A Short Description
Every year, the NFL draft is hosted in April, and this year’s draft has been an event of historic moments and surprises. The first NFL draft was in 1936 at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Philadelphia. The event has taken place in many places, but the setting for this year’s draft is Title Town USA, or better known as Green Bay, Wisconsin, home of the NFL team, the Green Bay Packers. The draft now consists of seven rounds and 257 picks and is the spectacle of the NFL offseason, but the draft was hardly that when it first took place. The first draft only had 81 picks from a pool of 90 players (NFL.com)
Some Spotlights
This year’s draft was nothing short of interesting. The first round started with a bang when Miami QB Cam Ward was selected with the first overall pick by the Tennessee Titans. Up was the Jacksonville Jaguars, who selected Heisman winner and two-way star, Travis Hunter, out of Colorado. The rest of the first round went as expected, with teams taking the players who were predicted to be chosen. That is… until the 25th pick came around, the New York Giants made a trade with the Houston Texans for the 25th pick. The Giants selected Ole Miss QB Jackson Dart, making him just the second quarterback chosen in the draft over names like Shadarius Sanders and Jalen Milroe. Another story of night one was that Shedur Sanders fell out of the first round, a story which almost nobody predicted. (ESPN)
Local View
To get a local view of things, the Indianapolis Colts selected eight players in this year’s draft. Their first pick, and most notable, was tight end Tyler Warren from Penn State. Tight end was a position the Colts were in dire need of, and Warren fills that role instantly, where he is sure to start in his rookie season and make an impact. The Colts also selected a familiar face to many Indiana sports fans when they selected Notre Dame quarterback, Riley Leonard, in the sixth round. Leonard led the Fighting Irish to the National Championship game this year and is sure to be a competent backup to Anthony Richardson.
A Cass County View
To get the local view of things, John Oesher of the Jacksonville Jaguars explained that they selected Notre Dame linebacker Jack Kiser with the 107th pick. Kiser, a 2019 alum of Pioneer High School, led the Panthers to two state titles and the Fighting Irish defense to the National Championship game. Kiser also broke the Notre Dame record for most games played for the blue and gold. Jack will certainly add the depth and experience the Jaguars are looking for in the linebacker position (Jaguars.com). Jack Kiser is definitely making Cass County proud.
Looking Back
In conclusion, the NFL draft is a yearly tradition that has evolved, but maintains its storied past. The draft never fails to amaze its fans, who watch it with all its momentous moments each year. This year’s draft did not break from that!
