The Jacksonville Jaguars had the highest choose within the draft once more, a 12 months after they used the No. 1 choice to take quarterback Trevor Lawrence out of Clemson. But not like in a few years previous, when the highest choose is foretold weeks or months beforehand, there was little consensus as to who was going to be taken first this 12 months.

The final non-quarterback to be taken first total got here throughout the 2017 NFL Draft, when the Cleveland Browns took Texas A&M defensive finish Myles Garrett.

The primary 5 picks on this 12 months’s draft had been defensive gamers. In response to scouts for ESPN and NFL Community, the power of this 12 months’s draft is considered in its bevy of offensive tackles, cross rushers and large receivers, whereas there are few quarterbacks considered worthy of a excessive draft choose.

NFL Draft: Everything you need to know

College of Michigan defensive finish Aidan Hutchinson was the No. 2 choose total, heading to the Detroit Lions. The Houston Texans had the No. 3 choose and selected Derek Stingley Jr., a cornerback out of Louisiana State College.

The Jaguars aren’t the one staff having a giant evening Thursday. Attributable to plenty of trades, eight groups had two first-round picks, together with the New York Giants, who picked College of Oregon defensive finish Kayvon Thibodeaux at choose No. 5, and College of Alabama offensive deal with Evan Neal at No. 7.

The New York Jets additionally had two first spherical picks with Cincinnati cornerback Sauce Gardner at No. 4 and Ohio State large receiver Garrett Wilson at No. 10.

By the identical token, it probably shall be a quiet evening for followers of the eight groups with out a first-round choose, together with the Tremendous Bowl champion Los Angeles Rams.

Spherical 1 of the draft will wrap up late Thursday, adopted by Rounds 2 and three on Friday at 7 p.m. ET, after which Rounds 4 by 7 on Saturday at midday.

All seven rounds are broadcast on ESPN, garnering a mean viewership of between six and eight million folks all through the three-day occasion the final three years.

As soon as a quiet continuing carried out in a resort convention room, the draft has grown to turn into the NFL’s premiere offseason occasion each on TV and in particular person, offering hope for followers of the NFL’s bottom-feeders and fulfilling the lifelong goals of faculty soccer’s greatest gamers and their households.

As well as, completely different cities have taken turns internet hosting the draft since 2015, bringing in tons of of hundreds of followers to metropolis facilities. Current hosts embrace Dallas, Nashville and, most just lately, Cleveland.

The draft’s transfer to Vegas — two years after the Raiders franchise moved there from Oakland — additional illustrates the NFL’s speedy embrace of sports activities playing. This 12 months’s most important stage shall be on the Linq Promenade on the Vegas Strip, the place NFL commissioner Roger Goodell will announce every staff’s first spherical choice.
In Sin Metropolis style, a pink carpet has been constructed over the Bellagio fountain for the 21 prospects set to attend, and NFL officers stated to anticipate glitzy Vegas touches all through the occasion. Followers may also be handled to musical performances by Weezer on Thursday, Ice Dice on Friday and Marshmello on Saturday.

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