The 2020 virtual NFL Draft was completed on Saturday evening to historic television ratings as the league moved forward with the most important part of its off-season schedule. Now, we wait and see if the country’s most popular sports will be able to start its season time amidst the COVID-19 pandemic.
Notre Dame had a solid draft overall, increasing its total of selections under Brian Kelly to 45 since 2011.
*Salaries are projected by Spotrac
Cole Kmet, Tight End
Chicago Bears
2nd Round
11th Pick
43rd Overall
Contract: $7,577,773
Bonus: $3,071,107
This was a curious pick for the Bears (and not a particularly popular pick even though Kmet is a local product) as they now have an estimated $25 million tied up in the tight end position with Kmet added to the mix. Roughly a third of that money is tied up in dead cap from the recent release of Trey Burton, although that can be spread out through the 2021 season. Still, Chicago signed Jimmy Graham to a 2-year deal worth $16 million last month plus 3 other tight ends are making between $1.6 million and $1.8 million for 2020.
With 10 total tight ends eating up money the Bears need to make a bunch of moves and have been actively shopping 2017 2nd round pick Adam Shaheen as he heads into the last year of his rookie deal. Either way, Kmet will have to navigate a lot of players at his position as a rookie.
If you’re Kmet, you probably want the Bears to move on from Mitch Trubisky at quarterback sooner rather than later. He’s entering the final year of his rookie deal while the Bears signed Nick Foles to a 3-year deal worth $24 million. Foles has the higher cap hit and you have to think he’s going to become the starter eventually.
Amazingly enough, Kmet was the first Irish player picked by the Bears since guard Mike Gandy went 68th overall back in 2001. Chicago went 148 selections without picking a Notre Dame player!
Chase Claypool, Wide Receiver
Pittsburgh Steelers
2nd Round
17th Pick
49th Overall
Contract: $6,616,621
Bonus: $2,372,088
The Steelers are going to run it back with quarterback Ben Rothlisberger for his 17th season in 2020 and added an additional weapon through the air in Claypool. The Irish wideout will join a solid core of JuJu Smith-Schuster, James Washington, and Diontae Johnson who combined for 145 receptions last year.
Money concerns abound for the future in Pittsburgh. Each of Smith-Schuster, Washington, and Claypool (the latter the highest draft pick of the three!) are 2nd round selections while the former USC product is entering the final year of his rookie deal and will almost assuredly sign a healthy new deal to stay with the Steelers.
More importantly, Big Ben’s 2-year extension will see him put a league-leading $41.2 million cap hit on the team for 2021. With a $15 million roster bonus due in roughly 11 months, I have to think there’s a very good likelihood Chase Claypool has a new quarterback throwing him passes entering his second year of the NFL.
Julian Okwara, Defensive End
Detroit Lions
3rd Round
3rd Pick
67th Overall
Contract: $4,889,187
Bonus: $1,143,135
Brotherly love! Julian Okwara gets picked by the Lions where his older brother Romeo is entering the final year of his contract and they’ll finally get to play together.
Beyond blessed to join the @Lions!! Oh we comin’ @RomeoND45!!! @RocNationSports 🦁🦁 #NFLDraft https://t.co/fx8dywWo3R
— Julian Okwara (@julian_okwara) April 25, 2020
This is a nice situation for the younger Okwara. Detroit has a nice two-deep with his brother, Trey Flowers, Da’shawn Hand, and Austin Bryant in the mix. This should allow Julian to ease in slowly as an edge rusher and not be counted on to be a fully complete defensive end as a rookie.
Troy Pride, Cornerback
Carolina Panthers
4th Round
7th Pick
113th Overall
Contract: $3,412,476
Bonus: $777,476
Pride walks into a rebuilding Panthers defense and a tremendous opportunity for playing time as a rookie. Carolina let starter James Bradberry walk in free agency this off-season, they waived 2018 3rd round pick Rashaan Gaulden back in November, and they didn’t re-sign Javien Elliott after inking him to a 1-year deal last year.
So, there’s a clear opening to start opposite Donte Jackson in the Panthers’ secondary. If we’re projecting things on playing time, Pride should have the best rookie year out of all the Notre Dame draft picks.
Khalid Kareem, Defensive End
Cincinnati Bengals
5th Round
1st Pick
147th Overall
Contract: $2,989,474
Bonus: $354,474
This was 19 spots better than I predicted Kareem to be chosen so that’s good news. You’d think going to the lowly Bengals would provide a lot of playing time but that might not be so in 2020.
Kareem will compete immediately with starter Carlos Dunlap who has 2 years remaining on his $40.6 million deal. Slotted in the backup spot right now is Andrew Brown who is a hybrid end/tackle along with Freedom Akinmoladun.
Should Kareem eventually develop into a hybrid player who can move inside (he probably will) the Bengals also signed D.J. Reader to a 4-year deal worth $53 million this off-season. It could be tough sledding for Kareem in 2020 but he should make the team.
Alohi Gilman, Safety
Los Angeles Chargers
6th Round
7th Pick
186th Overall
Contract: $2,823,204
Bonus: $188,204
The Chargers have Derwin James at strong safety so starting is out of the question for Gilman. Can he make the team and stick around with former teammates Jerry Tillery and Drue Tranquill?
It’ll be close but I think Gilman will be okay. Roderic Teamer is technically the backup right now and he was an undrafted free agent signing a 3-year deal in 2019. He picked up a lot of experience last year while James missed a bunch of time with injury.
Gilman would be the 5th safety on the roster as things stand today. The Chargers did sign undrafted free agent Romeo Finley from Miami but Gilman should make the team over that competition.
Undrafted Free Agents
Asmar Bilal, Linebacker – Los Angeles Chargers
Jalen Elliott, Safety – Detroit Lions
Chris Finke, Wide Receiver – San Francisco 49ers
Jamir Jones, Defensive End – Houston Texans
Tony Jones, Running Back – New Orleans Saints
Donte Vaughn, Cornerback – Los Angeles Chargers
Bilal, Elliott, and Finke had a chance to be drafted but it didn’t happen. The 49ers traded Marquise Goodwin to Philadelphia over the weekend but turned around and selected 2 receivers from their 5 picks, including Brandon Aiyuk from Arizona State late in the 1st round. It’ll be tough for Finke to make the NCF Champions roster.
I think everyone else is an extreme long-shot to make a roster in 2020.
2020 Draft Picks by College
LSU – 14
Michigan – 10
Ohio State – 10
Alabama – 9
Clemson – 7
Florida – 7
Georgia – 7
Utah – 7
Auburn – 6
Notre Dame – 6
Minnesota – 5
Mississippi State – 5
Iowa – 5
Penn State – 5
TCU – 5
LSU ended up tying 2004 Ohio State for the most picks in a single year during the 7-round draft era. Just as impressive, 10 of those LSU picks came in the first 3 rounds. For the 14th straight year, the SEC picked up the most selections with the Big Ten (48), Pac-12 (32), ACC (27), and Big 12 (21) rounding out the rest of the Power 5 conferences.
NO school has more All-Time NFL Draft picks than Notre Dame. ✨#GoIrish x #IrishInTheNFL x #NFLDraft pic.twitter.com/4np0ESaHK3
— Notre Dame Football (@NDFootball) April 25, 2020
Notre Dame is up to 511 draft picks all-time which is apparently the top mark for a college. A quick search shows USC with either 512, 511 or 508 selections and I don’t know why there’s a discrepancy. Be that as it may, the Trojans only had two picks in 2020, their fewest since 2002: offensive tackle Austin Jackson 18th overall to Miami and wide receiver Michael Pittman, Jr. 34th overall to Indianapolis.
Best & Worst
Packers WYD?
Nearly every publication has placed Green Bay last among all NFL teams for this 2020 draft. They are getting panned really hard for a draft that doesn’t appear to have a single impact rookie. Out of their 9 picks, CBS gave only 3 of them a grade of at least B- and that was 6th round pick OL John Runyan from Michigan and their last two picks in the 7th round.
Mostly, people are shocked the Packers went with quarterback Jordan Love (traded up even!) in the first round and running back A.J. Dillon in the second round when neither was a position of need. Pro Football Focus was saying stay away from Love late in the 1st round as he was too much of a gamble and they had the Dillon selection as one of the biggest reaches of the entire draft.
Jerry Jones from a Yacht
The Cowboys profited from having their top 3 picks all fall a little bit to them. In the first, they secured wide receiver CeeDee Lamb from Oklahoma, then picked up Alabama corner Trevon Diggs at 51st overall, and wrapped up with Oklahoma defensive tackle Neville Gallimore at 82nd overall.
That Dallas offense with Dak Prescott, Ezekiel Elliott, Amari Cooper, Michael Gallup, and Lamb could be devastating.
Cleveland Rocks
It may not be realized on the field yet but the Browns continue to collect an impressive amount of talent. During the 2020 NFL Draft they were able to select 3 players from Pro Football Focus’ Top 25 Big Board including offensive tackle Jedrick Willis (10th overall), safety Grant Delpit (44th overall), and defensive tackle Jordan Elliott (88th overall).
There have been a lot of great things from the kelly era. Number 1 is obviously 2012/2018, and I’m not sure where Irish in the nfl fit, but it’s pretty high for me.
Pretty much every nfl draft had Nd players getting selected and being Involved throughout the draft and there are so many guys in rosters. Almost any nfl game will now involved some Nd guys. I know this isn’t exactly peak Miami in the nfl but it wasn’t that long Julius Jones and Jeff faine were like the only guys in the league and almost no games involved Nd players
There were some dark years back then.
FWIW, I think you’re backwards on the Steelers for stay/go. HOF beat reporter Ed Bouchette (who’s basically Eric Hansen/Tim Prister combined in Pittsburgh) stated flat out that Juju isn’t going to be back in 2021. Which is probably a big reason the Steelers went Claypool in the second round..Much like they drafted an OLB in the third because Bud Dupree is also likely to depart after this season. The Steelers draft strategy is usually indicative of filling holes before they’re created.
As far as Ben goes, I think he’ll play as a Steeler in 2021 if physically capable. Clearly that is a big caveat. But I really don’t think they would have let their QB situation look like it does now if the plan/hope wasn’t for Ben to play at least two more seasons. A lot is obviously in the air though, there.
The Steelers organization has its head jammed about 5 feet deep in the sand right now. How they could have lived through the disaster of the 2019 season and continue to pretend that the QB position is a can they can kick any further down the road is mindboggling. Green Bay is rightfully being hacked on for using its highest pick for an asset that does nothing to get them a step further to the Super Bowl in the short term, but at least they’re considering their future under center.
Wow, they are planning on moving JuJu and hoping Big Ben is healthy or good enough to come back in 2021?
Juju’s contract is up after this year, they won’t move him so much as he’ll just leave. He had a poor 2019 after a lot of hype and expectation. Not all of it his fault due to bad QB play, but he’s caught a lot of heat in the media. The feeling is if he plays well in 2020, he’ll price himself out of Pittsburgh…And on the other end, if he doesn’t play well the Steelers won’t be looking to invest in a player coming off what would then be two bad years.I’d like to imagine a happy medium but it seems like most are expecting one or both parties to be looking to move on after 2020.
Roethlisberger’s contract does make it possible to cut him, but I find it unlikely, because it’s not like it would save enough to bring in anyone else. And, I think he’ll want to play if he can. Team doesn’t really options built up since the presumed successor in Mason Rudolph proved to be uninspiring. Like Rufus said, it’s odd they didn’t add better for 2020 given Ben’s arm might be shot. Supposedly they made an offer for Jameis (oof) but he opted to spurn them for NO instead (double oof).