Updated 2020 NFL Draft Order
After a weekend full of drama and upsets, four more spots have been determined in this year’s NFL Draft order. Most notably – the Patriots will pick No. 23 overall, their highest original pick since 2006.
Here’s the updated rundown, from Nos. 1-24:
1. Bengals (2-14)
2. Redskins (3-13)
3. Lions (3-12-1)
4. Giants (4-12)
5. Dolphins (5-11)
6. Chargers (5-11)
7. Panthers (5-11)
8. Cardinals (5-10-1)
9. Jaguars (6-10)
10. Browns (6-10)
11. Jets (7-9)
12. Raiders (7-9)
13. Colts (7-9)
14. Buccaneers (7-9)
15. Broncos (7-9)
16. Falcons (7-9)
17. Cowboys (8-8)
18. Dolphins (via Steelers 8-8)
19. Raiders (via Bears 8-8)
20. Jaguars (via Rams 9-7)
21. Eagles (9-7)
22. Bills (10-6)
23. Patriots (12-4)
24. Saints (13-3)
Cowboys To Focus On Coaches With NFL Experience
The Cowboys will focus their search on coaches with extensive NFL experience, according to ESPN.com’s Chris Mortensen. That would rule out several candidates from the college ranks, including former Ohio State head coach Urban Meyer, Oklahoma’s Lincoln Riley, Baylor’s Matt Rhule and Florida’s Dan Mullen. 
Over the weekend, the Cowboys interviewed former Packers head coach Mike McCarthy and former Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis, two men with lengthy resumes in the pro ranks. They also took the long-expected step of formally announcing that Jason Garrett would not return to the team in 2020.
Also of note – the Cowboys spoke with former Rams and Titans head coach Jeff Fisher via phone, according to Mortensen, but it’s not clear if he’ll be considered for the vacancy. Fisher famously boasts a near .500 record in the regular season (173-165-1) with a 5-6 record postseason and his three-year layoff from coaching may be a barrier. Still, Mortensen notes that Fisher is held in high regard by owner Jerry Jones and team vice president Stephen Jones. When we last heard Fisher’s name, it was in connection with the XFL.
49ers Designate Kwon Alexander For Return
Kwon Alexander will have a chance to suit up for the 49ers in the playoffs. On Thursday, the Niners designated the linebacker for return, as Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports tweets. 
It’s not a given that Alexander will be able to play the Niners’ divisional round game so soon after suffering a pectoral injury. However, the move to bring him back from IR leaves that possibility open, and Adam Schefter of ESPN.com says Alexander has a good chance to play next Saturday.
Alexander, 25, was said to be done for the year after landing on IR with a torc pec on November 1st. In eight games, Alexander rated as Pro Football Focus’ No. 33 ranked linebacker in the NFL, but it’s worth noting that PFF’s metrics have never been high on his work.
Getting Alexander back on the field in time for their Jan. 11 game would be a huge left for SF, particularly after their rash of injuries in the front seven.
Bills’ Lorenzo Alexander To Retire
Last January, Lorenzo Alexander said that 2019 would probably be his final season in the NFL. After the Bills’ heartbreaking loss to the Texans in Saturday’s wildcard playoff game, Alexander confirmed that he is going to retire, as Joe Buscaglia of The Athletic tweets.
Earlier this week, Alexander reiterated his retirement plans, even though he remains a productive member of Buffalo’s defense. 
“Yes, obviously, it was a decision I made before the season, and at this point, we still have to play Houston,” Alexander said (via Leo Roth and Ryan Miller of the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle). “My mind hasn’t even processed transition yet, so I’m still in this thing 100 percent. Once you start thinking about life after football, you kind of take some of the focus away from the guys and what’s important. The focus is on Houston now and we have to get a playoff win, obviously that would be huge for this organization and community.”
Alexander turned pro in 2005 but didn’t see his first NFL action until 2007 with the Redskins. He served mostly as a reserve and special teams player up until 2016, when he found a home with the Bills. In his age-33 season, Alexander started all 16 games and racked up 12.5 sacks en route to a Pro Bowl selection. All in all, he’s amassed 24 regular season sacks for the Bills.
Now, at the age of 36, Alexander is ready to move on from football. He’ll suit up for the Bills as they take on the Texans this weekend and he’s hoping for a February sendoff.
Eagles’ Nelson Agholor Out Vs. Seahawks
The Eagles will face the Seahawks without the services of Nelson Agholor. The wide receiver’s knee injury will sideline him for the opening round of the playoffs, head coach Doug Pederson announced. 
Agholor has not played since suffering a knee injury in Week 13. Before that, he caught 39 passes for 363 yards and three touchdowns in eleven games.
Meanwhile, the statuses of tight end Zach Ertz and right tackle Lane Johnson remain murky.
“Zach [is] still not cleared for any contact,” Pederson said. “He will work a little bit on the side again like he’s done this week and stuff like that, but we’re waiting on a few doctor results tomorrow. If things go favorable, he’ll play. If they don’t, he won’t.”
The Eagles can get by without Agholor, but it won’t be easy for Carson Wentz to move the chains or convert in the red zone without Ertz. The tight end caught 88 passes for 916 yards and six touchdowns this season, giving him his third-straight Pro Bowl nod. Ertz is known for his toughness, but doctors won’t let him take the field unless his broken rib and lacerated kidney show drastic improvement.
Vikings To Stick With Mike Zimmer, Rick Spielman
The Vikings won’t be on the hunt for a new head coach or a GM. On Friday, Vikings owner Mark Wilf backed Mike Zimmer and Rick Spielman in a press release and ensured their status for 2020: 
“We value Mike and Rick’s leadership and we have every intent of Mike continuing as the head coach of the Minnesota Vikings and Rick leading our football operations, next year and beyond.”
The Vikings finished the year 10-6, good enough for a Wild Card spot in the NFC. They enter this weekend’s game against the Saints as underdogs – particularly with a thinned-out secondary to guard Michael Thomas & Co. – but Zimmer and Spielman will return, regardless of the outcome.
It’s worth noting that the contracts for Zimmer and Spielman will expire after the 2020 season. An extension would truly solidify their standing in Minnesota. Otherwise, they’ll be lame ducks heading into next year.
Zimmer, 63, has led the Vikings to three playoff appearances and two divisional crowns over five seasons. In 2017, the Vikings reached the NFC Championship Game where they were stopped by the Eagles. Last year, the Vikings fell short of expectations with a 8-7-1 finish, and they waffled at times in 2019, but they still believe Zimmer is the best man for the job.
Spielman, 57, spent six years as the team’s vice president of player personnel before being promoted to GM in 2012.
Vikings Place Mike Hughes On IR
The Vikings will head into the playoffs without the services of Mike Hughes. On Friday, the Vikes placed the cornerback on injured reserve with a neck injury.
Hughes, a 2018 first-round pick, figured to see an increased role against the Saints in the Wild Card round as Mackensie Alexander nurses a knee injury. Now, the Vikings are without both corners for the big game on Sunday.
Hughes played in 14 games (three starts) in 2019, logging one interception, two forced fumbles, and 43 total tackles. The Vikings already had their work cut out for them with Michael Thomas & Co., but things are looking extra bleak for them at this moment.
To fill in at cornerback, the Vikings re-signed old friend Marcus Sherels. Sherels, a Minnesota native, spent nine straight seasons with the Vikings. From 2011-18, Sherels returned 231 punts for 2,447 yards (10.6 average) and five touchdowns, setting franchise records in all three categories.
Chase Young Enters NFL Draft
Ohio State star Chase Young has officially declared for the 2020 NFL Draft. The superstar edge rusher figures to be one of the very first players selected in April. 
Young is widely regarded as the top overall talent in this year’s class. If the Bengals select Joe Burrow or another quarterback at No. 1, he’ll be there for the Redskins and new head coach Ron Rivera at No. 2.
Young, listed at 6’5″ and 265 pounds, has been on an absolute tear at Ohio State. This year, he finished out with 16.5 sacks and 21 tackles for a loss in just 12 games. He was suspended for two games by the NCAA after he was found to have taken a loan from a family friend that he later paid back, but that didn’t slow him down much. That incident won’t have any bearing on his draft stock, either.
Talent evaluators have been salivating over Young for years. He arrived on campus in 2017 as a top recruit out of DeMatha Catholic High School and made noise right off the bat. Then, in 2018, he broke out with 10.5 sacks and major stops against some of Ohio State’s biggest rivals.
The Lions, Giants, and Dolphins round out the top five in the draft.
Bears Sign Eddie Jackson To Extension
The Bears have locked down star safety Eddie Jackson for years to come. On Friday, his agents announced the signing of a four-year add-on worth $58.4MM. 
The new deal includes $33MM in overall guarantees and $22MM fully guaranteed. The $14.6MM average annual value of the deal ranks as the highest of any safety in the NFL.
Jackson, 27, still had one year to go on his paltry four-year, $3.065MM rookie deal. But, after back-to-back Pro Bowl nods, the Bears didn’t want to wait until the asking price jumped even further.
The Bears were somewhat limited on cap space for 2020, but thanks to some help from Kyle Fuller, they were able to carve out enough room to extend Jackson through the 2024 campaign.
Jackson entered the league as a fourth-round pick of the Bears in 2017. Since then, he’s started in 100% of his games and solidified himself as one of the league’s premier safeties. Over the last three seasons, he’s notched ten interceptions and returned three of those picks for touchdowns.
The advanced metrics back up the traditional stats, too. In 2018, Jackson earned an eye-popping 93.2 score from Pro Football Focus, tying him for the highest grade ever given to a safety. He wasn’t quite as sharp in 2019, but the Bears believe that he’ll bounce back in 2020, along with the rest of the team’s high-priced defense.
Before Jackson’s deal, Titans safety Kevin Byard had the highest AAV at the position ($14.1MM) thanks to the five-year, $70.5MM extension he signed last summer. In terms of overall compensation, Redskins standout Landon Collins still reins supreme at safety with his six-year, $84MM deal.
Alex Leatherwood To Stay In School
Alex Leatherwood could have been a first-round pick in this year’s draft. Instead, the left tackle will return to Alabama in order to earn his degree. 
“My three years at Alabama have been some of the best of my life,” Leatherwood said. “I’ve used my time in Tuscaloosa to grow significantly as a player and as a person, but I believe that I have more left to learn. When I decided to come to Alabama it was always important to me to win football games, but it was equally as important that I earn my degree. I realize that my career on the field will not last forever and walking across that stage has always been a goal of mine.”
There’s some risk involved here, but Leatherwood figures to be one of the top prospects in the 2021 NFL Draft after he gets some additional seasoning with the national powerhouse. Evaluators were already salivating over Leatherwood’s skillset after he successfully shifted from playing right guard in 2018 to manning LT in 2019.
Other top tackles in this year’s class include Alabama’s Jedrick Wills Jr., Georgia’s Andrew Thomas, Iowa’s Tristan Wirfs, and USC’s Austin Jackson.