Some NFL Draft First Round Trivia

Here we are again. Round 1 is in the books and we have the usual gamut of good picks, bad picks, and trades. A few teams didn't have a pick in this round, such as New England and Tampa Bay. Let's have some fun.

1. The Kansas City Chiefs chose OT Eric Fisher from Central Michigan. Fisher is the first ever Chippewa to be selected with the first pick. This is the second time Kansas City had the first overall pick. The Chiefs also had the first pick in the 1963 AFL Draft and they selected future Hall of Famer Buck Buchanan. 
2. The Jacksonville Jaguars chose OT Luke Joeckel from Texas A&M. Joeckel is the fifth Aggie chosen with this pick. Denver picked LB Von Miller with the second overall pick in 2011. A more infamous Aggie at #2, was in 1992, when Indianapolis picked LB Quentin Coryatt. This is the third time the Jaguars had the second pick. They chose OT Tony Boselli in 1995 and LB Kevin Hardy in 1996. Boselli was one of the best players Jacksonville ever had and Hardy had a respectable NFL career. 
3. The Miami Dolphins made a trade with Oakland to get this pick. The Dolphins selected LB Dion Jordan from Oregon. Jordan is the third Oregon player ever chosen with the third pick. The other two were QB Akili Smith by Cincinnati in 1999 and QB Joey Harrington by Detroit in 2002. Both were busts. This is the first time Miami has had the third pick. 
4. The Philadelphia Eagles chose OT Lane Johnson from Oklahoma. For the first time since 1968, three tackles were chosen with the first four picks. Johnson is the fourth Sooner taken with the fourth pick. Washington chose two, FB Leon Heath  in 1951 and OT Trent Williams in 2010, and RB Joe Washington by San Diego in 1976. Only Heath was a bust. The Eagles had the fourth pick, five other times. Every fourth pick Philly had was a good, except one. The exception was QB Davey O'Brien in 1939, who retired after his second season and joined the FBI. This is the same Davey O'Brien the best college quarterback award is named after. The last time Philadelphia had the fourth pick was in 1984, when they chose WR Kenny Jackson.
5. The Detroit Lions chose DE Ezekiel Ansah from BYU. Ansah is the second Cougar chosen with this pick. The other was QB Jim McMahon by Chicago. This is ironically the fifth time the Lions have had this pick. They have not had any luck with this pick. The first three times were busts (WB Jim Thomason 1941, FB Bob Westfall 1942, and C Joe Watson 1950), one chose to play in the AFL (QB Pete Beathard 1964), but their last #5 pick actually more than a couple of years for the team, DB Bryant Westbrook in 1997. To be fair, Thomason and Westfall fought in WWII before they played. Although Beathard never played a down for the Lions, he played from 1964-73. 
6. The Cleveland Browns chose DE Barkevious Mingo from LSU.  Mingo is the fourth LSU Tiger to be chosen with the #6 pick and LSU picks have fared well here. Two are still playing (DB LaRon Landry in 2007 by Washington and DB Morris Claiborne last year by Dallas) and one is in the Hall of Fame (QB Y.A. Tittle by Detroit in 1948). This is the third time Cleveland had the #6 pick. They first used this pick in 1956 to pick Hall of Fame RB Jim Brown from Syracuse. The other #6 was used in 2004 for TE Kellen Winslow, Jr. from Miami (FL).
7. The Arizona Cardinals chose G Jonathan Cooper from North Carolina. Cooper is the first Tarheel chosen at #7. This is the fifth time the Cardinals had the #7 pick.  Every pick was productive at some level. The last time Arizona had this pick was in 2000, when they picked RB Thomas Jones. He also had the longest playing career of the #7's, playing form 2000-11.
8. Buffalo traded down to get more picks and the St. Louis Rams chose WR Tavon Austin from West Virginia. Austin is the first Mountaineer chosen with this pick. This is also only the second time the Rams had this pick. They last had it in 1969, when the Los Angeles Rams chose RB Larry Smith from Florida. Smith played from 1969-74.
9. The New York Jets chose DB Dee Milliner from Alabama. Milliner is the fourth Crimson Tide player to be chosen with this pick. Only FB Butch Avinger, drafter #9 by Pittsburgh in 1953, was a bust. He played for one year. The last time an Alabama player was chosen with this pick was DB Antonio Langham by Cleveland. This the third time the Jets had this pick. Both of their previous #9's were tight ends who had productive NFL careers (Jerome Barkum in 1972 and Kyle Brady in 1995). 
10. The Tennessee Titans chose OG Chance Warmack from Alabama. Warmack is the first Crimson Tide player taken with this pick. This is also the Titans' first time with this pick, even as the Houston Oilers.
11. To round off the trio of Alabama players, the San Diego Chargers chose OT D.J. Fluker. As with Warmack, Fluker is the first Crimson Tide player ever taken with this pick. This is also San Diego's first time with the #11 pick.
12. From that trade with Miami, the Oakland Raiders picked DB DJ Hayden from Houston. Hayden is the first Cougar player picked 12th. To round out this trio of first timers, this is the Raiders' first time with this pick.
13. In a trade with Tampa Bay, the New York Jets chose DT Sheldon Richardson from Missouri. Richardson is the second Missouri Tiger chosen with this pick. Hall of Fame TE Kellen Winslow was chosen at #13 by San Diego. Richardson is the second player taken at #13 by the Jets. The last time New York had this pick, they chose DB Burgess Owens from Miami (FL). Owens played from 1973-82. 
14. The Carolina Panthers chose DT Star Lotulelei from Utah. Lotulelei is the first Ute chosen at #14. This is Carolina's second time with this pick. In 1997, they chose DE Jason Peter, who only played for a few years.
15. The New Orleans Saints selected S Kenny Vaccaro from Texas. Vaccaro is the second Longhorn choses at #15. The other was LB Derrick Johnson by Kansas City in 2005, who still plays for them. This is the Saints' first time with the 15th pick.
16. From the trade with St. Louis, the Buffalo Bills chose QB E.J. Manuel from Florida State. Manuel is the second Seminole taken with this pick. DT Travis Johnson was taken #16 by the Houston Texans in 2005. This is the fourth time Buffalo had this pick. The previous three had respectable NFL careers, most notably G Jim Ritcher (1980-95) and RB Ronnie Harmon (1986-97). The last time the Bills had this pick was in 1990, when they chose RB James E. Williams from Fresno State.
17. The Pittsburgh Steelers selected LB Jarvis Jones from Georgia. Jones is the second Bulldog chosen with this pick. Cincinnati chose LB David Pollack in 2005, who only played for a couple of seasons.This is Pittsburgh's fifth time with the #17 pick. They last picked DE Keith Gary from Oklahoma in 1981 and WR Charles Johnson from Colorado in 1994, neither one a bust. The only bust was QB/RB Billy Patterson from Baylor, chosen with this pick (in the third round) in 1939. 
18. In a trade with Dallas, the San Francisco 49ers selected S Eric Reid from LSU. Reid is the second LSU Tiger chosen with this pick. St. Louis picked WR Eddie Kennison in 1996, who played for 13 seasons in the league. This is the third time the 49ers had this pick. They chose DB Mike Holmes from Texas Southern in 1973 and DB Dana Hall from Washington in 1992. 
19. The New York Giants chose OT Justin Pugh from Syracuse. Pugh is the second Orange player chosen at #19. Indianapolis chose WR Marvin Harrison in 1996. This is New York's sixth time with this pick. The last one, DB Prince Amukamura, chosen in 2011, is still with the team. Outside of Amukamura and draft bust DB Henry Moore (1956 - Arkansas), the average career span with this group is seven seasons. 
20. The Chicago Bears selected G Kyle Long from Oregon. Kyle, the son of Hall of Fame DE Howie Long and brother of St. Louis DE Chris Long, is the first Duck chosen at #20. This is Chicago's second time at #20 in the first round. They picked DE Dave Gallagher from Michigan, who played in the league until 1979. However, they had the #20 pick five times in the second round, from 1949-63. Only two were busts, both in consecutive years and both OT's: Clyde Brock from Utah State in 1962 and Steve Barnett from Oregon in 1963.
21. The Cincinnati Bengals picked TE Tyler Eifert from Notre Dame. Eifert is the third Fighting Irish player taken with this pick. In 1997, Jacksonville chose DE Renaldo Wynn and in 2003, Cleveland picked C Jeff Faine. Both had respectable NFL careers and Faine still plays in the league and is now a teammate of Eifert with the Bengals.
22. In a trade with St. Louis, the Atlanta Falcons chose DB Desmond Trufant from Washington. Trufant is the first Huskie picked at #22. This is also the first time the Falcons had this pick.
23. The Minnesota Vikings selected DT Sharrif Floyd from Florida. He is the third Gator chosen with this pick. The Houston Oilers chose OT David W. Williams in 1989 and Oakland chose G Mo Collins in 1998. Both played for several years in the NFL. This is Minnesota's second time with #23. They last had it in 1965 and chose WR Lance Rentzel from Oklahoma, who played for nine seasons. 
24. The Indianapolis Colts, fresh of a successful first overall pick last year, chose DE Bjoern Werner from Florida State. Werner is the second Seminole selected with this pick. Pittsburgh drafted DB J.T. Thomas in 1973, who won four Super Bowls with the team. This is Indy's eighth time with the #24 pick. Their last pick, from 2003, is still playing in the league, TE Dallas Clark from Iowa. Between 1958-63, The Baltimore Colts had this pick in the second round. None of those players selected played past 1969.
25. In a trade with Seattle, the Minnesota Vikings returned to the first round and picked CB Xavier Rhodes from Florida State. Rhodes is the third Seminole player chosen at #25. Atlanta picked DB Bobby Butler in 1981 and San Francisco picked RB Dexter Carter in 1990. Both had respectable NFL careers. This is Minnesota's sixth time with this pick, the last three being on defense. They last chose DT Chris Hovan from Boston College in 2000 with this pick. All of Minnesota's #25 picks played for at least seven years.
26. The Green Bay Packers selected DE Datone Jones from UCLA. This is the first time a Bruin was picked at #26. This is Green Bay's sixth time at #26. They last chose LB Clay Matthews from USC with this pick in 2009. In fact, the last three times the Packers had this pick, they chose linebackers (Matthews, John Anderson from Michigan in 1978 and George Cumby from Oklahoma in 1980). Outside of Matthews, the average career span of Green Bay's #26 picks is eight seasons.
27. The Houston Texans chose WR DeAndre Hopkins from Clemson. Hopkins is the second player from Clemson  to be selected with this pick. Green Bay chose FB/K Fred Cone in 1951. He played for nine seasons. This is Houston's second time with this pick. They last chose LB Jason Babin from Western Michigan. Hopkins could be yet another good pick at #27 for the Texans.
28. The Denver Broncos picked DT Sylvester Williams from North Carolina. Williams is the fourth Tarheel to be chosen at #28. The last Tarheel chosen was DB Thomas Smith by Buffalo in 1993. The other two were T Brian Blados by Cincinnati in 1984 and T Glen Szafaryn by Washington in 1949. All had respectable careers. This is Denver's second time with this pick, last selecting DT Trevor Pryce from Clemson in 1997. He played from 1997-2010.
29. In a trade with New England, the Minnesota Vikings once again returned to the first round and selected WR Cordarrelle Patterson from Tennessee. Patterson is the second Volunteer to be chosen with this pick. The Chicago Cardinals chose E Al Hust in 1943. He served in WWII and played one season with the team in 1946. His career stat is one reception for nine yards. This is Minnesota's fifth time with this pick and except for two, they haven't fared very well. Their lone good pick was their first one, Hall of Fame QB Fran Tarkenton from Georgia in 1961. The other was drafted last year out of Notre Dame, FS Harrison Smith.
30. From that trade with Atlanta, the St. Louis Rams chose LB Alec Ogletree from Georgia. Ogletree is the first Georgia Bulldog ever taken with this pick.  This is St. Louis' first time with this pick in Round 1, but it's their tenth time with this pick in other rounds. They last had this pick in 1992 and the Los Angeles Rams chose DB Steve Israel. Historically, the Rams have not fared very well with this pick. Most of the players were busts and two (a 3rd rounder in 1937 and a 5th rounder in 1948) were cut before the season started. Only Israel played for more than just a few seasons, from 1992-2001.
31. In a trade with San Francisco, the Dallas Cowboys picked C Travis Frederick from Wisconsin. Frederick is Wisconsin's first ever pick at #31. This is also Dallas' first time with this pick.
32. The Baltimore Ravens finished off Round 1 by selecting S Matt Elam from Florida. Elam is the first Gator chosen with the 32nd pick. It is also Baltimore's first time with this pick. When the Ravens won Super Bowl XXXV in 2001, they had the 31st pick in 2001. The Houston Texans started drafting players in 2002.

There you have it. Again, the draft is one big crapshoot. Although this is not considered one of the more talent laden drafts, only time will tell. The NFL Draft is a time of hope and let's hope it produces some great players.

Have a great day!!!