The 2020 NFL Draft is officially in the books!
In spite of a world-wide pandemic and shelter-in-place orders, the NFL managed to pull off the first-ever virtual draft in successful fashion. There were no tech glitches, no missed picks and everyone got to take a peek inside the homes of players, coaches, general managers and owners alike. From Jerry Jones' self-imposed yacht isolation to Bill Belichick's dog taking a seat at the command center to the kitchen table shenanigans of Titans coach Mike Vrabel, it was an exciting few days for those lost without sports and it brought people together in a time where togetherness is not yet allowed.
So how did everyone do? Well, if you're Aaron Rodgers , your team didn't do so hot. If you're Dak Prescott , you have to be pretty happy. We'll be discussing the winners and losers of the draft as well as the potential fantasy football impact, but before we get to all that, here's a look at the 2020 NFL Draft class and see how your favorite team did for itself this year.
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ESPN’s Ryan McFadden reports Jakobi Meyers is “open” to an extension with the Raiders.
Meyers is entering the final year of a three-year, $33 million contract signed in the 2023 offseason and coming off an 87/1027/4 receiving line in 2024. McFadden writes that the team views Meyers as a “key player” on the roster. Meyers could probably come close to a $20 million AAV in a new contract given the way the market is trending — that’s about what Stefon Diggs got from the Patriots this offseason after a lengthy wait.
The Athletic’s Nate Taylor writes that the Chiefs “need a young, dynamic running back to pair with” Isiah Pacheco.
Rarely do you see a beat writer go with the word “need,” but here we are. Kansas City clearly had no juice in the running game all last season as Pacheco struggled to run the same after returning from a broken leg. Kareem Hunt was a steady veteran pounder but couldn’t hit a second gear. Taylor notes that Brett Veach has been quoted as saying running backs in Andy Reid’s offense “need to be a better receiver than a runner” and ties them to Georgia back Trevor Etienne.
The Athletic’s Chad Graff “gets the sense” that the Patriots “would like to add a speedy running back” to “complement” Rhamondre Stevenson.
Graff writes this in the context of a mock draft where he selects Bhayshul Tuten for the Patriots, but this is not the first time this offseason someone has mentioned running back as a potential position of need for the Patriots behind Stevenson. Tuten ran the fastest 40-yard dash at the combine at 4.32. Other running backs on the podium for the 40 in Indianapolis included Texas’ Jaydon Blue (4.38) and SMU’s Brashard Smith (4.39), so they could also be interesting Patriots targets.
Courtland Sutton said extension talks with the Broncos are “working in the right direction.”
“I’m open and optimistic about the fact that I’ll be able to be here for the rest of my career,” Sutton added. The timeline for Sutton’s extension has been downplayed a bit by the Broncos this offseason and it sounds like they’re probably just waiting to figure out what happens in the draft to lock down a figure. Sutton was an unhappy camper last season after getting only a band-aid adjustment to his contract, but responded with one of the best seasons of his career.
Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer reports “more than one person sa[id] to me that if [Shedeur] Sanders goes in the first round, it’ll be because an owner got involved.”
Breer writes a pretty rough profile of Sanders’ current prospects, reporting he doesn’t believe Sanders is going in the top three and that it’d be “surprising” if he went in the top 10. “I’m having a really hard time finding coaches or scouts who believe Sanders is a first-round talent,” is the lede of that section of the column. The draft landscape is always shifting and we’ve seen perceived first-round quarterbacks like Will Levis and Malik Willis tumble out of Day 1 — it’s possible that Sanders will be the next to join that list.
Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer reports that “other teams were under the impression” that Derek Carr was seeking a trade this offseason.
Regarding his injury, Breer writes that the “Saints knew about this shoulder issue. What I’m less sure about is if they view it as something that was actually threatening his 2025 season. The story I’ve heard is that Carr’s camp has told people that this actually stems from his ’23 AC joint sprain, which never fully healed,” Breer continues. The implication here seems to be that Carr wanted to play for former Saints coach Dennis Allen and may not be as thrilled to play with Kellen Moore. That Carr would really threaten to go under the knife to fix his arm rather than play out the 2025 season as a starter seems hard to believe, but his status with the Saints even beyond that appears to be shaky at the moment. New Orleans holds the No. 9 pick in the draft and could look to take a quarterback early to address the room.