Although Thursday’s first round of the NFL Draft started without a trade in the top 10 picks for the first time since 2015, there was plenty of intrigue, surprise, and significance as NFL teams attempted to push themselves closer to the Lombardi Trophy.
Let’s take a look at the biggest moments from the opening round of the 2020 NFL Draft.
Four QBs Taken Off the Board
Although the Bengals have been one of the worst teams in the league, they may finally have their franchise quarterback after taking LSU’s Joe Burrow with the first overall pick of the draft. This came as no surprise, of course, as Burrow was a -100000 favorite to go to Cincinnati on draft night.
After a year of speculation that Miami was aiming for Alabama’s Tua Tagovailoa, the two weeks leading up to the draft included plenty of noise and mystery regarding the Dolphins’ plans. Yet Miami stood firm at No. 5 and selected Tua.
Seeing as how the Dolphins aren’t ready to contend for a championship any time soon, they now can let Tua sit for a year. Sitting back and learning the game from afar may be just what the player needs after suffering a devastating hip injury last season.
With Burrow and Tua off the board, the Chargers were left to snag Oregon’s Justin Herbert at No. 6 overall. The prototypical quarterback will likely compete with Tyrod Taylor for the starting spot right away.
The most intriguing of the quarterback selections was Utah State’s Jordan Love, who was too good for the Packers to pass up. In fact, they were so eager to land Love that they traded No. 30 and a fourth-round pick to move up to No. 26 to take the QB.
The move left many Packers fans bewildered at the fact that their team chose to forego the opportunity to give Aaron Rodgers help in favor of selecting a quarterback of the future. After reaching the NFC Championship a year ago, the decision to take Love is certainly an interesting one.
Tampa Bay Gives Brady Help on O-Line
While it may seem like a high price to trade a fourth-rounder to move up a single spot, the Bucs have Super Bowl aspirations — aspirations that depend on their ability to protect Tom Brady.
Tampa Bay made the move by swapping first-round picks with San Francisco (No. 14 for No. 13), giving them the ability to draft Iowa’s Tristan Wirfs, an offensive tackle who figures to start right away. Wirfs gave the Bucs value and need in that spot, making it a perfect selection.
Ruggs, Jeudy, Lamb Go 1-2-3
One of the biggest questions heading into draft night was the order in which the three best receiver prospects would be selected.
Going back to their Al Davis roots, the Raiders went for speed, taking Alabama’s Henry Ruggs III off the board with the No. 12 pick in the draft. Ruggs ran a 4.27 40-yard dash at the combine, but many analysts held Jerry Jeudy and CeeDee Lamb in higher regard.
Ruggs’ Alabama teammate, Jeudy, was next to go. The Broncos took Jeudy — who many consider to be the better of the two Alabama receivers — with the No. 15 pick in the draft.
Because no receiver went higher than No. 12, there was a high likelihood that Lamb would become a value pick. By falling all the way down to Dallas at No. 17, that was certainly the case.
Jerry Jones said the Cowboys had Lamb ranked as their top overall receiver after showcasing his incredible playmaking skills at Oklahoma last season. They were able to get their man later than expected and gave Dak Prescott another weapon.
