As the 2020 NFL Draft came to an end on Saturday, April 25, fans of teams across the NFL were either rejoicing or sulking based on their favorite team’s picks. Before I head into the details of the draft, let it be said that no one can predict the future –– for all we know right now, a QB that fell to the sixth round may very well outperform a QB drafted in the first round. Only time will tell which teams really got the best picks. But for now, I’m going to put my title as one of the top NFL scouts on the line –– here are my winners and losers of the 2020 NFL Draft.

Winners:

Dallas Cowboys

The Dallas Cowboys are the first team I see as winners coming out of this draft. It pains me to write this as a Washington Redskins fan, but the Cowboys aced this draft. Stealing a top 10 talent with University of Oklahoma wide receiver Ceedee Lamb and adding him to an already impressive receiving core consisting of Amari Cooper and Michael Gallup is one thing. Stealing him from your rival, the Philadelphia Eagles, is another thing (you’ll hear more about the Eagles further into this article). 

The Cowboys also made a smart pick in the second round, drafting cornerback Trevon Diggs out of The University of Alabama. Diggs fills a major need at cornerback after losing Byron Jones to free agency, and he has the potential to develop into a stud defensive back. Overall, the Cowboys admittedly killed this draft and will be a force to be reckoned with in the 2020 season.

Baltimore Ravens 

Winner number two is the Baltimore Ravens. It almost seems unfair that this uber-talented roster improved as much as it did. The Ravens stayed patient throughout the draft, selecting Louisiana State University linebacker Patrick Queen late in the first round. Queen’s field vision, motor and ability to tackle made him a great prospect that allows the Ravens to strengthen their already solid defense.

The Ravens also drafted The Ohio State running back J.K. Dobbins with their second round pick. Although I’m typically against drafting running backs in the early rounds, Dobbins and Ravens running back Mark Ingram have the potential to become one of, if not the best, running back tandem in the league. Dobbins dominated at Ohio State, rushing for over 2,000 yards in his junior season. His juking ability and speed should ensure that he succeeds at the NFL level. Overall, if Lamar Jackson can replicate a season similar to last year and show up in the playoffs, it’s hard not to pick the Ravens to at least be in the Super Bowl next year. 

New York Jets

The third winner is the New York Jets. The Jets picked University of Louisville offensive tackle Mekhi Becton 11th overall in the first round. Although his skills aren’t quite fully developed, making him a bit of a project, the 6’7, 364 lbs behemoth of a man has the potential to turn into a franchise tackle. 

The Jets also picked up Baylor University wide receiver Denzel Mims in the second round. Mims is a much-needed weapon that the Jet’s offense seemingly lacked last year for Sam Darnold. Additionally, in one of my personal favorite picks of the whole draft, the Jets stole former University of Virginia cornerback Bryce Hall in the fifth round. Hall is an extremely-talented cover corner who had the chance to enter the NFL draft last year and be picked early, but he decided to remain at UVA for his senior year. However, he lost his senior season due to an injury and his draft stock fell, but he has the potential to be a number one corner in the NFL.                                                                                                                                                                                                       

Losers: 

Green Bay Packers

The draft’s “biggest loser” is definitely the Green Bay Packers. How they managed to hurt their team in a draft is impressive. Aaron Rodgers, the Packers future hall of fame QB, made it clear in interviews that he craved another weapon to line up alongside wide receiver Devante Adams. Instead of drafting another weapon for Rodgers, though, they selected Utah State University QB Jordan Love with the 30th overall pick. Don’t get me wrong, I believe that Love will eventually be a decent QB and sitting behind Rodgers will only help his development, but Rodgers has another four years on his contract and the franchise still owes him over 100 million dollars. The Packers should’ve drafted their highest rated receiver instead of a project QB. 

Additionally, the Packers curiously picked up another running back, drafting Boston College’s A.J. Dillon in the second round. What makes this even more of a curious pick is the fact that the Packers already have a decent running back in Aaron Jones, who led the league in touchdowns last year. They could have addressed the wide receiver position in the second round, but that didn’t happen, making Rodgers unhappy with his front office. 

Chicago Bears

With their first pick in the second round, the Bears selected University of Notre Dame tight end Cole Kmet. Kmet will be a fine player in the NFL, but the Bears didn’t need a tight end. Instead, the team could’ve filled their need at QB and taken University of Oklahoma QB Jalen Hurts instead. Although having QBs Mitch Tribusky and Nick Foles on their roster, the need for younger talent with higher upside is obviously there. Tribusky has shown nothing to prove that he’s a franchise QB, and Nick Foles is better suited for a backup role. The Bears managed to draft a decent player in University of Utah cornerback Jaylon Johnson in the next round, but drafted zero impact players in the later rounds. 

Philadelphia Eagles

The Eagles came into the draft with arguably the worst wide receiver corps and looked to draft one in the first round. The Eagles did pick a wide receiver, but picked the wrong one, selecting Jalen Reagor out of Texas Christian University. Although he’s not a bad player in any means, Reagor wasn’t a first-round talent and may only make a large impact in special teams when it comes to returning kicks and punts. The Eagles passed on LSU star receiver Justin Jefferson, who had a much more successful college season than Reagor. 

With their second round pick, the Eagles bafflingly drafted Oklahoma QB Jalen Hurts. Hurts shined at Oklahoma and is a great dual-threat QB prospect, but the Eagle’s current QB, Carson Wentz, has a four year, 128 million dollar contract that starts in the 2020 season. Wentz is extremely injury prone, but drafting a backup QB in the second round is never the right thing to do, especially when you already have a young QB on a massive contract. The Eagles should’ve instead drafted an additional wide receiver like Baylor University’s Denzel Mims instead of a backup QB. The Eagles had an average rest of the draft but their utter waste of a second round pick is the main reason for this “loser” label.