A few days ago, I started regarding the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft. Well, this article is going to focus on the second half of that draft. If you want to see picks 1-16 regraded you can click here.
Now keep in mind if I grade a selection as a HACKENBERG, that means it is an F Grade. It’s a dishonorable mention for Christian Hackenberg who is one of the worst draft choices in New York Jets history. I’m making that clear so, I don’t get death threats like I did during the 2022 NFL Draft when I graded Anthony Richardson. By the way, I have been 100 percent right with that grade so far.
Now that is settled let’s get into the regrades, with the Dallas Cowboys now being on the clock.
Dallas pulled the heist of the century here as I had CeeDee as my number 1 receiver in this draft class and kept mocking him as a Top 10 pick in this class. Dallas at the time didn’t need a receiver, but he was just way too good to pass on. Well, he’s turned into one of the main pillars of this Cowboys offense today. Dallas gets an A+ grade 5 years later.
This was the pick Miami got due to the Minkah Fitzpatrick trade with Pittsburgh. It was used to select Austin Jackson. Hate to break it, but I think Miami would rather have Minkah Fitzpatrick on the roster. Jackson is a decent blocker, well whenever he is on the field. Jackson can’t stay healthy. However, he is very versatile in playing both guard and tackle. It’s an average round 1 pick, so it gets an average C grade.
This pick was awful the moment it was made. Nobody had Arnette going this high in the NFL Draft, especially with how much of a piece of work he is with his off-the-field issues. What happened? Well, he yet again proved he was a piece of work with his legal issues and was released during the Dark Side of the Raiders 2021 NFL Season. Arnette was terrible when he stepped on the field and has barely lasted long on any NFL Team since. Currently, Arnette is on the UFL’s Houston Roughnecks trying to make a comeback. No matter what though, this pick is yet another HACKENBERG
CJ Henderson wasn’t the only disappointing first-rounder used in this draft by Jacksonville. The Jaguars used a first-round pick in the Jalen Ramsay trade to select K’Lavon Chaisson. Chaisson wasn’t great at all and only registered 5 sacks in 4 seasons. Well, at least Chaisson was serviceable when he went to the Las Vegas Raiders. He could be a late bloomer, but as a first-rounder the only thing that comes to mind is bust. At least he wasn’t as bad of a pick as CJ Henderson was.
I love Howie Roseman, but what was he thinking with this pick Jefferson was the much superior prospect over Reagor. Reagor never had a season over 400 receiving yards and has turned into a journeyman playing with 4 teams in 4 years. Yeah, this pick is a complete disaster and gets the HACKENBERG grade.
I thought Dallas pulled off the heist of the century. No that goes to the Minnesota Vikings, who managed to look good in a move and make Howie Roseman make a rare mistake. Getting one of the best receivers in the NFL at this spot is the definition of an A+ Grade.
Where to even begin with Kenneth Murray. I want to start by saying that Murray showed a ton of potential as a rookie. However, that potential was like a mirage in the desert because he just got worse. At one point he was ranked as one of the worst linebackers in the NFL. His run defense is horrendous and he was a liability in coverage. As of now, Kenneth Murray is still in the NFL with the Tennessee Titans, however, he was terrible there too. I can’t give the HACKENBERG grade here as at least Murray is a good tackler and had two 100-tackling-year seasons, but besides that, it’s been all bad.
A big reason the New Orleans Saints were successful was due to the heavy investment in the offensive line. Ruiz is an example of that success as he has been a very good guard for the Saints. He was a late bloomer as he wasn’t good during his rookie season, but once he permanently moved to the guard position, he was much better. Heck, he turned into the most reliable blocker on the Saints last season. The 4-year extension he signed in 2023 is all the proof there is of this being a successful pick.
Brandon Aiyuk was a very interesting pick at the time as I had him as a 2nd/3rd round prospect. Well, he’s developed into a very serviceable receiver for the 49ers. There is a reason why the 49ers offense fell apart when Aiyuk got injured last season. He suffered a torn ACL and MCL and it will be interesting to see how he plays coming off the injury. At least he got that massive contract he wanted, so that’s a plus. This pick goes to the A’s
Jordan Love is an interesting case because he has been a solid QB, but he didn’t start full-time until Year 4. The problem is he’s been hot and cold in the games he’s played. He has strong performances, but in other games, he’s been lackluster. I feel like this can’t be fully graded yet for a few years as I want to see more tape on him. I think for now he gets a B-because it feels like the Packers botched a shot at a Super Bowl with Aaron Rodgers making this pick. A few more seasons will make me more confident in regrading this pick.
This was a classic old-school Seahawks reach on the first-round pick. I liked Jordyn Brooks coming into the draft, but I had a round 3/4 grade on him. Brooks was a tackling machine during his time as a Seahawks, but besides that, he was terrible in every other aspect. Especially in coverage, the dude was a liability until his last two seasons where he played much better. Rewatching his tape as a Miami Dolphin, he was so much better on the field and it seemed like a change of scenery was needed. After 5 years, it’s hard to grade but I feel a C is fair.
It never made any sense to see Patrick Queen fall as far as he did. He fell to the Baltimore Ravens, and he was too good to pass on. Plus Baltimore needed a replacement for CJ Mosley. Queen didn’t get to the greatest start during his first season as he was the definition of a sloppy player, especially in coverage. Luckily Baltimore was patient with him and emerged as a tremendous piece to the Ravens defense. Unfortunately for Baltimore, they didn’t have the cap space to sign him to a new deal, and is currently a Pittsburgh Steeler. Well, at least this pick panned out.
4 Snaps!!! That is all Isaiah Wilson played as a Titan due to him being a piece of work off the field. Not one year into his career he was traded to Miami for a 7th round pick swap. Not 3 days later was released because he couldn’t keep his head in check. Along with sleeping during meetings when he was a Giant. This is the easiest HACKENBERG grade of all time and he’s arguably the biggest bust in Titans history.
This is another pick that made zero sense the moment it was made. At the time I had a round 6 grade on him and yet Miami thought it was worth a chance taking him 30th overall. Well, it did not work out as Igbinoghene barely stepped into the field as a Dolphin. He was traded to the Dallas Cowboys and spent time with the Washington Commanders. He was not effective there either. This was a predictable flop of a first-round pick.
This is a depressing one as Jeff Gladney is unfortunately no longer with us. He passed away in 2022 at the age of 25 due to a fatal car accident. Looking back on his football career, he only lasted one season with the Minnesota Vikings. He was released due to a domestic violence incident. He did get a 2nd chance with the Cardinals but never played due to the tragic car accident. Hate to do it, but I have to give the HACKENBERG grade here. I do always wonder what if he played with the Arizona Cardinals in 2022? Unfortunately, we will never know.
It was looking promising as Clyde Edwards-Helaire put up solid statistics as a rookie. 803 rushing yards and 4 rushing touchdowns was a great start, including a spectacular 1st game. That year was the peak as it’s all been downhill from there. Injuries had a big reason to do with it, along with the emergence of Isiah Pacheco. It was also revealed that Edwards-Helaire has PTSD due to a self-defense shooting he was involved in 2018. Edwards-Helaire was released mid-season, but he got another opportunity with the New Orleans Saints. Hopefully, things can turn around with him, but besides his rookie season, this pick was a disappointment.
Those are my regrades for Picks 17-32. My question is do you agree? What are your regrades for the last 16 picks of the 1st round of the draft? Let me know in the comment section, don’t forget to give the article a like, and check out the rest of Stadium Rant’s NFL Content.
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