Putting a former player into the first round of the NFL draft is a win for programs and head coaches, who can then tout their…
Putting a former player into the first round of the NFL draft is a win for programs and head coaches, who can then tout their past successes in player development to recruits and parents in living rooms across America.
The first round of Thursday’s draft had its share of big winners, led by the coronation of Oklahoma as the destination of choice for quarterbacks who hope to A) win a Heisman Trophy, and B) eventually be selected with the top pick. (Transferring is optional but preferred.)
On the other hand, the draft was notable for the success of four of the Power Five — everyone but the Pac-12, which was largely absent. Here are some of college football’s winners and losers from the first round:
Winners
Oklahoma
This will make a neat recruiting graphic for Lincoln Riley’s purposes: For the second year in a row, an Oklahoma quarterback fresh off the Heisman Trophy went first overall. Kyler Murray follows in Baker Mayfield’s footsteps as the Cardinals unite Murray’s athleticism with one of the sport’s most inventive offensive minds in first-year head coach Kliff Kingsbury. Less than four months ago, Kingsbury was the offensive coordinator at Southern California and Murray was set to leave football behind and join the Oakland Athletics.
Murray was the fifth Oklahoma player to go first overall, tying the Sooners with Southern California for the most by any school in draft history. Murray and Mayfield are joined by quarterback Sam Bradford (2010), running back Billy Sims (1980) and defensive lineman Lee Roy Selmon (1976). There’s another graphic.
The SEC
The annual tradition of SEC dominance at the NFL draft continued as expected, with three former SEC standouts going among the first seven picks and nine overall going in the first round.
