The 2020 NFL Draft has come and gone but that doesn’t mean we have to stop obsessing over it. I certainly haven’t. After reviewing each and every pick that was made over the weekend, I’ve ranked every team’s draft class based on the amount of talent added.
I graded each pick of the first three rounds (which you can find here) but the criteria are a little different for these rankings. Instead of factoring in draft position, available players and other factors that go into your typical draft grades, I focused only on how much talent a team added. Both quality and quantity matter for these rankings, so a team with only a few picks will naturally be lower on the list. The opposite is true for a team with a bunch of picks.
This post is on the longer side, so we’ve split it up into pages. If you want to jump to a certain team, you can follow the links below:
Page 1: Dolphins, Cowboys, Buccaneers, Bengals
Page 2: Panthers, Jets, Broncos, Ravens
Page 3: Redskins, Lions, Vikings Browns
Page 4: Raiders, Eagles, Jaguars, Patriots
Page 5: Saints, Giants, Colts, Chiefs
Page 6: 49ers, Cardinals, Rams, Chargers
Page 7: Bears, Bills, Seahawks, Titans
Page 8: Packers, Falcons, Texans, Steelers
Let’s get to the rankings…
1. Miami Dolphins
- QB Tua Tagovailoa, Alabama (5th)
- T Austin Jackson, USC (18th)
- CB Noah Igbinoghene, Auburn (30th)
- OG Robert Hunt, Louisiana (39th)
- DT Raekwon Davis, Alabama (56th)
- S Brandon Jones, Texas (70th)
- DT Solomon Kindley, Georgia (111th)
- DT Jason Strowbridge, UNC (154th)
- EDGE Curtis Weaver, Boise State (164th)
- LS Blake Ferguson, LSU (185th)
- QB/WR Malcom Perry, Navy (246th)
The Dolphins had a lot of picks to work with and brought in a lot of talent at important positions. Tagovailoa is obviously the centerpiece and should, at the very least, develop into a reliable starter if healthy. The offensive line got better with the Hunt pick and could get even better if the coaching staff gets Jackson to reach his potential. I really like the additions to the secondary. Igbinoghene will be a matchup piece that Brian Flores can use against vertical threats and Jones is a safety with legit cover skills in the slot. The defensive line is a lot deeper after the weekend, as well. Miami used its draft capital well.
2. Dallas Cowboys
- WR CeeDee Lamb, Oklahoma (17th)
- CB Trevon Diggs, Alabama (51st)
- DT Neville Gallimore, Oklahoma (82nd)
- CB Reggie Robinson, Tulsa (123rd)
- C Tyler Biadasz, Wisconsin (146th)
- EDGE Bradlee Anae, Utah (179th)
- QB Ben DiNucci, James Madison (231st)
Good prospects just kept falling into the Cowboys’ lap, and to their credit, they just kept drafting them. We can’t say the same about other teams. Lamb was the missing piece for a receiving corps that is among the best (and most well-rounded) in the NFL. Diggs was overrated as a prospect but he’ll be a useful starter in that system. Gallimore is an ascending interior rusher and fills a need. Tyler Biadasz may not be Travis Fredrick, but he’ll do an adequate impression of him. Not bad for a Day 3 pick. The Cowboys were already the most talented team in the NFC East. That gap is a little wider now.
3. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- T Tristan Wirfs, Iowa (13th)
- S Antoine Winfield Jr., Minnesota (45th)
- RB Ke’Shawn Vaughn, Vanderbilt (76th)
- WR Tyler Johnson, Minnesota (161st)
- DT Khalil Davis, Nebraska (194th)
- LB Chappelle Russell, Temple (241st)
- RB Raymond Calais, Louisiana (245th)
Here’s something you can rarely say about a team that was seen as playoff contenders BEFORE the draft: Those first four picks are going to walk into the starting lineup. Wirfs was my top offensive tackle, and he won’t have to transition to the left side with the Bucs needing a right tackle. Winfield will fill a long-standing hole at safety and add a play-maker to a secondary that lacked one. Johnson is the slot receiver the Bucs lacked and Vaughn is a home run hitter at running back. And I’m calling this now: Calais will score at least one long touchdown in 2020. This was an ideal class for Tampa Bay.
4. Cincinnati Bengals
- QB Joe Burrow, LSU (1st)
- WR Tee Higgins, Clemson (33rd)
- LB Logan Wilson, Wyoming (65th)
- LB Akeem Davis-Gaither, Appalachian State (107th)
- EDGE Khalid Kareem, Notre Dame (147th)
- OT Hakeem Adenji, Kansas (180th)
- LB Markus Bailey, Purdue (215th)
Drafting at the top of each round makes things easier. The Bengals added a franchise quarterback in Burrow and turned right around and got him a future No. 1 target in Higgins. They then addressed a long-time need by drafting two rangy linebackers. There’s not a lot to be excited about in the later rounds — Kareem could be a depth piece — but that matters less when you nail the first two days of the draft. The Bengals roster looks a lot more promising after the weekend. The bar wasn’t very high going in, but still.