2020 NFL draft: Bengals get number one pick; order for the first 20 selections set

The NFL’s 2019 regular season is over and only 12 teams are left standing in the race for the Vince Lombardi Trophy — among them the defending world champion New England Patriots, who will enter the tournament as the third seed in the AFC and with a home game against the Tennessee Titans on Saturday. While the Patriots prepare for their wild card matchup, the league’s other 20 clubs can already start preparing for the offseason.

One big part of it is, of course, the league’s college player draft. And with the regular season in the books, we now know the order of the first 20 picks for the 2020 version:

1. Cincinnati Bengals (2-14)
2. Washington Redskins (3-13)
3. Detroit Lions (3-12-1)
4. New York Giants (4-12)
5. Miami Dolphins (5-11)
6. Los Angeles Chargers (5-11)
7. Carolina Panthers (5-11)
8. Arizona Cardinals (5-10-1)
9. Jacksonville Jaguars (6-10)
10. Cleveland Browns (6-10)
11. New York Jets (7-9)
12. Las Vegas Raiders (7-9)
13. Indianapolis Colts (7-9)
14. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (7-9)
15. Denver Broncos (7-9)
16. Atlanta Falcons (7-9)
17. Dallas Cowboys (8-8)
18. Miami Dolphins via Pittsburgh Steelers (8-8)
19. Las Vegas Raiders via Chicago Bears (8-8)
20. Jacksonville Jaguars via Los Angeles Rams (8-8)

Playoff field (draft position to be determined): Philadelphia Eagles (9-7), Tennessee Titans (9-7), Buffalo Bills (10-6), Minnesota Vikings (10-6), Miami Dolphins via Houston Texans (10-6), Seattle Seahawks (11-5), New England Patriots (12-4), Kansas City Chiefs (12-4), Green Bay Packers (13-3), New Orleans Saints (13-3), San Francisco 49ers (13-3), Baltimore Ravens (14-2)

The Cincinnati Bengals, who lost a league-worst 14 games this season — including a 34-13 blowout against the Patriots — hold the first overall pick heading into the draft. It seems like a foregone conclusion that the team will pick a quarterback after struggling on offense all year. LSU quarterback and Heisman Trophy winner Joe Burrow is the favorite to hear his name called first, with others such as Alabama’s Tua Tagovailoa also a candidate.

From the Patriots’ perspective, the AFC East’s picks are noteworthy. The Dolphins, who defeated the team 27-24 on Sunday to spoil the quest for a first-round playoff bye, have two selections in the top-20: they pick fifth overall thanks to their 5-11 record, and 18th after receiving a first-round pick via trade from Pittsburgh. The Jets, meanwhile, are currently holding the 11th overall selection thanks to their 7-9 regular season record.