Day 1 of the 2020 NFL Draft was anything but chalk. The Giants took offensive tackle Andrew Thomas when most predicted they would take Tristan Wirfs, Jedrick Wills, or Mekhi Becton. The Las Vegas Raiders made Henry Ruggs III the first wide receiver off the board at No. 12, then took Damon Arnette at No. 19 (many analysts had a second or third round grade on Arnette).
Oklahoma wide receiver CeeDee Lamb fell to the Dallas Cowboys at No. 17. The Eagles selected TCU wideout Jalen Reagor over LSU wide receiver Justin Jefferson at No. 21.
Seven offensive linemen in total were selected (six tackles and one interior lineman). Six cornerbacks went. Six wide receivers. Four quarterbacks. Three linebackers. A couple of edge rushers and interior defensive lineman. ZERO safeties.
A few teams reached for positional need in the first round, which means that some players that other teams have first-round grades on could be falling into the second round. Here is a look at the best players still available as we enter Day 2 of the 2020 NFL Draft.
2020 NFL Draft Day 2: Best Players Still Available
Wide Receivers
- Denzel Mims
- Laviska Shenault Jr.
- K.J. Hamler
- Tee Higgins
- Michael Pittman Jr.
- Tyler Johnson
- Chase Claypool
You may have noticed Laviska Shenault Jr.’s name highlighted above. That’s because Bleeding Green Nation writer and The Draft Network analyst Benjamin Solak has Shenault as his number two overall wide receiver. Not number two still available. Number two, period. He has Lamb as his first. Also worth noting is he had Jalen Reagor as his fifth-best wide receiver and Justin Jefferson has his eighth-best.
The Eagles need multiple wide receivers, and they should (and could) consider double-dipping if the right player falls to them at No. 21. If they want to continue to acquire speed and playmakers with high ceilings at the position, Denzel Mims, Laviska Shenault, and K.J. Hamler are great fits. This wide receiver class is so deep that we could easily include five more names here.
Safeties
- Xavier McKinney
- Antoine Winfield Jr.
- Grant Delpit
- Jeremy Chinn
- Kyle Dugger
- Ashtyn Davis
Zero safeties going in the first round was a bit of a surprise, especially with some of the talent at the top of the class. We could see all six of these names and a few more selected on Friday night. With the Eagles moving on from Malcolm Jenkins this offseason, they could take a safety with one of their Day 2 picks.
Interior Offensive Lineman (IOL)
- Lloyd Cushenberry III
- Netane Muti
- Nick Harris
- Matt Hennessy
- Tyler Biadasz
- Robert Hunt
- Damien Lewis
- Jonah Jackson
Only one interior lineman, Cesar Ruiz, was selected in the first round. The Eagles don’t have an immediate need here, but they do need to develop some interior linemen. Jason Kelce has been rumored to be considering retirement the last couple of years and is essentially playing on a year-to-year basis. Brandon Brooks turns 31 this summer, and while he is still an excellent guard, he has been injured the last two years. Philly could look at a center like Cushenberry or Hennessy or focus on a guard due to Isaac Seumalo’s ability to slide over to center if that is the route they want to take.
Linebackers
- Logan Wilson
- Willie Gay Jr.
- Markus Bailey
- Akeem Davis-Gaither
- Malik Harrison
Despite all of the top linebackers still being on the board at No. 21, the Eagles went with a wide receiver. They just are not going to invest valuable resources like first-round picks on this position, and that is probably the smart move in today’s NFL. If a linebacker like Logan Wilson falls to them in the second round, they might consider pulling the trigger. But they’re probably going to wait until Day 3 to address this position.
Edge Rushers
- Zack Baun
- Yetur Gross-Matos
- Julian Okwara
- A.J. Epenesa
- Curtis Weaver
The Eagles are always searching for edge rushers, especially since many of theirs have proven to be inconsistent. They are going to pick up the fifth-year option on Derek Barnett, but the decision about whether or not to offer him a contract extension might not be as simple. Brandon Graham is not getting any younger. Josh Sweat has developed into a nice rotational player, but that might be his ceiling. Genard Avery barely saw the field after the Eagles traded for him last season. Shareef Miller was inactive the entire season after being drafted in the 2019 draft. They have numbers at the position, but they need more talent.
Cornerbacks
- Jaylon Johnson
- Trevon Diggs
- Kristian Fulton
- Bryce Hall
- Troy Pride Jr.
- Amik Robertson
- Harrison Hand
There was an interesting run on corners in the first round, with teams like the Raiders and Falcons reaching for players who had second or third round grades from many scouts and analysts. There might not be as many to choose from on Day 2, but there are still plenty of players worthy of Day 2 consideration. Jaylon Johnson would have gone in the first round if not for injury concerns. After seeing six cornerbacks selected in the first round, we could easily see more than six taken in the second and third rounds.
Best of the Rest
Those are the positions the Eagles are most likely going to address on Day 2. If they decide to go in another direction, these are some of the best players remaining at other positions:
- D’Andre Swift, RB, Georgia
- Ezra Cleveland, OT, Boise State
- Ross Blacklock, IDL, TCU
- J.K. Dobbins, RB, Ohio State
- Jonathan Taylor, RB, Wisconsin
- Josh Jones, OT, Houston
- Justin Madubuike, IDL, Texas A&M
- Jordan Elliott, DT, Missouri
- Cole Kmet, TE, Notre Dame
- Neville Gallimore, IDL, Oklahoma
- Jacob Eason, QB, Washington
- Cam Akers, RB, Florida State
- Zack Moss, RB, Utah
- Adam Trautman, TE, Dayton
- Devin Asiasi, TE, UCLA
- La’Mical Perine, RB, Florida
- Trey Adams, OT, Washington
- Lucas Niang, OT, TCU
- Prince Tega Wanogho, OT, Auburn
2020 NFL Draft Day 2 is sure to be interesting, with more surprises on the way. The Eagles still have a number of short and long term needs, and they could go in any number of directions with their Day 2 picks.
