2020 NFL Draft: Best pick in every round, from Jerry Jeudy to Geno Stone

Hitting on draft picks is critical for success, not just in the first round but in every round. These were the best selections in each round of the 2020 NFL Draft.

Success in the NFL Draft is critical to sustained winning in the league. That’s easier said than done, however, as the draft is inherently an educated guessing game. Even if you have all of the tape and numbers, there is still the chance that a player doesn’t pan out. However, there is one way to ensure that, at the very least, a team’s process is correct: Draft for value.

Many teams make the mistake of drafting for need or taking the best player available. Drafting for value, however, is about selecting prospects at premium positions early that will help your team. It’s not just taking the best player. For example, the Carolina Panthers selected Derrick Brown in the 2020 NFL Draft at No. 7 overall. While Brown is a great player, a defensive tackle’s value on the field simply isn’t as high as at other positions.

So with the 2020 NFL Draft in the immediate rearview, it’s time to look at which team made the best pick in every round. And the value of these picks is what makes them the best.

Round 1: Jerry Jeudy, Denver Broncos (No. 15)

Heading into the draft, the Denver Broncos had one glaring positional need and that was at wide receiver. Many fans and personnel likely did not expect any elite receivers to fall to the No. 15 pick, let alone two of them.

Denver saw Oklahoma receiver CeeDee Lamb available as well as Alabama receiver Jerry Jeudy fall into their laps — theirs for the picking. The Broncos ended up choosing Jeudy, who I believe is the better receiver of the two.

Jeudy is flat-out the best route runner in the 2020 NFL Draft class. There are plays at Alabama in which he looked like a seasoned NFL vet, even though he’s only 21 years old. Jeudy did not have an outstanding Combine but that shouldn’t matter as Jeudy is the best separator in the class.

Not only is Jeudy a great receiver who brings great value but he also addresses an area of need and helps out the Broncos young quarterback, Drew Lock. Lock, like many rookie quarterbacks, had his ups and downs. While Lock had Courtland Sutton, who had a breakout year in 2019, he did not have much else to work with in terms of receivers.

Adding Jeudy will not only help the young quarterback but he will bring a great overall presence to this Broncos team.

Honorable Mentions: Tua Tagoviloa, Dolphins (No. 5) | Isaiah Simmons, Cardinals (No. 8)