NFL Draft 2020: First-Round Order and Top Prospects to Watch

As the NFL's 2019-20 playoff field dwindles, the selection spots for the 2020 draft continue to solidify.

The regular season locked in the first 20 picks, while Wild Card Weekend cemented the next four. As clubs continue falling off the path to Super Bowl LIV, the remainder of the opening round will be slotted based on playoff performance.

Let's take a quick snapshot of where everyone sits at the moment, then examine three of the more intriguing prospects on the board.

2020 NFL Draft Order

1. Cincinnati Bengals

2. Washington Redskins

3. Detroit Lions

4. New York Giants

5. Miami Dolphins

6. Los Angeles Chargers

7. Carolina Panthers

8. Arizona Cardinals

9. Jacksonville Jaguars

10. Cleveland Browns

11. New York Jets

12. Oakland Raiders

13. Indianapolis Colts

14. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

15. Denver Broncos

16. Atlanta Falcons

17. Dallas Cowboys

18. Miami Dolphins (via Pittsburgh Steelers)

19. Oakland Raiders (via Chicago Bears)

20. Jacksonville Jaguars (via Los Angeles Rams)

21. Philadelphia Eagles

22. Buffalo Bills

23. New England Patriots

24. New Orleans Saints

25. Tennessee Titans

26. Minnesota Vikings

27. Miami Dolphins (via Houston Texans)

28. Seattle Seahawks

29. Kansas City Chiefs

30. Green Bay Packers

31. San Francisco 49ers

32. Baltimore Ravens

Intriguing NFL Draft Prospects

Tua Tagovailoa, QB, Alabama

At one point, this draft was all about Tua Tagovailoa. The hashtag #TankForTua became a therapeutic device for fans of bottom-feeders to process a pile for losses, as all quarterback-needy clubs found themselves fawning over the dynamic signal-caller in Tuscaloosa.

But everything changed in mid-November, when the Alabama star dislocated his hip, ending his season and suddenly clouding over his NFL future. He's still making the jump to the big league and still has a chance to hear his name called among the first five picks, but this draft's sure thing now has question marks hovering over his head.

"Will he regain the twitchiness and suddenness that stood out before his injury?" ESPN's Todd McShay wrote. "Tagovailoa keeps his feet aligned with his eyes as he moves quickly and smoothly through his progressions and then is sudden in his release. Whether he is still effective in that area will be really important."

Still, the 21-year-old is the engineer of a legendary college career. Over the past two seasons, he completed 70 percent of his passes, while throwing for 6,806 yards and 76 touchdowns against a minuscule nine interceptions.

So, do teams suddenly have a discount on the draft's top talent? Or will someone soon pay a massive premium for damaged goods? It's a fascinating situation, and one that could shape how history remembers this draft.

Justin Herbert, QB, Oregon

Before Kyler Murray ditched the baseball world to claim the leading role in the 2019 NFL draft, Justin Herbert had his moment atop that class.

In October 2018, Yahoo Sports' Pete Thamel reported scouts were more enamored with Herbert than the five first-round quarterbacks in 2017: Baker Mayfield, Sam Darnold, Josh Rosen, Josh Allen and (MVP favorite) Lamar Jackson. Herbert held prime real estate at or near the top of virtually every mock draft.

But he opted against making the jump and instead stuck around Eugene, Oregon. During his senior season, the 6'6" passer posted 3,471 passing yards, a 66.8 completion percentage, 32 passing touchdowns (plus four more on the ground) and only six interceptions. All numbers were improvements on his junior campaign.

Yet, you won't find a mock draft that has the 21-year-old slotted No. 1, and in most he'll be the third quarterback listed, probably somewhere in the bottom half of the top 10. What gives? Well, this QB class has improved, and Herbert, while loaded with natural gifts, has yet to solve his inconsistency issues.

"Herbert will wow someone with his traits, of which there are many," B/R's Matt Miller wrote. "He's tall, athletic and has a big right arm. But he's raw with footwork that will drive you crazy and passes that can sail wildly when he's not mechanically sound."

Herbert is the kind of prospect who could star if he reaches his full potential, but he may never come close to his ceiling. Those risk-reward evaluations are always tricky, especially when it involves a possible franchise quarterback.

Jonathan Taylor, RB, Wisconsin

The stat sheet says this running back class should have Jonathan Taylor at the top, several empty slots beneath and then everyone else.

His numbers are almost hard to process. He debuted for Wisconsin in 2017 with 1,977 yards and 13 touchdowns, and his production only went up from there. All told, he totaled 926 rushes for 6,174 yards (6.7 yards a pop) and 50 touchdowns.

But big boards don't have the 20-year-old at the top. McShay has him as the 29th-ranked prospect and No. 3 running back. Miller puts the Badgers star back at 26th and third at the position. Taylor slotted second at running back for ESPN's Mel Kiper Jr. but didn't crack his top-25 big board.

Some worry that Taylor's numbers might actually work against him. With NFL running backs not having the longest shelf lives, his heavy workload inevitably leads to questions about longevity. He also didn't factor much in the passing game before this season (26 receptions this year, 16 combined the two prior), and some might wonder if he'll have the same success when he isn't running behind a good Wisconsin line.

Still, the numbers are the numbers, and they all signal elite talent. If he's anywhere close to as good as his college production suggests, he could be remembered as one of the draft's biggest steals.