NFL DRAFT

The NFL Draft is as scrutinized as any sporting event there is. Already, millions of fans and experts have decided which teams walked away the winners. Will confesses that his Arizona Cardinals did poorly, in part by trading their first round pick for Marquise “Hollywood” Brown. "The Cardinals look like a team that is scrambling right now,” Will says. LZ’s “other team” — the Detroit Lions — did okay. One of their picks, University of Michigan star defensive end Aidan Hutchinson, “looks to be a beast,” LZ says. The New York Jets had a better draft still, landing Ahmad “Sauce” Gardner with the 4th overall pick. Many consider him the best cornerback in the draft. Beyond team-by-team performance, the draft also set a few interesting records and trends. Ten teams didn’t even make first round selections, which is a first. Only one quarterback was taken in the first round — Kenny Pickett to the Pittsburgh Steelers — and not until the 20th pick. That’s the latest a QB has been drafted since 1997.

We’re not here to break down the “grades” or decide “who won the draft” like so many others have, but rather, point out some fun facts or happenings from the NFL’s annual spectacle.

Former Ole Miss quarterback Matt Corral fell into the third round of the 2022 NFL Draft on Friday. NFL Network's Ian Rapoport gave his theory for why.

Why did Mississippi native Nakobe Dean of the Georgia Bulldogs fall in the NFL Draft? This might be why.

2022 NFL Draft The final four rounds of the 2022 NFL Draft will air on WFTV Channel 9 from noon until 7 p.m. Saturday. (WFTV)ORLANDO, Fla. — The final four rounds of the 2022 NFL Draft will air on WFTV Channel 9 on Saturday from noon until 7 p.m. But you can still watch Channel 9 Eyewitness News at 6 on WRDQ TV 27. Read: 9 things to know about the NFL draft, airing on Channel 9On the go? Click here to download the free WFTV news and weather apps, click here to download the WFTV Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live.

NFL Draft Football Zion Johnson participates in a community event ahead of the NFL draft Wednesday, April 27, 2022, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher) (John Locher)The upcoming NFL season will begin taking shape over the next few days. The NFL Draft is Thursday, Friday and Saturday in Las Vegas, but you can watch it unfold LIVE on Channel 9. Rounds two and three begin at 7 p.m. Friday and rounds four through seven begin Saturday at noon. Here are 9 things to know before things kick off Thursday night:The draft consists of seven rounds over three nights.

Quarterbacks Malik Willis and Matt Corral are among 21 prospects who will attend the NFL Draft in Las Vegas later this month.

USA TODAY Sports' Paul Myerberg breaks down the latest USA TODAY Sports AFCA Coaches Poll.

The decision on the Acosta Bridge in Jacksonville, Fla., which came after Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a much-debated transgender girls sports ban on the first day of Pride Month, appears to have been reversed Wednesday amid mounting blowback.

(AP Photo/Tony Dejak) (Tony Dejak)Amazon Prime Video will become the exclusive home of the NFL's “Thursday Night Football” package a year earlier than originally anticipated. Amazon and the league announced Monday that Prime Video will take over the entire package in 2022, which will make it an 11-season deal through 2032. This is the first time a streaming service has had the full rights to an NFL package. Prime Video will carry 15 regular-season games on Thursday night along with one preseason game. Amazon has partnered with the league to stream 11 Thursday night games since 2017, but it will take over the entire package from Fox, which has had it since 2018.

Amazon Prime Video will become the exclusive home of the NFL’s “Thursday Night Football” package a year earlier than originally anticipated.

NFL Draft Football North Dakota State quarterback Trey Lance, right, holds a jersey with NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell after being chosen by the San Francisco 49ers with the third pick in the first round of the NFL football draft Thursday April 29, 2021, in Cleveland. 12 to 3 in the NFL draft, the pressure on the organization was immense. After spending the final two days of the draft adding players to help Lance on offense and address their defensive depth, the Niners can finally catch their breath. Lance will report to rookie minicamp in less than two weeks and then take part in the full offseason program. He and his family then planned to go house hunting and Shanahan gave Lance some advice about the notoriously expensive Bay Area real estate market.

ORLANDO, Fla. — With the 40th overall pick in the second round of the 2021 NFL Draft, the Atlanta Falcons chose UCF Knights Safety Richie Grant. READ: Magic stock up on draft picks, young players as major overhaul beginsThe pick makes Grant the first Knight to be chosen in this year’s draft. pic.twitter.com/efuTjCjcL1 — Christian Bruey (@CBrueyWFTV) May 1, 2021Grant played in nine of 10 games for UCF in his senior season in 2020. READ: Orlando Magic honor fallen soldiers with personalized team jerseysHe led the team in tackles, interceptions and fumble recoveries and was a unanimous selection to the American Conference’s first all-conference team. It’s the fifth straight NFL Draft in which a UCF player was chosen.

Opening night of the 2021 NFL Draft was down compared to last year's virtual event but also the second-highest viewed.

The Arizona Cardinals selected linebacker Zaven Collins with the No. 16 pick of the 2021 NFL Draft, and the organization’s top brass was more than excited to get the player on their team.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have selected Washington linebacker Joe Tryon in the first round of the NFL draft, No. 32 overall.

The first round of the 2021 NFL Draft is in the books.

Every year when the NFL Draft rolls around, Tom Brady’s legendary shirtless photo from the combine makes its way onto social media, it goes viral and ends up being a trending topic.

The Cincinnati Bengals made Joe Burrow a little extra happy with their first-round pick in the 2021 NFL Draft on Thursday night.

The Atlanta Falcons’ selection of tight end Kyle Pitts with the No. 4 pick of the NFL Draft on Thursday night made history.

The San Francisco 49ers have made their highly anticipated pick.

The Miami Dolphins selected Alabama receiver Jaylen Waddle with the No. 6 pick in the 2021 NFL Draft on Thursday.

The San Francisco 49ers have been tight-lipped about what they will do with the No. 3 pick of the NFL Draft on Thursday night despite speculation the team will choose a quarterback.

It was already considered a done deal, but now Trevor Lawrence is officially headed to Jacksonville.

Trevor Lawrence will likely be the first pick of the 2021 NFL Draft when the Jacksonville Jaguars make their selection Thursday night, and a lot will be riding on this potential star quarterback.

The Jacksonville Jaguars’ top brass took some time out of their busy schedule leading up to the 2021 NFL Draft and visited the USS Delbert D. Black station in the city’s naval base.

Hours leading up to the 2021 NFL Draft, rumors are pouring out of Green Bay that reigning NFL MVP Aaron Rodgers wants to leave the Packers, and he could be traded as early as this weekend.

The NFL will welcome 32 new players into its ranks Thursday night during the 2021 NFL Draft. Where they're drafted will have a big impact on their salaries.

President Biden will visit Georgia after giving his first address to Congress, the NFL draft begins in Cleveland and more news to start your Thursday.

The 2021 NFL Draft will kick off on Thursday and for three young prospects, they will be following in the footsteps of their fathers.

Producer Charlie Yook and NFL Network didn’t have their own draft broadcast last year, but he was able to glean a couple of things from last year’s joint effort with ESPN.

This year's NFL draft will be unlike any other.

For many years now, it has seemed like the biggest source of debate for fans of the NFL Draft revolved around what happened during the draft itself.

UCF redshirt senior wide receiver Jacob Harris announced Wednesday he is declaring for the 2021 NFL Draft. “I want to start off by thanking UCF for giving me the opportunity to better myself and prepare for my future,” Harris said. “With that being said, I will be declaring for the 2021 NFL Draft,” Harris wrote in the statement. “Thank you all for everything!”In three seasons as a UCF Knight, Harris registered 49 catches for 987 yards partnered with nine scores. In his statement on social media, Harris opened up about the admiration he has for UCF head coach Josh Heupel, and UCF wide receivers coach Darrel Wyatt, among others.

UCF senior wide receiver Marlon Williams announced on social media Monday that he has played his last game as a Knight, and is declaring for the NFL Draft. “I hope to continue to make everyone proud as I pursue my lifelong dream of reaching the NFL,” Williams said. He leads the American Athletic Conference in receptions per game and receiving yards per game. During his career as a UCF Knight, the Mobile, Alabama, native caught 157 passes for 2,260 yards and 19 scores, while averaging 14.4 yards per catch. In his statement, Williams thanked UCF head football coach Josh Heupel, wide receivers coach Darrell Wyatt, and former head coach Scott Frost.

In this still image from video provided by the NFL, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell speaks from his home in Bronxville, New York during the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft on April 23, 2020. More than 55 million viewers tuned in to watch an NFL draft unlike any other in the past. The answer is, pretty well, with a 16% increase in ratings over 2019 across all days of the 2020 NFL Draft and each day establishing new highs in average audience. The 2020 NFL Draft included 600 camera feeds in the homes of everyone from NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell to more than 85 draft prospects, 32 NFL head coaches, 32 NFL general managers, fans and college football coaches, among others. In an image from video provided by the NFL, LSU quarterback Joe Burrow puts on a Cincinnati Bengals cap after being selected first overall during the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft on April 23, 2020.

Georgia quarterback Jake Fromm (11) passes in the first half of the Sugar Bowl NCAA college football game against Baylor in New Orleans, Wednesday, Jan. 1, 2020. After four quarterbacks went off the board in the first round of the NFL Draft, Jalen Hurts of Oklahoma was the only QB taken in rounds two and three on Friday. That means Saturday when rounds four through seven are completed, at least a few notable passers will be available. And more than a few other intriguing players, especially if you look outside the Power Five schools___Two JakesWashington's Jacob Eason and Georgia's Jake Fromm both entered the draft with a year of eligibility still remaining. Both will go into the final day of the draft waiting to be selected.

DraftKings CEO Jason Robins said the company saw record betting volume on the NFL Draft ahead of DraftKings' debut Friday on the Nasdaq. I think when you do see a return to play, it's going to be a really, really big deal for the country." The lack of traditional sports due to the coronavirus "certainly" has impacted revenues for the daily fantasy sports company and bookmaker, Robins said. DraftKings, which will trade under the ticker DKNG, became public through a three-way merger that involves a special purpose acquisition company, or blank-check company. He said that is one reason why going public through SPAC worked well for the company.

(Photo by NFL via Getty Images)The first all-virtual National Football League draft attracted an all-time high 15.6 million viewers for the opening round Thursday night, the league announced. First round viewership total is up 37% from 2019 and eclipses the NFL's previous high of 12.4 million viewers in 2014. The NFL said the event peaked around 8:45 to 9 p.m., with 19.6 million viewers. Last year's NFL draft attracted 11.3 million viewers on opening night and 47.5 million viewers across all telecasts for the three-day event in Nashville, a 5% increase from the 2018 telecast. The network also aired the National Basketball Association's WNBA virtual draft last week.

All rights reserved)MIAMI – The Miami Dolphins selected Alabama quarterback Tua Tagovailoa in the first round of the NFL Draft on Thursday. Most college football fans remember Tagovailoa’s National Championship victory against Georgia a couple of seasons ago. Two years ago, Tua Tagovailoa became an Alabama legend after this walk-off TD pass to win the national championship 👏 pic.twitter.com/MjOM2qr0Xq — ESPN (@espn) January 8, 2020In 32 games at Alabama, he threw for 7,442 yards, 87 touchdowns, and 11 picks. Tagovailoa missed the second half of the 2019 season at Alabama with a hip injury. Miami was 5-11 last season.

It had to do minimal shooting for the campaign and use a smaller film crew because of the pandemic, Thalberg said. Marisa Thalberg, executive vice president and chief brand and marketing officer. She was previously Taco Bell's global chief brand officer and worked for Estee Lauder, Unilever Cosmetics International and Revlon. Lowe's spokeswoman Amy Allison said she couldn't disclose Lowe's marketing budget for this year or say how it compares with its prior spending. Thalberg declined to share her vision for marketing the company beyond these ads, saying she is still settling into the role.

ORLANDO, Fla. – This past December, UCF receiver Gabriel Davis announced he was declaring for the 2020 NFL Draft. 🙏🏾 #RocFam pic.twitter.com/wLjPsFOlgO — Gabriel Davis (@DavisGB1) December 23, 2019Most project Alabama receiver Jerry Jeudy will be the first receiver to be taken off the board in the draft. Wimbush threading the needle for his 2nd TD to Gabriel Davis. Davis caught 152 passes for 2,447 yards and 23 touchdowns in three seasons at UCF. 13 had 1,241 receiving yards this year, this broke a school record.