The 2020 NFL Draft – 5 Years Later (Honest Review)

Let’s go back to April 2020. The world’s on lockdown, we’re disinfecting bags of Doritos, Roger Goodell is announcing picks from his basement like some weird fantasy football dungeon master—and somehow, the NFL Draft became a comforting distraction from the apocalypse. For a moment, it felt like things were normal. The NFL gave us hope. But now? Now that hope feels... tainted.

Five years later, this draft class is a mess. Some of the best talents emerged here, no doubt. But so did some of the most bizarre misfires in recent memory—injuries, character concerns, pure incompetence, and one tragically wasted career.

For every Joe Burrow, there’s a Jalen Reagor. For every CeeDee Lamb, there's an Isaiah Wilson.

Let’s take a trip down memory lane and see how this thing holds up now that the dust has settled.

1. Cincinnati Bengals – Joe Burrow, QB,

This one felt like destiny. Joe Burrow was coming off one of the greatest college seasons in history.

And despite the injuries, he’s led the Bengals to a Super Bowl and made them perennial contenders.

He’s the guy. Score: 10/10

2. Washington Redskins – Chase Young, DE, Ohio State

He was a physical freak coming out, and Year 1 was dominant. But the injuries and inconsistency since then have really slowed him down. Still talented, but far from the game-wrecker he was hyped to be. Score: 5/10

3. Detroit Lions – Jeff Okudah, CB, Ohio State

Yikes. The Lions needed a shutdown corner and got a guy who never looked comfortable. Injuries played a big role, but even healthy, he didn’t live up to expectations. Already on his second team.

Score: 2/10

4. New York Giants – Andrew Thomas, OT, Georgia

He was seen as a bit of a “safe” pick, but man did he turn into a foundational left tackle. Took a year to settle in, but now he’s elite. Score: 9/10

5. Miami Dolphins – Tua Tagovailoa, QB, Alabama

Say what you want about Tua’s durability or his ceiling, but when he’s on, he’s damn good. Top-10 QB when healthy and leads a fun, explosive offense. Score: 8/10

6. Los Angeles Chargers – Justin Herbert, QB, Oregon

There were questions on if he’d pan out. Yeah, those were stupid. Herbert is a franchise quarterback. Strong arm, smart, calm under pressure—he’s that dude. Score: 10/10

7. Carolina Panthers – Derrick Brown, DT, Auburn

Maybe not flashy, but he’s been a consistently disruptive force on the interior. Exactly what they hoped for. Solid. Score: 8/10

8. Arizona Cardinals – Isaiah Simmons, OLB, Clemson

Everyone fell in love with his versatility. Turns out, he was a tweener without a real position. Never clicked in Arizona and now he’s basically a utility bench piece. Score: 3/10

9. Jacksonville Jaguars – CJ Henderson, CB, Florida

A massive reach that busted quickly. Traded away after barely doing anything. One of many front office failures in Jacksonville. Score: 2/10

10. Cleveland Browns – Jedrick Wills Jr., OT, Alabama

He’s been... fine. Not dominant, not a liability. Just kinda there. They hoped for more. Score: 5/10

11. New York Jets – Mekhi Becton, OT, Louisville

the hype? “The Mountain.” Dude was a tank... and then his knees said “nah.” Barely played. Complete disappointment. Score: 2/10

12. Las Vegas Raiders – Henry Ruggs III, WR, Alabama

Devastating. The on-field talent was promising, but the off-field tragedy derailed it all. A life was lost. Football doesn’t even matter in this one.

Score: N/A

13. Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Tristan Wirfs, OT, Iowa

Stole him at 13. Plug-and-play starter, All-Pro, and a key piece of a Super Bowl run. Perfection.

Score: 10/10

14. San Francisco 49ers – Javon Kinlaw, DT, South Carolina

The plan was to replace DeForest Buckner. That was cute. Kinlaw’s been plagued by injuries and underwhelming play. Not even close to living up to the billing. Score: 3/10

15. Denver Broncos – Jerry Jeudy, WR, Alabama

Jeudy was supposed to be WR1. Instead, he’s had flashes, but no consistency. Injuries and bad QB play didn’t help, but still a letdown. Score: 5/10

16. Atlanta Falcons – AJ Terrell, CB, Clemson

Terrell’s been a shutdown guy at times. Quietly one of the better picks of the draft, and rarely gets his flowers. Score: 8/10

17. Dallas Cowboys – CeeDee Lamb, WR, Oklahoma

Yeah, unfortunately, this one hit. Lamb is a superstar. Route running, hands, yards after catch—he does it all. One of the best WRs in the league.

Score: 10/10

18. Miami Dolphins – Austin Jackson, T, USC

He’s been better recently, but it took a while—and that rookie contract is half-gone already. Feels like a ‘meh’ pick overall. Score: 5/10

19. Las Vegas Raiders – Damon Arnette, CB, Ohio State

Unmitigated disaster. Off-field issues, on-field struggles, and quickly out of the league. Score: 1/10

20. Jacksonville Jaguars – K’Lavon Chaisson, OLB, LSU

You’d be forgiven for forgetting he’s still in the league. Pure speed rusher that never developed.

Score: 2/10

21. Philadelphia Eagles – Jalen Reagor, WR, TCU

Pain. Confusion. Eternal frustration. Took him over Justin Jefferson and got a guy who couldn’t run a clean route if his life depended on it. Huge bust.

Score: 1/10

22. Minnesota Vikings – Justin Jefferson, WR, LSU

And right after? They got the steal of the draft. Jefferson is a generational WR talent and arguably the best in the league. Score: 10/10

23. Los Angeles Chargers – Kenneth Murray, ILB, Oklahoma

Had all the tools, but never put it all together. A liability in coverage and not the impact player they hoped for. Score: 4/10

24. New Orleans Saints – Cesar Ruiz, C, Michigan

Decent depth and versatility, but has yet to play like a first-rounder. A little underwhelming. Score: 5/10

25. San Francisco 49ers – Brandon Aiyuk, WR, Arizona State

This dude can ball. Explosive, tough, reliable. He’s been key in a stacked offense and probably deserves more credit. Score: 9/10

26. Green Bay Packers – Jordan Love, QB, Utah State

People laughed. But now? He’s their starter, and he looks pretty damn good. Green Bay knew what they were doing. Again. Score: 9/10

27. Seattle Seahawks – Jordyn Brooks, ILB, Texas Tech

A strange pick that actually kind of worked. Productive, if unspectacular. Seahawks gonna Seahawk. Score: 6/10

28. Baltimore Ravens – Patrick Queen, ILB, LSU

Started slow, but developed into a really good linebacker. Got better every year and was a big part of that defense. Score: 8/10

29. Tennessee Titans – Isaiah Wilson, T, Georgia

One of the worst first-round picks in NFL history.

Played four snaps. FOUR. Massive red flags from day one. Score: 0/10

30. Miami Dolphins – Noah Igbinoghene, CB, Auburn

Never clicked. Constantly buried on the depth chart, even when the team needed help.

Disappointment. Score: 2/10

31. Minnesota Vikings – Jeff Gladney, CB, TCU

Tragic situation. Off-field issues, released, and then ed away in 2022. Hard to even evaluate.

Score: N/A

32. Kansas City Chiefs – Clyde Edwards-Helaire, RB, LSU

Great team, bad pick. CEH never became the feature back they wanted and was outshined by late-round guys like Isiah Pacheco. Score: 3/10

So five years later, what do we think of the 2020 first round? It’s a mixed bag for sure. You’ve got generational talents like Burrow, Jefferson, and Wirfs... but the bust rate is shockingly high, even by NFL standards. Teams missed big, and often.

Between criminal cases, injuries, positional flops, and sheer mismanagement, this class feels like a case study in unpredictability. Final score for the first round? 5.5/10. Some home runs, but man... the strikeouts were brutal.

You never truly know what you’re getting on draft night. But sometimes, five years later, you wish you didn’t know.