Monday 30 April 2018 12:26, UK
After months of build-up and conversation, the 2018 NFL Draft is in the books.
It was quite the three days in Dallas as the Cleveland Browns delivered a shock at the very top and the headlines kept coming.
Here are my six most notable and significant moments from the latest instalment of the annual college selection process.
The Cleveland Browns delivered a "wow" moment with the first overall pick as they selected Oklahoma quarterback Baker Mayfield, ahead of fellow passers Sam Darnold, Josh Allen and Josh Rosen. According to NFL Network draft expert Mike Mayock, Mayfield was the fourth best quarterback available.
Fellow pundit Troy Aikman - a three-time Super Bowl-winning quarterback himself - also admitted to being "surprised". But the Browns were convinced of Mayfield's talents, swagger and ability to lead a struggling team to much greater success in the future.
Given the long wait for a quarterback hero in Cleveland - coupled with the fact the Browns chose not to take Carson Wentz or Deshaun Watson in recent drafts - this young man enters his rookie season with a hefty weight of expectation on his shoulders. My biggest worry is his size. At 6-foot, Mayfield is a first-round anomaly - only one other QB under 6'1'' has been taken in the opening round in the last 15 years and Johnny Manziel (also selected by Cleveland) is no longer in the league.
It cannot be easy sitting in the green room at the NFL Draft as you wait for your name to be called, but young players know the deal and have to find a way to handle that situation with class.
Ahead of this year's draft, questions arose about the temperament of UCLA passer Josh Rosen. And when he slipped to 10th overall, I don't think he made that conversation go away as he sat there with a face like he had been sucking on a lemon.
After being selected by the Arizona Cardinals, Rosen said that the nine teams ahead of them made a mistake and he would spend the next decade and a half making them pay. Really? Did San Francisco make a mistake with Jimmy Garoppolo under center? How about Chicago with last year's No 2 pick Mitchell Trubisky? Or the Colts with Andrew Luck (when healthy)?
Rosen was lashing out, made himself look silly, and has just cemented the belief that he is going to be a prickly character to deal with in the NFL.
When news broke that the New Orleans Saints were giving up a fifth-round draft pick this year and a 2019 first-rounder to swap places with the Green Bay Packers, I felt certain they were grabbing Lamar Jackson as the eventual replacement for Drew Brees at quarterback.
It was a view widely shared but we were all left shocked by the selection of defensive end Marcus Davenport, who played his college football at a very small school, the University of Texas San Antonio. It is a major gamble given that future first-rounders are normally given up to go and get a quarterback.
Davenport is raw with major upside. The Saints feel teaming him with Cam Jordan gives them a dynamic edge-rushing presence. It also suggests they are all in for chasing a Super Bowl in Brees' final years. The move needs to pay off because New Orleans paid a high price.
The best moment of the entire NFL Draft came ahead of the 28th pick when Pittsburgh linebacker Ryan Shazier was seen walking for the first time since undergoing spinal stabilization surgery after a Week 13 injury against Cincinnati last season.
Supported by his fiancée, Michelle Rodriguez, Shazier's walk was both inspirational and heartbreaking as he made it to the podium to announce the Steelers' pick. To see such a proud athlete reduced to this was upsetting, but it was also so moving to see how he has fought back from a devastating injury and he should serve as an inspiration to us all.
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell pointed out what an inspiration Shazier has been to every NFL player, coach, official and fan. And he was right. The Pro Bowl defender has a long way to go on his road to a full recovery, but to see Shazier take those first steps last Thursday night was something truly special.
Doing rounds of pre-NFL Draft interviews last week, I was asked who might take a chance on Central Florida linebacker Shaquem Griffin - an outstanding athlete and role model who had his left hand amputated at the age of four after suffering a congenital disease.
I felt the Seattle Seahawks would be one of the more open-minded clubs willing to take a chance on the speedy linebacker who was the fastest in his position group in more than 15 years during the pre-draft testing process.
For once, I was right and I was happy to be so! Griffin was chosen by the Seahawks in the fifth round and joins his twin brother, Shaquill, who also plays for Seattle. The sight of the pair hugging and in tears after the announcement was very moving.
Shaquem said he couldn't breathe or speak at the time. While credit goes to the Seahawks for taking a chance, it is not that big a gamble. Let's remember that Shaquem Griffin is a special talent and he pretty much made the Seahawks' mind up for them with his tremendous athleticism and playmaking ability.
Oh, and stating that the kid knows something about overcoming adversity is kind of a given!
The final round of the 2018 NFL Draft provided some international flavour as Australian rugby league player Jordan Mailata - who has never played a single down of American football in his life - was taken by the Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles.
So why take a chance on Mailata? How about the fact that Mailata is just 20 years of age and already stands 6'8'', weighs in at 346 pounds and moves like a big wide receiver?
This is a diamond with quite a lot of rough but the Eagles loved his potential and didn't want to risk losing him in the post-draft free agency rush. It will take time for Mailata to hone his craft but his is a name worth keeping an eye out for in the future.
