The NFL Draft kicked off Thursday night, and what an absolutely crazy night it was. Between the suspense of who gets picked and a flurry of trades (nine total on the night), there was a plethora of news stories crammed into one night.
With so much excitement, let’s dissect some of the biggest stories.
With The First Pick Of The Draft…
For the second year in a row, the Jacksonville Jaguars held the top overall pick in this year’s NFL Draft. After selecting quarterback Trevor Lawrence last season, Jacksonville opted to bolster their defense by selecting edge rusher Travon Walker out of Georgia this year.
Georgia had the best defense in the country last year, and Walker definitely contributed to it. He amassed 33 tackles, six sacks, and a fumble recovery in just 13 games played.
While those numbers don’t necessarily jump off the page, his size, strength, and skill set have many scouts projecting his ceiling as much higher than his college results would suggest.
He will try to help a defense that ranked 28th in points allowed (26.9) and 27th in sacks per game (1.9).
Luckily for Walker, the news could have been much worse on Thursday. Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reported that he was in a car accident earlier in the day Thursday, but it appears he was able to walk away from the accident without injuries.
After Jacksonville picked Walker, the rest of the top-10 draft picks went as follows:
1) Jacksonville Jaguars – Travon Walker – Georgia – Edge Rusher
2) Detroit Lions – Aidan Hutchingson – Michigan – Defensive End
3) Houston Texans – Derek Stingley Jr. – LSU – Cornerback
4) New York jets – Ahmad Gardner – Cincinnati – Cornerback
5) New York Giants – Kayvon Thibodeaux – Oregon – Defensive End
6) Carolina Panthers – Ikem Ekwonu – NC State – Offensive Lineman
7) New York Giants – Evan Neal – Alabama – Offensive Tackle
8) Atlanta Falcons – Drake London – USC – Wide Receiver
9) Seattle Seahawks – Charles Cross – Mississippi State – Offensive Tackle
10) New York Jets – Garrett Wilson – Ohio State – Wide Receiver
Ravens Trade Star Wide Receiver To Arizona
In what was the first of two shocking trades of star wide receivers, the Baltimore Ravens traded Marquise Brown and pick No. 100 to the Arizona Cardinals in exchange for pick No. 23.
Last season, the 24-year-old Brown had 91 receptions for 1,008 yards and six touchdowns for the Ravens. Only tight end Mark Andrews had more receiving yards than him (1,361).
In Arizona, Brown will now be paired with his former college quarterback and will look to help Arizona’s passing attack, one that ranked 11th in the NFL, averaging 244.3 yards per game.
Later in the night, the Ravens then took the No. 23 pick and flipped it to the Buffalo Bills in exchange for picks No. 25 and No. 130. When the dust settled, the Ravens ended up with center Tyler Linderbaum out of Iowa as the main piece coming out of the deal.
Given the lack of depth the Ravens have at wide receiver, it seems likely that they will try to take advantage of a deep receiving draft class by bolstering the position in later rounds.
Eagles Get A.J. Brown
In the other shocking trade of the night, the Philadelphia Eagles acquired wide receiver A.J. Brown from the Tennessee Titans in exchange for picks No. 18 and 101.
In 13 games last season, Brown had 63 receptions for 869 yards and five touchdowns for the Titans.
Philadelphia’s passing game struggled last season as they ranked 21st, averaging just 202.7 yards per game. The addition of Brown gives quarterback Jalen Hurts another target to go along with DeVonta Smith.
After acquiring Brown, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reported that the Eagles have also agreed to an extension of $100 million over four years. The deal also includes $57 in guaranteed money.
For Tennessee, they used the No. 18 pick to try to get Brown’s replacement. They selected wide receiver Treylon Burks out of Arkansas. Last season, with the Razorbacks, Burks had 66 receptions for 1,104 yards and 11 touchdowns.
