have to decide. Is there a better option?” Arians said Tuesday at the NFL scouting combine.’’

The only way to do that is to wait until March 16, when teams can start negotiations with free agents.

But the deadline to designate a franchise player is four days earlier. That would seem to indicate the Bucs won’t be applying the tag to Winston.

With all that in mind, does it really sound like Bruce Arians prefers Winston as his quarterback in 2020?

Look, this could all be a smokescreen wrapped in negotiating leverage and topped with fertilizer. It’s possible that the plan all along has been to bring Winston back.

Or we could we look at what Arians said about Gerald McCoy at the NFL scouting combine a year ago.

McCoy had three more years left on his contract and was due $13 million in 2019, none of it guaranteed. Arians sounded like he was longing to stray.

“He’s not as disruptive as he was four years ago,” Arians said of McCoy. “But he’s still pretty disruptive. He’s still a good player.”

When asked why there’s so much uncertainty about McCoy, Arians said, “Probably a better question for (general manager) Jason (Licht) because the financial is a big part of it.”

We all know what happened next. The Bucs liked what was behind Door No. 2, which turned out to be Ndamukong Suh. McCoy was released and signed a one-year deal for $8-million with Carolina.

On Tuesday, Arians offered his strongest rebuke of Winston yet.

He made it clear the priority is retaining linebacker Shaquil Barrett as a free agent over Winston during a media session with reporters who regularly cover the team.

Ask about Barrett, who is also set to be a free agent, and Arians will say definitively that “he ain’t going anywhere.” The only way to ensure that is to either reach a new deal with Barrett, the NFL sack leader with 19.5, or apply the franchise player tag to him.

“Yes. One is the sack leader. They’re hard to find and I know he wants to be in this defense,” Arians said. “The other is an unknown quantity to me still. Five thousand yards and (33) touchdowns is awesome. Thirty interceptions … can we win with Jameis? Hell yeah. There’s no doubt.

“As a head coach you have to decide ‘is there a better option?’ ”

Winston is among a slew of starting quarterbacks who are available in free agency, a list that includes for the moment Tom Brady and Philip Rivers.

“I really don’t know who’s available,” Arians said, adding that Licht “can talk to agents now so we’ll find out hopefully in 36 or 48 hours.

“When those dominoes start falling, other guys are going to be on the market. I don’t want to drag it out very long. It’s one thing I want to get done soon.”

Are there examples of quarterbacks Arians would consider if they indeed become free agents? “Tom Brady. Philip (Rivers) is another guy. We’ll see,” Arians said.

Teddy Bridgewater is a free agent and likely on the move after Drew Brees decided to return to the Saints, who also control the rights to Taysom Hill as a restricted free agent. If Brady were to leave New England and go to Tennessee, Ryan Tannehill would be free. If he went to the Raiders, Derek Carr may become available in a trade. If the Bengals draft LSU’s Joe Burrow, Andy Dalton could be on the move.

And so on.

“Door number two, number three and number four,” Licht called it.

One thing is clear: it’s impossible to mask the disappointment both Arians and Licht felt for not being able to fix Winston.

Yes, he got better in certain areas like throwing the deep ball.

“Obviously it didn’t go the way you want it this year,” Licht said. “But people can improve.

“Nobody wants to say that they had six pick-sixes and seven interceptions on the first possession. Of course, that’s disappointing.”’

At this point, you expected Pinocchio from the GEICO commercial to start talking about Winston’s potential.

Arians said the Bucs looked at all of Winston’s interceptions, but this time wouldn’t say how many were the quarterback’s fault.

“Oh yeah, we got a lot of clarity,” Arians said.

Was Arians disappointed in Winston’s performance last season?

“It wasn’t what I was hoping to see,” Arians said. “During the season? Oh yeah, a little bit. But in December, it wasn’t what I was hoping to see.”

Here’s what we know. Arians would like to get a quarterback somewhere in this draft, but it’s very unlikely they would use the No. 14 overall pick on one. But for the first time since taking Winston No. 1 overall, they’re heavily scouting the position.

“If it’s the right guy at the right time,” Arians said. “I don’t think we want one that’s going to be sitting on the bench for three years. If he is, he’s got to come at the right time in the draft and I think there’s some guys like that. Big upsides.”

Whether that’s Georgia’s Jake Fromm, Washington’s Jacob Eason, Oklahoma’s Jalen Hurts or someone else may not matter. The position needs an increase of talent behind their starter.

But first things first. Licht and director of football administration Mike Greenberg must meet with Winston’s agent Joel Segal and Barrett’s agent Drew Rosenhaus while in Indianapolis.

After meeting with the media Tuesday, Arians did a segment for the NFL Network.

“We know what we’re going to do, and we still just got to see who else is available because you have to do your due diligence because you don’t always know if there’s a guy on the market,” said Arians, adding he had not spoken to Winston this offseason.

You wonder where Winston’s head is when he listens to Arians talk about him like a consolation prize.

McCoy didn’t react well to it. The quarterback has to know the entire organization is behind him. The job is too tough if it is not.

In fact, Arians’ rhetoric may sour Winston on even playing for the Bucs.

As mentioned before, if the Bucs struck a deal with Barrett, they could use the franchise player tag of $27 million on a one-year deal to prevent Winston from becoming a free agent while still lustily looking around.

Unless Winston rushed in to sign the offer sheet, the Bucs could retain his rights and rescind the tag if they get their man.

That would not be operating in good faith, but it’s within the rules.

Winston may remain with the Bucs, but everything else feels different.

AFC WEST

DENVER

The Broncos have been frequent participants in recent NFL QB carousels, but they are sitting out this year’s ride.  Gregg Rosenthal of NFL.com:

The Broncos, however, are sitting this one out. Executive John Elway said he would have been interested in free agents like Brady and Rivers in previous years, but 2020 is different because of Drew Lock.

“We think he can do it for a long time. Drew is our plan,” Elway said.

Although as Jeff Legwold explains, Elway might still be a player on a later spin on the carousel.

Tuesday at the NFL scouting combine, Denver Broncos president of football operations/general manager John Elway reaffirmed his belief that Drew Lock has the potential to be the team’s long-term solution at quarterback.

And to help him get there, Elway said he’d like to add a little more experience to the quarterback depth chart.

“We’ll see, [but] I think I’d like to get a veteran [quarterback],” Elway said. “Just with the youth we have at the position now and somebody that can help, you know, help in that situation. … I think I’d prefer a veteran, but we’ll see what’s available.”

The backup quarterback has been no small concern for the Broncos in recent years. They have used seven different starters since Week 9 of the 2017 season, and over the past five years, a Broncos quarterback has started 16 games in a season just once — Case Keenum in 2018.

The Broncos went 4-1 over their final five games in 2019 with the 23-year-old rookie behind center, and Elway and coach Vic Fangio said after the season that Lock would be the starter moving forward.

But the overall depth chart at quarterback is still a question mark. Brandon Allen, who started three games this past season, is a restricted free agent and Joe Flacco’s status is uncertain as he recovers from a herniated disk in his neck to go with a $23.65 million salary-cap charge for the 2020 season.

Flacco, who went to injured reserve after eight starts this past season, underwent an MRI earlier this month and is seeking an additional medical opinion about his recovery. The Broncos could not release Flacco — if he’s not in the plans — until he is medically cleared.

Asked Tuesday if Flacco was part of the conversation to be the team’s backup, Fangio said: “I’m not sure. Joe still hasn’t been medically cleared. We think he will be. Then we’ll see where he’s at versus where we’re at moving forward.”

Should he be deemed ready to return to the field, Flacco’s contract, which has two years remaining, would certainly need to be addressed if the Broncos were to even consider him as Lock’s backup. Elway said Tuesday he expected to have enough information to make a decision about Flacco’s future with the team by the time the new league year begins March 18.

“I don’t know yet — we’re still working on that … we don’t know exactly with Joe yet,” Elway said. “That’s always a possibility, but we’ll get that figured out before the league year [opens].”

Flacco has the second-largest cap charge on the Broncos’ roster for the 2020 season, behind only linebacker Von Miller. If the Broncos were to release Flacco, they would face a $13.6 million “dead money” hit on their salary cap, but they also would save just over $10 million against the cap — so the net hit overall would be about $3 million.

Fangio said Tuesday he believed both Allen and Brett Rypien, who was signed to a futures contract earlier this year after spending his rookie season on the Broncos’ practice squad, are in the backup conversation as well.

“It doesn’t have to be veteran,” Fangio said. “We just want to make sure we have a capable backup behind him. [Brandon] Allen may be that guy. [Rypien] may be that guy. We’ll look and see what else is out there, but I don’t think it has to be veteran. ‘Rip’ and Allen were great guys for Drew when he took over, for him to be in those meetings beside them. From that angle, those guys could fulfill that part too.”

But it’s all about what’s best for Lock to take the jump from his rookie year and for the team to do whatever is necessary to break a four-year playoff drought. Lock finished his five starts with 1,020 yards passing with seven touchdowns and three interceptions.

In the Broncos’ six games last season when they scored at least 23 points, three of those came with Lock as the starter.

“Physically, I thought he was as good as anybody coming out last year,” Elway said. “Now, the big question is what’s inside. That’s the hardest part about figuring out that position is what’s inside. … So far he’s got the it factor, he’s got the confidence to play the position, because as I told him, the sky’s going to fall down; it’s going to come caving in and it’s how you handle it when it caves in. … I feel great about Drew, but he’s got a long way to go.”

There is a long list of quarterbacks set to be free agents next month, a list that includes high-end starters such as Tom Brady, Philip Rivers, Teddy Bridgewater, Dak Prescott and a former No. 1 pick of the draft in Jameis Winston.

But there are several former starters or experienced backups who will be on the market, including Chase Daniel, Marcus Mariota and Matt Moore.

LAS VEGAS

Gregg Rosenthal of NFL.com tries to decode the artful phrasing of Raiders GM Mike Mayock on the subject of QB DEREK CARR:

If Jameis moved on, one potential landing spot could in Las Vegas. Raiders general manager Mike Mayock did a beautiful job extolling Derek Carr’s virtues Tuesday by saying he ran Jon Gruden’s offense “at a high level,” while also noting they are open to upgrading every position including quarterback. The Chiefs are not open to upgrading quarterback. Neither are the Texans, Cowboys or even Bills. Mayock and Gruden — who noticeably did not speak Tuesday — were far more definitive about Carr’s status as their franchise quarterback a year ago in Indianapolis. I couldn’t help but notice Mayock say that pocket presence is one of the most important traits he looks for in a quarterback, and he’s not sure if that’s a skill you can learn. That’s not one of Carr’s defining traits.

AFC NORTH

BALTIMORE

WR MARQUISE BROWN no longer has a screw in his foot.  Ian Rapoport of NFL.com with the Tweet:

@RapSheet

#Ravens WR Marquise “Hollywood” Brown had offseason surgery to remove the screw from his foot that plagued him last season, sources say. While it may limit him in the offseason program, he’ll be fine by camp. The move eliminates any complications moving forward for Brown’s foot.

AFC SOUTH

HOUSTON

Having seized the GM role, Bill O’Brien is giving up playcalling.  Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle:

Texans coach Bill O’Brien disclosed Tuesday that offensive coordinator Tim Kelly will also coach quarterbacks and call plays next season.

Kelly, who’s been with O’Brien since he served as an intern at Penn State for two years, is in his second season as offensive coordinator and has been heavily involved in putting together the game plan.

“Timmy’s done a lot of that,” O’Brien said at the NFL combine. “He’s a bright guy and an excellent coach, and the players really respect him. He has great knowledge of the whole offense from the passing game to the running game.

“He and Deshaun (Watson) have a great relationship. Deshaun has great trust in Timmy, the work he puts in and what he brings to the table.”

In his first six seasons, O’Brien gave up play-calling once. In 2015, his second season, he promoted George Godsey to offensive coordinator and allowed him to call plays. Godsey was later stripped of play-calling duties and fired.

O’Brien also said offensive assistant T.J. Yates has been promoted to assistant quarterbacks coach. Carl Smith, who spent last season coaching quarterbacks, will become an offensive consultant.

TENNESSEE

The Titans indicate they will be going close to all out to re-sign RB DERRICK HENRY.  Kevin Patra of NFL.com:

The Tennessee Titans have several big-name players headed toward free agency next month, with Ryan Tannehill, Derrick Henry and Jack Conklin at the top of the list.

Speaking Tuesday from the NFL Scouting Combine, Titans general manager Jon Robinson was mum on his plans in attempting to keep their key parts, including the potential use of the franchise and transition tags.

“We’ve got several guys free agent-wise whose contracts are up,” Robinson said. “I’ve spoken to all those guys. We’re working through that now. We have daily discussions internally on how we’ll handle the roster. We’ve started some preliminary discussions with some guys. We’ll continue to work through that.”

Robinson noted that Henry is a key piece they’d like to bring back.

“Derrick had a great year for us,” the GM said. “He led the league in rushing. He built off the second half of the 2018 season that he had. He cares about his teammates, he works hard, he’s great in the community. We’re going to work through that one and do everything we can to keep him around.”

Henry earned 303 carries with 1,540 rushing yards and 16 TDs in the regular season, with an additional 83 carries for 446 yards and five scores in three playoff games. Robinson didn’t sound worried about the near-400 carry workload being an issue for the behemoth running back.

“Whoever is carrying the ball, if they’re making yards and helping us win football games, you keep feeding them,” he said. “So we’ll see how we’re going to build the roster, whether it’s that position or another position to complement the players that we’ve got.”

Tannehill seems a prime candidate for the franchise tag after guiding the Titans to the AFC Championship Game. Robinson, however, wouldn’t let on his plans to keep the QB in Tennessee.

“We’ll see how it goes,” Robinson said. “He’s under contract here for the next few weeks. He did a great job for us. We’ll start those talks and kind of see where those go, just like all the players.”

With the NFL and NFLPA agreeing to push the tag deadline to March 12, the Titans have a few more weeks to determine how their offseason will shape up, and how different Tennessee’s roster will look in 2020.

THIS AND THAT

THE 17^th GAME

So it is being said that one conference will get an extra home game in a 9-8 schedule each year, although there also is thought that the 17^th game would provide international fodder.  It has been said that the extra game would be by position in the standings between the divisions that met two years previously.

If applied for 2020, with the NFC winning the coin toss for the home game, here is what we would have added to the scheduling mix – including a Super Bowl re-match –

New England at Green Bay

Buffalo at Minnesota

New York Jets at Chicago

Miami at Detroit

Baltimore at New Orleans

Pittsburgh at Atlanta

Cleveland at Tampa Bay

Cincinnati at Carolina

Houston at Philadelphia

Tennessee at Dallas

Indianapolis at Giants

Jacksonville at Washington

Kansas City at San Francisco

Denver at Seattle

Las Vegas at Rams

Chargers at Arizona

If we went with the neutral site concept – and allowed switching of opponents by the league by one spot in the standings – we could come up with this slate.

New England – Green Bay       London

Kansas City – San Francisco    London

Indianapolis –  Giants               London

Jacksonville – Washington       London

Miami – Detroit                         London

Cleveland – Tampa Bay          London

New York Jets – Chicago      Ireland (or London)

Las Vegas – Arizona                Mexico City

Tennessee – Philadelphia      Mexico City

Buffalo –  Minnesota              Toronto

Baltimore – New Orleans       Tokyo

Chargers – Rams                   SoFi Stadium, Los Angeles

Houston –  Dallas                   Austin or San Antonio

Denver – Seattle                     Salt Lake City or Boise

Pittsburgh – Atlanta                Canton, Ohio (a regular season Hall of Fame Game)

Cincinnati – Carolina              Baton Rouge (or London, the two Queen Cities)

2020 DRAFT

At the Combine, Alabama WR JERRY JEUDY had a novel explanation for his choice of jewelry.  Ryan Gaydos of FoxNews:

Jerry Jeudy, one of the first wide receivers expecting to be taken in the 2020 NFL Draft, was questioned about why he was wearing the Star of David on Tuesday while addressing reporters.

Jeudy gave a puzzling answer about wearing the accessory.

 “People call me ‘Jew’ for short so I got a Jewish star,” the Alabama star explained. “I’m not Jewish though.”

Jeudy later apologized for possibly offending people.

“Don’t mean no disrespect to the Jewish people! I’m sorry to the people who take my chain offensive!!”

Not sure why Gaydos labeled Jeudy’s answer “puzzling.”  The reasoning seemed pretty clear.

– – –

Here is Mel Kiper’s latest Big Board.

It’s NFL combine week, and drills kick off Thursday with the quarterbacks throwing passes to the tight ends and receivers. Below is my pre-combine Big Board for the 2020 NFL draft — my top 25 prospects overall as it stands right now — plus my list of the top 10 prospects at every position.

There have been quite a few changes since my last update, including several new prospects who have moved into the Big Board. I’ll update my rankings again after the combine, and by that time we’ll have seen all of the testing numbers and gotten a great feel for the class. Then we’ll hit free agency, which will sort out the needs for all 32 teams.

Let’s dig into another Big Board:

1. Chase Young, DE, Ohio State

HT: 6-foot-5 | WT: 265 | Previously: 1

Young, who finished fourth in the Heisman Trophy voting, is a dominant pass-rusher whose 16.5 sacks broke the Buckeyes’ single-season record. He had a phenomenal season, and he is the clear top prospect in the class. Now, does that mean he’ll go No. 1? No, because we know how much teams value quarterbacks, and LSU’s Joe Burrow is the favorite to go to the Bengals. The NFL loves twitchy edge rushers who can get after quarterbacks, though, and that’s Young. He caught my eye as a true freshman in 2017, and he really came on in 2018, picking up the production with Nick Bosa sidelined; Young finished with 9.5 sacks and 14.5 total tackles for loss that season.

2. Joe Burrow, QB, LSU

HT: 6-foot-3 | WT: 215 | Previously: 2

Burrow’s final line in his Heisman-winning season: 60 touchdown passes with just six interceptions while completing 76.3% of his passes. Those are unreal numbers. Oh, and he led 15-0 LSU to a national title. I don’t think there’s any doubt now that Burrow has cemented his spot as the top quarterback in this draft. His improvement was one of the greatest stories of the season after he started 2019 as a fringe NFL prospect. With a great release, much better accuracy at all levels of the field and enough athleticism to maneuver the pocket to evade rushers, Burrow reminds me of Tony Romo. Coaches rave about his leadership and toughness too. And I’m not worried about his hand size.

3. Tua Tagovailoa, QB, Alabama

HT: 6-foot-1 | WT: 218 | Previously: 3

Tagovailoa, who dislocated his right hip and suffered a posterior wall fracture in November, won’t throw at the combine but now says he plans to throw for scouts at his pro day in early April. That’s great news. But I’ll stick to what I have said for the past few months: he’s the biggest wild card of this class. Tagovailoa’s injury history — he has dealt with ankle and knee injuries over the past two seasons — will complicate how teams evaluate him, and they’re going to want to see his medical reports before committing to him. As a player, Tagovailoa is a top-five talent with elite accuracy and all the physical and mental tools teams look for in a starter. I don’t think he is a lock to be the second quarterback off the board, however.

4. Jeff Okudah, CB, Ohio State

HT: 6-foot-1 | WT: 200 | Previously: 4

Credit Todd McShay here: He had Okudah at No. 4 overall in his preseason rankings. When I went back through the 2018 tape, I saw why Todd was so fired up. This is a potential top-five pick with a high ceiling based on talent alone. The problem? Okudah hadn’t picked off a single pass in his first two seasons for the Buckeyes. He had three interceptions in 2019, though, including two picks in a blowout of Nebraska. While Young got all of the publicity for the Ohio State defense, Okudah is a true shutdown corner in the secondary.

5. Isaiah Simmons, OLB, Clemson

HT: 6-foot-4 | WT: 225 | Previously: 5

A converted safety who had 89 tackles and 9.5 tackles for loss in 2018, Simmons is exactly what NFL teams look for in three-down linebackers in today’s game. He has the size and speed to run sideline to sideline to chase down tailbacks, and he has the athletic ability to cover tight ends in the slot. He could even flip his hips and play some safety. Simmons is a combo player in the mold of Keanu Neal. Simmons had 104 tackles, seven sacks, three interceptions and 16 total tackles for loss this past season, and he was one of the best players on the field in the loss to LSU in the national championship game.

6. Derrick Brown, DT, Auburn

HT: 6-foot-5 | WT: 318 | Previously: 6

I wrote about Brown early last season, when he had two sacks and a forced fumble in the Tigers’ win at Texas A&M. He had another sack and a forced fumble — plus two fumble recoveries — in Auburn’s loss at Florida. Brown took a leap in 2019, turning his traits into production, and that’s what he needed to show. NFL teams want interior disrupters who can knock down quarterbacks, and Brown hasn’t shown he can do that consistently just yet. He is still raw, but he has top-five talent in a massive frame.

7. Jerry Jeudy, WR, Alabama

HT: 6-foot-1 | WT: 192 | Previously: 7

Jeudy is a special talent, a true No. 1 receiver the minute he gets drafted. Just watch him run past the Arkansas secondary for one of his two touchdowns in that game. He is unguardable at the college level. He finished the season with 77 catches for 1,163 yards and 10 touchdowns. I said in May that he is the most talented receiver to enter the NFL since the duo of Julio Jones and A.J. Green went in Round 1 in 2011. The Biletnikoff Award winner can run every route and has elite ball skills, and he blazed by SEC defensive backs every week.

8. CeeDee Lamb, WR, Oklahoma

HT: 6-foot-2 | WT: 191 | Previously: 8

Lamb showed how special he can be in the Sooners’ win over Texas in October, catching 10 passes for 171 yards and three touchdowns. But you should really watch the highlights, because the overall numbers don’t quite capture his dominance. He had 65 catches for 1,158 yards and 11 touchdowns in 2018, and that was as the Sooners’ No. 2 target. With Marquise Brown off to the NFL, Lamb was the top target for Jalen Hurts last season, averaging 21.4 yards per catch with 14 touchdowns. Lamb is an advanced route runner, has outstanding hands and can get open against any defender. He doesn’t have elite speed, but I expect him to test well at the combine.

9. Justin Herbert, QB, Oregon

HT: 6-foot-6 | WT: 237 | Previously: 10

Herbert is a maddening evaluation, though overall he showed improved accuracy and better decision-making this season. He can have games in which he looks rattled (he threw two fourth-quarter interceptions in the Ducks’ loss to Arizona State), but he also can take over games through his talent. As I wrote in May, he just looks like a potential No. 1 pick — great size, a powerful arm to make every throw, limited interceptions, good athleticism. Yet he took a step back in consistency in 2018, and that’s why I thought he made a good decision to return to Oregon for his senior season. Herbert had 32 touchdown passes and five interceptions in 2019, and he showed off his athleticism with three touchdown runs in the Rose Bowl win over Wisconsin. Because of his physical tools, there will be teams that love him. But there also will be teams that stay away from him because of his inconsistent play.

10. Javon Kinlaw, DT, South Carolina

HT: 6-foot-6 | WT: 310 | Previously: 11

With a massive frame and great athleticism for his size, Kinlaw is physically gifted. And we know NFL teams are looking for interior pass-rushers, which is what Kinlaw can provide. After putting up 4.5 sacks in 2018, he had six last season. And he is getting to quarterbacks with quickness and power. Kinlaw moves really well for his size, and he can eat up blockers in the running game. He was really good at the Senior Bowl a few weeks ago, and he should perform well at the combine.

11. Mekhi Becton, OT, Louisville

HT: 6-foot-7 | WT: 370 | Previously: 12

Unfamiliar with Becton? You can’t miss him on the field. With long arms and a 6-foot-7 frame, Becton sticks out. And he dominates at the point of attack, pushing aside pass-rushers but also showing tremendous feet for his size. He is rising after the end of the season, once teams got a closer look at his junior season tape. He could end up being the No. 1 tackle off the board in April.

12. Jedrick Wills, OT, Alabama

HT: 6-foot-5 | WT: 320 | Previously: NR

I had Crimson Tide left tackle Alex Leatherwood ranked higher than Wills throughout the season, but Leatherwood is headed back to school, while Wills declared for the draft. And the right tackle is another rising lineman, as Wills is blessed with a great set of physical tools. He is a physical run-blocker who can shut down edge rushers or interior pressure in pass protection. Wills is another possibility as the top tackle off the board.

13. Xavier McKinney, S, Alabama

HT: 6-foot-1 | WT: 200 | Previously: 14

I have a new No. 1 safety in the 2020 class, and it’s McKinney, who was on my preseason Big Board after he outplayed fourth-round pick Deionte Thompson over the second half of 2018. I dropped McKinney out of the top 25 early in the season, but after taking a closer look at his 2019 film, I had to move him back up. He is a gifted all-around safety who can cover the deep half of the field and also stick his nose in the backfield to get a tackle for loss. He finished the season with 95 tackles, three interceptions, three sacks and four forced fumbles. I’m interested in seeing McKinney work out at the combine: How fast will he run the 40-yard dash?

14. A.J. Epenesa, DE, Iowa

HT: 6-foot-6 | WT: 280 | Previously: 15

Epenesa ended the season on a high note, which included Iowa’s win over Minnesota in which he dominated with 2.5 sacks and a forced fumble. After a slow start this season, he finished with 11.5 sacks and four forced fumbles. As a sophomore in 2018, he led Iowa in sacks (10.5) and tackles for loss (16.5) despite playing only 30 snaps per game. As Epenesa has taken on a bigger role, there has been an adjustment period, but he has shown that he can bring inside and outside pressure. With a massive frame, Epenesa could play tackle in a 4-3 defense or end in a 3-4.

15. Tristan Wirfs, OT, Iowa

HT: 6-foot-5 | WT: 322 | Previously: 16

Left tackle, right tackle — it really doesn’t matter anymore. NFL teams aren’t differentiating between the value of the two positions. Just look at the $36.75 million guaranteed the Raiders gave Trent Brown, who moved back to right tackle this season. Teams just want good tackles, period. Wirfs, a former high school wrestling champion, plays right tackle for the Hawkeyes — though he has had a few series on the left side — and he just mauls defenders. Dominates them. He has incredible strength and power — check out this video — and he also can move his feet. Wirfs is a rare talent who could keep moving up.

16. D’Andre Swift, RB, Georgia

HT: 5-foot-9 | WT: 215 | Previously: 18

He runs through and by defenders, showing off what has scouts so excited about his potential. It starts with speed, as Swift is one of the fastest running backs in the country. But he also has a physical side, and he makes tacklers miss. After running for 1,049 yards as part of a rotation in 2018, Swift was the Bulldogs’ clear No. 1 back this past season. He averaged 6.2 yards per carry with eight total touchdowns. He caught 32 passes in 2018, so he is already a third-down threat. That versatility will be important for his future.

17. Patrick Queen, ILB, LSU

HT: 6-foot-1 | WT: 227 | Previously: 25

The more I watched LSU’s defense last season, the more I liked Queen. He just constantly showed up on the film, making sure tackles and penetrating into the backfield. And he was great in the Tigers’ two College Football Playoff games, with four tackles for loss and 16 total tackles. Queen is a run-and-hit middle linebacker who has some coverage skills, though he can still improve there. He’ll be an instant starter as a rookie.

18. CJ Henderson, CB, Florida

HT: 6-foot-1 | WT: 202 | Previously: 23

Henderson dealt with an ankle injury this past season, and he sat out a few games. He returned for the two tough matchups with Auburn and LSU, and he had three pass breakups in each of those games. Henderson is a lockdown cover corner who needs to improve on the little things to make his all-around game better. With six interceptions combined in 2017 and 2018, Henderson has tremendous ball skills, and he has the athletic traits to be a No. 1 corner in the NFL.

19. Kenneth Murray, ILB, Oklahoma

HT: 6-foot-2 | WT: 240 | Previously: 19

I said on the podcast recently that I really wanted to move up Murray into my top 25, and he has now made it into both of my early mock drafts. He is a chiseled specimen with great athleticism for his size. Murray can be a little stiff in coverage, but he has excellent diagnostic ability, and he flies to the football. I think he will improve in space with more reps; he was asked to be a tackling machine for the Sooners, who didn’t have a ton of other defensive studs. Murray also showed that he can blitz, as he had 8.5 sacks over the past two seasons. He could be a linebacker in a 3-4 or 4-3 defense.

20. Henry Ruggs III, WR, Alabama

HT: 6-foot | WT: 190 | Previously: 17

As the Crimson Tide’s No. 2 receiver, Ruggs’ game is all about speed, though he improved as a route runner in 2018, when he had 46 catches for 741 yards and 11 touchdowns. He averaged 18.6 yards per catch last season, and he had seven touchdowns, though he didn’t get much target volume in a stacked Bama offense. Ruggs is the early favorite to be the fastest prospect in the 2020 class, and he is perfect for today’s NFL.

21. K’Lavon Chaisson, OLB, LSU

HT: 6-foot-4 | WT: 250 | Previously: 24

Every year, teams covet edge rushers with projectable traits, even if they don’t always produce huge numbers. That’s Chaisson, who had just 6.5 sacks this past season, only 3.5 of which came in the regular season. Those high-ceiling edge rushers don’t always go in the first round, of course, but you can see on tape why a team might love Chaisson’s potential. He starred in the Tigers’ win over Oklahoma in the College Football Playoff, picking up two sacks. It’s fair to say there is risk involved; Chaisson missed most of the 2018 season with a knee injury, and he finished his LSU career with just 9.5 sacks. Again, though, this is all about upside, and I’m betting his stock keeps rising through the pre-draft process.

22. Josh Jones, OT, Houston

HT: 6-foot-7 | WT: 310 | Previously: NR

I mentioned Jones leading up the Senior Bowl as an under-the-radar prospect who could turn heads. He didn’t disappoint, dominating defenders from Power 5 schools in practice and looking like one of the best players in attendance. A four-year starter, Jones has great athleticism to move his feet in pass sets, and he can move edge rushers off the line of scrimmage in the running game. In a deep top tier of offensive tackles, Jones has a chance to be a top-15 pick.

23. Tee Higgins, WR, Clemson

HT: 6-foot-4 | WT: 215 | Previously: NR

It’s the size that sticks out with Higgins: He has a huge frame to create mismatches. But he also is a better-than-expected route runner, and he helped stretch the field for quarterback Trevor Lawrence. He can box out smaller cornerbacks in the red zone, and he can high-point the ball on sideline throws. Check out this catch-and-run from two seasons ago. Higgins was a touchdown machine in 2018, scoring 12 times on 59 catches. And he averaged 19.8 yards per catch on his 59 receptions last season, with 13 TDs, including three apiece against Wake Forest and in the ACC title game against Virginia.

24. Cesar Ruiz, C, Michigan

HT: 6-foot-4| WT: 319| Previously: NR

As I mentioned in my Mock Draft 2.0, I really like Ruiz’s 2019 film, and I have a higher grade on him now than I did last year on Garrett Bradbury, the 2019 draft class’ top center. Ruiz can play guard — he started five games there for the Wolverines — and that’s why his value is so high. NFL teams love versatile interior linemen, and I could see a team drafting him to play guard. He is strong in the running game and outstanding as a pass-blocker. I’m intrigued to see his athletic traits at the combine this week.

25. Justin Madubuike, DT, Texas A&M

HT: 6-foot-3| WT: 304 | Previously: NR

Madubuike, who also made his debut in my latest Mock Draft 2.0, had 11 sacks and 22 total tackles for loss in 2018 and 2019. He flashes all over the Aggies’ film from two seasons ago, when he had three forced fumbles. And he was even better last season, though his numbers weren’t as good — but he did add an interception. Madubuike can be an under tackle in a 4-3 defense, using his physical tools to penetrate past offensive linemen. He isn’t a finished product yet, but there is a lot of potential here.