2020 NFL Draft: Winners and Losers of Round 1
This year’s draft was different than most because the entirety of the draft was done virtually due to the global pandemic of COVID-19. Despite that, the draft was still enjoyable, and helped teams get started on making their teams better or worse for the foreseeable future. Some did better than others, and some teams got questionable selections with their picks. Today we will be looking at some of the winners and losers of the draft.
Winners
Bengals, Redskins, Lions, Dolphins, Buccaneers, Broncos, Cowboys, Vikings and Ravens
Losers
Cardinals, Jets, Raiders, Eagles, Packers, Seahawks
Winners
Bengals
The Bengals had the number one overall pick, and with that selection, they got a franchise cornerstone for their offense in QB Joe Burrow. After probably the best single year for a collegiate player ever, Burrow catapulted from a fourth-round choice to number one overall. His combination of size, athleticism, and intelligence made him a perfect fit for Zac Taylor and company. Burrow will have multiple weapons in wide receivers AJ Green, Tyler Boyd and John Ross. Add in RB Joe Mixon coming out the backfield, and you have a solid core of guys around him to help navigate a rookie year. Burrow's best asset, though, is his accuracy passes and ability to extend a play. He made many broken-play highlights at LSU, and it resulted in plenty of touchdowns. Burrow was the best and most obvious choice, and that helped to make Bengals winners in the first round.
Redskins
This selection was likely a bit difficult for the Redskins, as they were heard to be looking to trade down and acquire more picks. When the trade market didn't come to fruition, though, this pick became a no-brainer. Chase Young had been a dominant force on the edge for multiple years, and this past season ended with 16-plus sacks in 12 games. That type of production, added with his size, speed, length, and strength, all adds to a great cornerstone defender for the next ten years. Now, when you look at the front four for the Redskins next season, there is a sense of fear for the quarterbacks of the NFC East. Chase Young, DaRon Payne, Montez Sweat, and Jonathan Allen all make for a solid group that can stop the run, collapse the pocket, and most importantly, sack the quarterback.
Dolphins
When the dolphins seasons ended, there was a lot of speculation on what they could get with their three first-round selections. The three picks ranged from good to questionable. They started off with Tua Tagovailoa, who many think is the best quarterback prospect in the entire draft. If he stays healthy during his career, then the dolphins have finally found the replacement for Dan Marino, who retired in 2000. It may have taken 20 years, but they finally got him in this accurate, precise pocket passer. Not only can he do it through the air, but he has mobility to also extend the play and run for a first down. Next, they got protection for their franchise guy in Austin Jackson from USC. He is a solid left tackle with great mobility and strength. The only thing Jackson needs a bit of work on is his technique, but with good coaching then he can be a cornerstone tackle for a decade for Tua. Lastly, they went and filled a position where it seemed they were strong at: cornerback. They got Noah Igbinoghene from Auburn with pick number 30. He is a bit shorter of a guy, but is solid in coverage and can tackle well. He should also be able to slide right in and play in the slot to give the Dolphins a solid trio of man-cover corners on the backend. Yet, with the last first round pick you can make a case for either getting a receiver, running back or another offensive lineman to help with Tua and an offense that was among the bottom of the league last year. All in all, though, the Dolphins had a solid first round, and got three starters for their team.
Ravens
Near the bottom of the first round, the Ravens had a few options for their picks. They needed ILB, EDGE, WR, and Interior OL help. All the players at the top of the draft were good in many of those categories, and in many mocks people discussed the Ravens moving up to get one of the best ILB or WR. In a great turn of events though, the Ravens got to sit pat at number 28 and still get their number-one need in LB Patrick Queen from LSU. The Ravens struggled on the second level of their defense last season after not replacing CJ Mosley, who had departed in the previous offseason. This offseason, they knew they had to get one of the two top guys, either in Patrick Queen or Kenneth Murray. Both would fit what the ravens want from their linebacker position, with a guy that can play sideline-to-sideline and make impact plays. Furthermore, the Ravens spent the offseason beefing up the defensive line to allow their linebackers to freely flow to the ball. Queen was the better fit, though, because of his coverage skills, which were sorely missed when Mosley left. Mosley is a true Raven pick, both in play and demeanor. Lastly, he makes the first LSU player picked for the Ravens in team history. Deion Jones, Devin White, and Kwon Alexander made the linebacker spot for LSU look just too good the last few years for the Ravens to pass up.
Losers
Cardinals
Isaiah Simmons is the best defensive player in the draft, even better than Chase Young. So the choice to place the Cardinals in the losers category is because they went for a luxury pick instead of a need. They have plenty of weapons for Kyler Murray including All-Pro Deandre Hopkins and Larry Fitzgerald. They have been looking to upgrade the defense a bit more, but the most important thing they needed was another offensive line to help protect Murray. The Cardinals were in the top three of sacks allowed, with over 45 last season. They re-signed OT DJ Humphries, but they needed more than just him. They were in a prime spot to take one of the best tackle prospects in the draft in Jedrick Wills, Tristan Wirfs, or Mekhi Becton. Any of these selections would have given a great foundation for the offense moving forward. I loved the pick for Simmons because he gives them a great defensive chess piece for any level of the defense, but offense should have been the choice here to help their number-one overall pick.
Jets
The Jets inclusion on this list is the same as the Cardinals. They made a good pick, but there was a better choice for them on the board. The pick was Mekhi Becton, who will be a franchise left tackle for Sam Darnold for the foreseeable future. He is big, strong, and very quick for a man of his size. He is also experienced, being a three year starter for Louisville. He played against great competition and did exceptionally well. He was a good pick for the Jets, but the better play here was the receiver spot. Darnold hasn’t been given a number-one receiver since being in the league, and the Jets had basically their choice of who they wanted at the top. There was Jerry Jeudy, the precise route runner with good size and speed. There was CeeDee Lamb, who was like a carbon copy of Deandre Hopkins in terms of size, strength, speed and ability to catch the ball in the air. He was one of the best guys after he got the ball in his hands. Lastly, there was Henry Ruggs III, who was the Tyreek Hill of the group with his 4.27 speed. He showed to be a complete receiver at Alabama, but excelled with his deep-threat ability like Hill did at West Alabama. Any of these guys could step in and be a number-one option for Darnold. They had a chance at all these guys, but decided against it. I think this will be a decision they question a year from now when they see how these guys produce.
Eagles
The Eagles lost this round for two reasons. The first is the selection they made in WR Jalen Reagor. I like the guy's speed and ability to move well with the ball in his hands. But I feel like the Eagles needed to get a true number-one receiver. A guy like CeeDee Lamb would have been the perfect pick for them as a guy that can do it all well. You mix in the size and strength Lamb has, and you have a player to lead the receiver room. Raegor has good speed and elusiveness, but is a bit shorter, and reminds me more of a bit slower version of Desean Jackson. Reagor is a good player, but not the best fit for the Eagles. The second reason the Eagles lost is they didn’t get aggressive to get their guy in CeeDee Lamb, and allowed the division rival Cowboys to obtain him. Now, instead of unleashing him on the NFC East, the Eagles get to try and contain him twice a year.
Packers
At what point did the Packers think that it was a smart choice to move up to get Jordan Love? Love is a great QB prospect: the size, strength, and intellect he displayed during his collegiate career were amazing. I agreed with many mock drafts that Love should have a first-round grade, but to move up to get him when you have a QB with the name Aaron Rodgers still on your team is questionable. The better option would have been to finally spend a first-round pick on a weapon for Rodgers to pair with Davante Adams. The last time the Packers spent a first-round pick on an offensive player was in 2005, on Rodgers himself. A player like Denzel Mims or Laviska Shenault Jr. would have been a great complement to Adams, as both players have the speed to go over the top or take short passes the distance with great run-after-the-catch ability. Then if they really wanted to get Love, they could have traded back from 30 to 31 possibly. Then, with the additional picks, they could have moved back to have the final two picks in round one with 31 and 32. This would have been good for both the future and the present. Love isn’t going to see the field anytime soon as long as Rodgers is playing, and now they have to hope they can get a good player in the second round for Rodgers to use immediately.
Unless otherwise noted, stats from sportsreference.com(college) or profootballreference.com(NFL)
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