What an A+ draft looks like for every NFC team

Dallas Cowboys: Beef up secondary by raiding college football’s best programs

Dallas, which has the 17th overall pick, must find a replacement for cornerback Byron Jones, who signed in free agency with Miami. But it also needs help at safety. This is a deeper draft at cornerback, so the Cowboys should roll the dice, trade back a few spots into the early 20s, and nab Alabama safety Xavier McKinney with their first pick. Then the Cowboys should trade earlier into the second round to grab Clemson corner A.J. Terrell. Both players would instantly replenish the secondary, and with so much money tied up in Dallas’ offense, the team needs cost-effective contributors on the other side of the ball. 

Detroit Lions: Trade down with Miami, still land Okudah

The Lions, who have the third overall pick,. were a mess against the pass in 2019, giving up 4,551 yards, most in the NFL, and 33 touchdowns, tied for fourth most. What’s more, Detroit traded corner Darius Slay to Philadelphia, after it was clear his relationship with the franchise was beyond repair. Ohio State corner Jeff Okudah didn’t allow more than 50 yards receiving in a game over his final two years at Ohio State; in the same span, he allowed just 45 of 106 passes thrown at him to be completed. Okudah is one of the best cornerback prospects in years, and should still be available at No. 5 overall, so the Lions should trade down with Miami, who may want to ensure it gets Alabama QB Tua Tagovailoa. Plus, the talent-starved Lions could use the draft capital,.

Green Bay Packers: Trade back, grab physical weapon for Aaron Rodgers

Green Bay has the 30^th pick, but it should resist the urge to stand pat and instead trade back into the second round. The strategy works for two reasons: One, the Packers' biggest need is receiver and this year’s class is the deepest ever at the position. Two, it would give the Packers more picks early in the draft. Currently, five of their 11 picks are in the sixth and seventh rounds. Colorado WR Laviska Shenault Jr. would be a great running buddy for Davante Adams. Shenault has had injury issues, but he has great size (6-foot-1 and 227 pounds) and forced 44 missed tackles over his final two collegiate seasons, most among any wide receiver in this year’s class.

Los Angeles Rams: Stretch the draft budget

The Rams don’t have a first-round pick in 2020, the fourth straight season they will not have a first-rounder. They have two seconds and two thirds, and need to find impact talent on the interior of the offensive line and on the edges of their defense. A perfect scenario for the Rams would be  Michigan guard/center Cesar Ruiz and Iowa edge rusher A.J. Epenesa falling to them at picks No. 52 and 57, respectively. If they don't, L.A. must grab Temple center Matt Hennessy and Boise State defensive end/linebacker Curtis Weaver.

Minnesota Vikings: Find a new friend for Thielen

Trading Stefon Diggs to the Bills netted Minnesota a haul, and now the Vikings must use one of their two first-rounders (Nos. 22 and 25) on his replacement. It’s all a matter of what the Vikings want to identify. A physical presence like Colorado's Laviska Shenault might be too redundant with Adam Thielen, so TCU speedster Jalen Reagor seems a better fit. Missouri defensive lineman Jordan Elliott won’t fall to pick 58, so the Vikings must select him at pick 25 or trade down into the early second round and grab him there. If they get Reagor and Elliott, all they’ll need for a perfect draft is the best corner remaining in a deep class at the position. 

New Orleans Saints: Take pressure off Thomas

Michael Thomas is arguably the best wide receiver in the league, and veteran Emmanuel Sanders is a nice complement. Still, the Saints need another weapon on the outside. Take TCU's Jalen Reagor with the 24th overall pick. New Orleans needs help at linebacker, and while it could nab LSU’s Patrick Queen, the Saints should instead hope that Mississippi State’s Willie Gay Jr. slides because of some off-field questions. He can be had in the later portion of the third round. Even if he isn't, the addition of one more target for Drew Brees might be all it takes to put one of the league’s most complete rosters over the top in 2020.

New York Giants: Stand pat and land … Chase Young

Let me lay out this hypothetical for Giants fans: Washington shocks the NFL by taking Tua Tagovailoa second overall. The Lions decide that they need an elite cornerback more than an edge rusher (not a crazy thought) and select Ohio State’s Jeffrey Okudah third overall. Sitting with the fourth pick, the Giants are overjoyed that Young, Okudah’s college teammate and the consensus best player in the draft, is somehow still available. Then he's their guy! If Oklahoma linebacker Kenneth Murray slides out of the first round, the G-Men should grab him with the 36^th pick. 

Philadelphia Eagles: Fix woes at linebacker, draft WRs

LSU’s Patrick Queen is the consensus second-best inside linebacker in the draft. He may not be around at pick 21, but if he is, the Eagles should select him immediately. Philadelphia needs cornerback help, something it must address at pick 53, and while it might drive their fans nuts, the Eagles should wait until the third and fourth rounds (two picks) before it drafts wide receivers. Texas’ Devin Duvernay and Rhode Island’s Isaiah Coulter aren’t household names, but with Carson Wentz throwing them the ball, they could be soon.

San Francisco 49ers: Get a WR, then wheel and deal

The Niners, who own two first-round picks (Nos. 13, 31), have three major needs: wide receiver, guard and cornerback. Receiver is the most pressing need, and fortunately, San Francisco is almost guaranteed to have either Jerry Jeudy, CeeDee Lamb or Henry Ruggs III available to them at pick 13. Deebo Samuel was great as a rookie, second among all wide receivers in average yards after catch (8.3). With that in mind, the 49ers should grab Ruggs at 13, as his pure speed and big-play potential would be a perfect complement to Samuel’s skill set. The Niners have no second-, third- or fourth-round picks, so they should deal the 31^st selection for second-day draft capital. 

Seattle Seahawks: Trade back, look to South Bend for Clowney’s replacement

Seattle needs major help on the edge. Jadeveon Clowney wasn’t a sack-master after coming over from Houston, and 2019 first-rounder L.J. Collier (0 sacks) was mostly a no-show in limited action. At just 248 pounds, Notre Dame’s Julian Okwara is undersized to play defensive end in Seattle’s 4-3, but he was productive for the Fighting Irish, and should be available in the late first or early second round. Seattle should trade its 27th overall pick, get Okwara, then go right back to the edge well with Syracuse’s Alton Robinson in the middle rounds. The Seahawks have two second-rounders and a third-round pick. With them, they must beef up their offensive line and find Russell Wilson another wide receiver.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Don’t let 'Touchdown Tom' get touched

With Tom Brady, the Buccaneers are now all-in for the next two years. They need to make sure that Brady is protected, particularly in Bruce Arians’ deep-passing offense. Tampa should get aggressive and move up from the 14^th overall pick to ensure that it gets a quality tackle. If the Bucs don’t deal, they must hope Houston tackle Josh Jones (6-foot-7 and 310 pounds) falls to them. Jones allowed just 18 pressures on 1,282 pass blocking snaps the past three seasons with the Cougars. And if LSU running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire slips to the third round, pick him to pair his pass-catching skills with Brady’s accuracy. That would be tantalizing.

Washington Redskins: Scrap Haskins, draft Tua

Dwayne Haskins’ rookie season with his hometown Redskins did not go well (76.1 passer rating, well below league average). Alabama's Tua Tagovailoa is a much better prospect and he can play right away, so Washington should follow Arizona’s blueprint from last year. Draft a potential franchise quarterback for the second straight season, then deal Haskins. Ohio State defensive end Chase Young looks on paper like the best overall player in the draft. But when you can get a great QB, you do it.