In the first round of the NFL draft, three quarterbacks were selected in the top five, while there were too many trades to keep track of. With that said, here are some winners and losers from an eventful Thursday in Kansas City.
First Round winners
Lamar Jackson: The Ravens quarterback has to be smiling. Thursday started with him reportedly signing a five-year extension worth $260 million with $185 million in guarantees. Jackson would later get another playmaker on offense when Baltimore drafted Boston College wideout Zay Flowers with the 22nd overall pick. Jackson will now go into the 2023 season with wide receivers Rashod Bateman, Flowers and Odell Beckham Jr. at his disposal. The future is bright in Baltimore.
Houston Texans: Less than 30 minutes into the first round, the Texans were already the biggest winners. First, Houston landed its starting quarterback in Ohio State’s CJ Stroud. The Texans followed by making a shocking trade with Arizona to acquire the No. 3 and draft Alabama edge rusher Will Anderson Jr. You can’t ask for a better draft than landing franchise cornerstones on both sides of the football.
Eagles: Itap safe to say the rich got richer. After advancing to the Super Bowl and signing quarterback Jalen Hurts to a long-term deal, the Eagles traded up to get one of the best players in the draft, Jalen Carter. Philadelphia’s front seven looks even scarier with Carter, Jordan Davis, Fletcher Cox, Haason Reddick and Brandon Graham. General manager Howie Roseman is a genius.
First Round losers
Las Vegas Raiders: Drafting edge rusher Tyree Wilson didn’t make sense. Yes, the Raiders added depth on the edge, but they have more pressing needs at cornerback. Las Vegas could’ve filled a major hole in the secondary by drafting Oregon’s Christian Gonzalez, who can be a Day 1 starter. Wilson might turn into a solid pro, but he is not what the Raiders need right now.
New York Jets: The Jets drafting an edge rusher at No. 15 was understandable since most of the league’s top quarterbacks are in the AFC. However, drafting Will McDonald IV was a reach, as the Iowa State star was projected to go later in the first. The Jets would’ve been better off selecting Georgia edge rusher Nolan Smith or Ohio State wide receiver Jaxson-Smith Njiba to give new quarterback Aaron Rodgers more weapons.
Will Levis: As the draft progressed, you had to feel bad for Levis. He went from possibly being the first quarterback off the board to falling out of the first round. No one anticipated Levis to make this kind of drop in the draft, as his size and arm strength made him go top 10 in countless mock drafts. He could still be a steal for a team that picks him, but his showed how teams really feel about Levis.
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