Burrow tops CBS ranking of NFL first-round picks since 2020
CBS Sports ranked 191 first-round draft decisions from 2020 to 2025, with quarterbacks crowding the top and Caleb Williams in the bottom third.
By Deshawn Carter · Sports Writer
3 min read
Joe Burrow is the best first-round draft decision of the 2020s so far, according to a new CBS Sports ranking by Mike Renner that sorts 191 NFL first-round picks from 2020 through 2025.
The Cincinnati Bengals quarterback, taken No. 1 overall in 2020, sits at No. 1 on Renner’s list. The top seven is heavy on quarterbacks: Drake Maye is No. 2, Jordan Love is No. 5, Justin Herbert is No. 6 and Jayden Daniels is No. 7.
Renner said the project was not a straight ranking of player talent. He evaluated each pick as a team decision, weighing where the player was drafted, the draft capital used and who else was available at the time.
Quarterbacks dominate the top
The list gives New England a lofty grade for taking Maye at No. 3 in 2024, placing him directly behind Burrow. Minnesota Vikings receiver Justin Jefferson, the No. 22 pick in 2020, lands third.
Seattle Seahawks receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba, taken No. 20 in 2023, is fourth. Green Bay’s Love, selected No. 26 in 2020, rounds out the top five.
Herbert, drafted sixth by the Los Angeles Chargers in 2020, is sixth on the CBS Sports board. Daniels, Washington’s No. 2 pick in 2024, comes next.
The rest of the top 10 is loaded with instant franchise-building material: Micah Parsons at No. 8, Tristan Wirfs at No. 9 and CeeDee Lamb at No. 10. Parsons and Lamb give the Dallas Cowboys two of the 10 highest-ranked decisions.
How the grading works
Renner pointed to Kyle Pitts as an example of the difference between judging a player and judging a pick. Pitts, selected No. 4 by Atlanta in 2021, is described as a good player, but Renner said the choice looks poor because the next six picks were Ja’Marr Chase, Jaylen Waddle, Penei Sewell, Jaycee Horn, Patrick Surtain II and DeVonta Smith.
The 2026 class was left out because it has not played in the NFL. Renner also noted that the 2025 class is still hard to judge, with few players appearing near either extreme of the ranking.
Still, several 2025 first-rounders crack the top third. Kansas City tackle Josh Simmons is No. 33, Carolina receiver Tetairoa McMillan is No. 37, Giants edge rusher Abdul Carter is No. 38 and Giants quarterback Jaxson Dart is No. 40.
Caleb Williams lands low
The bottom third begins at No. 129 with Mekhi Becton, the New York Jets’ No. 11 pick in 2020. Los Angeles Chargers receiver Quentin Johnston is No. 130, Giants edge rusher Kayvon Thibodeaux is No. 131 and Cowboys tackle Tyler Guyton is No. 132.
Chicago quarterback Caleb Williams, the No. 1 pick in 2024, is ranked No. 137. He is one spot above Kenny Pickett, whom Pittsburgh selected No. 20 in 2022.
Other notable names in the lower section include Henry Ruggs at No. 140, Bryce Young at No. 143 and Justin Fields at No. 145. Chase Young, the No. 2 pick by Washington in 2020, sits in the middle tier at No. 93.
The full CBS Sports ranking divides the picks into three groups: the best first-round decisions, a middle section of mixed or incomplete returns, and the most disappointing calls.
This story draws on original reporting from CBS Sports.