The NFL Draft is an emotional time for NCAA prospects. It’s the culmination of a life’s work. Pee-wee football. High school football. College football. Every sacrifice made along the way. It’s a time for longstanding dreams to come true, and for new dreams to begin.
For fans, it’s a time for the heartbroken to find hope again. Maybe, just maybe this draft class will change the fortunes of their franchise. And sometimes it does. The 2020s have been no different. Future superstars sit and wait while fans stand and pray.
This decade has already provided its share of surprises and steals from the NFL Draft, and there’s still time to go. Still time for new dreamers to make the NFL a reality, but for now, these are the biggest first round surprises and steals of the turbulent twenties.
SURPRISING PICK: JACK CAMPBELL (2023)
The 2023 NFL Draft was kind to the Detroit Lions. Jahmyr Gibbs, Sam LaPorta, and Brian Branch each contributed to the team’s success. With two picks in the first round, the Lions selecting Gibbs at number twelve was a surprise, but a bigger surprise came at eighteen.
Gibbs came as a surprise considering many believed the Lions would address their defense in the first round, which they did next with Jack Campbell. And while Campbell was not the flashiest pick of the draft, he turned out a strong rookie season.
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STEAL PICK: JERMAINE JOHNSON (2022)
The New York Jets have the most overlooked defense in the NFL. They’re a strong unit with youth and talent on their side. In 2022, they selected Sauce Gardner with the fourth overall pick. Gardner made an immediate impact on the league and will continue to improve.
But the Jets also got a first round steal that year. At number twenty-six, they selected Jermaine Johnson, a defensive end who has helped their defense become a force. With a strong defense and a healthy Aaron Rodgers, the Jets will compete for the playoffs in 2024.
SURPRISING PICK: DRAKE LONDON (2022)
The Atlanta Falcons needed a wide receiver in 2022, and with the eighth pick, they selected Drake London. A player who has shown potential. But the Falcons need to decide who will be throwing London the ball as their quarterback situation remains a question mark.
With Garrett Wilson and Chris Olave still on the board, London was a surprising choice, but one that hasn’t fizzled out for the franchise. With a new head coach in place, the Falcons will look to take a run at the NFC South in 2024, and London will play his part that effort.
STEAL PICK: DALTON KINCAID (2023)
Building around Josh Allen is the right formula for the Buffalo Bills. A bruiser quarterback who embodies toughness. In 2023, with the twenty-fifth pick, the Bills added another body to a tough offensive position: tight end.
Dalton Kincaid had a big rookie season, becoming a key target for Allen. The tight end role has evolved in the NFL, and Kincaid will be a part of the next group of young men to play the position at a higher level than ever before.
SURPRISING PICK: JALEN REAGOR (2020)
At the 2020 NFL Draft, the Philadelphia Eagles had a choice to make at number twenty-one: Jalen Reagor or Justin Jefferson. When the franchise chose Reagor, it was a surprise. Jefferson was projected to be a true number one wide receiver in the NFL.
Not that Reagor was a stretch pick, but considering the Eagles’ needs at receiver, they had a bigger threat available to them. Reagor had potential, but he didn’t turn into the receiver the Eagles wanted him to be.
STEAL PICK: PATRICK QUEEN (2020)
The Baltimore Ravens have stacked their defense for years. This played a major role in their Super Bowl success, when their defense dominated the league. Today, the Ravens continue to look good on defense, and a large reason for that has been Patrick Queen.
Selected twenty-eighth overall in the 2020 NFL Draft, Queen has been a consistent contributor to the Ravens’ defense. With years ahead of him, Queen will continue to prove why he was such a steal in the first round.
SURPRISING PICK: TREY LANCE (2021)
Before Brock Purdy became a Super Bowl quarterback, the San Francisco 49ers were trying to figure out what to do at the position. Jimmy Garoppolo was solid in that spot. A game manager type who did what was required of him. But the 49ers went looking for more.
In 2021, with the third overall pick, the 49ers selected Trey Lance. A project quarterback that didn’t work out the way they had hoped. The pick came as a surprise. If the 49ers were taking a quarterback in that slot, they still had Justin Fields and Mac Jones available.
STEAL PICK: MICAH PARSONS (2021)
The Dallas Cowboys entered the first round of the 2021 NFL Draft looking for a cornerback. But when Jaycee Horn and Patrick Surtain were selected before they were on the clock, they switched their focus to linebacker.
At number twelve, the Cowboys called on Micah Parsons to join the team, and there hasn’t been a single regret about that pick. As a pressure machine, Parsons has proven to be a menace to opposing teams. The Cowboys stole a superstar with this pick.
SURPRISING PICK: JORDAN LOVE (2020)
The selection of Jordan Love at number twenty-six caused much conversation. Rumors about the future of Aaron Rodgers ran rampant as the Green Bay Packers began to look at the big picture and prepared for the eventual exit of their franchise quarterback.
For the next three seasons, Love sat behind Rodgers, absorbing all he could from the future Hall of Fame inductee. And when it was his turn, Love led the Packers to the playoffs. What came as a surprise in 2020, paid off in 2023.
STEAL PICK: JUSTIN JEFFERSON (2020)
During the 2020 NFL Draft, three wide receivers were selected ahead of Justin Jefferson before the Minnesota Vikings selected him at number twenty-two. And while the Dallas Cowboys found a gem in CeeDee Lamb, other teams missed out on a game-changer.
Jefferson has emerged as one of the NFL’s premiere wide receivers. A constant in the debate of who is the best receiver in the league. For the Vikings, this pick was a massive steal. All that’s left now is to sign Jefferson to a long-term deal.
