What do Nick Chubb, Darius Leonard, Dalvin Cook and JuJu Smith-Schuster have in common?
For one, they’re all bonafide superstars in today’s NFL. That’s just from an initial eye test. But they’ve also all been recognized for their skills by the NFL community, earning elections to Pro Bowl rosters and, in some cases, All-Pro honors in just their first few seasons of action.
Most importantly for this article, however, is that they’re all second round picks. Clearly, if their respective drafts were redone, they’d undoubtedly be first round selections, but the teams that drafted them came away with terrific value which exceeded that of their first round counterparts.
JuJu Smith-Schuster, for example, was taken after first round picks Corey Davis, Mike Williams and John Ross. Nick Chubb was drafted behind Rashaad Penny and Sony Michel. Leonard has clearly outplayed solid first round linebackers Rashaan Evans and Leighton Vander Esch.
The point is, there is a lot of talent that falls past the first round, though understandably most of the pre-draft hype is surrounding those with top tier value. The inevitable fact is that someone who is taken from pick 33 to 64 will surpass expectations, and we’ll dig into five guys who could fill that role.
But first, here’s the prospective second round draft order barring any trades leading up to the draft.
2020 NFL Draft: Second Round Order
Pick 33: Cincinnati Bengals
Pick 34: Indianapolis Colts
Pick 35: Detroit Lions
Pick 36: New York Giants
Pick 37: New England Patriots
Pick 38: Carolina Panthers
Pick 39: Miami Dolphins
Pick 40: Houston Texans
Pick 41: Cleveland Browns
Pick 42: Jacksonville Jaguars
Pick 43: Chicago Bears
Pick 44: Indianapolis Colts
Pick 45: Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Pick 46: Denver Broncos
Pick 47: Atlanta Falcons
Pick 48: New York Jets
Pick 49: Pittsburgh Steelers
Pick 50: Chicago Bears
Pick 51: Dallas Cowboys
Pick 52: Los Angeles Rams
Pick 53: Philadelphia Eagles
Pick 54: Buffalo Bills
Pick 55: Baltimore Ravens
Pick 56: Miami Dolphins
Pick 57: Los Angeles Rams
Pick 58: Minnesota Vikings
Pick 59: Seattle Seahawks
Pick 60: Baltimore Ravens
Pick 61: Tennessee Titans
Pick 62: Green Bay Packers
Pick 63: Kansas City Chiefs
Pick 64: Seattle Seahawks
Teams to note here are the Bears, who chose to forgo their first round pick this year back in the Khalil Mack acquisition but have two second round picks, as well as the Indianapolis Colts who are slotted for two picks and the Pittsburgh Steelers, who may choose to find their quarterback of the future in this round.
Which guys could they be targeting? Who may be the Chubb’s and Leonard’s of the 2020 second round? Here are some potential candidates to be bargain picks.
RB J.K. Dobbins, Ohio State
The primary No. 2 Ohio State jersey that’s making waves in NFL draft talk is likely to go within the top three picks. But there were two key Buckeyes that donned a No. 2 on the back of their uniforms, and the second one has seen his stock fluctuate throughout the pre-draft process.
Dobbins was recently considered neck and neck with Georgia’s D’Andre Swift as the first running back off the board, but times have changed. Besides the fact that the top running back may now be Jonathan Taylor out of Wisconsin, Dobbins’ lack of combine participation has now seemingly pushed him into a separate tier.
This isn’t necessarily a draft where several teams need to use a first round pick on a running back -- some likely teams that would go this route are the Miami Dolphins (pick 26) and the Kansas City Chiefs (pick 32) -- meaning that it’s becoming increasingly likely that Dobbins falls to the second round.
A team like the Lions, the Chargers or the Dolphins (if they pass in the first round) could be seeking out his services as an early second round selection. He’s a bruiser that was able to shoulder a huge load for a competitive team, carrying the ball 301 times for over 2,000 yards and 21 touchdowns in his 2019 campaign.
Potential Landing Spots: Detroit Lions, Los Angeles Chargers, Miami Dolphins (if they pass on a running back in the first round)
QB Jacob Eason, Washington
The combine’s physical drills were not the areas where Eason was supposed to impress. And he lived up to that by recording several of the lowest times and measurements in the QB class.
What is impressive about Eason doesn’t require a combine. One look at the 6’6”, 231-lb. quarterback makes it obvious why he can be a viable option within the first few rounds. He definitely needs some time and training for development in multiple areas, but the raw talent and physical ability that he possesses is something that’s difficult to pass up, especially when your current quarterback situation is in jeopardy.
The Steelers are nearing the end of the Ben Roethlisberger era, meaning they could be a buyer. Bruce Arians is the perfect head coach for a talented young thrower that needs to polish his skills, and Jameis Winston may be on his way out. It’s definitely not a reach to call Eason a second round possibility.
Potential Landing Spots: Pittsburgh Steelers, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Las Vegas Raiders (through a trade)
TE Cole Kmet, Notre Dame | TE Albert Okwuegbunam, Missouri
For a draft class that isn’t being touted as one with a lot of tight end talent, there are a couple of head-turning prospects waiting in the ranks.
One of those is Cole Kmet, who was known as a top commodity coming out of Notre Dame and who displays great catching ability and athleticism. He tore up the combine with impressive measurements in both the vertical and broad jumps, and possesses a big 6’5”, 250 lb. body.
The other was not as highly-touted as Kmet coming into the combine, but ran one of the better 40-yard dash times we’ve seen from the position in recent years. Mizzou TE Albert Okwuegbunam ran a 4.49 at the drill, ranking in the top-10 ever for that position.
Potential Landing Spots: Chicago Bears, Green Bay Packers, New England Patriots
CB Trevon Diggs, Alabama
Diggs could wind up as a first round selection for a team in need of some serious secondary help, but he could also see his stock fall into a later round because of his injury history and the booming class of wide receivers that seem to be taking over the board.
Regardless, Diggs should be a starting cornerback from day one, and his expressed his eagerness to join his brother Stefon as an NFL star. Several teams have reciprocated that interest, according to Star Tribune writer Andrew Krammer.
At 6’1” and over 200 pounds, Diggs can be that intimidating matchup that stands tall with the other team’s number one receiver. Though he didn’t partake in the combine, his pro day at Alabama should reinforce his athleticism and versatility as a big secondary presence.
Potential Landing Spots: Detroit Lions and Carolina Panthers (should they pass on Jeff Okudah), New York Giants
WR Chase Claypool, Notre Dame
Claypool is one big boy. But that didn’t stop him from running a very impressive 4.42 40-yard dash which, for someone of his 6’4” , 229 lb. stature, should not be understated. That display alone boosted Claypool into first round discussion after previously coming up very scarcely among the bigger late-first round names like Tee Higgins and Justin Jefferson.
NFL.com draft analyst Lance Zierlein notes how he is extremely versatile to go along with his natural athleticism and size, and can be a force on special teams and in the blocking game. If he doesn’t end up going in the first round, which now seems like a much more realistic possibility, he could go anywhere in the second round to teams that didn’t decide to use a first round pick on receiving talent.
Potential Landing Spots: Cincinnati Bengals, Denver Broncos, Green Bay Packers, Buffalo Bills
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