2020 NFL Draft: 5 Teams who immediately benefitted the most

Several teams came out from the 2020 NFL Draft as clear winners. They filled needs and found game-changing talent at every turn.

Now that the 2020 NFL Draft is officially in the books, we can begin analyzing which teams brought in the best hauls. A few franchises took significant strides this weekend and might make playoff appearances in 2020 after missing this past season. However, the rich got richer in most cases, adding rookie studs to their already stacked teams.

While the Dallas Cowboys, Indianapolis Colts, and New Orleans Saints put together intriguing draft classes, all three teams failed to crack the top five most improved teams.

The following five franchises put together revolutionary draft classes.

5. Detroit Lions

The Lions opened their draft by selecting Ohio State’s Jeffrey Okudah with the third overall pick. Okudah became the consensus top cornerback in the weeks leading up to the draft, but he still poses some questions. While Okudah certainly can transform into a revolutionary corner, he needs a lot of refinement.

The Ohio State cornerback ranked fifth on my list of blue-chip prospects heading into the draft. However, I’d like to see him take steps forward in man coverage, and he needs to improve his anticipation on routes. Overall, Okudah possesses the physical traits to become an All-Pro. His ceiling depends on his ability to grow as a player.

NFL Network gave Okudah a 7.15 grade on their 8.0 scale, and analyst Lance Zierlein compared him to Patrick Peterson. Detroit certainly hopes Okudah lives up to that comparison and serves as a quality replacement for Darius Slay.

Detroit snagged the best running back in the draft with their second pick, selecting D’Andre Swift at 35th overall. In his final year at Georgia, Swift produced 1,218 rushing yards and seven rushing touchdowns on 196 carries (6.2 yards per attempt). He can also make an impact in the passing game, an area in which Georgia underutilized him.

Swift should take over for Kerryon Johnson immediately. Detroit drafted Johnson with a second-round pick in 2018, but the Auburn product only remained healthy enough to appear in 18 games during his first two seasons.

In the third round, Detroit used the 67th overall pick on Notre Dame’s Julian Okwara. The younger brother of fellow Lions defensive end Romeo Okwara, Julian should see significant playing time as a rookie. In his final 22 games with the Fighting Irish,  the younger Okwara produced 58 tackles, 19.5 tackles for loss, and 13 sacks.

With the 75th overall pick, the Lions added Ohio State guard Jonah Jackson. In the next round, Detroit selected Kentucky guard Logan Stenberg. Jackson is the more refined player, while Stenberg relies on his ability as a mauler. With current starting guard Oday Aboushi in the final year of his contract and Joe Dahl only possessing one year of experience as a full-time starter,  both of Detroit’s new interior linemen could battle for snaps.

Detroit added wide receiver Quintez Cephus and running back Jason Huntley in the fifth round. Both players add depth to positions where Detroit feels safe. In the sixth round, the Lions picked John Penisini, a defensive end from Utah. With their final selection, Detroit added Ohio State’s Jashon Cornell.