Every quarterback drafted ahead of Jordan Love in the 2020 NFL Draft

If you needed a quarterback, you should've drafted one in 2020. The Green Bay Packers didn't need a passer at the time, but they are reaping the rewards for boldly trading up for Jordan Love in the first round.

A year ago, Marc Sessler of NFL.com ranked the 2020 quarterback class the second-best of the 21st century, and this was before Love's breakout season.

Love needed time to develop and wasn't ready to start in year one, but several teams had the opportunity to draft him. When he fell to No. 26 overall, Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst had seen enough and traded up to get him. Four years later, Love is entering his second season as the starter and is on track to become a superstar.

But Love wasn't the first quarterback selected in 2020. In fact, three other passers were gone well before his name was called. Which quarterbacks went before Love?

Every quarterback selected before the Packers picked Jordan Love in 2020 NFL Draft

1. Joe Burrow, Bengals (No. 1 overall)

Injuries aside, Joe Burrow is everything the Bengals hoped for and then some. Poised, accurate, and ice-cool on the biggest stage, Burrow is one of the league's elite quarterbacks. In four seasons, he has thrown for 14,083 yards, 97 touchdowns, and just 37 interceptions to earn an outstanding 98.6 passer rating. He guided the Bengals to their first Super Bowl in over two decades and fell one game short a year later.

The concern? Health. A torn ACL ended Burrow's rookie season early. In 2023, he missed seven games through a combination of a calf strain and a torn wrist ligament in his right hand.

When healthy, Burrow is a superstar and one of the only AFC quarterbacks who has proven he can take down the Kansas City Chiefs in the playoffs.

2. Tua Tagovailoa, Dolphins (No. 5 overall)

Tua Tagovailoa's numbers have improved each year. Last season, he led the NFL with 4,624 passing yards while throwing 29 touchdown passes with 14 interceptions. Tagovailoa has proven he can play at a high level, but is he one of the best quarterbacks in the league?

The next step is to lead the Dolphins to big wins in the playoffs. Burrow has done this with the Bengals and Love did the same in his first attempt with the Packers. In Tagovailoa's playoff debut last year, he threw for 199 yards, one touchdown, and one interception in a 26-7 loss to the Chiefs.

Tagovailoa is also surrounded by arguably the most talented supporting cast in the league, with All-Pro wide receiver Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle (and Odell Beckham joining them this season), a backfield featuring Raheem Mostert and De'Von Achane, and a great play-caller in Mike McDaniel.

There's no doubt that Tagovailoa is a talented player, but he still has a lot to prove entering his fifth season.

3. Justin Herbert, Chargers (No. 6 overall)

The Chargers are perennial underachievers, but that hasn't prevented Justin Herbert from making an outstanding start to his NFL career. In four seasons, Herbert has thrown for 17,223 yards, 114 touchdowns, and 42 interceptions. He took home the AP Offensive Rookie of the Year award in 2020 and made the Pro Bowl a year later.

Despite that, the Chargers have a losing record in games Herbert started, going 30-32 in 62 contests. It's not all on Herbert. The opposite, in fact, but he has been unable to make up for the deficiencies elsewhere on the roster like other elite quarterbacks can.

Now paired with head coach Jim Harbaugh, the Chargers hope Herbert's production will translate into more victories to put pressure on the Chiefs in the AFC West.

Every quarterback selected in the 2020 NFL Draft

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