2020 NFL DRAFT ROUND ONE NOTES

OFFENSE RULES THE FIRST: The 2020 NFL Draft featured 18 offensive players selected in the first round, tied for the fourth-most in the common draft era, trailing only the 1968, 2004 and 2009 NFL Drafts (19).

HEISMANS GO FIRST: The Cincinnati Bengals selected Heisman-winning quarterback JOE BURROW with the first-overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft. Along with the first-overall selections of KYLER MURRAY (Arizona, 2019) and BAKER MAYFIELD (Cleveland, 2018), it marks the first time in the common draft era that a Heisman winner was chosen with the No. 1 pick in three consecutive NFL Drafts.

With his selection at No. 1, Burrow joins CAM NEWTON (Carolina, 2011) as the only quarterbacks to win the Heisman Trophy, National Championship and be selected with the first-overall pick in the same calendar year in the common draft era.

BUCKEYES AT THE TOP: Washington selected Ohio State defensive end CHASE YOUNG with the second-overall pick while Detroit picked Ohio State defensive back JEFF OKUDAH third-overall in the 2020 NFL Draft.

Along with the selections of DENZEL WARD (Cleveland, No. 4 overall in 2018) and NICK BOSA (San Francisco, No. 2 in 2019), Ohio State becomes the first school to have a defensive player selected in the top-five in three consecutive Drafts in the common draft era.

Young and Okudah are the first pair of college teammates to be chosen with consecutive top-three selections since the 2000 NFL Draft, when Penn State saw COURTNEY BROWN (Cleveland, No. 1) and LAVAR ARRINGTON (Washington, No. 2) chosen at the top of the first round.

In addition to Okudah, Ohio State defensive back DAMON ARNETTE was selected No. 19 overall by the Las Vegas Raiders. It marks the fifth time that a school has had two defensive backs selected in the top-20 in the common draft era and the first time since 2017 [Ohio State – MARSHON LATTIMORE (New Orleans, No. 11) and MALIK HOOKER (Indianapolis, No. 15)].

TOP-TEN QBs: With the selections of quarterbacks JOE BURROW (Cincinnati, No. 1 overall), TUA TAGOVAILOA (Miami, No. 5) and JUSTIN HERBERT (Los Angeles Chargers, No. 6), 2020 is the sixth NFL Draft since 1967 and second in the past three years (2018) to have three quarterbacks selected in the top-10.

The 2020 NFL Draft marks the seventh consecutive draft with at least two quarterbacks chosen in the first round, the second-longest such streak in the common draft era (2002-12: 11 consecutive drafts) and the fifth consecutive draft with at least three quarterbacks selected in the first round, tied for the longest such streak in the common draft era (2002-06: five consecutive drafts).

TRENDING UP FRONT: Four offensive linemen – ANDREW THOMAS (New York Giants, No. 4 overall), JEDRICK WILLS (Cleveland, No. 10), MEKHI BECTON (New York Jets, No. 11) and TRISTAN WIRFS (Tampa Bay, No. 13) – were chosen among the top-15 selections of the 2020 NFL Draft.

2020 is the third NFL Draft since 2000 in which at least four offensive linemen were selected in the top-15 picks, joining the 2013 Draft (six offensive linemen) and 2008 Draft (four).

ROLL CALL: Four offensive players from Alabama - quarterback TUA TAGOVAILOA (Miami, No. 5 overall), wide receivers JERRY JEUDY (Denver, No. 15) and HENRY RUGGS (Las Vegas, No. 12), and offensive lineman JEDRICK WILLS (Cleveland, No. 10) – were chosen in the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft.

Alabama joins USC [1968 – Pro Football Hall of Famer RON YARY (Minnesota, No. 1), MIKE TAYLOR (Pittsburgh, No. 10), MIKE HULL (Chicago, No. 16) and EARL MCCULOUGH (Detroit, No. 24)] as the only schools to have four offensive players selected in the first round of a single Draft in the common draft era.

DUO OUT WIDE: Alabama wide receivers JERRY JEUDY (Denver, No. 15) and HENRY RUGGS (Las Vegas, No. 12) were each selected in the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft.

Jeudy and Ruggs became the fifth pair of wide receiver teammates to be drafted in the first round of the same draft since 1967 and the first pair to both be chosen in the top-15.

SCHOOLS WITH WIDE RECEIVER TEAMMATES SELECTED IN THE FIRST ROUND OF THE SAME NFL DRAFT SINCE 1967

Along with the selection of quarterback TUA TAGOVAILOA (Miami, No. 5) in the first round, Alabama became the second school to have a quarterback and two wide receivers chosen in the first round of the same NFL Draft since 1967, joining LSU in 2007 [quarterback JAMARCUS RUSSELL (Oakland, No. 1 overall) and wide receivers DWAYNE BOWE (Kansas City, No. 23) and CRAIG DAVIS (San Diego Chargers, No. 30)].

RAIDING THE FIRST: The Las Vegas Raiders selected wide receiver HENRY RUGGS (No. 12) and defensive back DAMON ARNETTE (No. 19) in the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft. ​

Along with their three first-round selections in the 2019 NFL Draft [CLELIN FERRELL (No. 4), JOSH JACOBS (No. 24) and JOHNATHAN ABRAMS (No. 28)], the Raiders are the 10th team since 1967 and first since the Cleveland Browns (five from 2017-18) to make at least five first-round picks in a two-year span.