Neil Reynolds' - 10 takeaways from Round 1
The first round of the NFL Draft is in the books and it was a record-breaking night in Detroit with 275,000 fans in attendance to witness the leading college football players from across America hearing their names called and their dreams realised. Here are 10 takeaways from a memorable opening round.
The pass is king…
The first round saw six quarterbacks selected for just the second time in NFL history (1983), a record eight offensive tackles, a record seven wide receivers, a tight end, a center, six edge rushers/defensive linemen and three cornerbacks. The common factor among all 32 of them? They all affect the pass, reflecting the aerial nature of today's game. Even the defensive tackles are types who can get after the quarterback, they are not space-eating run-stuffers. The passing game is king and the general managers across the league know it.
Williams in a great spot…
As expected, Caleb Williams was the first overall pick and he is walking into a wonderful situation for a rookie quarterback. The Bears have totally transformed their attack in the space of just two offseasons with Williams – compared on draft night to Patrick Mahomes and Aaron Rodgers – headlining a group that now features wide receivers D.J. Moore, Keenan Allen, ninth pick Rome Odunze, tight end Cole Kmet and running backs D'Andre Swift and Khalil Herbert. I cannot wait to see this Chicago attack… those are words I've not written in quite some time!
Too good to resist…
There was talk of trades at numbers two, three, four and five, but they never materialized. Jayden Daniels is the new quarterback of the Washington Commanders who have now, according to NFL Network analyst Daniel Jeremiah, gone from "unwatchable on offense to must-see TV." New
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