Apr 23, 2020
After Burrow, first round of NFL Draft is unpredictable
The NFL Draft is always full of surprises but it would be a shock if anyone other than LSU quarterback Joe Burrow was selected first overall by the Cincinnati Bengals. It’s after Burrow when the first round should get interesting. Watch the NFL Draft LIVE tonight at 8pm et/5pm pt on TSN3/4, TSN Direct, and streaming on TSN.ca.
TSN.ca Staff

The NFL Draft is always full of surprises but it would be a real shock if someone other than LSU quarterback Joe Burrow was selected first overall by the Cincinnati Bengals tonight on TSN.
Burrow, coming off a historic season at LSU where he won a National Championship and the Heisman Trophy, is a massive odds-on favourite to go first overall during tonight's first round - being held virtually via videoconferencing due to the COVID-19 pandemic - according to Las Vegas, and the Bengals have done little to dissuade anyone from believing their pick will be anyone but Burrow.
It’s after Burrow likely goes No. 1 when the first round should really start to get interesting.
Watch the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft LIVE at 8pm et/5pm pt on TSN3/4, TSN Direct, and streaming on TSN.ca.
Washington, the Detroit Lions, and the New York Giants are the next three teams on the board but have all been rumoured to have an interest in trading down and accumulating more picks.
If Washington and the Lions stay put, they could be interested in two of the top defensive players in the draft, defensive end Chase Young and cornerback Jeffrey Okudah, two Ohio State teammates that have drawn favourable comparisons to some Ohio State alums currently starring in the NFL.
The Giants could also go the defensive route, and grab Swiss army knife defender Isaiah Simmons from Clemson if he’s still on the board, or they could start the run on top offensive lineman prospects.
As many as four offensive linemen could be selected in the Top 10, with no consensus on the top target between Iowa’s Tristan Wirfs, Alabama’s Jedrick Wills, Georgia’s Andrew Thomas, and Louisville’s Mekhi Becton.
The quarterback intrigue could start at picks No. 5 and No. 6 where the QB-needy Miami Dolphins and Los Angeles Chargers are slated to pick. After Burrow, Alabama’s Tua Tagovailoa and Oregon’s Justin Herbert appear to be the highest-ranked prospects at the position, but concerns over Tagovailoa’s health after hip surgery last year, and the potential of Utah State’s Jordan Love could shake up the draft order at QB.
Love is one of the most interesting prospects heading into the draft. Prognosticators have had a hard time finding a consensus landing spot for the QB, who has drawn comparisons to Patrick Mahomes but struggled statistically at Utah State last year. He could go as high as the Top 10 or fall into the second round.
This is also a great year for wide receivers, with a number of GMs saying this year’s group of prospects at the position is historically deep.
It should be a three-horse race between Alabama’s Jerry Jeudy and Henry Ruggs III, and Oklahoma’s CeeDee Lamb to be the first receiver off the board, perhaps outside of the Top 10 if there is a run on QBs and offensive linemen.
And there could even be a little Canadian content tonight as well. While the top two Canadian prospects, Oklahoma defensive tackle Neville Gallimore and Notre Dame wide receiver Chase Claypool are more likely to hear their name called Friday night, there is a chance one could sneak into the latter stages of the first round.