About Last Night

RGIII and Luck – Photograph: Adam Hunger/Reuters

The first round of the NFL draft ended in near record speed – just about 3 hours. It felt like a whirlwind date. The first two picks were just like the picture. Andrew Luck of Stanford was the #1 pick for the Indianapolis Colts and the Robert Griffin III went 2nd to the Washington Redskins. That’s when things started to get interesting. The trades started flying and shifting.

Then there was a surprise gift! The Cleveland Browns moved up one spot but gave the Minnesota Vikings a lot for it. They selected RB Trent Richardson, the running back that Browns legend Jim Brown referred to as “ordinary.” According to the Vikes, there was a competitive offer for the 3rd pick, but the Browns put it all out there and beat it. Later on the Browns would select 28 year-old Quarterback Brandon Weeden at #22. Colt McCoy was at home on a roller coaster – first the gift of a solid RB then the man who would take his job as starter. Tough. Larry Fitzgerald didn’t want to be alone so he suggested that the team give him a receiving friend and he got one: Michael Floyd, WR from Notre Dame. Fast and strong, he should have fun flying with the Cardinals.

Dallas and New England Move Up the Board

Then a few picks the stars came out. The Dallas Cowboys moved up #6 to take a solid defensive back Morris Claiburne out of LSU. With tears and deference, Claiburne thanked Jerry Jones and Coach Garrett while promising to push even hard, be even better. The two working class cities – Pittsburgh and Detroit – took the players that should be solid for the next decade, putting on their hard hats and keeping order. The Steelers took David DeCastro from Stanford while Detroit snapped up Reilly Reiff from Iowa. Both players will have immediate impact – especially for Pittsburgh who could have used DeCastro last year in that playoff game against the Broncos.

Coach Belichick in a suit moves up the board. Michael Dwyer/AP

Coach Belichick dressed up for our draft night opting to wear a suit. And then he actually chose to pay full price moving up the board to #22 to take DE Chandler Jones. I want to know what that kid did at Syracuse because ultimate player-GM Coach Hoodie is tight with his picks. [What got into Belichick?]

Seattle Shocker Pick

The ultimate shock of the night was the Seattle Seahawks daring pick of Bruce Irvin at #15. Irvin has a bad, bad reputation and was part of some unsavory acts as a young teen so much that his mother put him out of the house. No one doubts his on-field ability but the off-the-field antics could keep Pete Carroll very busy (or climbing the Space Needle.)

When we all woke up in the morning, the fallout continued as current players wondered what the Friday Night moves meant for them. Were they real? Will fans lives forever be changed because of the magic of Draft Date night?

I don’t know. I’m the girl with the team home alone (Raiders have no pick until Round 3.)