The 2020 NFL Draft boasted arguably the deepest wide receiver class in league history, as six wideouts were taken in the first round.
But don’t forget about offensive linemen, who represented seven of the first 29 picks.
“I actually thought there could have been two more tackles taken in the first round,” former NFL offensive lineman and current Sirius NFL host Geoff Schwartz said on After Hours with Amy Lawrence. “Eight would have been the most since my year in 2008, which feels like a lifetime ago. I think mostly teams did good jobs.”
The Giants took Georgia’s Andrew Thomas at No. 4, the Browns took Alabama’s Jedrick Wills at No. 10, the Jets took Louisville’s Mekhi Becton at No. 11, the Buccaneers took Iowa’s Tristan Wirfs at No. 13, the Dolphins took USC’s Austin Jackson at No. 18, the Saints took Michigan’s Cesar Ruiz at No. 24, and the Titans took Georgia’s Isaiah Wilson at No. 29.
“I thought that Tristan Wirfs going to Tampa was fantastic for them,” Schwartz said. “They ended up hitting it out of the park, him falling to 13, where they traded up a spot for him. He’s a guy right now who can play right tackle.”
Schwartz said that Becton has the most upside of the group and that Wilson will be a good fit in Tennessee, though he needs time to develop. Wills, meanwhile, is “the best offensive lineman right now” but will need to change positions.
“Moving him to left tackle [is] something that he hasn’t done – ever,” Schwartz said. “He played right tackle in high school and right tackle in college. He’s athletic enough to do it, but I’m skeptical of that.”
Schwartz also questions the Dolphins selecting Jackson.
“Austin Jackson to Miami, unfortunately, was the pick I just didn’t like,” he said. “He has a chance to be really good. He’s only 20, but he needs time to develop. He needs to get his play strength up, he needs to get his technique better, and I would have loved for him to go somewhere where he could sit for a year. But instead, he’s going to Miami and has to play right now. I just think that’s going to be a big issue for Miami and for him.”