NFL DRAFT UPDATE: QB Controversy, Fastest Player, Record Jersey Sales
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Day 1 of the NFL draft resulted in quarterbacks taken as the first three selections for only the fourth time in the common era, which began in 1967.
The 2024 Top 3 picks:
- No. 1 Caleb Williams (Chicago Bears)
- No. 2 Jayden Daniels (Washington Commanders)
- No. 3 Drake Maye (New England Patriots)
With the fourth selection, the Arizona Cardinals took Ohio State wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr., ending speculation that the 2024 draft might be the first ever with four quarterbacks taken with picks 1-4.
In a pre-draft broadcast of “The Edge,” Gambling.com content editor Charlie Mullan examined current and past quarterback draft scenarios.
Penix Choice Creates Drama
Even with the Harrison pick breaking up the string of quarterbacks selected at the top, three more signal callers were taken during the first round on Thursday at the event in downtown Detroit:
- No. 8 Michael Penix Jr. (Atlanta Falcons)
- No. 10 J.J. McCarthy (Minnesota Vikings)
- No. 12 Bo Nix (Denver Broncos)
The Falcons’ choice of the oft-injured Penix generated controversy because the team recently signed former Vikings’ quarterback Kirk Cousins to a four-year, $180 million contract. According to published accounts, the team didn't notify Cousins until just before the public announcement.
Odds And Ends
The 2024 draft continues into Saturday. Below are highlights from Day 1.
- According to FanDuel Sportsbook, the following teams had the best draft results on the first day: Chicago Bears, New York Giants, Arizona Cardinals, Washington Commanders, Kansas City Chiefs, Baltimore Ravens, Detroit Lions.
- No running backs were selected in the first round for only the third time ever. The other two times were in 2014 (Bishop Sankey at No. 54) and 2022 (Breece Hall at No. 36).
- Caleb Williams broke the draft-night jersey sales record for any draft pick in any sport, beating a record set last week by basketball's Caitlin Clark, according to reports.
- The Associated Press reported that the 23 offensive players taken in the first round beat the previous high total of 19.
- The first defensive player wasn’t selected until the Indianapolis Colts took Laiatu Latu with the 15th pick in the opening round of 32. After Latu, nine others in the first round were defensive players.
- With the No. 28 pick, the Kansas Chiefs took Texas Longhorn Xavier Worthy, a wide receiver with the fastest time ever in the 40-yard dash at the NFL combine, with a 4.21 time. Before the draft took place, DraftKings had him at +3500 to win the Rookie of the Year award. Now he is at +1600.
- As nola.com reported, Daniels, the 2023 Heisman winner, “joined Y.A. Tittle (1948, 1951), Bert Jones (1973), JaMarcus Russell (2007) and Joe Burrow (2020)” as the fifth LSU quarterback taken in the first round. LSU is first school with four quarterbacks taken in the Top 3 in the common era, according to nola.com.
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