The first round of the 2020 NFL draft has come and gone, and it was an exciting night from start to finish.
As is the case with every draft, there were a handful of unexpected steals on the first day of the draft, as well as a couple of head-scratchers. Let’s take a look at some of the biggest reaches and steals from Round 1 of this year’s draft.
Steal: Iowa OT Tristan Wirfs to Tampa Bay Buccaneers, No. 13 overall
If you said before the draft that the Buccaneers would have traded up to pick Tristan Wirfs, I would have assumed they would’ve moved up into the top 10 to do so. Instead, they only had to move up one spot.
A physical freak with plenty of athleticism, strength and upside to tap into, Wirfs is an instant starter on Tampa Bay’s offensive line. With the likes of Tom Brady, Mike Evans, Chris Godwin and Rob Gronkowski on offense, they needed to find a cornerstone at offensive tackle, and they could have found that player in Wirfs.
Reach: USC OT Austin Jackson to Miami Dolphins, No. 18 overall
The Dolphins needed to take an offensive lineman in the first round, and they did exactly that. It just might have been a bit of a reach.
At this stage of his career, Austin Jackson is more long-term projection than immediate impact. He’s long and has impressive athletic abilities, but his pad level, lunging tendencies and play strength can still improve. Miami needed a Day 1 starter at offensive tackle, and while Jackson’s upside is certainly intriguing, he may go through a few growing pains before he maximizes his potential.
Steal: Oklahoma WR CeeDee Lamb to Dallas Cowboys, No. 17 overall
The best way to go about the draft is to take the best player available to ensure maximum value. The Cowboys did just that by taking CeeDee Lamb.
The consensus All-American brings an incredible blend of ball skills, physicality and agility after the catch. He fits the profile of a legit No. 1 receiver at the next level, and while Dallas already has that guy in Amari Cooper, you can never have too many weapons. Dak Prescott could have the chance to throw to two 1,000-yard receivers for years to come if Lamb becomes the player many believe he will be.
Reach: Ohio State CB Damon Arnette to Las Vegas Raiders, No. 19 overall
While the Raiders did have at need at cornerback, they arguably reached just a bit too much to fill that hole.
Arnette should be a solid starter at the next level, but one could argue that his ceiling isn’t high enough to warrant a top-20 selection. He is a physical and fluid cover corner, but his overall deep speed is just decent, and his abilities in run support aren’t very consistent. Many analysts had him pegged as a second- or third-round pick, which makes it a bit surprising that he was taken this early.
Steal: LSU LB Patrick Queen to Baltimore Ravens, No. 28 overall
The Ravens entered the draft with a glaring weakness at linebacker, and they were able to find a player who can be an immediate impact starter for their defense.
Patrick Queen is a sideline-to-sideline linebacker who has the athleticism to make essentially any play on the field. His lateral quickness, downhill speed and fluidity in coverage gives him fantastic range as a tackler, and he is a quick diagnoser who can read the situation and act upon his reads well. While his play strength could improve a bit, his athletic traits project him as a quality player at the next level, giving Baltimore yet another talented defender as they aim for a championship run.
Reach: Texas Tech LB Jordyn Brooks to Seattle Seahawks, No. 27 overall
The Seahawks have made a handful of questionable first-round picks over the past few years, and it appears they have done exactly that again in 2020.
Jordyn Brooks is a smart and productive tackler with good closing speed and an overall sharp ability to process, but he is an average lateral athlete when moving side-to-side, and his aggressiveness when taking on blocks is can be improved a bit. He’s a solid player who should serve as a quality starter for the Seahawks, but he doesn’t offer that high ceiling to warrant a first-round pick, especially with the aforementioned Patrick Queen still on the board.
