With the 2020 NFL Draft about a week away, draft boards are 99.9 percent set, the last new-age, virtual interviews are being done and NFL front offices are doing mock drafts before the real deal begins April 23. Therefore, I thought why not take a look at how I create which 32 players will be in my final mock draft?

The draft order is as follows:

1. Cincinnati Bengals (2-14)
2. Washington Redskins (3-13)
3. Detroit Lions (3-12-1)
4. New York Giants (4-12)
5. Miami Dolphins (5-11)
6. Los Angeles Chargers (5-11)
7. Carolina Panthers (5-11)
8. Arizona Cardinals (5-10-1)
9. Jacksonville Jaguars (6-10)
10. Cleveland Browns (6-10)
11. New York Jets (7-9)
12. Las Vegas Raiders (7-9)
13. San Francisco 49ers via the Indianapolis Colts (7-9)
14. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (7-9)
15. Denver Broncos (7-9)
16. Atlanta Falcons (7-9)
17. Dallas Cowboys (8-8)
18. Miami Dolphins via the Pittsburgh Steelers (8-8)
19. Las Vegas Raiders via the Chicago Bears (8-8)
20. Jacksonville Jaguars via the Los Angeles Rams (9-7)
21. Philadelphia Eagles (9-7)
22. Minnesota Vikings via the Buffalo Bills (10-6)
23. New England Patriots (12-4)
24. New Orleans Saints (13-3)
25. Minnesota Vikings (10-6)
26. Miami Dolphins via the Houston Texans (10-6)
27. Seattle Seahawks (11-5)
28. Baltimore Ravens (14-2)
29. Tennessee Titans (9-7)
30. Green Bay Packers (13-3)
31. San Francisco 49ers (13-3)
32. Kansas City Chiefs (12-4)

First, you create a list of players that are SURE-FIRE first-round selections. I have 28 players I am at least 90 percent sure will go in Round 1. All have first-round grades, but for example, quarterbacks get pushed forward based on position scarcity and need.

Quarterbacks
Joe Burrow, LSU
Justin Herbert, Oregon
Tua Tagovailoa, Alabama
Jordan Love, Utah State

Wide Receivers
Jerry Jeudy, Alabama
CeeDee Lamb, Oklahoma
Henry Ruggs III, Oklahoma
Justin Jefferson, LSU

Offensive Tackles
Tristan Wirfs, Iowa
Jedrick Wills, Alabama
Mekhi Becton, Louisville
Andrew Thomas, Georgia
Josh Jones, Houston

Interior Offensive Linemen
Cesar Ruiz, Michigan

Defensive Tackles
Javon Kinlaw, South Carolina
Derrick Brown, Auburn

Edge Rushers
Chase Young, Ohio State
K’Lavon Chaisson, LSU
Yetur Gross-Matos, Penn State

Linebackers
Isaiah Simmons, Clemson
Kenneth Murray, Oklahoma
Patrick Queen, LSU

Cornerbacks
Jeff Okudah, Ohio State
CJ Henderson, Florida
Kristian Fulton, LSU
Jeff Gladney, TCU

Safeties
Xavier McKinney, Alabama
Antoine Winfield Jr., Minnesota

We then need four more players to get to 32 names for the mock. Here are 17 I’m considering:

Wide Receivers
Jalen Reagor, TCU
Denzel Mims, Baylor
Brandon Aiyuk, Arizona State

Running Backs
D’Andre Swift, Georgia

Offensive Tackles
Austin Jackson, USC
Isaiah Wilson, Georgia
Ezra Cleveland, Boise State

Interior Defensive Linemen
Neville Gallimore, Oklahoma
Ross Blacklock, TCU

Edge Rushers
Zack Baun, Wisconsin
A.J. Epenesa, Iowa

Cornerbacks
Trevon Diggs, Alabama
Jaylon Johnson, Utah
A.J. Terrell, Clemson
Noah Igbinoghene, Auburn

Safeties
Jeremy Chinn, Southern Illinois
Grant Delpit, LSU

I usually lean toward cornerbacks, edge rushers and offensive tackles when all things are equal. Wide receiver is deep this year (as we have all heard), so I think receivers will fall some like in 2019. Offensive tackle is thin as far as Day One starters, so I could see that position being pushed up draft boards.

I think either Zack Baun or A.J. Epenesa is taken in the first round. I also believe another offensive tackle is drafted as well as another cornerback.

My list gets paired down based on that. Therefore, my last four spots will go to four of the following nine players.

Austin Jackson, OT, USC
Isaiah Wilson, OT, Georgia
Ezra Cleveland, OT, Boise State
Zack Baun, EDGE, Wisconsin
A.J. Epenesa, EDGE, Iowa
Trevon Diggs, CB, Alabama
Jaylon Johnson, CB, Utah
A.J. Terrell, CB, Clemson
Noah Igbinoghene, CB, Auburn

Now all I have to do is fit each player onto a team based on a combination of BPA (best player available) and team needs to finalize my mock draft. For the last four, you have to look at scheme fits and how they link with BPA and team needs.

Here’s my latest mock draft, with more on the way.

Photo Credit: Courtesy of Oregon Athletics

Ken Zalis

See all posts by Ken Zalis. Follow Ken Zalis on Twitter at @fansfantasy