The 2020 NFL draft was filled with ups and downs, but the organizations on this list didn’t make the best selections in early hindsight. Making a draft decision is never an easy thing, especially when nobody in the draft has any professional football experience.
Here’s a look at the five biggest mistakes that were made in the 2020 NFL Draft.
5. Did The Dolphins Draft The Wrong QB?
The first mistake in the 2020 NFL Draft is a little bit too early to tell, but all signs point towards this being a major mistake.
The Miami Dolphins opted to select Tua Tagovailoa with the fifth overall selection in the NFL Draft when they could have had Justin Herbert on their roster instead. Tua struggled to earn the trust of his teammates while Herbert went on to have an amazing season.
Time will tell as their careers pan out, but Herbert has the early advantage.
4. Should The 49ers Have Gone Quarterback?
The next biggest mistake came when the San Francisco 49ers passed up on drafting quarterback Jordan Love to select wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk instead.
Granted, Aiyuk is a very good wide receiver, but adding Love to the roster would have been a far more beneficial selection. The 49ers benched Jimmy Garoppolo multiple times throughout the 2020 season and his backups struggled with any consistent production as well.
Adding Love to the roster would have solved a lot of issues and would likely not leave the team in a rough position to be needing a franchise quarterback this offseason.
3. Everyone Missed Out On A Star In The Making, Except Pittsburgh
The third biggest mistake was a mistake made by every team other than the Pittsburgh Steelers. There is no reason why Chase Claypool should have been a second-round draft pick, especially when you look at the production of some other guys taken in round one.
Claypool arguably had the second-best production from any wide receiver in the NFL Draft behind Justin Jefferson, and he could have made a bigger impact than some other selections in the first round.
2. The Saints Made A Major Mistake
The next biggest mistake was the New Orleans Saints passing up linebacker Patrick Queen to select offensive guard and center Cesar Ruiz. Ruiz is a very talented and smart player, but the presence of Queen on the Saints’ defense would have been lethal.
New Orleans made a midseason trade for Kwon Alexander to address a need at the linebacker position, but they could have acquired a more productive and cheaper player by drafting Queen instead.
1. So Close For The Eagles
The biggest mistake made in the 2020 NFL Draft came when the Philadelphia Eagles passed on Justin Jefferson to select wide receiver Jalen Reagor instead.
Jefferson went on to be taken with the next pick by the Minnesota Vikings and have a fantastic rookie season as he compiled 88 receptions for 1,400 receiving yards and seven touchdowns. Reagor, on the other hand, hauled in just 31 receptions for 396 receiving yards and just a lone end zone appearance.
It’s obvious who the better receiver would have been.
