If I had to use one word to recap the first day of the 2017 NFL Draft, it would be "whirlwind."
Thursday night, the Draft kicked off in Philadelphia, and from the moment it started, you could feel the excitement, and didn't dissipate all evening. Texas A&M defensive end Myles Garrett was widely assumed to be the first overall pick, and was, but following that initial selection, the Draft took an interesting turn, which leads us to the shocker of the day.
**Shocker of the Day:
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For months, NFL draft analysts have produced a multitude of mock drafts conveying where they projected players to get drafted, but nobody saw what was about to happen after the Cleveland Browns selected Garrett first overall.
In a strange turn of events, the San Francisco 49ers traded their second overall pick to the Chicago Bears in return for the third overall pick, a 2017 third and fourth rounder, and a 2018 third round pick. In the NFL, draft picks are hot commodities, so you might be asking, "who was worthy of the Bears major move?"
University of North Carolina quarterback Mitchell Trubisky.
A one-year starter at UNC, Trubisky led his team to an 8-5 record, and a Sun Bowl berth against the Stanford Cardinal. Many analysts had him in the upper echelon of this year's quarterback class, but didn't expect any of them to go as early as No. 2.
Ohio State Makes History:
The Oakland Raiders helped the Buckeyes make history on Thursday night with the selection of cornerback Gareon Conley. With the 24th overall pick in the first round, the Silver and Black took the third Ohio State cornerback off the board, tying the University of Miami (FL) for most defensive backs taken in the first round (2002).
Malik Hooker and Marshon Lattimore are considered to be highly-productive players,capable of making noise in the league, but entering the draft NFL Network analyst Mike Mayock ranked Conley as the second-best corner in this class. It should be fun watching him suit up in the Silver and Black this season.
**Trades:
Check out the Oakland Raiders first round pick CB Gareon Conley.
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As stated previously, the draft was a whirlwind, in large part because of the amount of trades that took place. Here's a breakdown of the notable moves made on, and leading up to, Day One:
Patriots trade for wide receiver Brandin Cooks.
Saints receive:
- 2017 first-round pick (No. 32): Ryan Ramczyk, OT, Wisconsin
- 2017 third-round pick (No. 103):
Patriots receive:
- WR Brandin Cooks
- 2017 fourth-round pick (No. 118) -- Forfeited due to Deflategate
Bears throw the kitchen sink at the 49ers for their potential starting quarterback.
Bears receive:
- 2017 first-round pick (No. 2): Mitchell Trubisky, QB, North Carolina
49ers receive:
- 2017 first-round pick (No. 3): Solomon Thomas, DE, Stanford
- 2017 third-round pick (No. 67):
- 2017 fourth-round pick (No. 111) -- traded to Seahawks
- 2018 third-round pick
49ers trade back into the first round.
49ers receive:
- 2017 first-round pick (No. 31): Reuben Foster, LB, Alabama
Seahawks receive:
- 2017 second-round pick (No. 34):
- 2017 fourth-round pick (No. 111):
Kiper's Top Prospects:
After a productive first day of the Draft, here's a look at ESPN Draft Insider Mel Kiper, Jr.'s, top remaining prospects:
Forrest Lamp – G, Western Kentucky
Zay Jones – WR, East Carolina
Kevin King – CB, Washington
Cam Robinson – OT, Alabama
DeMarcus Walker – DE, Florida State
Budda Baker – S, Washington
Dalvin Cook – RB, Florida State
Chris Wormley – DT, Michigan
Malik McDowell – DT, Michigan State
Josh Jones – S, NC State
Day Two of the Draft kicks off Friday at 4 p.m. PT, continue to follow along with Raiders.com for more updates and news.