One more day and four more rounds of the 2020 NFL Draft to go. Here are five of my biggest takeaways from Day 2:
Bengals' new offensive pairing
What the Bengals have been able to do over the first two days of the draft has been impressive. After taking Joe Burrow with the top overall pick on Thursday, they started Friday off by grabbing another former national champion, Clemson WR Tee Higgins. Then in the third round, they grabbed Wyoming LB Logan Wilson, who I think has the potential to become a player we'll look back at in three years and say was the steal of the draft.
But it's the Higgins pick that I really like, especially pairing him with Burrow and bringing them along together at the start of their careers. They know each other well, and not just from competing against each other in last season's national title game. They had been working out together in California after the season ended, preparing for pre-draft showcase workouts. There's already a little bit of a rapport there that should help in an uncertain offseason.
It's a great fit for Higgins because the perfect player for him to model himself after is A.J. Green. Higgins has the same body type and a similar skill set, so to have a chance to learn from the Bengals' veteran receiver could be ideal.
Dobbins pick perfect for Ravens
The Ravens added six players in the first two days of the draft, with three more picks left for Saturday. None, for me, was more impressive than J.K. Dobbins, the running back from Ohio State. I got a lot of grief for giving the Ravens a running back in the first round in a couple of mock drafts, but remember, this is a team that predicates everything on offense around the running game. You can never have enough running backs in Baltimore.
Also, remember that Mark Ingram will be 31 before the final game of this coming season with a lot of mileage on his body and legs. They also have Gus Edwards and Justice Hill on the roster, and a running quarterback, but this is a team that will never turn down an opportunity to add more talent to the backfield.
Dobbins' running style fits perfectly with what offensive coordinator Greg Roman loves to do. At Ohio State, Dobbins was a no-nonsense back -- just hit it and go. He'll allow the Ravens to keep all of their backs fresh and maybe even take some of the rushing load off of their aging veteran and MVP quarterback.
Jefferson a good fit in McVay's offense
The Rams didn't have a Day 1 pick but selected four players Friday, including a player I think will fit seamlessly into Sean McVay's offense. Wide receiver Van Jefferson was the second of two offensive players drafted by the Rams in Round 2. On the surface, it seemed like he was taken to replace the departed Brandin Cooks, but he actually is just like a player still on the roster. Throughout the entire draft process, I compared Jefferson to Cooper Kupp.
Both Kupp and Jefferson really helped their draft stock at the Senior Bowl -- the comparison starts there -- but they are very similar in their playing styles. Like Kupp, Jefferson is a very precise, clean route runner who is going to fit right into the offense. Despite the similarities, I don't think he is a duplicate of Kupp because he's a little bit faster.
Look up and down the Rams' receiving depth chart, and you'll find Robert Woods, Kupp and Jefferson all have similar qualities. They're all technicians, great route runners who will always be where they need to be when they need to be there, and catch everything.
Chinn music
The Panthers had the choice in the first round between two outstanding defensive players, and they chose Derrick Brown over Isaiah Simmons. Hard to go wrong with either player. But what I thought was fascinating was how they came back on Friday in the second round and took Southern Illinois safety Jeremy Chinn, a player many consider to be a similar version of Simmons.
If you look at the testing numbers of Simmons and Chinn, they're almost identical. Chinn just never played the level of competition Simmons did at Clemson. He's not as pro-ready but very similar to Simmons athletically.
With their three picks over the first two days of the draft, the Panthers and head coach Matt Rhule were able to completely transform a defense that finished 23rd in the NFL last season, adding up-the-middle pressure with Brown, an outside pass rush with Yetur Gross-Matos and athletic position versatility with Chinn.
Las Vegas style
The Raiders identified a deficiency on their team and addressed it head on in the first two days of the draft, taking three wide receivers with their first four picks. Derek Carr now has the weapons to run Jon Gruden's offense.
The back-to-back picks of Lynn Bowden and Bryan Edwards in the third round, along with the addition of Henry Ruggs in Thursday's first round, really added punch to an offense that relied too heavily on rookie RB Josh Jacobs last year. Plus, they're completely different receivers who will complement each other well.
Ruggs will play the "Z" receiver for Gruden, who thought he had that guy last year when the Raiders traded for Antonio Brown. Edwards will compete with Tyrell Williams for time at the "X" receiver spot, giving Las Vegas another big, physical, strong outside presence with better hands. And Bowden can play in the slot or become the gadget guy. The Raiders could use him and Hunter Renfrow on the field at the same time in the slot, and they can also get creative by putting him in some wildcat formations. I did find it interesting that the Raiders listed him as a running back on the card that was announced. I think he ends up being their Deebo Samuel.
