Day one of the 2006 NFL Draft is officially on the books. There are always some surprises, some head scratchers, and some draft day firsts. Here are a few of them:
Buckeye Bonanza
Ohio State not only had five players selected in the first round, but there were two Buckeyes in the first eight selections. They would end up with seven draftees through the first three rounds and some experts predict that there could be as many as three more drafted on day two. Three linebackers from last year's Ohio State defense were drafted on the first day and believe it or not, that's the fifth time that three OSU linebackers have been selected in the same draft (1971, 1974, 1986, 1995, 2006).
Over Bill-ed?
Donte Whitner was surging up some people's draft charts but all the way to number eight? Obviously Buffalo was impressed enough with his post-season performance to ignore the fact that he was considered a late first round pick at best when teams were actually playing football.
Trojan Hoarse
Winston Justice not only falls out of the top 15 picks but into the second round? No wonder Philadelphia moved up to grab him and subsequently one of the day's best value picks. It was a bad day all around for USC Trojans. Reggie Bush fell out of the top spot, Matt Leinart fell to number ten, LenDale White fell to number 45 and Darnell Bing is still available going into day two of the draft.
Pope-On-A-Rope?
Another guy that had to be wondering what on earth he did wrong was Leonard Pope. He fell to the Cardinals in the third round after being touted as the number one tight end on some boards.
D-Line Dominance
Mario Williams became just the second defensive end drafted first overall in the last twenty years. Courtney Brown was first overall in 2000 but you have to go back to Bruce Smith in 1985 to find one before that. As surprised as most people were, it's the fourth straight first round selection that Houston has used on the defensive side of the ball.
North Carolina State had never had more than one player drafted in the first round, so to have three was historical indeed. Williams of course went to the Texans, Manny Lawson went to the 49ers at number 22 and John McCargo went to the Buffalo Bills at the number 26. Three first rounders from the same defensive line is impressive indeed.
Wait A Secondary
Looking for cover? A lot of teams were on Saturday. Ten of the first thirty-two selections called were defensive backs, with Michael Huff being the first (Oakland).
Here is a complete list of the first round selections in the 2006 NFL Draft:
#1 - Houston Texans - DE Mario Williams
#2 - New Orleans - RB Reggie Bush
#3 - Tennesse Titans - QB Vince Young
#4 - New York Jets - OT D’Brickashaw Ferguson
#5 - Green Bay Packers - LB A.J. Hawk
#6 - San Francisco 49ers - TE Vernon Davis
#7 - Oakland Raiders - DB Michael Huff
#8 - Buffalo Bills - S Donte Whitner
#9 - Detroit Lions - LB Ernie Sims
#10 - Arizona Cardinals - QB Matt Leinart
#11 - Denver Broncos (from Rams) - QB Jay Cutler
#12 - Baltimore Ravens (from Browns) - DT Haloti Ngata
#13 - Cleveland Browns (from Ravens) - DE Kamerion Wimbley
#14 - Philadelphia Eagles - DT Brodrick Bunkley
#15 - St. Louis Rams (from Broncos) - CB Tye Hill
#16 - Miami Dolphins - S Jason Allen
#17 - Minnesota Vikings - LB Chad Greenway
#18 - Dallas Cowboys - OLB Bobby Carpenter
#19 - San Diego Chargers -CB Antonio Cromartie
#20 - Kansas City Chiefs - DE Tamba Hali
#21 - New England Patriots - RB Laurence Maroney
#22 - San Francisco 49ers - DE Manny Lawson
#23 - Tampa Bay Buccaneers - OG Davin Joseph
#24 - Cincinnati Bengals - DB Johnathan Joseph
#25 - Pittsburgh Steelers (from Giants) - WR Santonio Holmes
#26 - Buffalo Bills (from Bears) - DT John McCargo
#27 - Carolina Panthers - RB DeAngelo Williams
#28 - Jacksonville Jaguars - TE Marcedes Lewis
#29 - New York Jets - C Nick Mangold
#30 - Indianapolis Colts - RB Joseph Addai
#31 - Seattle Seahawks - CB Kelly Jennings
#32 - New York Giants (from Steelers) - DE Mathias Kiwanuka
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