Biggest Losers From the 2020 NFL Draft
The 2020 NFL Draft is now behind us after a wild three days like we've never seen before. The remote draft broadcast was intriguing and entertaining, but more people just want to know who their teams selected. Here's our look at the biggest losers from this year's NFL draft.
Green Bay Packers
The Packers rank as my biggest loser in the draft simply because they didn't address their biggest needs and traded up for a quarterback who won't provide them any value for at least two years.
Green Bay spent a fourth-round pick to jump from No. 30 to No. 26 and selected Utah State's Jordan Love. Love is a talented but developmental quarterback who doesn't seem like a fit given the money and years left on Aaron Rodgers' contract. The move to get Love killed the team's chance to land an impact wide receiver to line up across from Davante Adams.
In the second round (No. 62) the Packers picked up Boston College running back A.J. Dillon, who will help, but they already have a go-to back in Aaron Jones. Cincinnati tight end Josiah Deguara was a reach in the third round (No. 94). He's not going to boost the offense much and I had him pegged as a fifth-rounder. The rest of the draft class looks like depth selections across the board.
The Packers went 13-3 and reached the NFC Championship Game and yet didn't opt to fill their biggest holes early in the draft. That's a pretty ridiculous strategy. They didn't select a wide receiver and their only offseason acquisition was the perpetually disappointing Devin Funchess. This team is built to win now, but opted for a developmental project at quarterback, a backup running back and a No. 2 tight end? It made no sense to move in this direction.
Chicago Bears
It's hard to be too harsh on the Bears since they had two picks in the second round but none in the first, third and fourth rounds. Still, their top pick is enough for me to mark them a loser.
With their first pick in the draft (No. 43), the Bears selected Notre Dame tight end Cole Kmet. Kmet is a good player and the top tight end on my board, but Chicago didn't have a need there. The Bears just signed Jimmy Graham this offseason and already had nine tight ends on the roster. Kmet is good and might turn into a star, but he's surplus to the teams needs. This same front office drafted Adam Shaheen in the second round a few years ago and he's still on the roster (though he's been a bust). There were a number of receivers available who fit a need on the perimeter, and there were a few offensive tackles who could have been an immediate upgrade.
Utah cornerback Jaylon Johnson (No. 50) was really good in college but has had persistent shoulder injuries dating back to his high school years. He underwent surgery to repair a torn labrum in March. If Johnson can somehow stay healthy, he could be a steal but there's a lot of risk here.
The rest of Chicago's draft picks were reaches and will likely only provide depth, but that happens when you're only picking in the fifth and seventh rounds on the final day. The Bears didn't address their most pressing need (wide receiver) and didn't get a ton of value late in the draft.
Atlanta Falcons
The Falcons' evaluators were clearly in their own world when putting their draft board together because I can't find anyone who agrees with where they took the guys they selected.
Atlanta shocked everyone in the first round when it took Clemson cornerback A.J. Terrell with the 16th pick. I had Terrell maybe sneaking into the back of the first-round, but generally liked him as an early second-rounder. Trevon Diggs, Jaylon Johnson, Jeff Gladney, Noah Igbinoghene and others were all still on the board and ranked higher. There were also other needs to fill.
The Falcons badly needed to find an edge rusher in this draft and they passed on LSU's K'Lavon Chaisson to take Terrell. Then they didn't manage to draft anyone who is really dynamic off the edge. That was a big miss for me.
Auburn defensive lineman Marlon Davidson (No. 47) was a decent second-round pick but he's a swing guy who can play both end and tackle and not a pure edge rusher. It will be interesting to see how they deploy the 6-foot-3, 303-pound lineman. Temple center Matt Hennessey (No. 78) is a versatile lineman who can also play either guard spot but he needs to get better as a run blocker.
The rest of the draft picks felt like reaches. The Falcons failed to find someone to get after the quarterback off the edge and didn't land a running back to provide depth behind the oft-injured Todd Gurley.
Jake Fromm
This was a rough weekend for Jake Fromm. After starting at Georgia for three years and becoming one of the most successful quarterbacks in school history, he opted to jump to the NFL after his junior season. After initially being projected as a potential second-round pick, Fromm's stock dropped like a rock during the pre-draft process. He wound up falling to the fifth round where he was selected by the Buffalo Bills with the 167th pick.
After he struggled to push the ball down the field as a junior, Fromm showed up at the combine and attempted to answer questions about his arm strength. His performance was a disaster. He showed a weak arm and couldn't hit receivers in stride. That prompted evaluators to go back to the tape from his junior season and they clearly didn't like what they saw. His career-worst completion percentage of 60.8 certainly didn't help.
Fromm is a smart, cerebral kid under center and he'll likely be a great addition to Buffalo's quarterback room. But his lack of arm strength and his penchant for checking down clearly led to his disastrous draft fall.