- LSU stars shine: LSU superstars Joe Burrow and Justin Jefferson lead the way at their respective positions.
- Zack Baun was a late bloomer: Baun is the highest-graded linebacker in the 2020 class, despite his late breakout as a first-time Pro Bowler and All-Pro in 2024.
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Estimated Reading Time: 9 minutes
We’re less than two weeks off the 2025 NFL Draft, and as the excitement and tension surrounding the spectacle continue to reach a boiling point, we look forward to when the players take the field in earnest.
For now, we’re looking back at the 2020 NFL Draft and examining the highest-graded player at every position.
QB: Joe Burrow, Cincinnati Bengals (94.8)
Burrow has rightfully earned his seat at the table of elite quarterbacks in the NFL. The former No. 1 pick has changed the Bengals’ fortunes since 2020, leading the team to four consecutive winning seasons and a Super Bowl appearance in 2021, though Cincinnati hasn’t reached the playoffs since 2022.
In his five seasons in the NFL, Burrow has earned a 94.8 PFF overall grade and completed 68.6% of his pass attempts for 19,001 yards and 140 touchdown passes. His composure in the pocket, as well as his elite anticipation and accuracy, has made him one of the most valuable players in the NFL.
Highest-Graded QBs in 2024 | Regular Season and Playoffs
RB: AJ Dillon, Philadelphia Eagles (91.1)
A neck injury cut Dillon’s 2024 season short before it even began, but before that, he was part of one of the NFL’s top backfields alongside Aaron Jones with the Green Bay Packers. Dillon has never rushed for more than 803 yards in a season but averaged 4.6 yards per carry in his first three NFL campaigns while adding 14 touchdowns on the ground and two as a receiver.
His 91.1 PFF overall grade since 2020 is comfortably the highest among all running backs drafted in 2020 — a class that featured Jonathan Taylor, D’Andre Swift and Clyde Edwards-Helaire. Dillon signed with the Philadelphia Eagles ahead of the 2025 season, hoping to find his place deputizing Saquon Barkley.
WR: Justin Jefferson, Minnesota Vikings (93.5)
No matter how you spin it, Jefferson is on the fast track to greatness. The Vikings receiver has earned a 93.5 PFF overall grade through five seasons and currently has more receiving yards per game than any other receiver in NFL history (96.5). Jefferson has been the fulcrum of Minnesota’s offense since he stepped into the building in 2020, with 495 catches, 7,432 yards and 40 receiving touchdowns through 77 career games.
The 2020 wide receiver class was star-studded, featuring Jefferson, CeeDee Lamb, Tee Higgins and Brandon Aiyuk, but Jefferson has been, far and away, the best receiver of the group.
TE: Cole Kmet, Chicago Bears (67.7)
The 2020 tight end class hasn’t produced many contributors, with only five tight ends playing more than 1,300 snaps in five seasons, but Cole Kmet, who has played more snaps than any other tight end in the class, leads the way with a 67.7 career PFF overall grade. Kmet earned a career-high 73.7 PFF overallgrade in 2023, catching a career-high 73 passes for 719 yards and six touchdowns, but his production dropped in Caleb Williams’ first season under center (60.6 PFF overall grade).
The Bears’ recent additions at wide receiver — D.J. Moore and Rome Odunze in the past year — have naturally pushed Kmet down the pecking order, but with Ben Johnson now at the helm and tight ends playing a significant part of his offense, there’s a chance for Kmet’s role to grow once again.
T: Tristan Wirfs, Tampa Bay Buccaneers (91.2)
Wirfs was one of six offensive tackles drafted in the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft, and the fourth off the board behind Andrew Thomas, Jedrick Wills Jr.,and Mekhi Becton. In his five NFL seasons, Wirfs has never earned a PFF overall grade below 82.5, and his 91.2 mark since 2020 leads all tackles.
He has earned two first-team All-Pro nods in five seasons and successfully made the switch from right tackle to left tackle over the past two seasons. Wirfs allowed just 13 pressures and zero sacks in 2024, and his 94.1 PFF pass-blocking grade led the NFL.
G: Mike Onwenu, New England Patriots (79.6)
Fifteen guards who were drafted in 2020 have gone on to play more than 1,150 snaps, highlighting the fact that there have been a lot of capable contributors in the class. However, it’s the Patriots’ Mike Onwenu who has earned the highest grade among the group (79.6).
Onwenu has been a versatile piece for the Patriots, playing snaps at left guard and right tackle, before finally settling at the right guard spot. He earned a career-low 65.5 PFF overall grade in 2024 as part of one of the worst offensive lines in the NFL, but he has allowed just a 3.9% pressure rate in his five NFL seasons — the 15th-lowest clip among guards in that span.
C: Aaron Brewer, Miami Dolphins (76.2)
Brewer wasn’t a consistent starter for the Titans until his third season in the league, and even then, he started all 17 games at left guard instead of center. It wasn’t until his final season with the team that he shifted back to center, and that’s where he currently resides for the Dolphins. He allowed just 14 pressures in his first season with Miami, earning a career-high 70.2 PFF pass-blocking grade and a 73.8 PFF run-blocking grade.
The 2020 class produced four centers who have gone on to play significant snaps in the past five seasons, but it’s Brewer — the late bloomer — who has earned the highest grade at the position. The Dolphins added some high-potential offensive linemen in the 2025 NFL Draft, so Brewer may have to acclimate to a new-look unit this season.
DI: Derrick Brown, Carolina Panthers (84.3)
There should be little surprise that Brown is the highest-graded defensive tackle from the 2020 NFL Draft. The Panthers made him the No. 7 pick and the second defensive player off the board. Expectations were high, and Brown has delivered the goods after five seasons, earning an 84.3 PFF overall grade.
Brown played in just one game for the Panthers in 2024 before suffering a meniscus injury that ended his season. But he earned a 90.1 PFF overall grade in 2023 and tallied a career-high 41 pressures. Brown had earned his weight in gold as an excellent run stuffer, but his progress as a pass rusher has amplified his worth.
EDGE: Alex Highsmith, Pittsburgh Steelers (90.0)
Highsmith was a third-round pick for the Steelers, who paired him with T.J. Watt, one of the best edge rushers in the NFL. Highsmith and Watt have become, arguably, the top edge-rushing duo in the league. The former Charlotte 49er has earned a 90.0 PFF overall grade over five seasons and added 240 pressures, including 181 in the past three seasons.
His play earned him a four-year, $68 million extension with the Steelers. With back-to-back PFF pass-rushing grades of over 85.0, Highsmith has become a household name while wearing the black and gold.
LB: Zack Baun, Philadelphia Eagles (80.5)
Baun was one of the fairytale stories of the 2024 season. The former third-round pick for the Saints struggled in his four seasons in New Orleans but was a core member of the special teams unit while splitting snaps between the edge and linebacker. Baun signed with the Eagles on a one-year deal in 2024, transitioned to linebacker full time and broke out on the league’s best defense.
The Wisconsin product ended the season as a first-team All-Pro selection while finishing fifth in Defensive Player of the Year voting, and his 90.1 PFF overall grade ranked first among linebackers. The 2020 NFL Draft featured an array of linebackers who have gone on to be successful in the league, but Baun, with an 80.5 PFF overall grade and a late breakout, sits atop the list.
CB: Isaiah Rodgers, Minnesota Vikings (83.0)
Rodgers was a redemption story of sorts in 2024. The former sixth-round pick was suspended for the entire 2023 season after violating the league’s gambling policy and was picked up by the Eagles before the start of the campaign. He was reinstated ahead of the 2024 season and was a key contributor for the Eagles on their road to the Super Bowl.
Despite the likes of A.J. Terrell and Jaylon Johnson featuring in the 2021 draft class, Rodgers edges them out for the top spot. He earned a 73.2 PFF overall grade in 2024 and has two seasons with a PFF overall grade over 82.0.
S: Antoine Winfield Jr., Tampa Bay Buccaneers (90.6)
Winfield was an All-Pro selection at safety in 2023, earning a 91.5 PFF overall grade — the highest among safeties, but his play declined in 2024, in part due to missing eight games with a knee injury. His 56.8 PFF overall grade in 2024 was a career low and ranked 73rd out of 98 safeties, but Winfield’s consistently strong play in the first four seasons of his career means he’s the highest-graded safety in the 2020 class.
Winfield has proven to be a big-play machine in the secondary while also showing that he can rush the passer, tallying 16 pressures in 2023. He’ll likely be back to his best in 2025, reaffirming his status as one of the best safeties in the league.
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