NFL free agency’s massive impact on NFL Draft 2020

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If every action causes a reaction, the busy first week of NFL free agency should send a ripple through the 2020 NFL Draft. Sure enough, the moves made (or not made) revealed some teams’ intentions for the next phase of the offseason while muddying the picture for others. With college Pro Days, pre-draft workouts and …

If every action causes a reaction, the busy first week of NFL free agency should send a ripple through the 2020 NFL Draft.

Sure enough, the moves made (or not made) revealed some teams’ intentions for the next phase of the offseason while muddying the picture for others.

With college Pro Days, pre-draft workouts and facility visits all cancelled this year because of the coronavirus pandemic, there should be more varied opinions than ever before on a prospect’s draft range. Here are eight observations about the NFL draft based off the events of free agency:

1. It still is good to be Lions, Giants: Had Tom Brady signed with the Dolphins or the Chargers, the Tua Tagovailoa trade market could have dried up. Instead the Dolphins, pick No. 5, still have to worry about getting leapfrogged by the No. 6 Chargers, which is good news if the No. 3 Lions and No. 4 Giants want to trade down. Even if Alabama’s Tagovailoa goes No. 3, the Giants can leverage the Chargers against teams eyeing their choice of Utah State’s Jordan Love or Oregon’s Justin Herbert.

2. One QB could slip: Still reeling from Andrew Luck’s retirement, the Colts signed 38-year-old stopgap Philip Rivers to a one-year contract. They could’ve paired him with Herbert or Love (both in need of time on the bench), but that changed when pick No. 13 was dealt to the 49ers for defensive tackle DeForest Buckner. The 49ers won’t draft a quarterback, so who is the fourth team, for either Love or Herbert? No. 9 Jaguars? No. 12 Raiders? Or a freefall?

3. Bad time to be a free-agent WR: While Amari Cooper struck gold (five years, $100 million) to re-sign with Cowboys, Emmanuel Sanders (two years, $16 million, Saints) settled and Robby Anderson and Breshad Perriman wait. Why? The projected deepest wide receiver draft class ever convinced needy teams (ie: Eagles) to find a solution on a cap-friendly rookie contract rather than overspend. Maybe that increased demand pushes more receivers into the first round.

4. Race for second on defense: If the Lions don’t trade down from No. 3, the trade of Pro Bowl cornerback Darius Slay to the Eagles suggests the pick will be Ohio State’s Jeff Okudah to fill Slay’s shoes rather than Clemson’s versatile linebacker Isaiah Simmons or Auburn defensive tackle Derrick Brown. They all are neck-and-neck behind Ohio State’s Chase Young to be the second defensive prospect.

5. Clarity at tackle: Four offensive tackles will go early in the first round. For the No. 11 Jets, will one of Iowa’s Tristan Wirfs, Alabama’s Jedrick Wills, Georgia’s Andrew Thomas and Louisville’s Mekhi Becton be available? Looks like yes. Good news for the Jets: The Chargers (Bryan Bulaga) and No. 10 Browns (Jack Conklin) addressed the need in free agency. Bad news for the Jets: After stealing wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins via trade, the No. 8 Cardinals’ direction is easy to decode: Tackle! It sure looks like the Giants are set up to draft a starting right tackle, as well.

6. Bad news, backs: Todd Gurley giveth, Todd Gurley taketh away. Before Gurley went No. 10 in the 2015 Draft, no running backs were first-rounders in 2013 or 2014. Gurley started a rebirth in the first round, especially for four others in the top 10. Now that Gurley, 25, looks burned out and was cut by the Rams with $20.5 million dead cap, it is bad news for Georgia’s D’Andre Swift and Wisconsin’s Jonathan Taylor, two running backs whom could now slip to the second round.

7. Family drama: The Vikings finally got tired of diva receiver Stefon Diggs’ subtle trade hints and shipped him to the Bills for a package of picks. Their biggest need is cornerback after parting ways with Xavier Rhodes, Trae Waynes and Mackensie Alexander. Now picking No. 22 and No. 25, their best option could be Alabama’s Trevon Diggs, Stefon’s younger brother. Wouldn’t that be something? Imagine if he threatens not to hold out!

8. Brady fallout: How does Brady moving from the Patriots to the Buccaneers change the draft? It puts the Buccaneers in win-now mode: A right tackle to compete with free-agent addition Joe Haeg (Houston’s Josh Jones?) or a way to improve the No. 28 scoring defense. It’s not the Patriots’ style to trade up for a quarterback, so maybe pencil in Washington’s Jacob Eason at No. 23. Or, more likely, trade down to stockpile picks for a mid-rounder the rest of the NFL overlooked and to replace four departing defensive starters.