NFL Mock Draft 2020: Way-too-early look at projected first round

The Cardinals have gone all-in with Kyler Murray after making him the No. 1 overall pick on Thursday night as had long been expected. They spent the following rounds surrounding him with some interesting weapons, selecting UMass’s Andy Isabella, Iowa State’s Hakeem Butler, and Fresno State’s Keesean Johnson.

They certainly needed help at receiver, but it’s baffling that Arizona didn’t improve one of the worst offensive lines in the NFL until the late rounds. They didn’t draft an offensive lineman until the sixth round. Murray has excellent footwork and is lightning quick, but he won’t fair that much better than Rosen if he’s having to constantly run for his life.

The 2020 draft should be spent bolstering Murray’s protection up front and barring an unexpected major jump up the standings, the Cardinals should be in a good position to draft a franchise left tackle to anchor the line for years to come.

Georgia’s Andrew Thomas was a dominant left tackle as a sophomore in 2018 and easily could end up being the top ranked offensive lineman in the 2020 class. Thomas was a 2nd team AP All-American last season, keeping Jake Fromm’s blindside clean all season long.

He’s 6-foot-5 and 320 pounds and should test well athletically at the combine. Another strong season should see him declare for the draft early, and he could easily wind up being a top five pick.