In some ways, the 2020 NFL Draft is one we’d all like to forget given that it took place during the COVID-19 pandemic.

There are no memories of Joe Burrow or Justin Herbert holding up a jersey on stage with NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell. Yet the quarterbacks from this draft continue to make a memorable impact in the NFL. Burrow and Herbert are among five quarterbacks selected in the first two rounds, and all have signed lucrative long-term extensions with their original teams.

What if we recast these quarterbacks based on their selection in the 2020 NFL Draft and their performance in the NFL thus far? Did they understand correctly then? What would you do differently now?

Let’s re-draft the quarterbacks from the 2020 NFL Draft class.

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2020 NFL Draft QB Class: Restating the Best Quarterbacks

1. Joe Burrow, quarterback, LSU

• Original choice: No. 1 Bengals
• New choice: No. 1 Bengals

There is nothing to rethink here. Burrow was probably coming out of best individual season in college football history with LSU, and he lived up to the hype with the Cincinnati Bengals over the past five seasons. He led the Bengals to a Super Bowl LVI appearance in his second season, accumulating 16,755 yards, 121 touchdowns and 41 interceptions during his young career.

There is an injury history – he had season-ending injuries in 2020 and 2023 after 10 games in each of those campaigns, and that will be monitored as he plays under a $275 million contract. dollars over five years which runs until 2029.

We would say this is more of an organization to build around potential Pro Football Hall of Fame talent. Burrow leads the NFL with 2,672 passing yards and 24 touchdowns this season, and Cincinnati is 4-6 heading into the Sunday Night Football game against the Chargers.

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2. Justin Herbert, Oregon

• Original choice: No. 6 to chargers
• New choice: No. 5 to the Dolphins

Hurts, a two-time Pro Bowl selection who led the Eagles to an LVII appearance, could easily make it here. For the purposes of this exercise, however, we will openly question whether the Dolphins would still take the highly touted Herbert, who has 19,112 yards, 125 touchdowns and 43 interceptions while playing for three different coaches with the Chargers. Herbert is a polarizing quarterback because his record as a starter (36-35) does not match his statistics or his immense physical tools.

This narrative has changed this season. Hébert entered Week 11 ranked 21st in the NFL with 1,889 passing yards. However, he has 11 touchdowns, one interception and is 6-3 as a starter, paired with first-year coach Jim Harbaugh. This should be his best season in terms of win total, and another playoff run appears in the cards.

What if Miami had gone here instead of allowing the Chargers to take Herbert with the next pick? Ryan Fitzpatrick was Miami’s starter in 2019, and the Dolphins were 10-6 under Brian Flores in 2020 but didn’t make the playoffs. Would Herbert have been good enough for Flores to remain head coach in Miami?

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3. Jalen hurts, Oklahoma

• Original choice: No. 53 at the Eagles
• New choice: No. 6 to chargers

Hurts played in four games as a rookie for Doug Pederson, who was let go after the 2020 season. Hurts and Nick Sirianni are a much better pairing. The surprise second-round pick is 41-19 as a starter, compiling 13,740 passing yards with 79 touchdowns and 39 interceptions. He also has 2,881 rushing yards and 51 touchdowns while making the “Tush Push” one of the greatest short-yardage weapons in the NFL.

It’s easy to look back and say that Hurts shouldn’t have been selected as the only quarterback on day two of the 2020 NFL Draft. After all, he totaled 3,851 yards, 32 touchdowns and eight interceptions in his lone season at Oklahoma with Lincoln Riley.

What if the Chargers had escaped criticism in 2020? Perhaps the offense will work differently around Hurts, Austin Ekeler and Melvin Gordon over the next two seasons. Los Angeles was 12-20 in 2019-20. Could Hurts have saved Anthony Lynn’s job or flourished more in the win column than Herbert did with Brandon Staley?

4. Tua Tagovailoa, Alabama

• Original choice: No. 5 to the Dolphins
• New choice: No. 26 to the Packers

That scenario likely wouldn’t have come to pass, as a franchise almost certainly would have traded up to grab Tagovailoa, who had a stellar career at Alabama with 7,442 yards, 87 touchdowns and 11 interceptions. The former national champion also suffered ankle and hip injuries during his junior season.

Tagovailoa is 34-22 as a starter at Miami, posting 13,794 yards, 87 touchdowns and 41 interceptions. He also treated career-threatening concussions in two of last three seasons. Tagovailoa signed a four-year, $212.4 million extension with the Dolphins during the offseason after leading the NFL with 4,624 yards passing last year.

Imagine if Green Bay would have traded for Tagovailoa in the first round. Would that have sped up the Aaron Rodgers trade given that Tagovailoa would be the most famous Alabama quarterback to hit Green Bay since Bart Starr? Tagovailoa would have been an interesting piece in Matt LaFleur’s offense, and he would have had at least the same success.

5. Jordan Love, Utah State

• Original choice: No. 26 to the Packers
• New choice: No. 53 at the Eagles

Love spent three seasons in Green Bay before becoming the starter when Aaron Rodgers was traded to the New York Jets. Love had a successful debut season when he passed for 4,159 yards, 32 touchdowns and 11 interceptions while leading the Packers to the NFC Divisional playoffs.

He’s 13-12 as a starter and signed a monster four-year, $220 million contract this offseason. However, he struggled with injuries, suffering a knee injury in Week 1 against Philadelphia, and interceptions, throwing the league’s top 10 picks this season. Regardless, the Packers are still an NFC contender with a bright future even if there remains a hint of the unknown going forward.

How different would Love’s future have looked if the Eagles had let him sit behind Carson Wentz, who led the NFL with 15 interceptions in 2020? Pederson could have gotten another year and Love wouldn’t have had to wait as long for a chance in the NFL.

Best Day 3 Quarterback

1. Tyler Huntley, Utah

• Original choice: Unwritten
• New choice: #122 to the Indianapolis Colts

The Colts are taking Huntley here in place of Washington’s Jacob Eason, who spent two seasons in the league.

Other Day 3 quarterbacks who were selected were FIU’s James Morgan, Georgia’s Jake Fromm, Oregon State’s Jake Luton, Hawaii’s Cole McDonald and James Madison’s Ben DiNucci. None of these quarterbacks are currently active. Huntley played five seasons and started 12 games – including an AFC wild-card game – between stints with Baltimore, Cleveland and Miami.

The Colts had Philip Rivers for a year in 2020 and Jacoby Brissett was the backup quarterback. Indianapolis will have five different passers over the last five seasons at the end of the 2024 season. Huntley could have been part of a smoother transition to the present day.