NFL Draft 1st Round: Winners & Losers

The 1st round of the 2020 NFL draft is in the books and it was a very interesting evening. There were not any trades until the 13th pick and then a few more happened later on in the round. Some felt we could see teams trade up to the 2nd or 3rd picks but that just didn’t happen. There are some winners in the first round and of course some losers, plus a very puzzling pick which I will get to in a moment. Let’s take a look at a few teams that did well and a few that did not do well in the first round.

Winners

Miami Dolphins -- Not every team that has three picks in the first round of the NFL draft get put on the winner’s list but in this case, the Dolphins clearly hit a home run. The Dolphins chose QB Tua Tagovailoa with the 5th overall selection of the draft and while he has some injury concerns, he has a chance at being a very good NFL QB. With their 2nd pick, the Fish chose T Austin Jackson to solidify the OL in hopes of protecting their new QB. Miami then traded their 26th pick to Green Bay for the Packers’ 30th pick. Miami used it to take DB Noah Igbinoghene, who is an exceptional athlete with great speed. Miami needed help in the defensive backfield and they got it.

Cincinnati Bengals -- I have to feel that the Bengals had a very good night with their Selection of LSU quarterback Joe Burrow with the Overall 1st pick in the draft. It was the first time that the Bengals took a QB with the top pick in the draft since 2002 when they chose Carson Palmer. Burow will give this offense a jolt But the Bengals will still need some toys for him to play with. This is a draft that is deep with receivers and Cincy should look to adding one in the 2nd round.

Dallas Cowboys -- In my article on Draft Props and in my 1st round Mock Draft one, I expected Ceedee lamb to be the first receiver taken in the draft and for him to go either 11th or 12. That didn’t happen and the Cowboys were able to grab him at 17th. To me, this is an absolute steal for a team that already has Amari Cooper and Michael Gallup. This Dallas offense is now moving into the scary territory that I usually speak of.

Denver Broncos -- I will stick with the WR theme and say that the Broncos scored big with Jerry Jeudy at 15th overall. Along with Ceedee lamb, who went to Dallas, I felt that Jeudy would not survive the top 14 picks. Granted this is just the 15th but Denver desperately needed another offensive weapon for Drew Lock to play with and they got it by selecting who many felt was the 2nd best receiver in the draft.

Tom Brady -- Let’s look at one more winner from the 1st round of the NFL draft. This one is not a team but a player. Tom Brady Already had some nice weapons at Tampa bay and then Gronk came out of retirement to join him. Now, Brady has one of the best offensive linemen in the draft to protect him in Tristan Wirfs from Iowa. The Bucs sent their 14th pick in the draft and a 4th round selection to San Francisco to move up one spot to take Wirfs. He is one of the most pro-ready players in the draft.

Losers

New England Patriots -- The patriots no longer have Tom Brady and their overall offense needed an upgrade. Many felt they would trade up to grab a QB or even one of the quality WRs that went in the first round but instead they traded away their 23rd pick to the Chargers, in exchange for LA’s 37th pick and a 3rd round pick. The Patriots needed a quality 1st round weapon and while they still have 13 picks in the draft, the first round was a bust for them.

New Orleans Saints -- The New Orleans Saints have a very solid offensive line to begin with and yet they chose Cesar Ruiz, who is a center from Michigan. He does have talent but New Orleans desperately needed an upgrade at the linebacker’s position and Patrick Queen was available when they made their selection. New Orleans now has to wait until the 88th pick of the draft if they hope to nab a linebacker. It was a lost opportunity for the Saints.

New York Giants -- the New York Giants needed help along the offensive line, but they also need help at the linebacker spot. With the 4th pick in the draft, the Giants chose OT Andrew Thomas and passed on LB Isaiah Simmons, who was the best and fastest linebacker in the draft. New York is implementing a new defensive scheme this year and he would have fit into that perfectly.

Las Vegas Raiders -- The Raiders needed a wide receiver and they got one. They needed a speedy WR and they got one. The problem is that Henry Ruggs was just the 3rd best WR on Alabama this year while catching a total of 81 passes the last two years, plus Ceedee lamb and Jerry Jeudy were both still on the board when they chose him. Ruggs may turn out to be a good receiver, but the Raiders missed out on picking one of the other two, who WILL be good receivers. LA had another pick (19th) and they chose CB Damon Arnette but he was more of a 2nd round pick.

Aaron Rodgers -- I had a player on the winner’s side and will go with one on the loser’s side. This pick also falls into the most puzzling pick of the draft, which I eluded to at the top. Fifteen years ago, the Packers choose Aaron Rodgers with the 24th pick and now they chose QB Jordan Love with the 26th pick. This was a very curious pick and it has to make Aaron Rodgers a bit miffed. Green bay really needed a WR to help him out and yet they chose a guy who will be groomed as his successor. Even worse for Rodgers is that they traded up fur spots to take him. I would not be happy if I were Aaron.