The Best Franchise Building Blocks in the 2020 NFL Draft

For many teams, the NFL draft is a place to acquire future stars, bolster rosters and accentuate existing talent. For teams that are rebuilding from the ground up, however, the draft is where franchise cornerstones are typically found.

Not every prospect can be a franchise building block, of course. Even some of the most elite prospects can be dependent on the right situations and schemes. Much rarer are those who can have a team truly built around them.

Fortunately for the league's downtrodden, there are some potential franchise building blocks available in this year's draft—players who can provide a foundation for virtually any franchise. We'll examine the best of them here.

Joe Burrow, QB, LSU

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When you think about building a franchise around a player, quarterback is probably the first position that comes to mind. It's the most important position in the NFL, after all, and this is why LSU's Joe Burrow could be the No. 1 pick in the draft.

Though Burrow didn't emerge as a star until this season, he's done enough to become perhaps the hottest quarterback prospect in recent memory. He passed for 5,208 yards and 55 touchdowns. He tossed seven touchdowns against Oklahoma in the College Football Playoff. He's accurate, strong-armed and mobile enough to give defensive coordinators fits.

"We had a hard time, obviously, corralling him back there," Oklahoma coach Lincoln Riley said, per Garrett Stepien of 247Sports.

Aside from the fact that Burrow is a one-year marvel, there's little reason to believe that the reigning Heisman winner won't be a franchise cornerstone in the NFL. In addition to what he's put on film, his archetypal 6'4", 214-pound frame will appeal to even the most traditional of talent evaluators.

From size and skill set to demeanor and what-have-you-done-lately production, Burrow just about has it all.

Tua Tagovailoa, QB, Alabama

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Burrow isn't the only potential franchise quarterback in this class. Alabama's Tua Tagovailoa is another, though he does come with a caveat. Health is going to be a concern for him, as Tagovailoa is recovering from a dislocated hip and had two notable ankle injuries in his college career.

The good news is that his medical updates have been positive, according to NFL Media's Ian Rapoport. The better news is that, as a player, Tagovailoa has a ton to offer if he is healthy.

Tagovailoa isn't a towering prospect, but he has adequate size at 6'1" and 218 pounds. More importantly, he's deadly accurate, athletic, mobile and sees the field extremely well. He also has close to two full seasons of elite play on his resume.

In nine games in 2019, Tagovailoa passed for 2,840 yards with 33 touchdowns and three interceptions. He also completed a remarkable 71.4 percent of his passes. Last season, he passed for 3,966 yards with 43 scores and six picks.

Like Burrow, Tagovailoa has thrived in what is traditionally the toughest conference in the NCAA. Aside from health, he checks all the boxes for being a future NFL star.

Andrew Thomas, OT, Georgia

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The first thing any team with a franchise quarterback needs to have in place is a franchise offensive tackle. If a quarterback is the most important player on the offense, the guy who protects him should be the next-most valuable.

This is why Georgia left tackle Andrew Thomas should and likely will be one of the first players off the board. The 6'5", 320-pounder started all three years at Georgia, the last two on the all-important left side. He's perhaps the most polished tackle prospect in this draft and a true blind-side blocker.

"He's a powerful run-blocker and a well-versed pass protector who has been battle-tested in the SEC over the last three seasons," Bleacher Report draft analyst Matt Miller wrote. "And unlike Jedrick Wills Jr. (Alabama) and Tristan Wirfs (Iowa), Thomas played left tackle and not right tackle in 2019."

Thomas has the potential to anchor an offensive line—and by extension, an NFL franchise—for the foreseeable future.

Jerry Jeudy, WR, Alabama

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While one wide receiver won't always impact the game like a franchise quarterback or even a high-end running back, an elite wideout can be a long-term franchise cornerstone.

Have receivers like Julio Jones, Larry Fitzgerald and A.J. Green been shut down on occasion? Sure, but look at what their long-term presence has meant to their respective franchises. Alabama's Jerry Jeudy is a receiver of a similar mold and can be a team's No. 1 for the next decade-plus.

Capable of burning defenses with his speed or creating space with his precision route-running, Jeudy is virtually uncoverable one-on-one. Even with Tagovailoa down for part of the season, Jeudy's numbers in 2019 were impressive—1,163 yards and 10 touchdowns on 77 receptions.

A year ago, Jeudy finished with 68 catches, 1,315 yards and 14 touchdowns. His numbers are even more impressive when you consider that fellow wideout Henry Ruggs III is also a potential first-round pick this year. Jeudy was never really in a position where he had to be force-fed the ball, which can be a question for some college receivers.

Jeudy will likely be the first wide receiver off the board in April, and there is practically no team with which he wouldn't fit.

Chase Young, Edge, Ohio State

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Regardless of whether a team has its own franchise quarterback, it had better be able to get after one. This is why, after quarterback, a premier pass-rusher might be the most vital building block for a team to get.

Not only can an elite pass-rusher wreck an offensive game plan, but he can command enough offensive attention to limit what that game plan can even be. Ohio State edge-rusher Chase Young, for example, is very unlikely to see many one-on-one blocks at the pro level. He is as good as former Buckeye Nick Bosa before him, if not better.

Bosa, by the way, finished his rookie campaign with 9.0 sacks, 47 tackles and a whole lot of Defensive Rookie of the Year buzz.

The 6'5", 265-pound Young was an absolute terror off the edge for the Buckeyes in 2019—he finished with 16.5 sacks, 46 total tackles and 21 tackles for a loss. Unlike Bosa, he hasn't experienced a lengthy injury layoff and should have zero rust to shake off during the offseason.

Isaiah Simmons, LB, Clemson

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While off-ball linebackers aren't quite as coveted as pass-rushers like Young, they are becoming increasingly valuable in the modern NFL.

Teams are embracing spread college passing more, which places a lot of short- and mid-level targets in the middle of the field. This, in turn, leaves opposing linebackers scrambling to pursue receivers out of the backfield or to cover them on crossing routes.

There is a reason why sideline-to-sideline defenders Devin White and Devin Bush both went in the top 10 last year.

Clemson's Isaiah Simmons may be even more intriguing as an off-ball prospect than Bush and White. The 6'4", 230-pound linebacker is a converted safety who has worked to excel in his newfound position.

"I'm a guy that loves to do extra," Simmons said, per Zach Braziller of the New York Post.

Simmons has the potential to handle every assignment asked of a modern linebacker at the next level, becoming some team's defensive field general in the process.

Derrick Brown, DL, Auburn

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While interior defensive linemen might not generate as much excitement as an edge-rusher or a speedy playmaking linebacker, they are one of the most essential pieces on a defense. Interior pressure is one of the most difficult things for an offense to counter, which is why players like Aaron Donald, Ndamukong Suh, Geno Atkins and Grady Jarrett have been among the NFL's most feared players over the years.

Auburn defensive tackle Derrick Brown has the potential to be that sort of fearsome defender in his next home. He was a terror for the Tigers in 2019, amassing 55 total tackles, 4.0 sacks and 12.5 tackles for a loss.

"He's a dynamic player. He's one of the best players in all of college football," Auburn head coach Gus Malzahn said, per Brad Crawford of 247Sports. 

Any team looking to anchor its defensive front for, at a minimum, the next five years should have Brown high on its draft board.