A draft where quarterbacks were picked early shows how highly NFL teams still value the position
So the months of mock-drafts are over and we finally talk about something that has actually happened. Facts are a blessed thing.
We may as well start at the top where Carolina Panthers took Cam Newton as the No1 pick. If a No1 pick is supposed to catch the eye then the Panthers have succeeded. Yes, he's a ridiculous talent who can run as well as throw the ball but the doubts around his character ? the downfall of many a first-round pick, from JaMarcus Russell to Ryan Leaf ? are well publicised.
Newton was alleged to have stolen a laptop while at Florida and this year described himself as "an entertainer and icon". Others have defended Newton but in a draft where quarterbacks were drafted high and early it shows how highly teams still value the position.
Perhaps the most striking piece of business on Thursday was Atlanta's decision to move up to sixth and select the wide receiver Julio Jones. In return Cleveland received five picks, including the Falcons' first-round pick in 2012. The Falcons obviously want Jones to boost a passing game that already boasts Matt Ryan and Roddy White but is Jones worth it?
The Vikings have had little success at quarterback in recent years, 78-year-old gunslingers aside. Tavaris Jackson hasn't developed into the player they hoped and Joe Webb is still an emerging player. So instead of waiting to see if an experienced pro turns up in free-agency, they picked a ? development player. Christian Ponder may turn out to be brilliant but the boos from Vikings fans when he was selected at No12 suggest he may have to win over the home crowd.
A few months ago all the talk was of Da'Quan Bowers and Nick Fairley battling it out at the top of the first round. Of late though their stock has fallen faster than divebombing off the high board. Fairley was drafted at 13 and Bowers didn't make it into the first round.
Is Bill Belichick the Ars�ne Wenger of the NFL? He heads a team that look good early on in the season before falling away badly as crunch time approaches and have not won a title since the early part of last decade. There's also the fixation with youth. The Saints picked up one of the Patriots first-round picks in return for a second-round pick this year and a first-round selection in 2012. The Patriots are either going to end up with a terrifying team around 2015 or look like an organisation that hoards picks for the sake of it.
Finally, a little something on the Eagles' first-round pick Danny Watkins. Not only is he a former firefighter and rugby player, he's also the first Canadian to be selected in the first rounds of both the CFL and NFL drafts since 1986. And he's the oldest first-round pick since 1980: he'll be 27 in November. There's still hope for all you 26-year-olds waiting to be picked up in free-agency.
? NFL draft 2011: The first-round picks ? in pictures
Chelsea Handler Salma Hayek Jennifer Scholle Tatiana Zavialova Tila Tequila
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