Considering how big of an unknown undertaking it was, the 2020 NFL Draft can only be considered a rousing success. With over 55 million viewers spanning the three days, it shattered the record as folks finally got the chance to watch some sort of live sports programming.
The popular reaction now is to grade every team, as if any of us know how any of these selections will turn out. This isn’t the same exercise. We’ll highlight a few teams that undoubtedly received near-universal praise for how their organization is going about doing business, and a few that were rightfully derided. Here are our selections for each of those:
Winners:
Miami Dolphins: There were teams many thought had far better overall classes, which is fine. But how could you not be optimistic as a Dolphins fan? Last year the front office basically did everything in its power to Tank for Tua, the rag-tag bunch that was left somehow found a way under Brian Flores to win five games, and they still got the Alabama quarterback Tagovailoa without having to trade up. Sure, there are worries about his hip injury. But in the most important position in sports, Miami got the most talented member of the draft class after spending big money in free agency this offseason. Winner.
Minnesota Vikings: Do you know why teams like to stockpile picks? Because even they know no matter how hard they study and analyze, the draft is often a crapshoot. Therefore, the chances of you hitting on a few studs is higher if you have more picks.
The Vikings took that into turbo-mode over the weekend with a record-setting 15 picks over seven rounds, highlighted by a pair of first-rounders in LSU wide receiver Justin Jefferson and TCU cornerback Jeff Gladney. They acquired help at those two positions, plus the offensive and defensive lines, linebacker and safety. And sure, not all of them will pan out, but bet good money that at least a few will.
Dallas Cowboys: Arguably the best wide receiver in the draft fell into their laps at pick 17 in Oklahoma’s CeeDee Lamb, which is a good start for an offense many are projecting could be among the best in the NFL. From there, though, they also drafted a pair of cornerbacks, including Alabama’s Trevon Diggs, to replace the departed Byron Jones. They got Wisconsin center Tyler Biadasz to replace former Wisconsin center Travis Frederick. And they filled needs along the defensive line with Neville Gallimore and Bradlee Anae.
And remember, even if all seven picks wind up busts, Jerry Jones has a $250 million yacht. So he wins anyways.
NFL: There were a few awkward pauses and a little bit of cutting off analysts mid-sentence, but if that’s the worst thing to come out of a three-day, 13-hour event with basically 200 different camera setups across the nation? What a home run for the NFL, ESPN and the NFL Network. Fans got to see so much more than they ever would under almost any circumstance.
Bill Belichick’s dog!
Mike Vrabel’s... whatever that was!
Adorable children!
It wasn’t all perfect – Roger Goodell trying to be human was a bit cringe-worthy at times, and did we really need Luke Bryan and OneRepublic? But it was so smooth it begs the question of why we need to go back to the old draft ways, especially having guest pickers in the late rounds that take forever as they just scream about their particular team?
Losers:
Green Bay Packers: The Packers had a really good draft. That is, if you take away the small stuff. Like the part where they (allegedly) told Aaron Rodgers they’d get him some skill position help, proceeded to not draft a single wide receiver in what could be the deepest wide out class ever. Or the part where they grabbed a running back in the second round when they’re paying pennies to their top two (productive) backs in Aaron Jones and Jamaal Williams.
Or, you know, the part where they traded up in the first-round to reach for Utah State quarterback Jordan Love. Now you’ve riled up your grudge-holding superstar quarterback in Rodgers, who has a massive cap hit the next few years, to the point where the dam is going to break soon. Even if somehow it manages to hold up until 2022, congrats, you spent three years waiting for a first-round pick that isn’t graded nearly as high as Rodgers was coming out of college, when he did the same thing.
New England Patriots: It was a very New England draft. They traded out of the first round to accumulate draft picks. With their first pick (in the second round) they drafted a safety from a Division-II school (Kyle Dugger from Lenoir-Rhyne). They selected a kicker in the fifth round. All typical Belichick.
Except now they do so with Jarrett Stidham at quarterback, and although they nabbed a pair of tight ends in the third round, the skill around him is still among the worst in the NFL. And they admitted that not drafting a quarterback wasn’t in the plan. It’s natural to say the Patriots didn’t come out too much stronger this draft, but of course when they tank in 2020 and get Trevor Lawrence with the first overall pick next year, who really loses?
