NFL draft, first round: Defense early, then offense, with receivers a focal point
LAS VEGAS — In an NFL draft focused early on stoppers, it was the goers – wide receivers – who stole the spotlight Thursday night.Yes, the first five selections came on the defensive side of the ball, including edge rushers Travon Walker of national champion Georgia to Jacksonville and Aidan Hutchinson of Michigan to Detroit at Nos. 1 and 2. It was the first time in 31 years that no player on offense went in the opening five picks.
“I’m definitely prepared for it, being the No. 1 pick,” Walker said. “I have to say there’s a lot of expectations behind that, but it’s just the game of football to me.” Hutchinson, a sack-master whose consistency and relentlessness helped the Wolverines to their first College Football Playoff, is staying home as a pro. The 6-foot-6, 265-pounder whose father Chris was a star player at Michigan in the 1990s, was the Heisman Trophy runner-up last season.Cornerbacks Derek Stingley Jr. and Ahmad “Sauce” Gardner went next, to the Houston Texans and New York Jets, respectively.
When teams got around to the other side of the ball, they couldn’t stop. It began with North Carolina State tackle Ikem Ekwonu to Carolina and Alabama tackle Evan Neal to the Giants. Both teams are needy, to say the least, up front. Another Georgia standout, defensive tackle Jordan Davis, was taken by Philadelphia at 13 after yet another deal, getting matters back to the defensive side. Later on, linebacker Quay Walker of the Bulldogs went to Green Bay, as did teammate Devante Wyatt. It’s the first time four players from the same defense went so early. And it became five when Minnesota concluded the dizzying first round by getting Georgia safety Lewis Cine.
“I think it’s a really valuable position,” Wilson said. “And I think the league is starting to show that in drafts and in the offseason. Being a receiver, I love to see it. You see people like Tyreek Hill and Davante Adams, I mean those people, they change offenses. You know, Ja’Marr Chase, they change offenses, and I’m happy that receivers are starting to get that love.
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