Pick-six took on an entirely different meaning during the first round of the NFL Draft on Thursday night in Detroit.
Led by Southern California signal-caller Caleb Williams, who went No. 1 to the Chicago Bears, six of the first 12 picks were quarterbacks for the first time in league history.
Each of the first 14 picks was an offensive player, which doubled the previous record of seven offensive players to start the draft in 2021.
“To be able to be here, it’s an honor,” Williams said on the NFL Network after the Bears called his name. “I’m very privileged.”
A half-dozen franchises hope they found their long-term answer at quarterback.
LSU’s Jayden Daniels went No. 2 to the Washington Commanders and North Carolina’s Drake Maye went No. 3 to the New England Patriots to start the draft.
“Let’s go,” Maye said on the broadcast. “I’m ready to go compete. I’m ready to get to New England. We’re going to have a blast.”
The early sequence marked the fourth time in NFL history that teams selected quarterbacks with each of the top three picks. It also happened in 1971, 1999 and 2021, the most recent time when Trevor Lawrence, Zach Wilson and Trey Lance went in the top three.
The Atlanta Falcons provided the first big surprise of the evening by selecting Washington quarterback Michael Penix Jr. at No. 8. The Falcons spent a first-round pick on a quarterback despite signing veteran signal-caller Kirk Cousins in March to a deal worth $100 million guaranteed.
Cousins got a brief heads-up from the Falcons, when they were on the clock, that they planned to select another quarterback in the first round, according to the veteran QB’s agent.
The Minnesota Vikings traded up one spot in the draft to ensure that they got their target, Michigan quarterback J.J. McCarthy, at No. 10 overall. The Vikings sent a fourth- and fifth-round pick to the New York Jets and received a sixth-round pick in return as part of the swap.
At No. 12, the Denver Broncos picked the sixth quarterback of the evening, Oregon’s Bo Nix.
Teams also focused on wide receiver and offensive line in a first round that was dominated by offense.
The Arizona Cardinals added Ohio State wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. with the fourth pick. Harrison, the son of Pro Football Hall of Famer Marvin Harrison Sr., has drawn comparisons to legendary Cardinals wideout Larry Fitzgerald Jr.
Harrison Jr. said he was confident that he would be the first wideout selected.
“I just had trust in my abilities,” he said. “I worked so hard to get to this point.”
At No. 5, the Los Angeles Chargers bolstered their offensive line by selecting Notre Dame left tackle Joe Alt. It marked the first pick under new coach Jim Harbaugh.
The New York Giants picked the second wideout of the draft when they added playmaker Malik Nabers from LSU with the sixth overall choice.
Alabama offensive lineman JC Latham went to the Tennessee Titans at No. 7. Latham, who stands 6-foot-6 and weighs 342 pounds, embraced NFL commissioner Roger Goodell in a giant bear hug and lifted him high off the ground.
“I let him know, man,” Latham said with a smile. “I had to let him know. A lot of excitement.”
The Bears used the ninth pick to select Washington wideout Rome Odunze, who will join Williams as part of a reinvigorated offense.
Odunze said he could not wait to team up with Williams.
“From the glimpses that I’ve been able to hang out with him, I can tell he has that determination, as do I,” Odunze said.
The Jets used the 11th pick to grab Olumuyiwa Fashanu, an offensive lineman from Penn State.
The Las Vegas Raiders added tight end Brock Bowers from Georgia at No. 13. The New Orleans Saints grabbed Oregon State offensive lineman Taliese Fuaga to make it 14 offensive players in a row.
The Indianapolis Colts finally put the spotlight on defense at No. 15. The Colts selected edge rusher Laiatu Latu from UCLA.
The next five picks featured the Seattle Seahawks selecting Texas defensive tackle Byron Murphy II; the Vikings trading up for Alabama edge rusher Dallas Turner; the Bengals turning to Georgia offensive lineman Amarius Mims; the Los Angeles Rams taking Florida State edge rusher Jared Verse; and the Pittsburgh Steelers drafting Washington offensive lineman Troy Fautanu at No. 20.
Three picks later, the Jacksonville Jaguars looked to improve their big-play ability by selecting LSU wideout Brian Thomas Jr. The Detroit Lions followed moments later by trading up to get the No. 24 pick, which they used to select Alabama cornerback Terrion Arnold.
A massive crowd cheered as Arnold took the microphone and turned to them during the NFL Network broadcast.
“Detroit, you all got a star, man,” he said. “Hey, I’m home. I’m home.”
The defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs grabbed speedster, wideout Xavier Worthy out of Texas, at No. 28. The San Francisco 49ers prioritized the same position by taking Florida wideout Ricky Pearsall at No. 31, and the Carolina Panthers wrapped up the first round by selecting South Carolina wide receiver Xavier Legette at No. 32.
