NFL Draft: First round takeaways
Because of the current lockdown due to COVID-19, there has been a lack of sporting events. This made it that much better that the 2020 NFL Draft could still occur, despite it being all virtual. Below I have listed the four biggest takeaways from the first round.
The Cincinnati Bengals drafted Joe Burrow as the number one overall pick. Burrow put on quite a show during his senior year leading LSU to a National Championship, while setting records like passing 60 touchdowns in a single season. He also won the 2019 Heisman Trophy. Recently, people expected Burrow to be drafted first overall, but he had to prove himself to get there. It was quite the journey from sitting on the sidelines at OSU to transferring to LSU and putting on a show.
The Miami Dolphins drafted Tua Tagovailoa, despite injury concerns. Tua, who was originally the top prospect in the draft, dropped after multiple injuries raised concerns about his durability. The one that raised the most questions was his season ending hip injury this past year. The pandemic made it worse because team officials could not send their own medical team to give him a physical. The Dolphins were in desperate need of a quarterback though, and Tua has the talent. Also, Chris Grier was with the Dolphins in 2006 when they passed on Drew Brees because of an injury concern with a quarterback. Grier probably did not want history to repeat itself with Tua.
The Green Bay Packers traded up to draft the quarterback Jordan Love. This was the only real surprise of the first round. The move signals that the Packers are going to part ways with Aaron Rodgers soon. They did a similar thing back in 2005 when they drafted Rodgers in the first round in spite of having legendary quarterback Brett Favre. Rodgers learned from Favre for the next three years before taking over the franchise. Now, it looks like his NFL clock is ticking, just as Favre’s was in 2005.
Local Chase Young gets drafted second overall by the Washington Redskins. Young went to DeMatha Catholic High School in Hyattsville, Md. It seems fitting that he got drafted by the Washington Redskins, so he can play close to his hometown. It was no surprise he got drafted so high, however. He was a menace as a pass rusher at OSU and even won the 2019 Bronko Nagurski Trophy, which celebrates him as the best defensive player.
