2020 NFL Mock Draft: Will Justin Herbert or Tua Tagovailoa Be Second QB Taken?

1. Cincinnati Bengals: Joe Burrow - Quarterback, LSU
2. Washington Redskins: Chase Young - Defensive End, Ohio State
3. Miami Dolphins (trade up with the New York Giants): Justin Herbert - Quarterback, Oregon
4. New York Giants: Tristan Wirfs - Offensive Tackle, Iowa
5. Detroit Lions (trade down with Miami Dolphins): Jeff Okudah - Cornerback, Ohio State

It's entirely possible that the Miami Dolphins have weighed waiting until one of their later draft picks or even until 2021 to select a franchise quarterback. Ultimately, though, the guess here is that they will use their first pick - and in this case, trade up - to select a quarterback. If all things were equal, the Dolphins would almost certainly take former Alabama quarterback Tua Tagovailoa. Everything isn't equal, though, and our final prediction is they'll instead move up two picks to assure they land former Oregon quarterback Justin Herbert, rather than betting on Tagovailoa's short and long-term health. The reality is the Dolphins have done a tremendous job muddying the waters and keeping their true intentions close to the vest. It wouldn't be shocking if they take Herbert, Tagovailoa or even a non-quarterback.

6. Los Angeles Chargers: Tua Tagovailoa - Quarterback, Alabama
7. Carolina Panthers: Isaiah Simmons - Linebacker, Clemson
8. Arizona Cardinals: Mekhi Becton - Offensive Tackle, Louisville
9. Atlanta Falcons (trade up with Jacksonville Jaguars): C.J. Henderson - Cornerback, Florida
10. Cleveland Browns: Andrew Thomas - Offensive Tackle, Georgia

There's no doubt here that the Los Angeles Chargers are genuine in their belief that Tyrod Taylor could take them to the playoffs in 2020, and perhaps he still will. But Tagovailoa has near 100 percent name recognition among NFL fans, and if healthy, has a significantly higher ceiling than Taylor. Taking him won't be without risk, but the Chargers are desperate to build a fanbase in Los Angeles as they move into SoFi Stadium in 2020. The Chargers may prefer Justin Herbert, but if he's off the board, that doesn't matter. Certainly, general manager Tom Telesco could take an offensive tackle, an area of need for the team. But the Chargers lack a franchise quarterback, and more importantly, a superstar. If healthy, Tua could fit that bill and help the Chargers to contend in the crowded AFC West. Even with legitimate concerns, the best-case scenario is too good to pass up.

11. New York Jets: CeeDee Lamb - Wide Receiver, Oklahoma
12. Las Vegas Raiders: Jerry Jeudy - Wide Receiver, Alabama
13. Denver Broncos (trade up with San Francisco 49ers): Henry Ruggs III - Wide Receiver, Alabama
14. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Jedrick Wills Jr. - Offensive Tackle, Alabama
15. San Francisco 49ers (trade down with Denver Broncos): Derrick Brown - Defensive Tackle, Auburn

There's a domino effect that could lead to either former Auburn defensive tackle Derrick Brown or former Clemson linebacker Isaiah Simmons falling further than initially anticipated. If the New York Giants select an offensive linemen with their top pick and the Miami Dolphins and Los Angeles Chargers take some combination of Tua Tagovailoa and Justin Herbert, one of the draft's top defensive prospects will fall a bit. C.J. Henderson's late surge on draft boards has pushed him into being a top-10 pick in our latest mock, and the belief here is that Jeff Okudah still will be as well. That means whichever of Brown or Simmons isn't selected by the Carolina Panthers with pick No. 7 could fall because teams will begin to really focus on making sure they obtain either an offensive tackle or a wide receiver. In this case, the 49ers move back a few picks - which they are apparently willing to do - and still land one of the top 10 talents in this year's class. Can you imagine Brown on a defensive line that includes Nick Bosa, Dee Ford and Arik Armstead? Sheesh.

16. Jacksonville Jaguars (trade down with Atlanta Falcons): Javon Kinlaw - Defensive Tackle, South Carolina
17. Dallas Cowboys: Xavier McKinney - Safety, Alabama
18. Minnesota Vikings (trade up with Miami Dolphins): K'Lavon Chaisson - Outside Linebacker, LSU
19. New England Patriots (trade up with Las Vegas Raiders): Kenneth Murray - Linebacker, Oklahoma
20. Jacksonville Jaguars: A.J. Terrell - Cornerback, Clemson

To different degrees, the Minnesota Vikings and New England Patriots are retooling currently. The Vikings - who have two first-round selections after trading Stefon Diggs to the Buffalo Bills - help accelerate their retool by trading up and adding edge rushing K'Lavon Chaisson out of LSU. The Vikings weren't a top-10 defense a year ago, something that's uncharacteristic for Mike Zimmer-coached teams. Chaisson will help fix that in what projects as one of the NFL's most competitive divisions. Meanwhile, the Patriots allowed by Kyle Van Noy and Jamie Collins to leave in free agency. As they turn things over to Jarrett Stidham, it would behoove them to retool their linebacking corps, which they do by trading up for Murray, who was a First-team All-Big 12 selection in 2020. Under the tutelage of Bill Belichick, Steve Belichick and Jerod Mayo, Murray will be a star.

21. Philadelphia Eagles: Justin Jefferson - Wide Receiver, LSU
22. Miami Dolphins (trade down with Minnesota Vikings): Josh Jones - Offensive Tackle, Houston
23. Las Vegas Raiders (trade down with New England Patriots): Kristian Fulton - Cornerback, LSU
24. New Orleans Saints: Patrick Queen - Linebacker, LSU
25. Minnesota Vikings: Yetur Gross-Matos - Defensive End, Penn State

Between picks No. 21 and No. 25, we've projected three former LSU Tigers - wide receiver Justin Jefferson, cornerback Kristian Fulton and linebacker Patrick Queen - to be selected. This is after the Cincinnati Bengals made quarterback Joe Burrow the No. 1 overall pick and the Minnesota Vikings moved up to draft K'Lavon Chaisson and improve their edge rush. Before the first round is out, we've projected another LSU star to come off the board, and Darren Sproles' pupil Clyde Edwards-Helaire shouldn't be too far behind. What an incredible calendar year it's been for LSU's football program.