NFL Rumors: Draft, 2020 Season, UDFA

Draft

• Gil Brandt names Boise State OT Ezra Cleveland as a player he expects to be drafted higher than expected, while he thinks Clemson WR Tee Higgins will fall down the draft. 
• Peter Schrager spoke to several teams around the NFL regarding Clemson S Isaiah Simmons and expects him to be drafted between picks No. 7-12 and would be surprised he fell out of the top-10. 
• However, NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport says finding a home for Simmons is challenging as there’s a wide difference of opinion from teams on where best to play him. 
• Georgia RB D’Andre Swift and LSU RB Clyde Edwards-Helaire are the two candidates at the position to be taken in the first round, with the other top backs likely coming off the board in the second and third round. (Schrager)
• The top four offensive tackles — Georgia’s Andrew Thomas, Iowa’s Tristan Wirfs, Alabama’s Jedrick Wills and Louisville’s Mekhi Becton — are all expected to be top-10 picks, with Becton the fourth off the board. (Schrager)
• Yahoo Sports’ Charles Robinson says the reason for the lack of consensus with the class is some teams see Wirfs or Wills as guards, while he confirms Becton is expected to go off the board between picks 10-14. 
• Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer says LSU OT Saahdiq Charles is seen as a comparable talent to players at the top of the class but character issues have depressed his stock. 
• Breer adds Cleveland and Edwards-Helaire are both being underrated, with teams seeing Edwards-Helaire as an ideal modern running back and others really high on Cleveland’s potential. 
• Other underrated players per Breer include Penn State DE Yetur Gross-Matos, TCU OT Lucas Niang, Colorado WR Laviska Shenault Jr. and Wyoming LB Logan Wilson.
• As far as players who might be publicly overrated, Breer mentions Wisconsin LB Zack Baun, Iowa DE A.J. Epenesa, LSU CB Kristian Fulton, Houston OT Josh Jones, Alabama DE Terrell Lewis, Utah State QB Jordan Love and Baylor WR Denzel Mims.
• CBS Sports’ Jonathan Jones says to keep an eye on Southern Illinois S Jeremy Chinn as a surprise first-round pick. 
• ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler says one general manager expects Love to generate some movement if he’s still available in the 20s in the first round. 

Undrafted Free Agents

Cowboys executive Stephen Jones does not think signing undrafted free agents will be a large issue for teams as some have said.

“I don’t think it’s gonna be as big a challenge as u might think. A lot of these negotiations are going on outside the same room anyway. I think its gonna work very effectively doing it virtually,” said Jones, via Jon Machota.

Seahawks GM John Schneider also downplayed the logistical issues when it comes to undrafted free agents. 

“I don’t really see it being affected,” said Schneider, via Bob Condotta.

2020 Season

• A source in the league office tells Pro Football Network’s Tony Pauline that the NFL is talking with Delta Airlines to secure two jets for each NFL team to be taken out of circulation and used exclusively by each franchise. 
• Pauline adds the NFL is also discussing securing hotels in each city with Marriott that will be dedicated for use by the teams.