What a night! The first round of the NFL Draft is always exciting. Young athletes are achieving their dreams and inspiring us along the way. Although some mock drafts predicted a few picks, others did not fare so well.
Sam Darnold, who most sources thought was the best quarterback in the draft, was left hanging after the Cleveland Browns decided that Baker Mayfield was their guy. Although a few experts predicted this to happen, many NFL analysts were shocked the Browns did not go for Sam Darnold. Perhaps the Browns feel as if Baker Mayfield is exactly the kind of person they need to turn their franchise around. Some may not believe in the way he leads his team, but Mayfield definitely can motivate the people around him. Let's just hope the Browns have more success with this Heisman Trophy winner compared to their last.
Many thought that since the Browns left Sam Darnold out in the open that the New York Giants may jump on the opportunity of Eli Manning's successor. However, the New York Giants decided to give Saquon Barkley a go, and add him to the to the list of tools the offense already boasts.
Another surprise came when Josh Rosen was selected at 10th overall. Many analysts had him going top 5, but when Baker Mayfield was selected as the 1st overall pick, many teams changed their plans. The Arizona Cardinals starting quarterback Carson Palmer recently retired in January leaving the team without a star quarterback. With rumors that the Miami Dolphins were going to take the forgotten quarterback Josh Rosen, the Cardinals had to act quickly. The Cardinals ended up trading spots with the Oakland Raiders in return for a third-round pick (No. 79 overall) and a fifth-round (No. 152) pick.
Some may also argue that the New York Jets' trade with the Indianapolis Colts was, in fact, a good idea. The Jets were in the hunt for their new franchise quarterback which they hope they found in Sam Darnold but was trading both their second round picks this year( Nos. 37 and 49), and their second-round pick in 2019 worth it? Only time will tell if Sam Darnold is the new Joe Namath to the Jets.
Perhaps one of the best moments of the NFL Draft was when Ryan Shazier of the Pittsburgh Steelers made his way to the podium after suffering a spinal injury in December 2017 that left him unable to walk and with no feelings in his legs. Walking slowly on his own with his fiancee in hand, Shazier announced the Steelers first-round draft pick, and left some people in the crowd moved with tears.
The first round of the draft took place in just a few hours. Dreams came true, while others had no luck, but one thing is for sure: the NFL Draft is anything but predictable.
