Winners and Losers from first round of 2020 NFL Draft

After an action packed first round of the 2020 NFL Draft, it is time to analyze what teams and players had a good night, and who had a bad night

Day one of the 2020 NFL Draft started out slow, with the first seven picks being fairly predictable. However, when the Arizona Cardinals selected Clemson’s Isaiah Simmons, the fun really began. There were no trades in the top twelve, but a flurry of them in the middle of the round, all the way to the end.

The Ohio State Buckeyes stole the show early, with two of the top three picks. After that, the National champion LSU Tigers dominated the first round, with five total players in the first round, including the players picked first and 32nd. The Alabama Crimson Tide kept it business as usual, with four players taken in the first round, but in surprising fashion, they were all offensive players.

It was the quarterbacks who got all the attention in the lead up to the draft. Three of the top four went to the teams that seemingly everyone thought they would. The first quarterback curveball came when the Green Bay Packers traded up four spots to select Utah State quarterback Jordan Love.

Wide receivers flew off the board in the middle of the round. After the Las Vegas Raiders selected Henry Ruggs, we saw Jerry Jeudy, Ceedee Lamb, Justin Jefferson, Brandon Aiyuk, and Jalen Reagor come off the board. There are still plenty of extremely talented receiver prospects available on days two and three. Expect Penn State’s K.J. Hamler and USC’s Michael Pittman to have their names called early tonight.

In every draft, there are winners and losers. Some teams come away winners when they are able to get “their guy” even when they trade back. Some teams reach for needs and come away disappointed. For some teams, last night was the night that they set their franchise back multiple years. For others, they may have made themselves Super Bowl contenders.