The first round of the NFL Draft is upon us. Coverage will be from 8-11:30 p.m. ET, Thursday. You can watch or listen via ABC, ESPN, NFL Network, ESPN Deportes, and ESPN Radio.
1. Cincinnati Bengals
Zac Taylor went 2-14 as a rookie NFL coach and his reward is the top pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, which starts Thursday.
2. Washington Redskins
Ron Rivera suffered through a rough year in Carolina in 2019. He didn’t make it to the end of the season with the Panthers. That gave Dan Snyder the chance to hire the veteran coach. Washington will pick second after finishing 3-13.
3. Detroit Lions
The Lions check-in at the three slot. Matt Patricia needs to work a quick fix on a team that was 3-12-1 in 2019. His third season in Detroit will be critical to his longevity as an NFL head coach.
4. New York Giants
The New York Giants are making their third consecutive top 10 selection. They have come up with Saquon Barkley in 2018 and Daniel Jones last year. Will Dave Gettleman go offense, defense or trade down? The New York media has had the Giants’ boss doing everything. After a 4-12 season he needs to do something to get Big Blue in the right direction.
5. Miami Dolphins
For a while last season it looked like the Miami Dolphins were heading to an 0-16 mark. However, Brian Flores got the Fish in order and the wound up with a handful of wins, good for the fifth slot in the draft. Will Miami take Alabama quarterback Tua Tagovailoa or go in another direction?
6. LA Chargers
This is not where Anthony Lynn and the Chargers anticipated selecting before the 2019 season. They were considered a Super Bowl contender. However, the Bolts fell flat and wound up with a slew of bad losses and a 5-11 mark. Quarterback seems to be a primary need with Philip Rivers off to the Indianapolis Colts.
7. Carolina Panthers
Matt Rhule moves up from the Baylor Bears to the Carolina Panthers. He has a mighty job righting this team, which collapsed despite having a strong coach in Ron Rivera and great back in Christian McCaffery. It will be fascinating to see what direction the college coach goes with his first pro pick. Another team that found its place with a 5-11 mark.
8. Arizona Cardinals
The Cardinals improved from 3-13 and the first pick to 5-11-1 in the first season with Kliff Kingsbury and Kyler Murray. They will be selecting eighth in the 2020 draft and need to make a solid pick to keep growing in one of the toughest divisions in the NFL.
9. Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jaguars go ninth and hope to find a player that can help them avoid a third straight double-digit loss season. There is a lot riding on 2020 for Doug Marrone after a 6-10 season. Will Leonard Fournette be a Jag by the end of Thursday, Friday, or Saturday? One of the big mysteries to keep an eye on.
10. Cleveland Browns
Kevin Stefanski is the next in the constant swirling carousel of Cleveland head coaches. There is a ton of talent and a ton of issues. The Browns flopped in 2019 to 6-10 after showing so much promise with a 7-8-1 mark in 2018. This team has a lot to do to get better and needs to show itself now.
11. New York Jets
The Jets pick outside the top 10 off a 7-9 mark in 2019. Adam Gase needs to get the team over .500 fast and this is a spot where he could go for a big lineman to protect Sam Darnold and open holes for Le’Veon Bell … if the former Steeler remains with Gang Green.
12. Las Vegas Raiders
Mike Mayock and Jon Gruden will have a pair of first-round selections, barring a trade, following a 2019 season that saw the Raiders go 7-9 after making three first-round picks. Next stop, Las Vegas.
13. San Francisco 49ers
The 49ers move into the 13th position by virtue of the trade with Indianapolis that sent DeForest Buckner to the Colts. This is a nice place for a team to land after making it all the way to the Super Bowl. Could the rich keep getting richer?
14. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Let’s see, Bruce Arians has added Tom Brady and Rob Gronkowski to an exciting offense. The 7-9 mark in 2019 might as well be erased after the off-season moves. Will Arians look to go defense after making the powerful moves for his offense?
15. Denver Broncos
John Elway got his franchise QB last season when he took Drew Luck out of Missouri in the second round. Will he look to add a receiver for Luck? Vic Fangio, who was 7-9 in his first season as Denver head coach, is a defensive guy so that could play into the call.
16. Atlanta Falcons
Dan Quinn is another coach who faces a make-or-break season. The Falcons were 7-9 in 2019 and Arthur Blank continues to stand by his coach. The time is now for Quinn to reward his owner’s faith.
17. Dallas Cowboys
An 8-8 season is not digestible for Jerry Jones. He has brought in Mike McCarthy after the long tenure of Jason Garrett. Will Dallas rebound? Will Dallas make this pick or will it make a move? The Jamal Adams rumors never stop.
18. Miami Dolphins
Brian Flores and the Fish are back for a second go-round in the first round thanks to sending Minkah Fitzpatrick to the Steelers. If Miami didn’t answer its QB question with its first pick — who will succeed Ryan Fitzpatrick? — could they look in that direction here?
19. Las Vegas Raiders
Jon Gruden is back for his second pick, thanks to the trade that sent Khalil Mack to the Bears. Raiders brass has to be thrilled that this choice came up as high as it did. There was no reason to suspect the Bears would struggle the way they did in 2019.
20. Jacksonville Jaguars
Doug Marrone and the Jaguars make it three teams in a row that would be making their second pick of the first round unless a trade comes down.
21. Philadelphia Eagles
The NFC East champs pick here after winning the division with a mediocre 9-7 mark. Doug Pederson has to be looking to get the Birds back into double-digits in the win column.
22. Minnesota Vikings
The Vikings find themselves choosing for the first time in the first round by virtue of acquiring the Bills’ top pick in the deal for Stefon Diggs. Mike Zimmer might need to add another weapon for Kirk Cousins after shuffling Diggs off to Buffalo.
23. New England Patriots
Bill Belichick has had a busy off-season as the Patriots’ roster takes on new faces and loses familiar ones. This is going to be a key step in the rebuild off a team that was 12-4. Would anyone be shocked if Belichick finds a way to keep the Pats on top of the AFC East?
24. New Orleans Saints
This will be Drew Brees’ last hurrah in the NFL and with the Saints. One can be sure Sean Payton is going to want to do everything to send his quarterback out with another ring. This is a team that was 13-3 last year.
25. Minnesota Vikings
The Purple People are back at it after using Buffalo’s pick in the 22nd slot.
26. Miami Dolphins
The Dolphins will be on the clock for the third time, having picked up Houston’s top choice in the deal that sent Laremy Tunsil to the Texans.
27. Seattle Seahawks
The certainties in Seattle are plenty of wins and excitement from Pete Carroll and Russell Wilson. Getting toward the bottom of the first round. Will the Seahawks find another gem?
28. Baltimore Ravens
Not often that picking 28th would be a disappointment. However, John Harbaugh and the Ravens had to be hoping for a last-two pick in the first round after going 14-2 in the regular season, tops in the NFL.
29. Tennessee Titans
The Titans, on the other hand, had to be overjoyed to be picking in this slot. It means they made it to the AFC Championship Game after a 9-7 regular season. Mike Vrabel will need more wins in the regular season to duplicate his playoff run in 2020.
30. Green Bay Packers
Matt LaFleur and the Packers won 13 games in the 2019 season. They had no answer for the 49ers and that is going to have to be solved in Green Bay hopes to advance to the Super Bowl after this season.
31. San Francisco 49ers
Kyle Shanahan and the Niners pick 13th and 31st. A good way to keep adding talent to a roster that made it to the Super Bowl in one of the biggest turnarounds in NFL history.
32. Kansas City Chiefs
You win the Super Bowl, you go last in the first round. It is a certainty Andy Reid, Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs are okay with that.
