The first night of the NFL draft was full of surprises, from the seemingly lopsided trades of teams looking to move up to the players selected several spots before they were projected to go.
Perhaps the most surprising thing about Thursday’s first round was the collection of names that remained on the board for Day 2. Here’s a look at the some of the players with first-round talent who didn’t hear their names called in Round 1:
Dalvin Cook
Florida State’s star running back seemed like a lock to be selected in the first round after posting 1,765 yards and 19 touchdowns in his junior season. Cook saw both Leonard Fournette and Christian McCaffrey go in the top 10, Fournette going fourth overall to the Jacksonville Jaguars and McCaffrey going eighth to the Carolina Panthers. Cook could conceivably go to the Packers or Seahawks, the teams that hold the first two picks of the second round.
Cam Robinson
The 6-foot-6 former Alabama offensive tackle was projected to go somewhere in the middle of the first round, but after a 20-pick wait, the first offensive lineman off the board was Utah’s Garett Bolles. Tackle Ryan Ramczyk of Wisconsin joined Bolles later in the first round, leaving Robinson as the odd man out.
Quincy Wilson
The University of Florida defensive back was considered a fringe first-round selection after a 33-tackle, three-interception season. Eight defensive backs came off the board Thursday night, but not Wilson.
Forrest Lamp
Much like Robinson, the limited number of offensive lineman taken in the first round pushed Lamp to the back of the line. Considered one of the most talent players at his position going into the night, Lamp undoubtedly will find a home on Friday night.
DeShone Kizer
Although Kizer wasn’t slated to be taken as high as some of the other quarterbacks available, some believed a team at the back end of the first round would take a chance on the Notre Dame product. With several teams still seemingly in precarious quarterback positions entering next season, it appears he’ll find a home sooner rather than later.
About the Author
