PHILADELPHIA — Six years usually tell you what a quarterback draft class really was. The noise from draft night fades fast. College stats stop meaning much once the hits speed up on Sundays. Eventually, the conversation becomes simple: Did a team find its franchise savior or not?
Back in 2020, plenty of fans thought several franchises solved that puzzle. Viewed from the fresh offseason air of 2026, things feel far less clean than they did on that virtual draft night. Joe Burrow and Justin Herbert fill the stat sheets. Jordan Love keeps Green Bay relevant. Tua Tagovailoa fights his own body. But only one man from this group holds the Lombardi Trophy.
Joe Cool Fights The Injury Bug
Joe Burrow was the easiest call of the bunch. The Cincinnati Bengals watched him shred SEC defenses at LSU, and the number one overall pick required zero debate. He changed the energy in Cincinnati the second he walked into the building.
When healthy, Burrow operates like a surgeon. He surpassed 20,800 career passing yards and 157 passing touchdowns by the end of the 2025 campaign, boasting an absurd 68.5% career completion rate. He drags defenders out of position with his eyes and fires the ball with ruthless precision. You can almost feel the hush in the Jungle when he drops back on third down; everyone knows he will find the open man.
Yet, the same dark cloud hangs over his legacy. Staying on the field remains a brutal challenge. After missing significant time in 2023 with a wrist injury, he bounced back strong in 2024, only to miss half of the 2025 season. Every time Burrow limps off the field, the entire organization holds its collective breath.
Herbert’s Arm vs. January Reality
Justin Herbert came off the board sixth overall to the Los Angeles Chargers. From a pure physical standpoint, he reigns supreme over this class. The ball detonates out of his hand. He makes 60-yard bombs look like warm-up tosses.
Herbert piled up numbers at a historic pace. He sits near 23,000 career passing yards entering 2026. Last season, he threw for 3,727 yards and 26 touchdowns despite a battered offensive line. The Chargers ask him to be the entire offense week in and week out.
But the playoff success simply has not materialized. Herbert owns just one playoff appearance—a crushing wild-card loss to Jacksonville back in 2022. Coaching instability and a rotating cast of weapons share the blame, but the great ones find a way to win in January. Herbert is still searching for that signature postseason run.
The Miami Question Mark
Tua Tagovailoa remains the most polarizing figure from the 2020 class.
The Miami Dolphins took the Alabama star fifth overall, banking on his unmatched anticipation and lightning-fast release. When Mike McDaniel’s offense clicks, Tagovailoa looks like a maestro. He led the NFL in passing yards in 2023. He gets the ball out in under 2.5 seconds, letting his track-star receivers do the heavy lifting.
However, the availability issues are impossible to ignore. Concussions and a hip injury derailed his 2025 season, limiting him to just 14 games and 2,660 yards. Heading into the 2026 draft cycle, whispers out of South Beach suggest the Dolphins might be looking for a new answer under center.
Love’s Patience Pays Off
Jordan Love lived a completely different reality.
The Green Bay Packers traded up to grab him 26th overall, sparking a massive controversy with Aaron Rodgers. Love sat. He watched. He waited for three full years. When he finally took the reins in 2023, he proved the front office right.
Since taking over, Love has tossed 80 touchdowns across three seasons as the starter. He keeps the Packers right in the thick of the NFC North bloodbath. He doesn’t command the national spotlight like Burrow or Herbert, but he brings steady, winning football to Titletown.
The Second-Round King
The Philadelphia Eagles drafted Jalen Hurts 53rd overall. Fans revolted. Analysts laughed.
Six years later, Hurts stands alone at the top of the mountain.
He morphed into the most devastating dual-threat weapon in the sport. He broke the record for rushing touchdowns by a quarterback and took Philadelphia to the brink in Super Bowl LVII. Then, he finished the job. Hurts guided the Eagles to a championship in Super Bowl LIX, taking home MVP honors while slicing up the Kansas City Chiefs.
“Stats are cool for the back of a trading card. Rings are forever. We all know who the standard is right now, and he wears midnight green.”
— Anonymous AFC Defensive Back
What’s Next for the Class of 2020
As we prep for the 2026 season, the pressure shifts. Burrow must prove his body can withstand a full 17-game slate. Herbert needs a playoff run to validate his elite arm talent. Tagovailoa fights for his starting job. Love aims to push Green Bay from good to great.
Meanwhile, Hurts prepares to defend a dynasty. Draft night predictions almost never survive the brutal reality of the NFL. The guy nobody thought should be drafted in the second round is the only one wearing a ring.
