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2020 NFL mock draft roundup: ESPN’s Mel Kiper likes Clemson’s Tee Higgins for the Eagles

Most national draft experts think the Eagles will take a wide receiver. But there are a lot of options to choose from.

Clemson wide receiver Tee Higgins (5) reacts following his touchdown against Virginia duriung the first half of the Atlantic Coast Conference championship NCAA college football game in Charlotte, N.C., on Dec. 7, 2019.
Clemson wide receiver Tee Higgins (5) reacts following his touchdown against Virginia duriung the first half of the Atlantic Coast Conference championship NCAA college football game in Charlotte, N.C., on Dec. 7, 2019.Read moreGerry Broome / AP
    by Rob Tornoe
    Published 

  1. 2020 NFL Draft

  2. Dates: April 23-25

  3. Location: Las Vegas

  4. TV: NFL Network, ESPN, ABC

The 2020 NFL draft is still more than two months away and the NFL Scouting Combine won’t even take place until next week, but it’s never too early for national college football experts to weigh in on whom they think the Eagles might select with the 21st overall pick.

Obviously, this early out, don’t expect much accuracy. ESPN draft expert Mel Kiper Jr.'s second mock draft ahead of the 2019 NFL draft, released in mid-February last year, ended up predicting only three picks correctly. At the time, Kiper thought the Eagles might select Clemson cornerback Trayvon Mullen. Instead, the Birds traded with the Baltimore Ravens to move up three picks to select offensive lineman Andre Dillard.

Regardless, it’s interesting to see which players the experts think the Eagles might be interested in. This year, there seems to be a unifying theme — the Birds’ need of a wide receiver. As of now, just about every national NFL draft expert is predicting the Eagles will strengthen their wide receiver corps in the first round of the draft, following a season in which injuries forced practice squad players onto the field.

Kiper thinks the Eagles might select Clemson’s Tee Higgins, while his ESPN colleague Todd McShay and NFL Network analyst (and ex-Eagles scout) Daniel Jeremiah are eyeing Alabama’s Henry Ruggs III. The Athletic’s Ben Standig, who according to one analysis had the most accurate final mock draft out of 22 draft analysts last year, thinks the Eagles could snag Colorado wide receiver Laviska Shenault with the No. 21 pick.

“Shenault has gadget abilities. You can use him in Wildcat, on end-arounds and jet sweeps," draft analyst Ben Fennell told my colleague Paul Domowitch as part of a breakdown of this year’s top wide receivers, comparing Shenault to Sammy Watkins of the Kansas City Chiefs. "Good after the catch. He has strong, confident hands. He can make tough grabs and can catch the ball in traffic. He has deceptive speed. He has excellent burst and acceleration as well as long speed. Biggest question is whether he can stay healthy. He has been sidelined with multiple injuries at Colorado.’’

Here is an early roundup of the players national media pundits think the Eagles could end up selecting in the 2020 NFL draft:

Mel Kiper, ESPN: Tee Higgins, wide receiver, Clemson

I just like the fit with Higgins in Philadelphia, as he has great size (6-4) and elite ball skills, boxing out defenders to high-point the ball on sideline routes. We know all about the Eagles’ problems at receiver last season, so this fills a massive void. If Alshon Jeffery and DeSean Jackson can stay healthy -- and J.J. Arcega-Whiteside can take a leap in Year 2 -- this position could go from a weakness to strength. Safety is another position to keep an eye on in Philly, with Malcolm Jenkins’ unhappiness (and age -- 32) and Rodney McLeod potentially leaving in free agency.

Todd McShay, ESPN: Henry Ruggs III, wide receiver, Alabama

Zero Eagles receivers found their way to 500 yards in 2019, Nelson Agholor is a free agent, Alshon Jeffery will be 30 in two weeks and J.J. Arcega-Whiteside had a limited 10-catch impact in his rookie campaign. Carson Wentz likes to air it out, but he didn’t have the right personnel to do so. Coach Doug Pederson thought he had an answer in the vertical game with DeSean Jackson, but an abdominal injury limited the veteran speedster to 62 snaps. Ruggs, though, is a human torch — he could run in the 4.2s at the combine — and immediately gives Wentz a weapon in the pass game outside of Zach Ertz, Dallas Goedert and Miles Sanders.

Daniel Jeremiah, NFL Network: Henry Ruggs III, wide receiver, Alabama

Speed! The Eagles are focused on getting faster this offseason, and Ruggs is the most explosive player in the draft.

Will Brinson, CBS Sports: Tee Higgins, wide receiver, Clemson

The Eagles ran short on pass catchers last year, so it makes all the sense in the world to mock them taking one in this spot, given how deep the drat is for receivers. Higgins is underrated in my opinion.

Bucky Brooks, NFL Network: Laviska Shenault, wide receiver, Colorado

Big-bodied offensive weapon with a diverse set of skills as a pass-catcher/playmaker.

Ben Standig, The Athletic: Laviska Shenault, wide receiver, Colorado

Injuries plagued Philly’s receiver corps all season, and Nelson Agholor’s pending free agency offers a chance for an upgrade.

Danny Kelly, The Ringer: WR Henry Ruggs III, Alabama

This is already a popular mock-draft pairing and should get plenty of play in the coming months. The Eagles desperately need to add speed to their anemic passing game, and Philly clearly missed DeSean Jackson for most of the year. Ruggs is a big play waiting to happen, but is more than just a straight-line deep threat. He’d give Carson Wentz a playmaker who combines run-after-the-catch talent with field-tilting home-run speed.

Mike Renner, Pro Football Focus: Henry Ruggs III, wide receiver, Alabama

When DeSean Jackson went down, the Eagles receiving corps immediately became one of, if not the, slowest in the NFL. Ruggs’ possibly sub-4.3 speed changes that overnight. Of his 98 career receptions at Alabama, 24 resulted in scores

Kevin Hanson, Sports Illustrated: Laviska Shenault, wide receiver, Colorado

Carson Wentz became the first quarterback to throw for 4,000 yards without a 500-yard wide receiver. The trio of Alshon Jeffery (10), DeSean Jackson (three) and Nelson Agholor (11) played only 24 games in 2019. Built more like a running back than a wide receiver, Shenault flourishes in the open field due to his strength, size, burst, vision and elusiveness.

Walter Cherepinsky, WalterFootball.com: CeeDee Lamb, wide receiver, Oklahoma

The Eagles are expected to target a receiver early in the 2020 NFL Draft unless they address the position in free agency. Alshon Jeffery can't stay healthy, while DeSean Jackson won't be on the team for very long, so a new No. 1 wideout is needed.
CeeDee Lamb is a terrific route runner with great hands. He’s been amazing this year and is now the No. 2 receiver on my board.