Jude Magnotti ‘26
EE Sports Columnist
Anger, horror, euphoria, these are just some of the emotions that football fans experience around this time of year. The reason? The NFL Draft!
Fans care about what happens on the field, but the draft is where the sausage gets made. It’s where teams are built, dreams come true, and the promise of a better future is granted to every single draftee.
With that being said, the draft has been documented as one of the most emotional nights in sports. GMs jobs are on the line, scouts are begging for their picks to work out, and people can go from joyful one moment, to a raging monster the next.
This year proved to be no exception. Just twelve picks into the draft and history was already made…TWICE. Six quarterbacks were selected within the first twelve picks, and all 12 of those picks were offensive players; the first time any of those things have happened in NFL history.
Fans went crazy when players like Caleb Williams and Drake Maye went off the board. Meanwhile, fans could only scratch their heads when guys like Bo Nix and Taliese Fuaga went off the board wondering who the heck their favorite team just drafted.
Marvin Harrison Jr, one of the highest regarded wide receiver prospects in years, found his new home at number 4 overall with the Arizona Cardinals. Harrison should give Kyler Murray a much needed weapon heading into the upcoming season as the Cardinals try to bounce back from their last place in the division finish.
The Bears, Commanders, and Patriots all found who they believe to be franchise quarterbacks in Caleb Williams, Jayden Daniels, and Drake Maye respectively. With the Justin Fields era in Chicago over, the Bears are heading in a new direction with the picks of Williams along with standout wide receiver Rome Odunze. Hopefully, the combination of Oduzune and D.J. Moore along with a bulked up offensive line can give Williams a far easier rookie season then his fellow number 1 overall pick Bryce Young.
The Commanders have ended things with Sam Howell and believe they have the next RG3 in Jayden Daniels. The Patriots as well have cast Mac Jones out and spent another first round pick on a quarterback (something they did not have to do for nearly 20 years). How will Maye adapt to the Belichick system? Who knows but expect some road bumps along the way.
With all that being said, these picks were expected to happen. What was not expected to happen was the Falcons absolutely shocking the WORLD by selecting Michael Penix Jr. 8th overall after just giving Kirk Cousins a 100 Million dollar contract. 24 hours later still everyone has absolutely no clue what the Falcons are doing, and even Kirk himself is angry with the organization.
Still, the only thing that is for certain is that at the end of this the Falcons are either going to look like geniuses, or like they just pulled 28-3 again only this time with a draft pick.
Another notable storyline of the night was the Chiefs FINALLY selecting a wide receiver in the first round in Xavier Worthey. The wideout from Texas possesses elite speed, but will he be able to handle the pressure of one day potentially being Patrick Mahomes number 1 option? Only time will tell.
Now, while we all know that the league loves offense, I think we did not realize just HOW MUCH. A defensive player was not taken till the 15th overall pick in Laiatu Latu. For reference, this was a player that was previously viewed as a top seven pick who now has to take a several million dollar pay cut because of the league’s almost psychotic obsession with reducing the value of good defense.
People knew that the draft would be exciting but I don’t think that anybody could have predicted the chaos that ensued. The Falcons selection of Michael Penix JR. will go down in infamous no matter what happens, and Caleb Williams has got his work cut out for him in Chicago, but that’s the beauty of the draft! It gives players a chance at a dream that every little kid has around the world: to play in the national football league.
Now, with the first round done, and 6 rounds left to go, these young men take their first steps into what will be the most exciting part of their entire lives. Some will succeed, some will fail, but each and everyone of these players has a chance at greatness…all they have to do is reach out and take it.
Photo courtesy ChicagoBears.com