Ranking the Best Picks from Day 1 of the 2020 NFL Draft

The first round of the 2020 NFL draft is complete. While this year's edition wasn't filled with trades, there was plenty of suspense and unpredictability Thursday—much to the delight of sports-starved fans.

There were also several tremendous pairings of prospects and new NFL employers. The Cincinnati Bengals, for example, picked up a potential franchise quarterback in Joe Burrow with the No. 1 pick—a terrific choice for the rebuilding squad. But was it the best pick of Round 1?

Here, we'll rank the five best Day 1 selections, based on factors like scheme fit, team needs, draft value and potential risk. For value, we'll use Bleacher Report draft analyst Matt Miller's final big board as a reference point.

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Round 1 Recap

Before we dig into the top picks of Round 1, let's take a look at how everything unfolded.

The Bengals kicked things off with perhaps the most unsurprising selection of the first round, three quarterbacks went in the top six selections, no trades occurred in the top 10 and the first swap didn't occur until pick No. 13.

5 (Tie). Cincinnati and Washington Take Burrow and Young 1st and 2nd Overall

Rick Scuteri/Associated Press

It's easy to undervalue Cincinnati's selection of Burrow at No. 1 or the Washington Redskins' pick of Chase Young at No. 2. The Ohio State pass-rusher was the top prospect on Miller's big board, while Burrow was No. 2.

The Bengals are looking to move on from quarterback Andy Dalton, while Young was simply too good of a prospect to pass on.

However, Cincinnati and Washington deserve credit for pulling the trigger. The Miami Dolphins tried to pry the No. 1 pick from the Bengals, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter. Cincinnati resisted, however, as did Washington with offers for the No. 2 pick.

According to Fox Sports' Jay Glazer, Young was "too highly regarded" for a trade.

One can argue that the Bengals got a bit more value by addressing a bigger team need. However, the fact remains that Burrow and Young are likely to be two of the best players from this draft class—and therefore represent two of the best selections.

4. Buccaneers Trade Up, Snag Tristan Wirfs at No. 13

Charlie Neibergall/Associated Press

It required a small trade up the board, but the Tampa Buccaneers filled a huge need by grabbing Iowa offensive tackle Tristan Wirfs at No. 13. He was the No. 2-ranked tackle and No. 10 overall prospect on Miller's big board, and he can be a high-end right tackle.

"If Wirfs can learn to play inside out and add a more effective jump-set into his repertoire, he could take a big step forward," NFL.com's Lance Zierlein wrote. "Consistency of play could take some time, but he has the ability to become a good starter at either right tackle or guard."

Wirfs is a tremendous fit for the Buccaneers, who needed a replacement at right tackle for 2019 starter Demar Dotson.

Tampa added soon-to-be 43-year-old quarterback Tom Brady, who isn't exactly a magician when it comes to escaping pressure. Putting a quality offensive line in front of Brady had to be an offseason priority for the Buccaneers. Adding Wirfs will help do just that.

Considering Tampa only gave up a fourth-round pick (No. 117) and got a seventh-rounder back (No. 245) from the San Francisco 49ers to move up one spot, this proved to be a great value.

3. Browns Get Jedrick Wills at No. 10

Michael Conroy/Associated Press

Like the Buccaneers, the Cleveland Browns found nearly a perfect match of need and prospect. Unlike the Buccaneers, the Browns didn't have to do anything but stay put at No. 10 and turn in their (virtual) draft card.

With that pick, Cleveland added Alabama right tackle Jedrick Wills, the top tackle and No. 7 overall player on Miller's big board.

Cleveland's biggest need was at left tackle. Last year's starter, Greg Robinson, was arrested on felony drug charges this offseason, but the free agent wasn't in Cleveland's plans anyway. While Wills will likely move to the left side—with offseason addition Jack Conklin on the right side—it shouldn't be an issue.

It's important to remember that while Wills played on the right side in college, he was the blindside blocker for the left-handed Tua Tagovailoa. He won't struggle with the transition as much as a typical right tackle might. He's also a perfect fit for head coach Kevin Stefanski's zone-blocking scheme.

"We did a lot of that at Alabama," Wills said, per Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com. "I also did some in high school. So I've been around it for a while."   

2. Ravens Land Patrick Queen at No. 28

Danny Karnik/Associated Press

The Baltimore Ravens, who finished 2019 with a 14-2 record, didn't head into the draft with many glaring needs. The one they had was at interior linebacker, where the defense missed C.J. Mosley, who departed before last year's draft. Baltimore addressed that need by grabbing LSU linebacker Patrick Queen with the 28th pick.

Queen is a true sideline-to-sideline defender—very much in the mold of Mosley. The LSU standout racked up 85 tackles, 12 tackles for a loss, three sacks and an interception in 2019. He should immediately upgrade a Ravens run defense that allowed 4.4 yards per rush last season.

"Patrick Queen might be a little [undersized] but he lands in the right spot with the Ravens," NFL Media's Bucky Brooks tweeted of the 6'0", 229-pounder. "... They needed a blue-chip player at LB. Queen has big-play potential."

This is a wonderful fit, and it represents a ton of value at No. 28. Queen was ranked as the 16th-best prospect on Miller's big board and the No. 2 linebacker.

Baltimore's ability to get a top-15 player near the end of Round 1 moves this pick just ahead of the previously mentioned selections—the Ravens could have traded up for Queen without raising many eyebrows. However, the next team on our list got tremendous value and the top player at a needed position.

1. Broncos Land Jerry Jeudy at No. 15

Vasha Hunt/Associated Press

In terms of pure value, it's hard to beat the Denver Broncos' selection of Alabama wideout Jerry Jeudy at No. 15. Jeudy was the top wideout and sixth overall prospect on Miller's big board and a player Denver might have been happy trading up for.

"Jeudy can play inside or outside but offers a unique ability to both widen or lengthen the field from the slot," Zierlein wrote. "His transition from deep threat to volume target in 2019 should help sell teams on his ability to become a Pro Bowl-caliber WR1 who can help his offense on all three levels."

However, this pick is about more than pure value.

The Broncos stayed put and still snagged Jeudy, and he fills a big need. Denver is rolling with second-year quarterback Drew Lock, and suddenly, Lock appears to have one of the better receiving corps in the AFC.

Courtland Sutton emerged as a legitimate No. 1 option last season, finishing with 72 receptions and 1,112 receiving yards despite some questionable quarterback play early in the season. The addition of Jeudy gives Lock options 1A and 1B at wideout and an emerging tight end in Noah Fant to complement them.