Quarterbacks went off the draft board at a record-setting pace.
Thursday night was the fourth time in the common draft era starting in 1967 that QBs went with the top three picks, with three more going in the top 12. It was the fewest number of picks for six QBs to be drafted.
This marked the first time five quarterbacks were drafted in the top 10 and matched the famed 1983 class with six first-rounders in all as teams throughout the league went in search of a big-time passer who can turn the fortunes of a franchise.
“I wasn’t shocked,” said Bo Nix, who was the last QB off the board at No. 12 to Denver. “I think the six of us, we’re all capable of playing at the next level. It’s going to be fun to watch everybody and see how they develop. I wasn’t shocked at all because I think this class of quarterbacks was very strong.”
The draft started in predictable fashion with Caleb Williams going first to Chicago, Jayden Daniels second to Washington and Drake Maye third to New England, marking the second time in the past four drafts that QBs went 1-2-3.
But in a note of caution, two of those highly drafted quarterbacks in 2021 have already been busts for their teams, with the New York Jets trading No. 2 pick Zach Wilson earlier this week to Denver as part of a late-round draft pick swap and San Francisco dealing No. 3 pick Trey Lance last August to Dallas for a fourth-rounder.
Two other first-round quarterbacks from that draft have also been dealt away, with Chicago trading No. 11 pick Justin Fields to Pittsburgh and New England dealing No. 15 pick Mac Jones earlier this offseason.
Those failures didn’t deter teams from using premium picks on quarterbacks. The Falcons pulled off the biggest surprise by taking Washington’s Michael Penix Jr. with the eighth pick less than two months after signing Kirk Cousins to a four-year, $180 million deal in free agency.
Minnesota then traded up one spot to take Michigan’s J.J. McCarthy with the 10th pick, unwilling to take the chance of missing out on their target.
“We knew we weren’t the only ones that had identified him as a quarterback we wanted to select,” coach Kevin O’Connell said. “You start thinking about the what-if.”
Denver completed the haul by taking Nix with the 12th pick.
The only other time six quarterbacks were taken in the entire first round came in 1983 in a draft that produced Hall of Famers John Elway, Jim Kelly and Dan Marino, along with less-productive quarterbacks like Ken O'Brien, Tony Eason and Todd Blackledge.
But the QBs came off the board much faster this time around. Marino had to wait until the 27th pick to be taken by Miami 41 years ago.
This draft is the eighth in the past nine years with at least three QBs taken in the first round, which matches the number of times that happened in the first 38 years of the common draft era.
A defensive player wasn’t selected until UCLA edge rusher Laiatu Latu went at No. 15 to Indianapolis. That’s the latest a first defensive player has ever gone.
The Arizona Cardinals snapped the early QB trend, choosing Ohio State wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. with the fourth pick. The Los Angeles Chargers opened the Jim Harbaugh era by taking Notre Dame offensive tackle Joe Alt instead of giving Justin Herbert a No. 1 wide receiver to replace Keenan Allen and Mike Williams.
The New York Giants then snatched up LSU receiver Malik Nabers at No. 6. The Tennessee Titans took Alabama offensive tackle J.C. Latham with the seventh pick and the Bears selected Washington wideout Rome Odunze at No. 9.
The New York Jets, who dropped to No. 11, chose offensive tackle Olu Fashanu, giving Aaron Rodgers more protection. The Las Vegas Raiders got Georgia tight end Brock Bowers at No. 13. The New Orleans Saints took Oregon State offensive tackle Taliese Fuaga with the 14th pick before the Colts grabbed Latu.
Previously, the latest a first defensive player was selected was No. 8. The Seattle Seahawks took Texas defensive tackle Byron Murphy next and the Vikings made another trade to move up and take Alabama edge Dallas Turner at No. 17.
The Cincinnati Bengals chose Georgia offensive tackle Amarius Mims and the Los Angeles Rams got Florida State edge Jared Verse at No. 19, the team’s first selection in the first round since taking Jared Goff at No. 1 in 2016.
The Pittsburgh Steelers selected versatile Washington offensive lineman Troy Fautanu at No. 20. Penn State edge Chop Robinson went next to the Miami Dolphins and the Philadelphia Eagles went with Toledo cornerback Quinyon Mitchell.
Wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr. was chosen by the Jacksonville Jaguars at No. 23. After the Lions took Arnold, the Green Bay Packers selected Arizona offensive tackle Jordan Morgan and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers drafted Duke offensive lineman Graham Barton.
Missouri edge Darius Robinson went to Arizona. The two-time defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs made a deal with AFC rival Buffalo to move up and take Texas wideout Xavier Worthy at No. 28.
The Cowboys chose Oklahoma offensive tackle Tyler Guyton and the Baltimore Ravens got Clemson defensive back Nate Wiggins.
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