2020 NFL Draft: 5 teams that should take a first-round quarterback

5. Indianapolis Colts

With Jacoby Brissett entering the last year of his deal, general manager Chris Ballard should think about drafting his replacement. Brissett hasn’t shown enough to be looked upon as the long-term answer, and so if the Colts can nab Jordan Love when they go on the clock, it’s a worthwhile gamble. The real question is whether Love is there come the middle of the round.

4. New England Patriots

Tom Brady might be leaving. Even if he stays around, at what point do the Patriots start preparing for the next era? Head coach Bill Belichick has to be thinking about life after Brady, even if retirement for him is only a few years away. The Patriots draft 23rd in the first round and have a shot to take Jacob Eason out of Washington, who possesses one of the biggest arms — if not the biggest — in the class. Especially if Brady bolts in free agency, this would make a ton of sense for New England.

3. Miami Dolphins

These top three are obvious, although there’s an argument for the Dolphins to hold off. If they don’t love Justin Herbert and aren’t confident in Tua Tagovailoa’s medicals, perhaps Miami builds up the rest of its team through 14 selections and the most cap space in football, then goes for a quarterback next year. However, most NFL teams don’t have patience, and it’s tough to see the Dolphins passing on both Herbert and Tagovailoa provided they’re on the board.

2. Los Angeles Chargers

Philip Rivers is gone, and the Chargers are moving into a new stadium. Los Angeles is yet to embrace the team since its relocation in 2018 as well, so drafting a franchise quarterback with name recognition would be a smart move both from a football and business sense. If general manager Tom Telesco loves either Herbert or Tagovailoa, he should consider packaging some later picks along with his first-rounder and move up to bypass the Dolphins.

1. Cincinnati Bengals

Not much of an explanation needed here, right? The Bengals are picking first and desperately need to replace Andy Dalton. Joe Burrow just put together the best single season in college football history, winning a national title for LSU. He’s the consensus top pick and immediately makes the Bengals matter again. Enough said.

Honorable mention: Las Vegas Raiders, Minnesota Vikings, New Orleans Saints, Green Bay Packers, Carolina Panthers