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Nobody prepared for the 2020 NFL Draft to go like this months ago. But, as is the NFL, the draft is an exercise of adaptation. Every NFL team seemed to handle the perceived technical difficulties of a fully virtual draft, but some teams ended the first round better than others, at least for now. Here are our winners and losers from day one of the 2020 NFL Draft.
Winners
Cincinnati Bengals
Staying put and taking Joe Burrow was the only move the Bengals could’ve made and they did it. Nothing else to say.
Miami Dolphins
You can’t blame them for trying to trade up for Burrow, but selecting the only other good quarterback with the fifth-overall pick was a great move and will be huge for their franchise. Austin Jackson may’ve been a reach at 18th overall but Noah Igbinoghene was a solid pick after trading down to the 31st overall pick.
Arizona Cardinals
No one really knew where Isaiah Simmons would end up, but most knew it would be between the seventh and 12th pick. Simmons ended up going to the Cardinals at eighth overall, and we have to applaud their persistence to go best player available.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Trading up a single spot for arguably the best offensive tackle in the draft fits exactly what we expected the Tompa Bay Bucs to do. The Buccaneers presumably were all in on going offensive line to help Tom Brady and getting Wirfs while only sacrificing a fourth-round pick is a great move.
Dallas Cowboys
No one really expected CeeDee Lamb to be available for the Cowboys to draft, but that’s exactly what happened tonight. Lamb gives the Cowboys three great receiving options for Dak Prescott to work with this year and presumably several years to come.
Minnesota Vikings
Replacing Stefon Diggs with Justin Jefferson shouldn’t necessarily get Vikings fans excited, but trading down several picks to still get Jeff Gladney with the 31st pick is a great move. Getting two players who figure to be solid starters in the first round is a win in our book.
Losers
Las Vegas Raiders
When A.J. Terrell got picked by the Atlanta Falcons, it seemed like the Raiders made a panicked decision by choosing Damon Arnette. While Arnette isn’t a bad player per say, he’s on the older side and wasn’t that productive at Ohio State. It will be tough for him to prove worthy of that draft spot. As it will for Henry Ruggs at the 12th overall pick.
Green Bay Packers
Look, there’s no shame in trading up for a what you believe to be a franchise quarterback. But Jordan Love? For him to be a high-quality starter in the NFL, he’d have to be an outlier for how he produced in college. Trading up for him does not seem like a smart move for the Packers.