The 2020 NFL Draft class is 5 years into their careers and in today’s article we’re going to be going back and grading the first half of the first round of the 2020 draft which is picks 1-16. The 2020 class took place during covid and for anyone who may not remember this class aside from the big name picks – or the quarterbacks from this class – well there were both some incredibly high highs for some teams – and some incredibly low lows for others. We will be going in reverse order and we will be starting with the Falcons selection of corner AJ Terrell – and finishing with the Bengals selection of quarterback Joe Burrow. There’s 16 picks to grade so without further ado – let’s begin
16 – AJ Terrell was the 16th pick in the first round of the 2020 draft and Terrell – like a lot of corners from this class – struggled during his rookie season. There were certainly some flashes from AJ Terrell during the 2020 season – but when he was targeted – he allowed an opposing passer rating of 109.2. However 2021 was a much different story as he was a second team all pro and was undoubtedly one of the best players in football that year. But 2022 was another bad year for Terrell as he allowed 9 touchdowns to 0 interceptions when targeted and there were a lot of questions surrounding Terrell after the 2022 season. Was he a one year wonder was a question a lot of people were wondering. But he’s played a lot better over the last two years and Falcons fans especially know that he doesn’t get targeted as much as other corners on their roster. Teams don’t completely look away from AJ Terrell like they may have a prime Darrelle Revis or Richard Sherman – but they definitely give it a second thought. Terrell is a really good corner – not an elite corner that completely shuts down your number one receiver – but a really good corner. And 5 years later this is an A.
15 – Jerry Jeudy was the second receiver taken in the 2020 draft after the Raiders took Henry Ruggs and we will preface this not just with the Jeudy selection – but with another selection shortly – that this grade will be based off of what Jeudy did during his time in Denver. We bring this up of course because Jeudy set career highs in Cleveland this year in both receptions and receiving yards as he had 90 receptions for over 1,200 yards while his previous career high in Denver was 67 receptions for 972 yards. Jeudy wasn’t a bad player during his time in Denver, but what particularly stinks for him is there were two much better players drafted after him in CeeDee Lamb and Justin Jefferson. Jeudy finished his time in Denver with 3,000 yards in 4 years and had just 11 receiving touchdowns. There was a point where Broncos fans were excited about the trio of Drew Lock, Jerry Jeudy, and Noah Fant offensively and unfortunately it didn’t last long. Jeudy had an extreme case of the drops as a rookie in 2020, but cleaned it up as his career progressed. I do think his talent level is around the A- area and I do like Jerry Jeudy a lot as a player – but 5 years later this grade is a C+.
14 – Prior to the 2020 draft the San Francisco 49ers traded former star defensive lineman DeForest Buckner to the Colts in exchange for their first round pick. Buckner is a 3 time pro bowler and is a really good player for the Colts and ironically – Javon Kinlaw’s pro comparison in the pre draft process was – DeForest Buckner. Kinlaw had a solid rookie season as he had over 30 tackles, a couple of quarterback hits, a sack and a half and even pick 6. Not a ground breaking rookie season – but there looked to be something there for 2021 and beyond. Unfortunately he played in just 10 total games over the course of the next two years and the 49ers declined his 5th year option after the 2022 season. He played all 17 games for the 49ers during the 2023 season and had a career high 31 pressures as well as 3.5 sacks. He played 41 games in 4 years for the team that drafted him and was a non factor for much of his tenure in the Bay Area. Kinlaw had just 5 sacks in 41 games and this trade – the trading Deforest Buckner for the cheaper version of what was supposed to be himself – reminds me a lot of the AJ Brown Treylon Burks trade off – but for the defensive tackle position. And if this trade proved anything – it’s how difficult it is to replace good trench players. 5 years later this grade is an F.
13 – Tristan Wirfs was the 4th offensive tackle taken in the 2020 draft and this is a prime example of just because a player isn’t taken first at their position – doesn’t mean they can’t be the best from their class. In 5 years Wirfs has 4 pro bowls to his name as well as 3 all pros – including two first team all pros. He has been an outstanding player for the Bucs for the past 5 years and he and fellow 2020 draftee Antoine Winfield Jr – played an instrumental role in the Bucs winning the Super Bowl over the Chiefs back in 2020. You often hear the phrase with offense lineman in the draft process that they are a plug and play player – and this is exactly what Wirfs has been through 5 years. He also became the first player in NFL history to be named a first team all pro at both – left and right tackle in 2024 as he switched from right tackle to left tackle after the 2022 season. He is on a hall of fame trajectory and I think if he has another two to three good years – he will solidify himself as a future gold jacket. And anytime the word gold jacket is mentioned – you can probably guess what this grade is. An easy A+
12 – Henry Ruggs was the first receiver taken in the 2020 draft and Ruggs game was predicated and speed and being an explosive football player. He ran a 4.27 40 and jumped 42 inches in the vertical and I do think Ruggs was well on his way to becoming a star in the NFL. I don’t know how good Ruggs would have been – but I do think he would have been a multiple time 1,000 yard player and that there was a chance he’d still be playing for the Raiders today. But Henry Ruggs made a poor decision in November of 2021. A very poor decision. He drove drunk and hit another car in excess of speeds over 150 miles per hour and killed a young women and her dog in the process. And may they both continue to rest in peace. For the sake of this video and ultimately the grading of this selection – this I s extremely abnormal due to the rarity of this pick and what transpired after. And because of the circumstances for the sake of the Raiders – I would be fine with giving this an incomplete grade. But from what the Raiders received on the field – which was 921 receiving yards from a former first round pick – this is an F.
11 – Mekhi Becton was the Jets first round pick back in 2020 and once upon a time Mekhi looked to be a legit franchise left tackle. There were certainly some snaps where he got beat as a rookie – but the play from Mekhi that year was pretty good all things considered. Unfortunately Mekhi would go on to play just 1 game in the next two years for the Jets as he suffered a knee injury in week 1 of the 2021 season against the Carolina Panthers which resulted in cartilage damage that required surgery and he missed the rest of the year. And in August of 2022 – Becton was diagnosed with an avulsion fracture of his right knee cap and that ended his 2022 season. It was unfortunate for the obvious reasons but Becton didn’t play good in 2023 and that was the end of his tenure with the Jets. Mekhi had a good 2024 season with the Eagles that culminated in a Super Bowl victory over the Chiefs – but his play with the Eagles and now Chargers for the next two years – has nothing to do with the Jets selection. And the reality is – Mekhi Becton was a bust for the New York Jets. He’s turned his career around since, and I’m happy for him – but this draft grade is based on his performance in the big apple. And ultimately that grade is an F
10 – Jedrick Wills was the second offensive tackle taken in the 2020 draft and there was a point in time where Jedrick Wills legitimately looked like a franchise tackle of the future. And the 2020 Browns were a really good team and Wills played a big part within that. Unfortunately out of the 5 seasons Jedrick has played – 2020 was probably the best season he’s had and it’s been kind of downhill from there. He was an average to above average tackle as a rookie back in 2020 – but given he was 21 years old at the time – the hope was he would eventually become a good or great player – but that never happened. Jedrick stayed about the same over the past 4 years when he was on the field and also committed a frustrating amount of penalties and was never a particularly dominant player with the Browns. He also has played in just 13 of 34 possible games over the last two years and has played in just 58 of 84 possible games for the Browns. I thought the flashes were there for Jedrick during the early parts of his career – and thought he would eventually be a pro bowl tackle – at least once in his career – but that never happened. And 5 years later this is a C-.
9 – The Jags had two first round picks in the 2020 draft and the first was used on Florida corner CJ Henderson. Henderson only played in 8 games in his rookie year as he suffered a groin injury in week 10 of 2020. Unfortunately this wasn’t a case where CJ was a really good player prior to injury as he was picked on quite a bit as a rookie and I feel like that should have been expected given that there were no preseason games that year due to COVID and that a lot of the ironing out part of a rookie corner – would have to take place during the regular season. CJ has allowed over a 105 passer rating in every season of his career and the most surprising part about this pick to me – was how quickly the Jags gave up on a former top 10 pick. He was traded in September of 2021 to the Carolina Panthers for a mix of draft picks and tight end Dan Arnold. His contract expired with the Panthers after the 2023 season and since then he has been a part of the Texans and Steelers practice squads with Pittsburgh at one point signing him to their active roster – though he never played in an actual game for the Steelers. He played 10 total games for the team that drafted him and Jags fans unfortunately know how legendarily bad of a draft class this was for them – and it started with CJ Henderson. An F grade
8 – Isaiah Simmons was a highly sought after prospect in the 2020 draft that unfortunately never lived up to the hype. With Isaiah Simmons – there were occasional splash plays that would make you think – if he can put this together – he can be a really good player for a long time. I liked Simmons a lot as a prospect in the 2020 draft process and I remember the interception against the Seahawks in his rookie year and considering the situation in the game at the time – I was so excited for Simmons and the Cardinals. But unfortunately it didn’t work out in Arizona and after the 2022 season – the Cardinals declined his 5th year option and then traded him to the Giants in August of 2023. And unfortunately the Cardinals only received a 7th round pick for Simmons which really surprised me because I thought he would have netted a little more. I think Isaiah Simmons is a really fun player to think about in theory – but he wasn’t the best in run defense and he missed a fair share of tackles during both – his tenure with the Cardinals and his tenure with the Giants. He had some production during his time in Arizona and he’s not an all time whiff by any means so we are giving this pick a D grade
7 – Derrick Brown of the Carolina Panthers is up and with the lack of team success the Panthers have had since Brown was drafted – I think it’s more than fair to say that people don’t realize just how good Derrick Brown is. I think he is a tremendously underrated player and it also doesn’t help his case that he only has 8 career sacks – as fair or not – sacks are the first thing people notice when looking at a defensive trench player. But Derrick Brown set a record for the defensive tackle position in 2023 with tackles in a single season as he had 103 and made the pro bowl. And the Panthers as a team have obviously been down a lot over the past two years – although it got better at the end of 2024 – but the point is – teams were going to run the football against them a lot more than other contending teams. And we bring this up because Brown only played in 1 game in 2024 as he suffered a meniscus injury – and the Panthers went from 12th in average yards per carry against in 2023 – to dead last in 2024. Would it be fair to give all of that credit to Derrick Brown individually? No. But the point is – he is a significant difference maker on the field and was every bit worth the number 7 pick. And 5 years later this grade is an A.
6 – Justin Herbert was the third quarterback taken in the first 6 picks of the 2020 draft and through 5 years Justin Herbert has 5 20+ passing touchdown seasons as well as two 30+ passing touchdown seasons to his name. He can also scoot out of the backfield and pick up some extra yards on the ground when he needs to and Herbert has been everything the Chargers could have hoped for when they needed to replace former franchise quarterback Phillip Rivers. This may be surprising because of how watered down the event is – but Justin Herbert is only a one time pro bowler, but has finished in the top 10 of the MVP voting twice in his young career. I fully understand the playoff game against the Texans leaves a bad taste in peoples mouths with Herbert at this specific point in time – but I don’t think one game should completely diminish everything Herbert has accomplished in his first 5 years and imply he’s a bad football player because of that said game. Obviously he played terrible in his most recent game, but when you select a quarterback in the top 6 – you are hoping for what Justin Herbert has accomplished in his first 5 years. And there’s a lot of teams that wish they had Justin Herbert as their starting quarterback. An A+ grade
5 – Tua Tagovailoa of the Dolphins is up and this is one of the more interesting picks to grade for a few reasons. When healthy – Tua can play at a high level 0 as he led the NFL in passing yards in 2023, and led the NFL in several categories in 2022 – like yards per attempt, passer rating, and even tied with Patrick Mahomes for touchdown percentage with 6.3%. But Tua is also a very limited player and you can see that when you watch him – whether it’s on tape or just watching him live. He obviously doesn’t have the mobility or the arm strength that other quarterbacks in the NFL do and this causes people to dismiss or at times – fail to recognize how good he can be at times. Tua didn’t play the best in 2024 but the team wasn’t good and I do think in a lot of ways – that Tua was set up to fail because of the lack of emphasis on the trenches. This pick – along with the AJ Terrell pick were two of the more difficult ones to grade from this class because there’s a lot of factors for both players. Tua isn’t bad, but I think if you go back 5 years and say this is what you’re going to get from him – the Dolphins wouldn’t be thrilled with their return on investment. But remember – it could be a lot worse. And also remember – Tua himself is not a bad player – he’s not just elite. And ultimately 5 years later – we give this pick a B
4 – Andrew Thomas was the Giants first round pick back in 2020 and for those who may not remember – Thomas struggled big time during his rookie season as he allowed 57 pressures and 10 sacks during the 2020 season. But since then he’s been a really good player when healthy and has been everything they could have hoped for and more in a franchise left tackle. For reference – he allowed 57 pressures on 615 pass blocking snaps as a rookie – and since then he’s allowed 72 pressures on nearly 1,800 pass blocking snaps. I know a lot of people like to dunk on the Giants and I get it – but they extended Andrew Thomas prior to his 4th season starting and based on where contracts are now – they actually got him on a discount relative to other elite offensive lineman – so credit the Giants for doing so. Now from a sheer talent perspective – Thomas is an A+ level grade. But the NFL is the ultimate what have you done for me lately league and unfortunately Thomas has played in just 16 games over the last two years. He’s played in 61 of 84 possible games and I hope he’s healthy for the 2025 season and beyond – because he is a franchise cornerstone when healthy – but because of this – this grade is an A.
3 – Jeff Okudah was regarded as the best corner prospect since Jalen Ramsey in 2016 and he was selected number 3 overall. Okudah suffered a hamstring injury in training camp of 2020 and missed the first week of the season. Like we said with CJ Henderson – rookie corners especially were at a disadvantage during the 2020 regular season especially early on because they didn’t get the critical preseason reps before the season started. And Okudah – like CJ Henderson – was picked on quite a bit as a rookie. And during his first NFL game which was in week 2 against the Packers – in a year where Aaron Rodgers would go on to throw 48 touchdowns to 5 interceptions – Okudah was targeted 10 times and allowed 7 receptions for 121 yards in his NFL debut. Unfortunately that would be a sign of things to come as Okudah never broke out the way he was once expected to. He’s never had a good season in the NFL and he unfortunately tore his achilles in week one of his second season against the 49ers. He was traded to the Falcons for a 5th round pick prior to the 2023 draft which ended his tenure in Detroit. He played the 2023 season with Atlanta, the 2024 season with the Texans, and signed a one year deal with the Vikings for the 2025 season. And unfortunately this grade is an F
2 – Chase Young was a very highly touted prospect coming out of Ohio State – and was viewed as the second best pass rushing prospect in the last ten years really only behind Myles Garrett of the Browns. And in his rookie year – Chase Young proved why the hype was worth it. He was a pro bowler, he won the defensive rookie of the year award – and he provided a lot of hope for a fan base that needed it – the then Washington Football Team at the time. Unfortunately he had a sophomore slump in 2021 before tearing his ACL and patellar tendon midway through the year and didn’t play another game until November of 2022. He was eventually traded to the 49ers in 2023 and is now a member of the New Orleans Saints. Chase Young is not a bad player in 2025 – but this grade is based off of his time in Washington. And Chase Young only played in 34 games for Washington and recorded just 14 sacks as a former number two overall pick. He won the rookie of the year and there was production there so for people to say he’s an F – and to be in the same tier as other all time draft busts – to me – wouldn’t be fair to Chase Young. And because of that – this grade gets a D.
1 – Joe Burrow was the first overall pick in the 2020 draft and this was after a legendary 2019 season with the LSU Tigers as they won the national championship after an all time season from Burrow, and his two star receivers – Justin Jefferson and Ja’Marr Chase. Expectations were high for Burrow entering his rookie year and unfortunately he suffered a torn ACL during the 2020 season which prematurely ended his season. The Bengals unexpectedly made the Super Bowl in 2021 as Burrow threw 34 touchdowns and won the comeback player oft the year award. They made it to the AFC Championship game in 2022 but unfortunately Burrow had another season ending injury midway through the 2023 season. 2024 was an unreal year for Burrow as he threw for 4,900 yards, led the NFL in several passing categories and threw a career high 43 touchdown passes. He is one of the best quarterbacks in the league and he gives the Bengals a chance to win on any given Sunday. It’s hard not to imagine him winning at least one MVP before his career ends and I know expectations are high for number one overall picks – but I think Joe Burrow has been everything the Bengals could have hoped for and more. An easy A+ grade. I hope you enjoyed today’s article! Please consider following if you did! And until next time as always, please be safe and have a great day. Love you guys
