The 2020 NFL Draft features a star-studded collection of talent headlined by prospects who were absolute superstars at the collegiate level. Tony Pauline’s rankings are headlined by a potentially dominant pass rusher, Ohio State’s Chase Young, and a potentially dominant interior defensive linemen, Auburn’s Derrick Brown.
Alabama’s Tua Tagovailoa may have medical red flags but is still Pauline’s fourth-ranked prospect and top quarterback in the 2020 NFL Draft. Heisman Trophy winner Joe Burrow is Pauline’s QB2 and comes in at sixth overall on the board. Additionally, five of the top 14 overall players on Pauline’s Top 300 Big Board are offensive tackles – Georgia’s Andrew Thomas, Iowa’s Tristan Wirfs, Louisville’s Mekhi Becton, USC’s Austin Jackson, and Alabama’s Jedrick Wills. All told, Pauline gives 29 players clear first-round grades on his 2020 NFL Draft Big Board.
2020 NFL Draft Prospects | Tony Pauline’s Rankings and Scouting Reports
Below is the full table of 2020 NFL Draft prospects along with links to their scouting reports from Tony Pauline (Twitter: @TonyPauline), Pro Football Network’s Chief NFL Draft Analyst and Insider. For a more analytical view of the 2020 NFL Draft prospects, check out Kent Platte’s Relative Athletic Scores (RAS) database.
To view additional information about each prospect, including measurables such as height, weight, and 40-yard dash times, click on the + button to the left of the prospect’s name. To view additional information about each position group, scroll to the bottom to the bottom of the table. Mobile users: This table is best viewed in landscape mode.
Quarterback
It is without question that the quarterbacks are always the talk of draft season. This year is no different, with a star-studded group of quarterback prospects headlining the 2020 NFL Draft. In his quarterback prospects rankings, Tony Pauline grades four quarterbacks as first-round picks, with a fifth on the first-round fringe.
Alabama’s Tua Tagovailoa tops Pauline’s quarterback rankings, though teams will obviously need to consider the medical risk when evaluating the Crimson Tide quarterback. He is followed by Heisman winner Joe Burrow of LSU, who is coming off perhaps the greatest college season ever by a quarterback. Oregon’s Justin Herbert, Utah State’s Jordan Love, and Washington’s Jacob Eason round out Pauline’s top-5 quarterbacks. Oklahoma’s Jalen Hurts is the only other quarterback Pauline gives a day one or day two grade. All told, Pauline gives 12 quarterbacks draftable grades in the 2020 NFL Draft.
Running Back
With several highly touted underclassmen deciding to return to school, the running back class of the 2020 NFL Draft is not as loaded at the top as some were expecting. Even still, Tony Pauline grades five players as day one or two prospects in his running back rankings.
Georgia’s D’Andre Swift and Wisconsin’s Jonathan Taylor lead the list as the only running backs graded safely as first-round prospects. Ohio State’s J.K. Dobbins, LSU’s Clyde Edwards-Helaire, and Maryland’s Anthony McFarland round out Pauline’s top-five. All told, Pauline gives over 20 running backs draftable grades in the 2020 NFL Draft.
Wide Receiver
There’s a case to be made that the wide receiver class of the 2020 NFL Draft is the deepest receiver class from top to bottom in league history. In his wide receiver prospect rankings, Tony Pauline gives 19 players day one or two grades.
Pauline has five wide receivers with first-round grades – Alabama’s Jerry Jeudy and Henry Ruggs III, Oklahoma’s CeeDee Lamb, Penn State’s K.J. Hamler, and LSU’s Justin Jefferson. All told, Pauline gives 40 wide receivers draftable grades in the 2020 NFL Draft.
Tight End
Throughout the league, teams are consistently in search of the next great tight end – a player who is a matchup nightmare for opposing defenses. While the 2020 NFL Draft does not have that one elite tight end prospect, that does not mean the next great tight end can’t be found in this class. Remember – Rob Gronkowski, Travis Kelce, and George Kittle were not first-round draft picks. In his tight end prospect rankings, Tony Pauline does not have a player graded as a first-round pick.
That said, Pauline does have four tight ends graded as second or third-round selections. They are Missouri’s Albert Okwuegbunam, Dayton’s Adam Trautman, Purdue’s Brycen Hopkins, and Notre Dame’s Cole Kmet. All told, Pauline gives 14 tight ends draftable grades in the 2020 NFL Draft.
Offensive Tackle
If you are an NFL team in need of help at the all-important tackle position, then you are in luck. The 2020 NFL Draft is loaded with talent at both left and right tackle. In his offensive tackle prospect rankings, Tony Pauline gives six players first-round grades and five additional players second or third-round grades.
The offensive tackle class is led by Georgia’s Andrew Thomas, followed by Iowa’s Tristan Wirfs, Louisville’s Mekhi Becton, and USC’s Austin Jackson. Alabama’s Jedrick Wills and Boise State’s Ezra Cleveland round out Pauline’s list of first-round tackles. All told, Pauline gives 19 offensive tackles draftable grades in the 2020 NFL Draft.
Offensive Guard
Teams looking for immediate help at the guard position will have to really do a great job in identifying hidden gems, as this is not an overly talented group of guards in the 2020 NFL Draft. In fact, in his offensive guard prospect rankings, Tony Pauline only gives one player a first or second-round draft grade.
Houston’s Josh Jones, whom he feels fits better inside than at tackle in the NFL, is Pauline’s sole player with a second-round grade at guard. Clemson’s John Simpson is the only other guard with a second-day grade. Two more players have solid fourth-round grades – Kentucky’s Logan Stenberg and Georgia’s Solomon Kindley. All told, Pauline gives 15 offensive guards draftable grades in the 2020 NFL Draft, with the majority being graded as fifth, sixth or seventh-round prospects.
Center
The 2020 NFL Draft may not feature the deepest pool of centers but certainly has a few players who will make an immediate impact for the teams that draft them. While there may not be a first-round center in this class, in his offensive center prospect rankings, Tony Pauline gives three players day two grades.
A pair of Big-10 centers headline the list. Michigan’s Cesar Ruiz is at the top and is followed by Wisconsin’s Tyler Biadasz. Both are given second-round grades by Pauline. Temple’s Matt Hennessy is the lone center with a third-round grade. All told, Pauline gives 9 offensive centers draftable grades in the 2020 NFL Draft, with the majority being graded as sixth or seventh-round prospects.
Defensive End
There is no question that NFL teams can never have enough pass rushers. Luckily, the 2020 NFL Draft features a very talented pool of defensive ends. In his defensive end prospect rankings, Tony Pauline gives nine players draft grades that land somewhere in the first three rounds, including three first-round talents.
The group is led by three Big-10 defensive ends with Ohio State’s Chase Young sitting at the top of the rankings. He’s followed by Iowa’s A.J. Epenesa and Penn State’s Yetur Gross-Matos. All told, Pauline gives 16 defensive ends draftable grades in the 2020 NFL Draft.
Defensive Tackle
Teams looking to bulk up the interior of their defensive line are in luck. The 2020 NFL Draft features a deep, talented class of defensive tackles. In his defensive tackle prospect rankings, Tony Pauline gives ten players clear first or second-day grades, including three first-round prospects.
Auburn’s Derrick Brown tops Pauline’s rankings. In fact, Brown is Pauline’s second-ranked prospect overall in the 2020 NFL Draft regardless of position. Brown is followed by two other first-round talents – South Carolina’s Javon Kinlaw and Alabama’s Raekwon Davis. All told, Pauline gives 23 defensive tackles draftable grades in the 2020 NFL Draft.
Outside Linebacker
The 2020 NFL Draft crop of outside linebackers may not be deep in round one but is led by a likely top-10 pick. It’s also a relatively deep group, with eight additional players receiving day two draft grades from Tony Pauline in his prospect rankings.
Clemson’s Isaiah Simmons is the lone outside linebacker given a first-round grade by Pauline. The extremely versatile and athletic defensive weapon is likely to hear his name very early on draft night in Las Vegas and is Pauline’s third-ranked prospect overall in the 2020 NFL Draft. Simmons is followed by three outside linebackers given second-round grades by Pauline – Alabama’s Terrell Lewis, LSU’s K’Lavon Chaisson, and Boise State’s Curtis Weaver. All told, Pauline gives 23 outside linebackers draftable grades in the 2020 NFL Draft.
Inside Linebacker
The crop of inside linebackers in the 2020 NFL Draft is not particularly deep and Tony Pauline’s prospect rankings only feature one player with a first-round grade. But there may be a few hidden gems on day three, as Pauline gives 10 inside linebackers day three grades
Oklahoma’s Kenneth Murray is the lone inside linebacker with a first-round draft grade. He’s followed by LSU’s Patrick Queen and Ohio State’s Malik Harrison, who have second and third-round grades respectively. All told, Pauline gives 14 inside linebackers draftable grades in the 2020 NFL Draft.
Cornerback
In today’s NFL, you can never have enough cornerbacks. The good news? Plenty of secondary help can be found from the crop of cornerbacks in the 2020 NFL Draft. Tony Pauline’s cornerback prospect rankings include three first-round players with a fourth on the first-round fringe.
Ohio State’s Jeffrey Okudah tops Pauline’s rankings and is likely destined for a top-10 pick. Alabama’s Trevon Diggs and Florida’s C.J. Henderson are the two other cornerbacks graded as clear first-round talents by Pauline. LSU’s Kristian Fulton is a borderline first-round player as well. All told, Pauline gives 31 cornerbacks draftable grades in the 2020 NFL Draft, including 13 in the first three rounds.
Safety
The safety class of the 2020 NFL Draft is not as deep as many other position groups. But that doesn’t mean there isn’t talent to be found. Tony Pauline’s safety prospect rankings include three players with first or second-round draft grades.
LSU’s Grant Delpit is Pauline’s lone first-round safety in this class. Alabama’s Xavier McKinney and Kyler Dugger of Lenior Rhyne both have second-round grades while Clemson’s Tanner Muse and Southern Illinois’ Jeremy Chinn round out Pauline’s top-five. All told, Pauline gives 18 safeties draftable grades in the 2020 NFL Draft, with the majority being third-day prospects.
Special Teams
Over the last four years, 17 total kickers or punters have been selected in the draft, including four last year. The 2020 NFL Draft should be no different. Tony Pauline’s special teams prospect rankings include four players with draftable grades.
Texas A&M punter Braden Mann tops Pauline’s rankings with a fifth-round draft grade. Two other punters have draftable grades as well – Arizona State’s Michael Turk and South Carolina’s Joseph Charlton. Georgia Southern’s Tyler Bass is the top kicker in the 2020 NFL Draft, according to Pauline.