NFL Draft 2020: Biggest winners and losers

Biggest Winners

Southeastern Conference

The SEC absolutely dominated the 2020 NFL Draft, breaking a number of records throughout the process. The conference set the record for most first round picks (15), top 10 picks (6), top 20 picks (10) and the most picks in two rounds (25).

The national champion LSU Tigers also broke an Alabama record with 14 players being drafted.

RELATED: Every SEC player drafted in Round 1

A whopping 63 players from the SEC were drafted, with all conference members having at least one except Ole Miss. But for a conference that’s as dominant during the season as the SEC is, absolutely nobody was surprised to see them dominate the offseason, too.

This bodes well for the SEC, but could create even more problems in the area of recruiting for those competing against the conference.

Ohio State

The Ohio State Buckeyes were another obvious winner at the conclusion of the 2020 NFL Draft. With two of the top three selections being Buckeyes — three if you count former-Buckeye Joe Burrow — Ohio State was the one non-SEC program to stand at the forefront of the draft.

With Chase Young (No. 2 overall, Redskins), Jeff Okudah (No. 3 overall, Lions) and Damon Arnette (No. 18 overall, Raiders) representing Ohio State on Day 1 of the draft, the Buckeyes joined only LSU (5) and Alabama (4) as the only three programs to have at least three players taken in the first round. So while the SEC looked head-and-shoulders above their non-conference peers, Ohio State was right there with them. They had 10 total players drafted, second to only LSU, and edged out Alabama by one player.

College football has always been a pipeline for the NFL, but Ohio State in particular is doing an excellent job at ushering in elite talent.

Dallas Cowboys

While Jerry Jones and the Dallas Cowboys didn’t have the best overall draft, they added talent in certain spots that’ll be immediate game-changers.

With the No. 17 pick in the first round, Dallas added Oklahoma wide receiver CeeDee Lamb, perceived by some to be the best wide receiver in the entire draft. Pair him with Amari Cooper, and suddenly the Cowboys have one of the most feared 1-2 punches at the position.

And while losing cornerback Byron Jones in free agency hurts their secondary, the Cowboys addressed that need with the selection of Alabama’s Trevon Diggs with the 51st pick of the second round. How did each of these players last until Dallas’ picks? Both will likely be starters, assuming COVID-19 doesn’t suppress their learning curve too much.

Coming from Oklahoma and Alabama, though, both understand expectations. These two players alone make the Cowboys draft a huge W in my opinion. Throw in a couple of their other picks — defensive lineman Neville Gallimore and center Tyler Biadasz — and Dallas still addressed other roster needs, as well.