NFL Draft: Rush for quarterbacks

Nfl
June 21, 2022
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The NFL is turning more and more to offense and last night’s first round of the draft was no exception with five quarterbacks among the first 15 picks and the first seven selections that were devoted to offensive players, never seen before.

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Unsurprisingly, the Jaguars got the ball rolling by getting their hands on Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence. It was the worst-kept secret since the end of the last campaign.

At second overall, the Jets also did nothing to deviate from the anticipated scenario when they opted for another center, Zach Wilson, from BYU. The youngster was present on site in Cleveland, unlike Lawrence.

“We are going to be a special team. We will go to the Super Bowl, ”he ventured to promise on the stage.

It was on the third pick that the excitement really kicked off with the 49ers set their sights on North Dakota State’s Trey Lance, a quarterback who can run wild and use his mighty arm.

For only the third time in the history of the repechage, three quarterbacks therefore emerged in the first three positions. This hasn’t happened since 1999.

Bears hit hard

The rush for this key position continued in 11th place, when the Bears compromised with the Giants to obtain their choice and thus get their hands on Justin Fields, who shone at Ohio State.

He was a monster of production and for many months last season, he was tipped as the second best player in his position. To complete the deal, they had to give up their first-round pick next year, but their supporters will be praising their aggressiveness to improve a position they’ve been lacking for decades.

General manager Ryan Pace and head coach Matt Nagy are currently on ejection seats and have gone all out in a last ditch attempt to save their asses.

McJones at the Patriots

There was obviously a lot of intrigue surrounding the choice of the Patriots, always investigating a real credible option at quarterback since the departure of Tom Brady.

These turned to Mac Jones, quarterback for the University of Alabama. Opinions about him are extremely divided. Where some praise his precision, his intelligence of the game and his sense of anticipation, others hate his lack of athleticism and the fact that he played in a ridiculously talented offensive.

“That’s all I wanted to be in the best organization in NFL history,” Jones chanted, getting booed in Cleveland.

Receivers are popular

Pass receivers didn’t have to hang around long either. The Bengals opted to reunite second-year quarterback Joe Burrow with former LSU teammate Ja’Marr Chase.

Straight after, the Dolphins fell for the ridiculous speed of Jaylen Waddle, who some dare compare to Tyreek Hill.

For their part, the Eagles dared an extremely rare exchange with a division rival, the Cowboys, in order to put the grappling hook on DeVonta Smith. The latter, weighing 160 pounds, won the Heisman Trophy last season as the most valuable player in the NCAA.

Tight end Kyle Pitts edged them all out as the Falcons’ fourth-ranked target. Never has a player in this position been chosen so early in a draft.

In total, including Pitts, six wide receivers heard their name in the first round.

Defensive expectation

Defensive players, for their part, had to be patient. The first to hear his name was cornerback Jaycee Horn, picked by the Panthers.

This is therefore the very first draft that has featured seven offensive players from the start. In 1999, Champ Bailey was chosen seventh overall by Washington and never since has the wait been so long for the defensive players.

In the end, when even 14 defensive players were selected.

It should be noted that six players from the University of Alabama came out in the first round, which equals the mark recorded by the University of Miami, in 2004.

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