By Sean Quinton

The Seattle Times

Before NFL teams go on the clock next week as they’ve never done before — coaches and general managers making picks from their own homes — we put ourselves to the test to make our best guess at how the draft may unfold.

So here it is, the Seattle Times 2020 NFL mock draft featuring columnists Matt Calkins and Larry Stone and Seahawks beat reporter Bob Condotta.

The three took turns making picks, with a few inevitable curves thrown along the way to which the others had to react. Following each pick is a comment. We didn’t make any trades, which obviously won’t happen on draft night, and almost certainly won’t with the Seahawks, who haven’t used their original first-round pick since 2020. But to keep things simple — and to give readers a sense of how how the draft board currently looks — we left it alone.

And away we go. ….

1, Cincinnati Bengals

Calkins’ pick: QB Joe Burrow, LSU.

Comment: Burrow just had the best college season for a quarterback ever and checks all the NFL boxes. No brainer.

2, Washington Redskins

Stone’s pick: DE Chase Young, Ohio State.

Comment: Unless it gets blown away with a trade offer, Washington is perfectly content to take the most dominant edge rusher on the board. Young should make an instant impact.

3, Detroit Lions

Condotta’s pick: CB Jeff Okudah, Ohio State.

Comment: If I were the Lions I’d be very tempted to take Justin Herbert or Tua Tagovailoa here. But Matt Patricia is a defensive guy and grabbing Okudah gives the Lions a replacement for Darius Slay, who was traded to the Eagles last month.

4, New York Giants

Calkins’ pick: OT Tristan Wirfs, Iowa.

Comment: Not a sexy pick, but the Giants need help on the O-line and Wirfs’ combine performance has had him surging up draft boards.

5, Miami Dolphins

Stone’s pick: QB Justin Herbert, Oregon.

Comment: The Dolphins need a quarterback — don’t they always? — and so it comes down to Herbert or Tua Tagovailoa. Tua may well have the higher upside, but his injury concerns will sway Miami toward Herbert.

6, Los Angeles Chargers

Condotta’s pick: QB Tua Tagovailoa, Alabama.

Comment: Tagovailoa’s health has been one of the biggest topics of the run-up to the draft, with some wondering if he could fall out of the top 10. But the view here is that the Chargers would be nuts to pass him up if he’s available. The Chargers have no long-term answer at quarterback, and this is one team for whom creating some excitement among the fan base and selling tickets seems an immediate priority. No player would create more excitement an intrigue in the LA market than Tagovailoa.

7, Carolina Panthers

Calkins’ pick: DT Derrick Brown, Auburn.

Comment: Brown is a top-tier talent that could have been a first-rounder last year if he didn’t decide to come back to Auburn. He should make an early impact on a Panthers team trying to rebuild.

8, Arizona Cardinals

Stone’s pick: WR Jerry Jeudy, Alabama.

Comment: Talk about giving weapons to Kyler Murray — the Cardinals have already added DeAndre Hopkins to a mix that also includes the No. 2 receiver in NFL history, Larry Fitzgerald. But you can’t have too many explosive targets, and Jeudy is as explosive as they come. Also, Fitzgerald turns 37 in August.

9, Jacksonville Jaguars

Condotta’s pick: DB/LB Isaiah Simmons, Clemson.

Comment: Yes, the Jaguars have Bellevue High’s own Myles Jack as a WILL linebacker, which is where many see Simmons playing long-term. But Jack has a big contract that the Jags might want to get out of in a few years, and Simmons is also regarded as able to play a number of different defensive roles. With the top QBs off the board, the Jags basically just go best player available.

10, Cleveland Browns

Calkins’ pick: OT Mekhi Becton, Louisville.Comment:

Comment: I put Wirfs above him, but will acknowledge Becton might be the best offensive lineman in this draft. And the Browns desperately need help up front.

11, New York Jets

Stone’s pick: WR CeeDee Lamb, Oklahoma.

Comment: The Jets desperately need to spruce up an offense that was dead last in the NFL last year. They’d love it if Jeudy were available here, but Lamb is a beast after the catch.

12, Las Vegas Raiders

Condotta’s pick: DT Javon Kinlaw, South Carolina.

Comment: Receiver is another obvious need for the Raiders. But this is such a deep receiver class that the Raiders can probably get one of those a little later, and in this spot instead go for Kinlaw, generally regarded as the second-best DT available after getting seven sacks from the inside last year for the Gamecocks.

13, San Francisco 49ers

Calkins’ pick: WR Henry Ruggs III, Alabama.

Comment: Ruggs’ 4.27 40-yard dash time was the fastest at the combine this year. Put him on the field with George Kittle and Deebo Samuel, and Jimmy Garoppolo is swimming with weapons in San Francisco.

14, Tampa Bay Bucs

Stone’s pick: OT Andrew Thomas, Georgia.

Comment: One of a quartet of impact tackles on the board, the 6-foot-5, 315-pound Thomas fills a position of need for the Buccaneers, who need to keep Tom Brady upright.

15, Denver Broncos

Condotta’s pick: QB Jordan Love, Utah State.

Comment: Would Denver really go for a QB in the first round a year after taking Drew Lock in the second? Maybe not. But the Broncos probably should. Denver is locked in a division with Patrick Mahomes for the next decade or so. The Raiders are going to be aggressive about solving their QB issues. And the Chargers may well add Tagovailoa or Herbert this year. Unless the Broncos are absolutely sure about Lock — and I don’t know how they could be at this point — adding another QB to the mix who might be the real deal seems worth the risk. Still, a 20-17 TD-to-interception ratio last year is worrisome.

16, Atlanta Falcons

Calkins’ pick: CB C.J. Henderson, Florida.

Comment: Jeff Okudah is the only cornerback in this draft better than Henderson, who I was surprised to still see on the board. This would be a steal for Atlanta, which needs help on the back end.

17, Dallas Cowboys

Stone’s pick: DE K’Lavon Chaisson, LSU.

Comment: The Cowboys could go for a cornerback, but if Chaisson is still on the board, an edge rusher to match with DeMarcus Lawrence will prove irresistible,

18, Miami Dolphins

Condotta’s pick: OT Jedrick Willis, Alabama.

Comment: If the Dolphins somehow get Tagovailoa — who is left-handed — then adding Willis, who is regarded as maybe the best right tackle available in this class makes even more sense. Regardless, the Dolphins really need to upgrade their line.

19, Las Vegas Raiders

Calkins’ pick: CB Kristian Fulton, LSU.

Comment: The Raiders need a cornerback who can play right away and Fulton, who stood out with the national-championship winning Tigers, should be able to do that.

20, Jacksonville Jaguars

Stone’s pick: DE A.J. Epenesa, Iowa.

Comment: With 22 sacks over the past two years, Epenesa will fill a need on the defensive line for Jacksonville.

21, Philadelphia Eagles

Condotta’s pick: S Xavier McKinney, Alabama.

Comment: The Eagles are starting over at their safety spot after releasing veteran Malcolm Jenkins last month. McKinney can play either safety spot and in the slot, the kind of versatility more valuable than ever in today’s NFL.

22, Minnesota Vikings

Calkins’ pick: WR Justin Jefferson, LSU.

Comment: Jefferson caught 111 passes for a monstrous 1,540 receiving yards last season, all while reeling in 18 touchdowns. Throw in a 4.43 40 and the Vikings’ O becomes a bigger threat.

23, New England Patriots

Stone’s pick: QB Jacob Eason, Washington.

Comment: If you haven’t heard, the Patriots have a sudden need at quarterback for the first two in two decades. Eason is a high-upside project that Bill Belichick won’t be able to pass up.

24, New Orleans Saints

Condotta’s pick: WR Tee Higgins, Clemson.

Comment: Sure, the Saints just signed Emmanuel Sanders to pair with Michael Thomas. But Sanders is a 5-11 slot receiver and also 33 years old. With Drew Brees truly a year-to-year proposition at this point, the Saints may well decide to just load up on all the receivers they can get to take advantage of Brees while they have him, and Higgins — listed at just under 6-3, and 215 pounds — is a perfect complement to what the Saints have, ready to step right in to a significant role as an outside receiver.

25, Minnesota Vikings

Calkins’ pick: CB Noah Igbinoghene, Auburn

Comment: There are a lot of cornerbacks bunched at this point in the draft, but I think Igbinoghene separates himself as a first rounder. The former receiver is raw, but is brimming with upside.

26, Miami Dolphins

Stone’s pick: WR Brandon Aiyuk, Arizona State

Comment: The Dolphins could use a game-breaker, and Aiyuk averaged 18.3 yards per catch and 31.8 yards per kickoff return for the Sun Devils. He has an 81-inch wingspan, if you’re into that kind of thing.

27, Seattle Seahawks

Condotta’s pick: DE Yetur Gross-Matos, Penn State.

Comment: No one reading this far needs reminding that the Seahawks need help with their pass rush. Gross-Matos has emerged as a really popular choice for the Seahawks in mock drafts, which means it probably won’t happen (or Seattle will just trade down). Still, he makes a ton of sense for Seattle to consider, on paper a prototype pass rusher off the edge who wowed on the big state last year when he had two sacks and 3.5 tackles-for-a-loss in Penn State’s close loss at Ohio State.

28, Baltimore Ravens

Calkins pick: LB Zack Baun, Wisconsin

Comment: Baun had 12.5 sacks and 19.5 tackles for a loss last season with the Badgers. He should help contribute to an organization that prides itself on D.

29, Tennessee Titans

Stone’s pick: DE Marlon Davidson, Auburn.

Comment: Even after adding Vic Beasley Jr. during the offseason, the Titans could still use an edge rusher. Davidson stayed in college all four years and had 7.5 sacks as a senior.

30, Green Bay Packers

Condotta’s pick: WR Laviska Shenault, Colorado

Comment: There’s no question the Packers need receivers, with no one really able last year to grab the number two spot behind Davante Adams. Whether they’d really go for Shenault here is another matter as the former Buffs star is regarded as a real boom-or-bust player. But the Packers have 10 picks and might think they can get another WR later, as well, and take a shot on the potential of Shenault — who seems to be regarded this year the way DK Metcalf was last year.

31, San Francisco 49ers

Calkins’ pick: OL Cesar Ruiz, Michigan.

Comment: Ruiz is an agile center who could add depth to the 49ers’ interior and play in multiple spots. HIs 5.08 40 time — not bad for a guy weighing 307 pounds — was noteworthy at the combine.

32, Kansas City Chiefs

Stone’s pick: RB J.K. Dobbins, Ohio State

Comment: The one area on offense the Super Bowl-champion Chiefs need to shore up is running back, and it comes down to Dobbins, Wisconsin’s Jonathon Taylor, or Georgia’s D’Andre Swift. It’s hard to argue with the guy who rushed for 2003 yards (6.7 yards per carry) and 21 touchdowns for the Buckeyes in 2019. He also caught 23 passes.

Jerry Jeudy (No. 4) of the Alabama Crimson Tide is congratulated by his teammate Henry Ruggs III (No. 11) after scoring a first-quarter touchdown reception against the Clemson Tigers in the CFP National Championship presented on January 7, 2019, in Santa Clara, California. Among the elite wide receivers in the 2020 NFL Draft, both players have been linked to the San Francisco 49ers in numerous mock drafts. (Harry How/Getty Images)

Harry How/Getty Images Jerry Jeudy (No. 4) of the Alabama Crimson Tide is congratulated by his teammate Henry Ruggs III (No. 11) after scoring a first-quarter touchdown reception against the Clemson Tigers in the CFP National Championship presented on January 7, 2019, in Santa Clara, California. Among the elite wide receivers in the 2020 NFL Draft, both players have been linked to the San Francisco 49ers in numerous mock drafts.