Recap: Day 1 of 2018 NFL Draft
1. Cleveland: Baker Mayfield, QB, Oklahoma
After all the mystery surrounding the Cleveland Browns and the first pick in NFL Draft, the wait is finally over after the Browns selected Heisman Trophy winner Baker Mayfield from Oklahoma to be the new face of the franchise.
Cleveland has been searching for a quarterback since they re-entered the league in 1999. They traded for Tyrod Taylor in the offseason to be a bridge to the next young quarterback, but it's hard to believe Taylor will start many games in 2018.
There are some worries from the Cleveland faithful that Mayfield resembles Johnny Manziel, who infamously flamed out with the Browns. I don't buy into that, however, as Mayfield is much more accurate and a bulldog when he breaks the pocket. Manziel was all flash. Mayfield is a grind it out type of quarterback with the swagger to match the talent level.
2. New York Giants: Saquon Barkley, RB, Penn State
The Big Ten's biggest star is heading to the Big Apple to play with Eli Manning in the New York Giants backfield.
There was a lot of talk that the Giants would take Manning's future replacement in this spot, but instead they've given their two-time Super Bowl winning quarterback a new toy to play with as they look to turn things around in 2018.
3. New York Jets (from Indianapolis): Sam Darnold, QB, USC
Some people expected Sam Darnold's name to be called by the Browns at the top of the hour. It wasn't. But don't feel too bad for Darnold, who only had to wait an extra 20 minutes and gets to head to New York and be the signal-caller for the Jets.
It'll be interesting to see if Darnold starts Week 1, as the Jets re-signed Josh McCown and brought in Teddy Bridgewater in free agency.
4. Cleveland (from Houston): Denzel Ward, DB, Ohio State
Bradley Chubb was penciled in to this pick for the Browns, as he was at the top of everybody's board when it came to defensive players in this draft. Instead, the Browns went with the hometown selection. Very, very interesting.
I still think the Browns should have taken Barkley at the top of the draft and then selected a quarterback in this spot. And because it's Cleveland we're talking about here, I'm going to go ahead and presume that I know more about what's going on than that front office. Wow.
5. Denver: Bradley Chubb, DE, NC State
Bradley Chubb probably expected a phone call to come a few minutes earlier, but he's probably lucky that it didn't. I mean, he's a Denver Bronco instead of a Cleveland Brown. Once he lets that sink in, I think he'll be pretty happy.
Chubb was the highest-ranked defensive player in the draft, according to...everyone. Denver is more than happy to take 6'4", 269 pound defensive end.
6. Indianapolis (from NYJ): Quenton Nelson, G, Notre Dame
The first offensive lineman is off the board, as the Colts took 6'5", 325 pound Quenton Nelson out of Notre Dame. This pick was so exciting that NFL Network went to commercial immediately after the announcement was made.
In all seriousness, though, the Colts have to find a way to keep Andrew Luck healthy. They may as well take seven rounds worth of offensive linemen.
7. Buffalo (from Tampa Bay): Josh Allen, QB, Wyoming
Buffalo just traded the 12th overall pick and two second round picks (53 and 56 overall) to the Buccaneers for the right to move up and select Allen. At nearly 6'5" and 237 pounds, Allen has the size and toughness to succeed in Buffalo.
Personally, I think Josh Rosen is the best quarterback in the draft, but I understand why his big personality may not fly in a place like Buffalo. Still, knowing Rosen, he's watching these three quarterbacks go before and laughing.
8. Chicago: Roquan Smith, LB, Georgia
The first linebacker came of the board with the Bears' selection of Smith, who won the 2017 Butkus Award as the nation's top linebacker. Smith was also the 2017 SEC Defensive Player of the Years and gives the Bears a player that can cover the field from sideline to sideline.
9. San Francisco: Mike McGlinchey, OT, Notre Dame
So, the first two offensive linemen to come off the board both went to Notre Dame. That's something.
Obviously, this pick was made with the thought of protecting new franchise quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo.
10. Arizona (from Oakland): Josh Rosen, QB, UCLA
Rosen was my top-ranked quarterback in this year's draft, and the Cardinals traded up five spots from No.15 to get him.
Rosen is the fourth quarterback taken in the first 10 picks. He, Mayfield, Darnold and Allen are going to be tied at the hip when we analyze this draft in five years.
Part of the reason Rosen wasn't taken higher is his outgoing personality and his outspoken ways when it comes to politics and, frankly, anything else. If he has early success in the league, Rosen could very well become the best soundbite in the NFL.
For their troubles, the Raiders took the 15th overall pick, a third round pick (No.79) and a fifth round pick (No.152) from Arizona.
11. Miami: Minkah Fitzpatrick, S, Alabama
Fitzpatrick becomes the first player selected from the national champion Crimson Tide. This young man has the size, speed and instincts to play just about anywhere in the secondary. He's also a very good run-stopper.
12. Tampa Bay (from Buffalo via Cincinnati): Vita Vea, DT, Washington
This is a guy that was on the radar of many Lions fans, as Vea is an immediate starter in the NFL on the defensive line at 6'4", 347 pounds.
He's a bit of a surprise to the Bucs, who spent a lot of time in the offseason reworking their defensive line (signing Jason Pierre-Paul, among others), but it doesn't matter. This dude's going to play and play well.
13. Washington: Da'Ron Payne, DT, Alabama
That's another defensive tackle off the board.
This is notable to Lions fans because there is a big need for help at this spot in new coach Matt Patricia's defensive scheme.
14. New Orleans (from Green Bay): Marcus Davenport, DE, Texas-San Antonio
The Saints gave up the 27th overall pick, a fifth round pick (147th overall) and next year's first round selection to the Packers to move up and select Davenport.
Wow. Giving up a future first round pick for a raw pass rusher seems like a bit of a stretch for the Saints. After the trade was made, a lot of people were thinking it would be Lamar Jackson's name that would be called, making him Drew Brees' protege.
15. Oakland (from Arizona): Kolton Miller, OT, UCLA
I'm not going to pretend to know a lot about Miller. What I do know is that this run on offensive and defensive linemen is not good for the Lions, who are trying to trade down in the draft, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport.
If the Lions are unable to trade down, their hand may be forced, and you could see them take a skill position player. That's something they likely wanted to do later on.
16. Buffalo (from Baltimore): Tremaine Edmunds, LB, Va. Tech
The Bills traded the 22nd overall pick and a third round selection (65th overall) for the right to move up and take Edmunds, who likely was near the top of the Lions draft board as their pick approaches.
Edmunds is a linebacker that can go sideline to sideline and has tremendous size (6'4, 253 pounds) to match his 4.5 speed.
17. Los Angeles Chargers: Derwin James, S, Florida State
Another potential Lions target off the board. Honestly, these last six picks couldn't have gone any worse for Bob Quinn.
James is a guy who has a nose for the ball, as he racked up 186 tackles in college. He was a second team AP All-American selection in 2017.
18. Green Bay (from Seattle): Jaire Alexander, DB, Louisville
After trading back in the first round, the Packers leapfrogged the Lions and took Alexander.
The Seahawks received the 27th overall pick originally sent to Green Bay by New Orleans earlier in the night.
19. Dallas: Leighton Vander Esch, LB, Boise State
That's another name that had been talked about in relation to the Lions pick. It's really anybody's guess what route Bob Quinn and Matt Patricia go with their first pick as a duo.
20. Detroit: Frank Ragnow, C, Arkansas
Guessing what Bob Quinn is going to do at the NFL Draft has never been easy. It certainly wasn't this time around, either.
After the Lions lost out on a lot of defensive talent over the last nine picks, Quinn and Matt Patricia went with a big surprise in grabbing center Frank Ragnow out of Arkansas.
Ragnow stands at 6'5", 312. His selection will move Graham Glasgow over to guard on the offensive line. It was thought by many they make take offensive guard Will Hernandez and keep Glasgow at center, but Quinn went the other way with it.
21. Cincinnati: Billy Price, C, Ohio State
We've reached the part of the draft where centers are flying off the board. The Lions are such trendsetters.
22. Tennessee (from Baltimore): Rashaan Evans, LB, Alabama
The Titans moved up three spots and sent a fourth round pick to the Ravens for the right to select Evans.
23. New England (from Los Angeles Rams): Isaiah Wynn, OT, Georgia
Three picks after Bill Belichick's former colleagues took a center from Arkansas, Belichick selected an SEC offensive linemen of his own with the 23rd overall pick.
The New England model is real. Deal with it.
24. Carolina: D.J. Moore, WR, Maryland
After nearly three hours, the first wide receiver has come off the board in the form of Maryland's D.J. Moore.
Moore was a first-team All-Big Ten selection that had 80 receptions and more than 1,000 yards in 2017. That's pretty impressive considering the Terps played 1,453 different quarterbacks last season.
25. Baltimore (from Tennessee): Hayden Hurst, TE, South Carolina
So, it wasn't the Lions who went with the tight end in the first round this time around.
Hayden Hurst, at 6'5", 250 pounds, will give Joe Flacco a huge target that even has a little speed to his game.
26: Atlanta: Calvin Ridley, WR, Alabama
The Falcons just added another Crimson Tide wide receiver to their squad. Ridley will join All-Pro Julio Jones as one of the many weapons at the disposal of Matt Ryan.
27. Seattle: Rashaad Penny, RB, San Diego State
The Seahawks put a bit of a shock into the late part of the first round by taking Penny, who many thought would be in play late in the second round. He's just the second running back taken tonight. He brings another dimension to his game, as he was also an outstanding kick returner in college, but I'm not sure how much time he'll see in that role in the NFL.
28. Pittsburgh: Terrell Edmunds, S, Va Tech
Edmunds wasn't the biggest story of this pick, as former Steeler Ryan Shazier came out and announced the selection. Shazier suffered a horrific spinal injury last season, but there he was tonight, walking out on to the stage with a noticeable limp. Very inspirational.
29. Jacksonville: Taven Bryan, DT, Florida
This was a guy some "experts" had pegged for the Lions, but he fell another nine spots to the Jaguars, who already have a scary good defense.
Also still on the board? Harold Landry of Boston College, who it's now being reported was medically flagged by teams because of knee and back issues.
30. Minnesota Vikings: Mike Hughes, CB, UCF
The "National Champions" had their first player taken in the draft.
31. New England: Sony Michel, RB, Georgia
The Patriots took the third running back of the night in Georgia running back Sony Michel, who is a guy that make people miss with regularity. With the loss of Dion Lewis in free agency, Tom Brady will welcome a playmaker like Michel.
32. Baltimore (from Philadelphia): Lamar Jackson, QB, Louisville
Joe Flacco's days in Baltimore may be numbered. He won't be going anywhere next year, but it appears the Ravens may have his successor in place in the form of the 2016 Heisman Trophy winner.
Jackson is the fifth quarterback to come off the board in the first round, the most since 1999, and he was more than happy to take his green suit on to that stage after a lengthy wait and give Roger Goodell a hug.
NFL Draft
When: Thursday through Saturday
Where: AT&T Stadium, Arlington, Texas
Format: Round 1 is 8 p.m. Thursday; Rounds 2-3 start at 7 p.m. Friday; Rounds 4-7 start at noon Saturday
TV: NFL Network and ESPN all three days; on Fox on Thursday and Friday
Lions: They have six picks: No. 20 (first round), No. 51 (second round), No. 82 (third round), No. 117 (fourth round), No. 153 (fifth round), No. 237 (seventh round).
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