Just 12 2020 First Rounders Have Their Fifth-Year Options Picked Up

An unusually small number of players had their option picked up, as a draft that was thrown into chaos by the onset of the COVID-19 Pandemic is proving to be weaker than normal.

The deadline for teams to apply the fifth-year option to players drafted in the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft was Tuesday afternoon, with an unusually small number of players from what is starting to look like a weak draft class being extended the option.

Only 12 players had their 5th-year options picked up:

Joe Burrow: $29.5M
Andrew Thomas: $14.1
Tua Tagovailoa: $23.1M
Justin Herbert: $29.5M
Derrick Brown: $11.6M
Jedrick Wills: $14.1M
Tristan Wirfs: $18.2M
Jerry Jeudy: $12.9M
AJ Terrell: $12.3M
CeeDee Lamb: $17.9M
Justin…

— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) May 2, 2023

While around half the players drafted in the first round will typically have the fifth-year option extended to them, just 12 players from that first round had their option picked up, with quarterback Jordan Love signing a one-year extension with the Green Bay Packers for slightly less than the $29.5 million that the option carries for a quarterback.

While 2020 was a strong draft for quarterbacks, with Joe Burrow, Tua Tagovailoa, and Justin Herbert already having had their options picked up, just nine position players from the class are being brought back.

Seventh-overall pick Derrick Brown and 16th-overall pick A.J. Terrell were the only two defenders to have their options picked up. Second-overall pick Chase Young has dealt with injuries in his short career, while third-overall pick Jeff Okudah and ninth-overall pick C.J. Henderson have both already been traded by the teams that drafted them.

Some other notable players who did not have their option picked up include Young, linebackers Patrick Queen, Jordyn Brooks, and Isaiah Simmons, and tackle Mekhi Becton.

The onset of the COVID-19 Pandemic in early 2020 certainly played a role in that class turning out to be relatively weak, as many players had their Pro Days canceled and teams were unable to meet players in person and get as good of a medical read on them, causing a lot more guesswork.

But what the 2020 first round lacks in depth it makes up for with star power, with quarterbacks Joe Burrow and Justin Herbert, wide receiver Justin Jefferson, and tackles Tristian Wirfs and Andrew Thomas all slated to receiver market-setting extensions in the near future.