NEWSLETTER
The first round of the NFL Draft last night was wild. Trading back, trading back up, players sliding. My head was spinning during the first 10 picks. I slept a little later than I wanted to today, but I needed it. I was beaten after clocking almost seven miles yesterday.
- The Houston Texans became the first team since the Washington Commanders in 2000 to make back-to-back selections in the top five. Washington took LaVar Arrington and Chris Samuels at No. 2 and No. 3. The only other team to pick back-to-back in the top five was the Indianapolis Colts when they selected Steve Emtman and Quentin Coryat with the first two picks in the draft.
- Houston now has a blue-chip pass rusher and their quarterback of the future in tow, and despite all of the pre-draft concerns with Stroud the last two weeks, he’s a damn good quarterback prospect. It’s a great start for DeMeco Ryans and his staff in Houston.
- As wild as the Texans’ first-round haul was, it wasn’t the only blockbuster move last night. One of the moves that weren’t made was one of the more surprising happenings the previous night. In the days leading up to the NFL Draft, there was some chatter that Levis might go as high as No. 1 to the Panthers. Instead, Levis is still waiting to hear his name called here in Kansas City on day two.
- According to ESPN Analytics, Levis had a less than 0.1 percent chance of slipping out of the first round. Yet, the Kentucky QB defied those odds and spent the night watching 31 other players have their names called at Union Station. And let’s be honest; this is because he puts mayonnaise in his coffee.
- How about the Lions!? The Lions had a chance to make some noise last night with two first-rounders in their pocket. Instead, they traded back to No. 12. They selected Alabama running back Jahmyr Gibbs at twelve and Iowa linebacker Jack Campbell at No. 18. For all we know, Gibbs and Campbell could be great players. Still, I don’t think the Lions took full advantage of the opportunity to cement themselves as the top dog in the NFC North last night.
- However, we were just some of the ones left puzzled by the reach for Gibbs at No. 12 last night. According to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, running back D’Andre Swift’s representatives contacted Detroit about a potential scenario in which Swift gets a fresh start somewhere else.
- My initial reaction to the Lions’ first round last night was: “What the heck are they doing?” However, after thinking about it today, the Lions have three second-rounders (34, 48, and 55). If the Lions addressed their needs today (cornerback and defensive line), their day one might not feel as bad. If Brad Holmes used day one to take a pair of guys he was in love with and then used a trio of second-round picks to address their needs, that could end up being a solid top-end of their draft class.
- I also think the Seahawks taking Illinois corner Devon Witherspoon in front of the Lions shocked them as much as it did everyone else. That prompted Holmes and Detroit to trade back and shift their plan in round one. We’ll see how it shakes out today for Detroit.
- Many people believed that the Bears were high on Georgia DT Jalen Carter. They couldn’t have been more wrong, apparently. When Ryan Poles essentially gave Carter to the Eagles for a 2024 fourth-rounder last night, it was clear that Poles and Eberflus had zero interest in rolling the dice on Carter.
- Instead, the Bears went with Darnell Wright at No. 10. Luis had some reaction to the selection last night:
- Here’s every pick from a wild night one of the NFL Draft!
- Get your day started right with this compilation of Darnell Wright highlights:
