Joe Burrow, Justin Herbert, or Tua at No. 1? Redrafting the 2020 NFL draft

Admin November 17, 2024

For the first time in their careers, quarterbacks Joe Burrow and Justin Herbert will face off in prime time. Burrow’s Cincinnati Bengals (4-6) travel west to take on Herbert’s Los Angeles Chargers (6-3) on “Sunday Night Football” in a matchup that will have a huge impact on each team’s playoff hopes.

In the 2023 offseason, Herbert signed an extension that made him the NFL’s highest-paid quarterback. Six weeks later, Burrow became the NFL’s highest-paid player with a record extension with the Bengals.

Burrow and Herbert went No. 1 and No. 6 overall, respectively, in the 2020 NFL Draft, the same class that featured future stars Justin Jefferson, CeeDee Lamb, Antoine Winfield Jr. and Tristan Wirfs as well as Pro Bowlers Tua Tagovailoa, Jalen Hurts, Trevon Diggs and Nnamdi Madubuike.

But where would they all go with the benefit of hindsight? Here’s how we’d re-draft the 2020 NFL Draft.

2020 NFL draft re-draft

The order we’re using is the final order from the first round so no new trades are made and all draft-day moves are included.

1. Cincinnati Bengals

Original pick: Joe Burrow, QB, LSU
Re-draft pick: Joe Burrow, QB, LSU

This one’s very easy. Burrow’s been embraced by the Cincinnati fanbase following the team’s run to Super Bowl LVI. He’s gone 33-28-1 in the regular season and 5-2 in the playoffs. He holds the all-time career completion percentage record (68.1%) and, when healthy, makes the Bengals a perennial contender.

You can make the case for other quarterbacks at this spot but Burrow’s the one for Cincinnati.

2. Washington Commanders

Original pick: Chase Young, DE, Ohio State
Re-draft pick: Justin Herbert, QB, Oregon

The first new pick in this re-draft happens at No. 2. Washington goes with a quarterback in this do-over and doesn’t have to wait another four years for their potential franchise QB.

Herbert gets the nod over Hurts and Tagovailoa at this spot as he offers more as a passer with enough mobility as well. He’s produced at a high level with different offense coordinators over the last four years and with one of the least-talented wide receiver corps in the NFL this season.

3. Detroit Lions

Original pick: Jeff Okudah, CB, Ohio State
Re-draft pick: Justin Jefferson, WR, LSU

In this universe, Matthew Stafford gets a top-tier weapon on the outside in a year in which he threw for more than 4,000 yards. This universe also sees Jefferson and T.J. Hockenson on the same team a few years earlier than the current timeline we live on.

With Stafford still producing four years later, there’s not as big a push to get a young quarterback in the building. With that, it’s between Jefferson and Lamb and Jefferson gets the slight nod here. Plus there’s the satisfaction of stealing him from a division rival.

4. New York Giants

Original pick: Andrew Thomas, OT, Georgia
Re-draft pick: Jalen Hurts, QB, Oklahoma

Thomas took some time to develop but has become a solid starting tackle in the NFL. In this universe, the Giants avoid the Daniel Jones experience lasting multiple years and rob a division rival of their franchise quarterback in the process.

Hurts was an MVP candidate in 2022 with a loaded Eagles team. He would likely take time to develop with Sterling Shepard and Evan Engram as his top pass-catchers instead of DeVonta Smith and A.J. Brown in this scenario but would still be a quarterback of the future.

5. Miami Dolphins

Original pick: Tua Tagovailoa, QB, Alabama
Re-draft pick: Tua Tagovailoa, QB, Alabama

Tagovailoa remains the pick here at No. 5. Would Jordan Love be better as a rookie than Tagovailoa? Maybe, maybe not. When healthy, Tagovailoa’s one of the most productive quarterbacks in the league and thrives in the timing-based system under coach Mike McDaniel. It’s just the “when healthy” part that causes concern.

6. Los Angeles Chargers

Original pick: Justin Herbert, QB, Oregon
Re-draft pick: Jordan Love, QB, Utah State

Los Angeles is the first team to miss out on its original pick in this re-draft. They still get a potential quarterback of the future, though. Love could sit behind Tyrod Taylor in this scenario or work with a talented group of pass catchers in Keenan Allen, Hunter Henry, Mike Williams and Austin Ekeler under the direction of offensive coordinator Shane Steichen.

7. Carolina Panthers

Original pick: Derrick Brown, DT, Auburn
Re-draft pick: Tristan Wirfs, OT, Iowa

Brown suffered a season-ending injury in Week 1 this season but entered the year as one of the top interior defensive lineman in the NFL. Wirfs gets the nod here because top-tier tackles are very hard to come by and could be a franchise cornerstone for the next decade. Wirfs has made one All-Pro team and two Pro Bowls already and has played well on both sides of the line. It was tempting to go wide receiver here but with DJ Moore still in-house at this point, Wirfs gets the nod.

8. Arizona Cardinals

Original pick: Isaiah Simmons, LB, Clemson
Re-draft pick: CeeDee Lamb, WR, Oklahoma

It’s easy to make the case for Lamb to go higher in this re-draft, even as high as No. 4 to New York. But quarterback’s the most important position and he drops to the Cardinals here who likely are happy to have him. Kyler Murray, Lamb, and DeAndre Hopkins could make for some fireworks on offense. Like Jefferson, Lamb’s made one All-Pro team and three Pro Bowl rosters in his first four seasons.

9. Jacksonville Jaguars

Original pick: C.J. Henderson, CB, Florida
Re-draft pick: Andrew Thomas, OT, Georgia

This Jaguars team finished the 2020 season with the third-worst offense and second-worst defense in the league. They had needs everywhere on the roster for this draft. In this scenario, they take a solid starter at left tackle who can protect their quarterback of the future. Wide receiver and defensive line were in consideration as well but Thomas helps a need the team is still trying to fill four years later.

10. Cleveland Browns

The top tackles are off the board and Wills Jr. hasn’t been good enough to warrant the selection here again. Instead, Kevin Stefanski gets arguably top wideout of the tier below Jefferson and Lamb. Higgins would provide the Browns with a playmaker on the outside. The Browns are without a top wide receiver in 2024 and Higgins would give them that while taking away from a division foe.

11. New York Jets

With just 31 starts in four years with the Jets, I think it’s best New York goes in a different direction here than Becton. It’s down to cornerback or wide receiver. The Jets finished the 2020 season with the worst scoring offense in the league. In this scenario, the Jets get an outside receiver who could eventually pair well with Garrett Wilson. Cornerback reinforcements came two years later with Sauce Gardner.

12. Las Vegas Raiders

Original pick: Henry Ruggs III, WR, Alabama
Re-draft pick: Nnamdi Madubuike, DT, Texas A&M

It’s hard to believe in hindsight that Ruggs was the first wide receiver taken in this draft. The Raiders released him after a DUI incident that lead to the death of Tina Tintor.

In this scenario, the Raiders get a top-tier interior defensive lineman to pair with star pass rusher Maxx Crosby. It was between Madubuike and Brown at No. 12 and Madubuike gets the nod here for his pass rush impact. With Crosby beside him, he may have become a top tier interior defensive lineman even faster.

13. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Original pick: Tristan Wirfs, OT, Iowa
Re-draft pick: Jaylon Johnson, CB, Utah

Tampa Bay made the mistake in this re-draft of getting great value from their original pick. With a Super Bowl-winning team in 2020, it’s hard to find big areas of need. In this scenario, Tampa Bay has its pick of the top cornerbacks in the draft. They opt for Johnson over A.J. Terrell here. Johnson’s developed into one of the top corners in the league and earned a huge extension from the Bears this offseason.

14. San Francisco 49ers

Original pick: Javon Kinlaw, DT, South Carolina
Re-draft pick: Derrick Brown, DT, Auburn

Brown’s slide ends at No. 14. The 49ers rightfully were looking to replace the loss of DeForest Buckner on the interior but went the wrong way with Kinlaw. Brown will ease that concern. He doesn’t have the sack totals of Madubuike but with Nick Bosa on the edge and Arik Armstead next to him (for at least a few years), that’s less of a concern. He’s an impact pocket pusher who holds up against the run as well.

15. Denver Broncos

Original pick: Jerry Jeudy, WR, Alabama
Re-draft pick: A.J. Terrell, CB, Clemson

Jeudy’s shown flashes but hasn’t been consistent enough to warrant this pick. There aren’t any quarterbacks or wide receivers worth taking this high so instead they go with one of the top corners in Terrell. The Clemson product played incredibly well in 2021 and would create the top cornerback tandem in the league with Patrick Surtain II‘s arrival the next season.

16. Atlanta Falcons

Original pick: A.J. Terrell, CB, Clemson
Re-draft pick: Alex Highsmith, EDGE, Charlotte

Terrell’s off the board at this point by just one pick. The Falcons stick on defense, though, and opt for Highsmith. It took a couple years but Highsmith’s become a plus pass rusher off the edge. He led the league in forced fumbles with five in 2022 in addition to 14.5 sacks. It’s tempting to go with Chase Young here with his flashes but Highsmith’s been more consistent.

17. Dallas Cowboys

Original pick: CeeDee Lamb, WR, Oklahoma
Re-draft pick: Antoine Winfield Jr., S, Minnesota

Lamb is long gone in this scenario, leaving a hole at wide receiver. They’ll have to do with Amari Cooper in this universe and instead opt to get one of the best safeties in the league to help their porous defense. Winfield Jr. was an impact starter immediately and can do anything you ask from the safety position.

18. Miami Dolphins

The Dolphins stick with Tagovailoa at No. 5 and get a better lineman for him at No. 18. Jackson’s been a solid starter but Onwenu’s a versatile player who can slot in at guard or tackle and is an outstanding run blocker. He makes the biggest jump of any player on this list from the sixth round to the first but it’s worth it to protect the Dolphins’ quarterback of the future.

19. Las Vegas Raiders

Original pick: Damon Arnette, CB, Ohio State
Re-draft pick: Trevon Diggs, CB, Alabama

The Raiders stay at cornerback for this pick but swap Arnette, who was out of the league after two seasons, for one of the top ball-hawking corners in the NFL. Diggs had 11 interceptions in a breakout second season and could bolster the Raiders’ defense even more in this draft. Yes, he’s missed time with injury, but he’s been valuable when on the field.

20. Jacksonville Jaguars

Original pick: K’Lavon Chaisson, EDGE, LSU
Re-draft pick: Chase Young, DE, Ohio State

Chaisson didn’t pan out for the Jaguars with just five sacks in 57 games. Instead, Jacksonville opts for the 2020 Defensive Rookie of the Year in Young. He’s been inconsistent and missed time with injury but still provides a solid pass rush piece. In this hypothetical, he is in a great spot in a rotation with Joshua Hines-Allen and Travon Walker.

21. Philadelphia Eagles

The Eagles famously chose Reagor instead of Jefferson here. In this universe, they don’t get the chance to make that mistake with Jefferson long gone off the board. They stick at wide receiver, though, and opt for the big-bodied Pittman Jr. With Pittman Jr., DeVonta Smith and Dallas Goedert, maybe the Eagles don’t need to trade for A.J. Brown. Or maybe they do and boast the best wide receiver trio in the league.

22. Minnesota Vikings

Original pick: Justin Jefferson, WR, LSU
Re-draft pick: Jonathan Greenard, EDGE, Florida

Jefferson’s gone, as are the rest of the top wide receivers. It’s a bit early for the next crop of offensive skill position players and Dalvin Cook still had some good years left. So in this scenario the Vikings opt to get Greenard a few years earlier than in real life. Greenard broke out in 2023 after some injury-riddled seasons but could make for a top tandem with Danielle Hunter for a couple years.

23. Los Angeles Chargers

Original pick: Kenneth Murray, LB, Oklahoma
Re-draft pick: Jedrick Wills Jr., OT, Alabama

The Chargers took a quarterback at No. 6 and opt to protect him with a tackle at No. 23. Los Angeles could’ve gone with a couple of good interior linemen but Wills fills a more important role. He could step in at right tackle in place of Trey Pipkins or Bryan Bulaga and help protect Love early on in his career.

24. New Orleans Saints

Ruiz has been solid on the interior but the team boosts the defensive backfield in this redo. Still riding the high from the 2017 draft class, the Saints add Sneed to start opposite Marshon Lattimore instead of Janoris Jenkins. Sneed, Lattimore, and C.J. Gardner-Johnson make for one of the better defensive back trios in the league.

25. San Francisco 49ers

Original pick: Brandon Aiyuk, WR, Arizona State
Re-draft pick: Jonathan Taylor, RB, Wisconsin

Aiyuk’s long gone at this point and we’ve seen the impact a top-tier running back can have in San Francisco. Taylor’s skillset isn’t the same as Christian McCaffrey‘s but he has the talent to fit well in this system. There aren’t wide receivers left that warrant this position and tight end feels like a reach. Offensive line was tempting but in the end Taylor’s too good to pass on for this system.

26. Green Bay Packers

Original pick: Jordan Love, QB, Utah State
Re-draft pick: Patrick Queen, LB, LSU

With Love off the board, the Packers opt to help the defense. Green Bay had the top scoring offense in the NFL in 2020 behind MVP quarterback Aaron Rodgers and All-Pro wideout Davante Adams. With that, Green Bay addresses a weakness in its defense that’s persisted for years. Instead of Krys Barnes or Christian Kirksey, Queen slides in as an improvement immediately.

27. Seattle Seahawks

Brooks led the league in solo tackles in 2021 (109) and had 4.5 sacks as an off-ball linebacker in 2023 but we opt to shore up the interior offensive line here, something that’s become a bigger issue in Seattle this year. Cushenberry’s grown into the best center of this class and could steady the position for the Seahawks. Ruiz was tempting here for his versatility but Cushenberry’s production is hard to argue against.

28. Baltimore Ravens

Original pick: Patrick Queen, LB, LSU
Re-draft pick: Jeremy Chinn, LB/S, Southern Illinois

With Queen gone, the Ravens stay on defense with Chinn, who started his career as a linebacker in Carolina and finished second to Young in Defensive Rookie of the Year voting. He’s grown into a great safety since then and could be an early version of what the versatile Kyle Hamilton has become for Baltimore. He could have easily stuck at linebacker or safety for the Ravens in this scenario. A pass rusher was tempting for the Ravens as well with Madubuike off the board for them later on.

29. Tennessee Titans

Original pick: Isaiah Wilson, OT, Georgia
Re-draft pick: Robert Hunt, G, Louisiana

Due to off-field legal issues and team suspensions, Wilson is the only player in the first round to never play a down in the NFL. The Titans stick with offensive line here and go with the reliable interior player Hunt who became a standout guard in Miami. His presence would boost the already impressive run game and help the Titans’ transition to their new regime.

30. Miami Dolphins

Igbinoghene’s struggled to crack the starting lineup with three teams over five seasons. Dugger would be an upgrade as a hybrid safety that Brian Flores likely would’ve maximized similar how Dugger’s been used in New England. It was tempting to go offensive line again to protect Tagovailoa but Dugger’s value is great and would ease losing Minkah Fitzpatrick on the back end.

31. Minnesota Vikings

Original pick: Jeff Gladney, CB, TCU
Re-draft pick: Jerry Jeudy, WR, Alabama

Gladney rounds out the four first-rounders from this draft not currently in the league. There were plenty of positions that could’ve worked here. Offensive line, defensive back, even linebacker. But it’d be hard to justify leaving the Vikings with an aging Adam Thielen as their only threat on the outside after this re-draft.

Jeudy’s struggled to play consistently well in his career despite flashing playmaking potential. What would his career look like if he’d had Kirk Cousins and the Vikings’ infrastructure on offense instead of catching passes from Drew Lock, Teddy Bridgewater, Russell Wilson (the Broncos’ version), Jarrett Stidham and Deshaun Watson? This world would find out.

32. Kansas City Chiefs

There were plenty of options at this spot. Kansas City could’ve gone wide receiver with Darnell Mooney or Gabe Davis, tight end with Cole Kmet, defense with Brooks or pass rusher Bryce Huff. But Jackson ends up the choice ahead of the Chiefs’ offensive line getting exposed in a Super Bowl loss to the Buccaneers.

Jackson brings Pro Bowl-caliber play to the guard spot and doesn’t preclude Kansas City from bringing in more offensive line help later. It just helps protect their most important asset – quarterback Patrick Mahomes – who has shown he can produce a solid passing offense with tight end Travis Kelce and an average wide receiver corps.