Ranking All 191 1st Rd Picks Since 2020
https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/draft/news/nfl-draft-first-round-picks-rankings-2020-2025/
Ranking all 191 first-round NFL Draft picks since 2020: Best, worst selections of the decade
Deep in the heart of the offseason, I was inspired by an exercise I saw on the NFL Stock Exchange podcast with Trevor Sikkema and Connor Rogers to take a look back at draft history, specifically evaluating and ranking the first-round picks this decade.
With a list this large, being clear about the methodology is important. I decided to evaluate each decision from the team's point of view, given the draft capital and options available on the board, rather than evaluating talent alone. This is an important distinction because I'm not simply ranking players.
Obviously, with the 2026 draft class yet to play a snap in the NFL, it was not included. Even the 2025 class is difficult to rank this early in their careers, with very few players appearing at either edge of the spectrum. Let's get to the rankings first and then break them down team by team to evaluate how each franchise did over that span.
Minnesota Vikings
Rank | Player | Pos. | School | Drafted (Year) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
3 | Justin Jefferson | WR | LSU | No. 22 (2020) |
13 | Christian Darrisaw | T | Virginia Tech | No. 23 (2021) |
89 | Jordan Addison | WR | USC | No. 23 (2023) |
103 | Donovan Jackson | G | Ohio State | No. 24 (2025) |
127 | Dallas Turner | EDGE | Alabama | No. 17 (2024) |
165 | Jeff Gladney | CB | TCU | No. 31 (2020) |
176 | J.J. McCarthy | QB | Michigan | No. 10 (2024) |
179 | Lewis Cine | S | Georgia | No. 32 (2022) |
Top third: 2
Middle third: 3
Bottom third: 3
Former CBS colleague Rick Spielman went out with a bang. His final two drafts featured the third-best pick of the decade in Justin Jefferson and the 13th in Christian Darrisaw. Kwesi Adofo-Mensah couldn't hold a candle to that, failing to make a single upper-third pick during his tenure before being fired.
ENTIRE LEAGUE
Top third: Best first-round decisions
Rank | Player | Pos. | Drafted (Year) | Team |
|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | QB | No. 1 (2020) | ||
2 | QB | No. 3 (2024) | ||
3 | WR | No. 22 (2020) | ||
4 | WR | No. 20 (2023) | ||
5 | QB | No. 26 (2020) | ||
6 | QB | No. 6 (2020) | ||
7 | QB | No. 2 (2024) | ||
8 | LB | No. 12 (2021) | ||
9 | T | No. 13 (2020) | ||
10 | WR | No. 17 (2020) | Dallas Cowboys | |
11 | EDGE | No. 19 (2024) | ||
12 | Ja'Marr Chase | WR | No. 5 (2021) | Cincinnati Bengals |
13 | T | No. 23 (2021) | Minnesota Vikings | |
14 | Penei Sewell | T | No. 7 (2021) | |
15 | DT | No. 9 (2023) | ||
16 | T | No. 5 (2024) | Los Angeles Chargers | |
17 | CB | No. 22 (2024) | Philadelphia Eagles | |
18 | CB | No. 21 (2022) | ||
19 | Patrick Surtain II | CB | No. 9 (2021) | |
20 | TE | No. 13 (2024) | ||
21 | S | No. 14 (2022) | ||
22 | CB | No. 16 (2020) | ||
23 | DT | No. 16 (2024) | Seattle Seahawks | |
24 | QB | No. 2 (2023) | ||
25 | EDGE | No. 3 (2023) | Houston Texans | |
26 | EDGE | No. 2 (2022) | Detroit Lions | |
27 | CB | No. 3 (2022) | Houston Texans | |
28 | CB | No. 4 (2022) | ||
29 | T | No. 13 (2021) | Los Angeles Chargers | |
30 | CB | No. 17 (2023) | New England Patriots | |
31 | WR | No. 22 (2023) | Baltimore Ravens | |
32 | QB | No. 12 (2024) | Denver Broncos | |
33 | T | No. 32 (2025) | Kansas City Chiefs | |
34 | DT | No. 7 (2020) | ||
35 | T | No. 24 (2022) | Dallas Cowboys | |
36 | C | No. 25 (2022) | Baltimore Ravens | |
37 | WR | No. 8 (2025) | Carolina Panthers | |
38 | EDGE | No. 3 (2025) | ||
39 | T | No. 9 (2022) | Seattle Seahawks | |
40 | QB | No. 25 (2025) | New York Giants | |
41 | DeVonta Smith | WR | No. 10 (2021) | Philadelphia Eagles |
42 | T | No. 4 (2020) | New York Giants | |
43 | WR | No. 25 (2020) | ||
44 | G | No. 12 (2025) | Dallas Cowboys | |
45 | CB | No. 5 (2023) | Seattle Seahawks | |
46 | LB | No. 15 (2025) | Atlanta Falcons | |
47 | DT | No. 16 (2025) | ||
48 | WR | No. 10 (2022) | New York Jets | |
49 | WR | No. 8 (2022) | Atlanta Falcons | |
50 | EDGE | No. 30 (2022) | Kansas City Chiefs | |
51 | WR | No. 6 (2024) | New York Giants | |
52 | LB | No. 30 (2023) | Philadelphia Eagles | |
53 | T | No. 18 (2024) | Cincinnati Bengals | |
54 | Greg Rousseau | EDGE | No. 30 (2021) | |
55 | EDGE | No. 18 (2021) | ||
56 | T | No. 10 (2023) | ||
57 | T | No. 9 (2025) | ||
58 | T | No. 7 (2025) | New York Jets | |
59 | Jaylen Waddle | WR | No. 6 (2021) | Miami Dolphins |
60 | RB | No. 12 (2023) | Detroit Lions | |
61 | TE | No. 14 (2025) | ||
62 | QB | No. 1 (2021) | ||
63 | WR | No. 19 (2025) | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | |
64 | RB | No. 8 (2023) | Atlanta Falcons |
LIVE WELL ~ LOVE MUCH ~ LAUGH OFTEN
Middle third: Solid picks, mixed returns and incomplete grades
Rank | Player | Pos. | Drafted (Year) | Team |
|---|---|---|---|---|
65 | LB | No. 31 (2025) | Philadelphia Eagles | |
66 | CB | No. 30 (2024) | Baltimore Ravens | |
67 | WR | No. 11 (2022) | New Orleans Saints | |
68 | T | No. 29 (2025) | Washington Commanders | |
69 | WR | No. 27 (2021) | Baltimore Ravens | |
70 | TE | No. 10 (2025) | Chicago Bears | |
71 | WR | No. 23 (2024) | Jacksonville Jaguars | |
72 | T | No. 6 (2023) | Arizona Cardinals | |
73 | T | No. 27 (2023) | Jacksonville Jaguars | |
74 | EDGE | No. 31 (2021) | Baltimore Ravens | |
75 | LB | No. 18 (2023) | Detroit Lions | |
76 | G | No. 18 (2025) | Seattle Seahawks | |
77 | Olu Fashanu | T | No. 11 (2024) | New York Jets |
78 | DT | No. 13 (2022) | Philadelphia Eagles | |
79 | WR | No. 9 (2024) | Chicago Bears | |
80 | DT | No. 19 (2023) | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | |
81 | WR | No. 28 (2024) | Kansas City Chiefs | |
82 | WR | No. 12 (2022) | Detroit Lions | |
83 | S | No. 27 (2025) | Baltimore Ravens | |
84 | T | No. 11 (2023) | ||
85 | Jaycee Horn | CB | No. 8 (2021) | Carolina Panthers |
86 | LB | No. 27 (2020) | Seattle Seahawks | |
87 | EDGE | No. 26 (2022) | New York Jets | |
88 | LB | No. 27 (2022) | Jacksonville Jaguars | |
89 | WR | No. 23 (2023) | Minnesota Vikings | |
90 | DT | No. 28 (2022) | Green Bay Packers | |
91 | QB | No. 1 (2025) | Tennessee Titans | |
92 | LB | No. 28 (2020) | Baltimore Ravens | |
93 | EDGE | No. 2 (2020) | Washington Redskins | |
94 | DT | No. 21 (2025) | ||
95 | WR | No. 31 (2024) | San Francisco 49ers | |
96 | EDGE | No. 15 (2024) | Indianapolis Colts | |
97 | CB | No. 30 (2025) | Buffalo Bills | |
98 | DT | No. 5 (2025) | ||
99 | T | No. 20 (2024) | Pittsburgh Steelers | |
100 | T | No. 6 (2022) | Carolina Panthers | |
101 | T | No. 18 (2020) | Miami Dolphins | |
102 | CB | No. 20 (2025) | Denver Broncos | |
103 | G | No. 24 (2025) | Minnesota Vikings | |
104 | S | No. 31 (2022) | Cincinnati Bengals | |
105 | EDGE | No. 15 (2023) | New York Jets | |
106 | EDGE | No. 13 (2023) | Green Bay Packers | |
107 | G | No. 17 (2022) | Los Angeles Chargers | |
108 | T | No. 25 (2024) | Green Bay Packers | |
109 | T | No. 7 (2024) | Tennessee Titans | |
110 | QB | No. 15 (2021) | New England Patriots | |
111 | EDGE | No. 21 (2024) | Miami Dolphins | |
112 | WR | No. 23 (2025) | Green Bay Packers | |
113 | TE | No. 25 (2023) | Buffalo Bills | |
114 | C | No. 26 (2024) | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | |
115 | QB | No. 5 (2020) | Miami Dolphins | |
116 | EDGE | No. 28 (2023) | Cincinnati Bengals | |
117 | C | No. 24 (2020) | New Orleans Saints | |
118 | RB | No. 22 (2025) | Los Angeles Chargers | |
119 | G | No. 14 (2021) | New York Jets | |
120 | WR | No. 4 (2024) | Arizona Cardinals | |
121 | RB | No. 6 (2025) | Las Vegas Raiders | |
122 | CB | No. 26 (2021) | Cleveland Browns | |
123 | EDGE | No. 1 (2022) | Jacksonville Jaguars | |
124 | WR | No. 15 (2020) | Denver Broncos | |
125 | CB/WR | No. 2 (2025) | Jacksonville Jaguars | |
126 | DT | No. 13 (2025) | Miami Dolphins | |
127 | EDGE | No. 17 (2024) | Minnesota Vikings | |
128 | DT | No. 29 (2023) | New Orleans Saints |
Bottom third: Most disappointing first-round decisions
Rank | Player | Pos. | Drafted (Year) | Team |
|---|---|---|---|---|
129 | T | No. 11 (2020) | New York Jets | |
130 | WR | No. 21 (2023) | Los Angeles Chargers | |
131 | EDGE | No. 5 (2022) | New York Giants | |
132 | T | No. 29 (2024) | Dallas Cowboys | |
133 | DT | No. 14 (2020) | San Francisco 49ers | |
134 | EDGE | No. 21 (2021) | Indianapolis Colts | |
135 | EDGE | No. 11 (2025) | San Francisco 49ers | |
136 | RB | No. 25 (2021) | Jacksonville Jaguars | |
137 | QB | No. 1 (2024) | Chicago Bears | |
138 | QB | No. 20 (2022) | Pittsburgh Steelers | |
139 | EDGE | No. 26 (2025) | Atlanta Falcons | |
140 | Henry Ruggs | WR | No. 12 (2020) | Las Vegas Raiders |
141 | LB | No. 22 (2022) | Green Bay Packers | |
142 | T | No. 4 (2025) | New England Patriots | |
143 | QB | No. 1 (2023) | Carolina Panthers | |
144 | T | No. 14 (2024) | New Orleans Saints | |
145 | QB | No. 11 (2021) | Chicago Bears | |
146 | DT | No. 28 (2025) | Detroit Lions | |
147 | T | No. 10 (2020) | Cleveland Browns | |
148 | EDGE | No. 28 (2021) | New Orleans Saints | |
149 | EDGE | No. 32 (2021) | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | |
150 | LB | No. 16 (2021) | Arizona Cardinals | |
151 | CB | No. 29 (2021) | Green Bay Packers | |
152 | RB | No. 24 (2021) | Pittsburgh Steelers | |
153 | WR | No. 16 (2022) | Washington Commanders | |
154 | QB | No. 8 (2024) | Atlanta Falcons | |
155 | WR | No. 20 (2021) | New York Giants | |
156 | CB | No. 24 (2024) | Detroit Lions | |
157 | EDGE | No. 27 (2024) | Arizona Cardinals | |
158 | WR | No. 32 (2024) | Carolina Panthers | |
159 | Kyle Pitts | TE | No. 4 (2021) | Atlanta Falcons |
160 | T | No. 19 (2022) | New Orleans Saints | |
161 | CB | No. 24 (2023) | New York Giants | |
162 | CB | No. 23 (2022) | Buffalo Bills | |
163 | EDGE | No. 20 (2020) | Jacksonville Jaguars | |
164 | CB | No. 30 (2020) | Miami Dolphins | |
165 | CB | No. 31 (2020) | Minnesota Vikings | |
166 | CB | No. 22 (2021) | Tennessee Titans | |
167 | EDGE | No. 17 (2025) | Cincinnati Bengals | |
168 | EDGE | No. 31 (2023) | Kansas City Chiefs | |
169 | DT | No. 26 (2023) | Dallas Cowboys | |
170 | RB | No. 32 (2020) | Kansas City Chiefs | |
171 | WR | No. 18 (2022) | Tennessee Titans | |
172 | LB | No. 23 (2020) | Los Angeles Chargers | |
173 | T | No. 14 (2023) | Pittsburgh Steelers | |
174 | G | No. 29 (2022) | New England Patriots | |
175 | G | No. 15 (2022) | Houston Texans | |
176 | QB | No. 10 (2024) | Minnesota Vikings | |
177 | LB | No. 19 (2021) | Washington Football Team | |
178 | CB | No. 19 (2020) | Las Vegas Raiders | |
179 | S | No. 32 (2022) | Minnesota Vikings | |
180 | T | No. 17 (2021) | Las Vegas Raiders | |
181 | WR | No. 21 (2020) | Philadelphia Eagles | |
182 | CB | No. 9 (2020) | Jacksonville Jaguars | |
183 | EDGE | No. 7 (2023) | Las Vegas Raiders | |
184 | CB | No. 16 (2023) | Washington Commanders | |
185 | T | No. 7 (2022) | New York Giants | |
186 | LB | No. 8 (2020) | Arizona Cardinals | |
187 | QB | No. 4 (2023) | Indianapolis Colts | |
188 | T | No. 29 (2020) | Tennessee Titans | |
189 | CB | No. 3 (2020) | Detroit Lions | |
190 | QB | No. 2 (2021) | New York Jets | |
191 | QB | No. 3 (2021) | San Francisco 49ers |
LIVE WELL ~ LOVE MUCH ~ LAUGH OFTEN
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