Five quarterbacks went in the first round of the 2018 NFL Draft. Let’s take a few minutes and recap the chaotic, quarterback-laden first round.
It just flew by, now didn’t it? The first-round of the 2018 NFL Draft was certainly interesting. There were so many trades, it was hard to keep track of them all. Of course, many of them had to do with teams getting their franchise quarterbacks of the future. Five signal callers went in the first 32 picks, and here’s how that all went down.
We just had a feeling that the Cleveland Browns were going to take a quarterback No. 1 overall. Browns general manager John Dorsey kept it pretty close to the vest. Rumors started to circulate that it might be 2017 Heisman Trophy winning quarterback Baker Mayfield of the Oklahoma Sooners. Turns out that was true.
Mayfield was not in attendance for the draft, as he decided to watch it at home with a bunch of his closest friends and family. He had been a top-10 pick throughout the draft process. However, it was very surprising to see him actually go No. 1 to be the heir apparent to Bernie Kosar up in Northeast Ohio. The Mayfield era in Cleveland begins, and that signified how wacky of a night it was for the other four quarterbacks taken.
While the New York Giants decided to roll with Eli Manning for at least another year, their inter-city rival New York Jets took Sam Darnold No. 3 out of USC. Yes, Darnold played at the same alma mater as Mr. Butt Fumble Mark Sanchez. However, he could be the greatest quarterback for Gang Green since Broadway Joe Namath.
Overall, it was 100 percent worth it for the Jets to move up three spots in a deal with the Indianapolis Colts a few weeks ago. Darnold is the next big star in The Big Apple.
The quarterback would go just a few picks later at No. 7. Many expected that the Buffalo Bills would trade up from No. 12 to get their guy. That guy would end up being Josh Allen of the Wyoming Cowboys. Allen had been rumored to go No. 1 to the Browns, but we just had a feeling he could go to a team like the Bills. They’ll love his powerful right arm in Orchard Park.
So three quarterbacks in the top-seven could have been enough, but we had two more that needed to get out of that green room and shake NFL commissioner Roger Goodell’s hand. The next quarterback taken might have been the most interesting.
While he did fall a bit, Josh Rosen might have found the best spot in the Arizona Cardinals. Like Buffalo, Arizona was in the market to move up from just outside of the top-10. The Cardinals found a trade partner in the Oakland Raiders. They got a potential superstar in Rosen at No. 10 and the fourth quarterback off the board.
Rosen is the most pro-ready of these quarterbacks. He has the best touch on the ball and will be a welcomed addition in the Valley of the Sun for rookie head coach Steve Wilks. Arizona just got a whole lot more interesting. The Cardinals won’t win a bunch this fall, but there future is bright with Rosen in their Glendale nest.
Then we had to wait. All the way to No. 32. Who was going to take 2016 Heisman Trophy winner Lamar Jackson? Teams like Los Angeles Chargers, the Jacksonville Jaguars and the New England Patriots could have grabbed Jackson. It ended up being the Baltimore Ravens. They traded back into the first round with the defending Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles to get Action Jackson at No. 32. Will Jackson replace Joe Flacco sooner rather than later? We’ll see.
Next: Check out the NFL Draft results here
Sure, there are other guys like Mason Rudolph, Luke Falk and Kyle Lauletta that will be take in the next few rounds. However, it was great to see the five biggest quarterbacking names all get taken on Thursday night. From Cleveland to Glendale to Orchard Park, five NFL franchises should be very excited about their futures. They got their quarterbacks! That’s all that matters.