NFL Draft First Round Results and Reactions

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The 2020 NFL Draft concluded on Saturday night as each team looked to add talent to their rosters for the upcoming NFL season and 254 men accomplished their dreams of getting drafted by an NFL franchise.

However, with the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the draft took place inside the basement of NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell. Goodell rattled off each team’s picks in the usual manner, except there was no shaking hands on a large stage. Instead, each draftee set up a live camera in their houses and streamed their reactions.

This was quite the difference compared to the usual spectacle that the draft brings; however, players and their families still got dressed up, shared hugs and celebrated as they heard their names called. 

The esteemed first overall pick in the draft belonged to the Cincinnati Bengals, who selected LSU quarterback Joe Burrow. After tossing 60 touchdown passes, winning the Heisman Trophy and leading LSU to a national championship, Burrow was expected to be taken first on nearly every mock draft as a can’t miss prospect.

With the second pick, the Washington Redskins selected hometown talent Chase Young. Young, a defensive end from Ohio State, racked up 16.5 sacks last season for the Buckeyes. Young’s combination of strength and athleticism make him one of the most NFL-ready players in the entire draft, and his game should fit well in a Redskins defense that needs help generating pressure.

Another Ohio State product, Jeffrey Okudah, was selected right after, as the Detroit Lions found their new cornerback to take on the departed Darius Slay’s role.  

The first round continued relatively quietly as teams filled their roster’s needs. No trades were made inside of the top ten, and there was not a surprise pick of the draft for quite some time.

The Los Angeles Chargers filled their need at quarterback with Oregon’s Justin Herbert, Denver landed the electrifying Jerry Jeudy at 15 and the Chiefs rounded out night one by taking Clyde Edwards-Helaire, a running back from LSU.

The surprise of the first night of the NFL Draft occured when the Green Bay Packers selected Utah State quarterback Jordan Love at pick number 26.

Not only did Green Bay select Love at 26, but they also traded up four spots in the draft in order to grab him. 

Where Love was chosen is not what surprised most fans though, it was who he was chosen by that fans were most confused about. Green Bay already has one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL at the helm for the next four seasons, future hall of famer Aaron Rodgers.

“I’m not mad that we picked him, I’m mad because of the situation that we are now in because of the pick,” said Green Bay Packers fan Raj Patel. “We didn’t improve our team at all for next season based on this pick. I was hoping for a wide receiver.”

While love is an intriguing prospect with plenty of upside, he will have to clean up his turnover issues (17 interceptions last season) in the future in order for Packers fans like Patel to feel that a first round choice was justified.

Green Bay’s divisional rivals, the Minnesota Vikings, picked up the steal of the first round. The Vikings drafted LSU wide receiver Justin Jefferson at pick 22. Jefferson was the best receiver on LSU’s championship team of last season and showed great potential at the NFL combine, running a 4.43 40 yard dash to go along with a 37 inch vertical. 

It was a very deep wide receiver class this year, but Jefferson stands out as the steal of the first round as he landed outside of the top 20, and on a team that lost Stefon Diggs to the Buffalo Bills this offseason. 

As night one of the NFL Draft concluded, many players were left waiting for their names to be called. Friday night’s round two saw Wisconsin’s own Jonathon Taylor fall to the Indianapolis Colts and other first round quality talents such as Tee Higgins and Xavier McKinney, fall to the second round. 

The draft, although at home and not in Las Vegas as planned, worked out flawlessly from the homes of NFL front office personnel, coaches and players. 

Not only did the draft proceed as normal, the look inside of the home’s of players, coaches and front office personnel allowed fans to see an inside look at the families involved in the draft process, including the children of coaches such as Matt Nagy, Adam Gase and Matt LaFluer appearing on camera many times. 

The COVID-19 pandemic did not stop this weekend’s NFL Draft from occurring as normal. Even though players could not walk across the draft stage as normal, the special moments of player’s dreams coming true were still able to be captured.