Cheese Curds 4/28: Day 1 of the 2017 Draft filled with unexpected twists and turns

The pick is in!

The day has come and gone and it was definitely one for the record books. Each year the draft comes with an element of drama but it seems like 2017 was extra spicy.

For starters, Clemson QB Deshaun Watson, who was projected to be selected number one overall by the Browns in many mock drafts early on in the process, fell all the way to no. 12 where he was selected by Houston after making a trade with Cleveland for their second pick. The Browns instead opted to select Texas A&M DE Myles Garrett first, a player who has been compared to NFL greats like Julius Peppers and DeMarcus Ware. Garrett is insanely athletic for a DE of his size, running a 4.64 40-yard dash at this year’s combine.

North Carolina QB Mitch Trubisky was selected by the Packers’ division rival Chicago Bears after making a trade with the 49ers for the no. 2 overall selection. Trubisky played just one year in college but has shown an incredible amount of athleticism for having only 13 college starts under his belt.

Likewise, in a draft that was projected to be defensive heavy with a wide selection of elite college CBs, offensive players made a surprising splash. Of the first ten selections three were WRs and two were RBs. The first CB to be selected was Marshon Lattimore to the Saints at number 11.

For the Packers, the late round picks were more surprising than initially anticipated. The Browns, who left day one with three first round selections, traded the 29^th overall pick with the Packers and selected Miami TE David Njoku.

Green Bay will now select first today, drafting number 33 overall and no. 108 overall. The last time Ted Thompson traded out of the first round was in 2008 when the Packers selected Jordy Nelson.

Unfortunately by trading to the second round, the Packers lost the opportunity to draft LB and Wisconsin native LB TJ Watt, who was drafted 30^th overall by the Steelers. At least someone was happy about that.

The full list of first round selections can be found here.

DE Myles Garrett Goes No. 1 Overall to the Browns | ESPN

Myles Garrett was a force to be reckoned with at Texas A&M and now he’ll be heading to the midwest to help rebuild an ailing Browns team. It was rumored that Cleveland knew who they were going to select two weeks ago. This no. 1 overall pick was not surprising.

Pros and cons for every 2017 NFL first-round draft pick | ESPN

The 49ers made a late trade with Seattle to select Alabama LB Reuben Foster, who at no. 31 overall was a steal for San Francisco. Foster was projected to be a top ten pick, so the fact that the 49ers were able to select the LB that late in the draft was one of the biggest wins of round one.

Takk McKinley fulfilling a promise to his grandma was the best moment of the draft | Sports Illustrated

UCLA defensive lineman Takk McKinley became a household name after carrying a framed photograph of his grandmother on stage. McKinley, who was raised by his grandmother and is now deceased, told the story of the promise he made to her to one day play in the NFL. He was drafted no. 26 overall by the Falcons.

Raiders Select Gareon Conley in 2017 NFL Draft amid Controversy | Bleacher Report

It seems every year as we inch closer to draft day, at least one player has a controversial past revealed to the public. Just two days before day one of this year’s draft, TMZ revealed that the Raiders’ no. 1 selection and no. 15 overall Gareon Conley was accused by a woman in Cleveland of sexually assaulting her. Whether or not these allegations are true is yet to be determined but for now, Conley will be wearing black and silver on Sundays.

Best players still available entering Day 2 | Lombardi Ave

Despite the fact that the Packers lost out on drafting both T.J. Watt and LB Reuben Foster, there is still plenty of talent left for round two.

Report: Packers already receiving trade interest in pick No. 33 | Packers Wire

Almost instantly after the 32nd pick came in, the Packers apparently started getting calls about pick number 33. At this rate, it would almost be a surprise if they didn’t trade back once again.