NFL Draft: Players selected in the first round
Players selected in the first round of the NFL Draft on Thursday night.
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1. Jacksonville Jaguars
Trevor Lawrence, 6-foot-6, 213 pounds, Clemson
Breakdown: Lawrence has been the presumptive No. 1 pick in this draft since his freshman season. Prototypical size, top-notch speed and athleticism and rare arm talent. Want to pick some nits? His delivery is a little long and deep ball accuracy could be more consistent.
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Facts: First overall No. 1 from Clemson. Fourth straight overall No. 1 to be a quarterback and sixth in the last seven seasons. Lawrence is the fourth QB taken in the first round by the Jaguars, joining Byron Leftwich (2003), Blaine Gabbert (2011) and Blake Bortles (2014).
2. New York Jets
Zach Wilson, 6-2, 214, BYU
Breakdown: Can throw accurately and with zip from multiple arm angles. Quick feet and hands made him especially effective with RPOs and play action. Made a big jump last season when BYU was playing a schedule low on top-flight competition.
Facts: Wilson is the third quarterback selected by the Jets in the top five since 2009 (Mark Sanchez, fifth overall) and the second in the last four seasons (Sam Darnold, third overall). It is the first time in NFL history a team has selected a QB twice in the top-three in a span of four drafts.
3. San Francisco 49ers (from Houston through Miami)
Trey Lance, 6-4, 224, North Dakota State
Breakdown: Athletic, with good arm strength and the ability to decipher defenses before the snap. Not a lot of film. Lance is 20 years old and has played just one full season against FCS competition, a total of 17 starts.
Facts: First time the Niners have taken a quarterback in the first round since Alex Smith went first overall in 2005. Lance is the second North Dakota State QB taken in the top three in five years, along with Carson Wentz (second overall) in 2016.
4. Atlanta Falcons
Kyle Pitts, 6-6, 245, Florida
Breakdown: Became an impossible matchup last season, too big for the fast players and too fast for the big players. Rarely lets a pass he can get his hands on get away. The blocking needs work, but maybe he’s just a super-sized wide receiver.
Facts: Pitts is the highest selected tight end in NFL draft history, going one spot higher than Riley Odom to Denver in 1972. Before the merger, Mike Ditka was also drafted fifth overall by Chicago in 1961.
5. Cincinnati Bengals
Ja’Marr Chase, 6-0, 201, LSU
Breakdown: Good burst to get separation and consistently comes down with contested catches. Plays like a bigger receiver, despite lack of great length. Opted out of last season but was an All-American in 2019, setting SEC records with 1,780 yards receiving and 20 TD catches.
Facts: Chase is the third receiver Cincinnati has taken in the top 10 since 2011, joining A.J. Green (2011) and John Ross (2017).
6. Miami Dolphins (from Philadelphia)
7. Detroit Lions
8. Carolina Panthers
9. Denver Broncos
10. Dallas Cowboys
11. New York Giants
12. Philadelphia Eagles (from San Francisco through Miami)
13. Los Angeles Chargers
14. Minnesota Vikings
15. New England Patriots
16. Arizona Cardinals
17. Las Vegas Raiders
18. Miami Dolphins
19. Washington Football Team
20. Chicago Bears
21. Indianapolis Colts
22. Tennessee Titans
23. New York Jets (from Seattle)
24. Pittsburgh Steelers
25. Jacksonville Jaguars (from Los Angeles Rams)
26. Cleveland Browns
27. Baltimore Ravens
28. New Orleans Saints
29. Green Bay Packers
30. Buffalo Bills
31. Baltimore Ravens (from Kansas City)
32. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
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