PHILADELPHIA (AP) Cleveland Browns select Texas A&M defensive end Myles Garrett with the first pick in the NFL draft. </s> Berea: Amid some speculation about the Browns possibly stunning the NFL at the start of the draft, they instead did what most people in league circles have long expected, selecting Texas A&M defensive end Myles Garrett first overall Thursday night. </s> Texas A&M's Myles Garrett takes off his shirt to reveal a Cleveland Browns shirt while standing next to his mother, Audrey Garrett (left) after he was taken as the No. 1 pick in the NFL draft, at Terre Verde Golf Course in Arlington, Texas, Thursday. (Nathan Hunsinger/The Dallas Morning News via AP) </s> The Cleveland Browns selected defensive end Myles Garrett of Texas A&M; with the first overall pick in the NFL draft Thursday night, then added two more first-round picks via a pair of trades.

One of them was used on Michigan star Jabrill Peppers, whom coach Hue Jackson later said would be given a chance to play offense.

Jackson called Garrett "as good as I've seen in a while" when he described the first Browns first overall pick since 2000. Cleveland sees Garrett as a key part of an emerging defense for a team that has not been to the playoffs since the 2002-03 season.

The Browns traded out of the 12th spot with the Houston Texans and took Peppers with the 25th pick. In doing that, the Browns passed on bringing quarterback Deshaun Watson to Cleveland; Houston drafted him with the pick.

The Browns concluded the night by trading the No. 33 pick and a fourth-rounder to the Green Bay Packers for the 29th pick, which they used on tight end David Njoku of Miami.

It all added up to a busy night for the Browns, who became the first team since Minnesota in 2013 to pick three players in the opening round. None, though, were quarterbacks, a position of significant need.

"We obviously value the position, but we don't want to force certain positions,'' vice president of football operations Sashi Brown said. "Obviously we have guys here on the roster and we want to give them an opportunity and we will continue to look, but we wanted to make sure we got players we felt good about. We've got a lot of holes to fill on this roster, so this is just about making sure when we get the quarterback it's someone that we all believe in and get behind and move forward.''

Since finishing the 2016 season with a 1-15 record, the Browns had discussed taking either Garrett or ex-North Carolina quarterback Mitchell Trubisky with the No. 1 selection.

Garrett turned out to be the choice, giving Cleveland a much-needed pass-rusher.

"It was really just a weight off of my shoulders to finally just get the announcement that what I have been working for is finally came to fruition and I can actually know where I am going, know who I am going up against and know the schedule," said Garrett, who did not attend the draft in Philadelphia, instead watching with family and friends in Arlington, Texas. "Now it's time to put in that work so I can be prepared to go against the best."

Garrett has received widespread acclaim as a potential defensive standout. He left the Aggies with 31 career sacks and 141 tackles. In his final season, he had 15 tackles for a loss and 8.5 sacks while playing through an ankle injury.

"They picked me because they think they see something in me, and they know that I can help them rebuild and turn this program around," Garrett said. "That's the mindset that we have to have. Starting next year, we can put the pieces together, not only the players but with a mindset that we can actually do this. I know that the players there have that same mindset. I am going to keep that feeling contagious. I'm just prepared for that."

Garrett is 6-feet-4 and 272 pounds, and he ran a 4.64-second 40-yard dash at the NFL scouting combine. His combination of size, speed, quickness and agility has prompted comparisons to Julius Peppers, who has 143.5 sacks in 15 seasons. In fact, Garrett mentioned Peppers -- along with Von Miller, J.J. Watt and DeMarcus Ware -- as the players he most looks up to.

Garrett also has been criticized for not going all-out on every play but said that criticism only has served as motivation.

"It adds more fuel to the fire," he said. "It is burning hot right now."

Garrett joins a Browns defense coached by Gregg Williams that includes Jamie Collins at linebacker, an improving Danny Shelton and Emmanuel Ogbah on the line and Joe Haden at cornerback. Haden praised Garrett earlier this month, calling him "an immediate impact player."

The Browns have needed that pass-rusher. Since the franchise returned to Cleveland in 1999, only three Browns players have recorded 10-plus sacks in a season (Jamir Miller, 13.0 in 2001; Paul Kruger, 11.0 in 2014; Kamerion Wimbley, 11.0 in 2006). That's the fewest players with 10-plus sacks in a season for one franchise during that span.

Cleveland also has needed a quarterback. Since 1999, the Browns have started 26 players at quarterback, most in the NFL in that span.

The Browns might have stayed with the 12th spot if they liked a quarterback there, but when Houston offered first-round picks this year and next, the Browns could not refuse.

"We just thought that the better opportunity was for us to trade back," Brown said, adding it was more a reflection of the Browns wanting to build the roster than it was of Watson.

The Browns did not know that Chicago intended to move up one spot to take Trubisky, and Brown said that any talk of the team calling Washington about a trade for Kirk Cousins was "bad reporting."

The Browns now have traded down out of the second spot in the 2016 draft and out of the 12th spot in 2017. Those picks turned into Carson Wentz and Watson, respectively, but combined with the trade that brought Brock Osweiler to Cleveland, the Browns have two picks in the first round and three in the second round of the 2018 draft.

Brown admitted the team can reach a point where it trades down too much but said that point has not arrived. He said the deal was not made with the intention of making a trade for another veteran, like New England's Jimmy Garoppolo.

"We'll see what comes down the pike in terms of opportunities, but there's no specific deal in place or plan in place to acquire a veteran QB at this point," Brown said.

He conceded that the team's situation at quarterback, with Osweiler and Cody Kessler, is "not solidified."

"We also know that until we get it solidified, we are going to continue looking for players all over the league and in college," Brown said. "That may be in next year's draft. That may be in free agency. It may be via trade. We won't rest until we really solidify that position."

While he can't play quarterback, Peppers can help in a lot of other places.

As a junior in 2016, he primarily played linebacker. He finished fifth in Heisman Trophy voting, won the Paul Hornung Award as the nation's most versatile player and was a consensus All-America selection. Peppers did not play in the Orange Bowl because of a hamstring injury and produced a positive test for a dilute sample at the combine in February. Brown said that Peppers has been accountable.

"He understands that it is something that he has to clean up as we move forward," Brown said.

Peppers says he's willing to play anywhere for the Browns.

"I'm open to do whatever they ask me to do," he said. "I did some things that nobody else did. They are going to get 200 percent out of me."

ESPN Stats & Information reports that Peppers took 29 snaps at quarterback, 12 at receiver and 10 at running back last season for Michigan, something that Jackson noticed.

"First we're bringing him in here to play defense and play special teams," Jackson said. "He's one of the premier special teams players in football. He's a tremendous punt returner and kick returner. So we're going to make sure that he can hit the ground running doing that.

"But there's no question, we'll give him a chance over there on offense, too."

Peppers tweeted early Friday morning about those who have questioned his love for the game, saying he would never fake an injury. Peppers was heavily criticized for not playing in the Orange Bowl -- even Michigan fans were angry.

Speculate on what you want but my love for this game should never be questioned! Never would I fake an injury to miss a game. pic.twitter.com/MLaaqKPzMI — JP5 (@JabrillPeppers) April 28, 2017

Njoku, the former Hurricanes player, led Power 5 tight ends with 480 yards after the catch in 2016. He had multiple receptions in all but one game.

Garrett's selection, meanwhile, marks the fifth time in the past 11 years an SEC player went first overall. Before Thursday, there were only three defensive players selected No. 1 overall in the past 22 drafts (Jadeveon Clowney, Mario Williams and Courtney Brown).

Of the 10 defensive ends drafted No. 1 overall, five have been named first-team All-Pro: Williams, Bruce Smith, Lee Roy Selmon, Ed "Too Tall" Jones and Bubba Smith.

While the Browns' selection of Garrett was expected as of late Thursday afternoon, the draft took a turn for the unexpected after that.

The Chicago Bears traded up a spot to acquire Trubisky, with the San Francisco 49ers dropping down and selecting Stanford defensive lineman Solomon Thomas. The Jacksonville Jaguars made ex-LSU running back Leonard Fournette the fourth pick, and the Tennessee Titans at No. 5 then took Corey Davis, the Western Michigan receiver who is the only player in FBS history with at least 5,000 receiving yards and 50 receiving touchdowns. At No. 6, the New York Jets opted for Jamal Adams, the safety out of LSU.

To round out the top 10, the Chargers took wideout Mike Williams of Clemson; the Panthers selected RB Christian McCaffrey of Stanford; the Bengals snagged speedy Washington wideout John Ross; and the Chiefs traded up with the Buffalo Bills to draft QB Patrick Mahomes of Texas Tech.

Aside from Peppers, two others players who some thought would drop because of recent off-field issues ended up going in the first round. Cornerback Gareon Conley was picked by the Oakland Raiders at No. 24, and the San Francisco 49ers traded up to select linebacker Reuben Foster. </s> 2017 NFL Draft: Lessons Myles Garrett learned from brother’s miscues helped him become favorite to be picked by Browns at No. 1 </s> The Cleveland Browns grabbed the best overall player in the 2017 NFL draft when the took Texas A&M’s Myles Garrett at No. 1 overall. They’ve now added another big name with their additional first-round selection.

After trading down from the No. 12 pick, the Browns spent the 25th overall selection on Michigan defensive back Jabrill Peppers.

A Heisman Trophy finalist in 2016, Peppers played nearly every position for the Wolverines, making plays in all three phases of the game. His biggest value was in the return game, but he found the end zone on offense, as well.

On defense, Peppers showed off his athleticism, but looked lost a lot of the time. He’s a top-10 athlete in this class, but he may not have a true position fit at the next level. If he gets a chance to develop slowly, he could become a big-time playmaker wherever he lines up, but that’s a big if right now.

Throw in the fact that the Browns could have gotten Clemson quarterback Deshaun Watson at No. 12, and this pick may not sit well with Browns fans. That said, they’ll have five picks in the first two rounds of next year’s draft with which to drown their sorrows. </s> Expect for Myles Garrett’s name to be the first to be called tonight at the NFL draft. There are NFL rumors circulating that the Cleveland Browns are setting up to select the Texas A&M defensive line with the first overall pick. How will it affect the rest of the NFL draft’s top 10 selections? Also, what does it mean for the Browns’ No. 12 pick.

Who the Cleveland Browns were going to select with the first overall pick was a mystery up until the last hour. The Cleveland Plain Dealer’s Mary Kay Cabot was the first to break the news regarding the Browns’ decision to take Myles Garrett with the first of two first round selections.

The Browns taking Garrett should not have been a given. Garrett is the best prospect in the NFL draft according to most draft experts. He is viewed as a cannot miss player, who is ready to contribute immediately. The distance between Garrett and the draft’s second-best player is significant enough. With that said, it was reported by ESPN’s Adam Schefter that the Cleveland Browns were debating using the top overall pick on North Carolina quarterback Mitchell Trubisky instead.

The report could have been a case of posturing by the Browns or factual information that was being leaked out. Either way, the timing and depth of the report was curious.

It is no secret that the Cleveland Browns need a franchise quarterback. And having Mitchell Trubisky in the fold would be a huge step in that direction. Some view Trubisky as the top quarterback in this year’s NFL draft class, while others at least have him in the top three on the hierarchy chart.

Now that it is nearly official with the Browns taking Myles Garrett, look for them to trade up using the No. 12 pick (courtesy of ESPN) and their second round choices as bait. If the Browns are able to sneak back into the top 10 of the draft, they will be targeting Trubisky unless a rival team beats them to the punch.

At No. 2 are the San Francisco 49ers. No one knows what they are going to do. With Garrett off the board to the Cleveland Browns, teams who are interested in Mitchell Trubisky or Deshaun Watson may look to acquire the 49ers’ pick. If the 49ers keep the pick, Solomon Thomas may be their guy.

As for the Chicago Bears, who have the third overall pick, they could be in play with the Browns and their desire to trade up. The Bears have several needs and could fill most of them by adding more draft picks. The potential of getting two additional second-rounders, along with the No. 12 pick should be enticing to the Bears.

The Jacksonville Jaguars will virtually unaffected by what has happened with the Browns and the other teams in front of them. Their most glaring need is at running back and defensive depth. This is the possible landing spot for LSU’s Leonard Fournette. That is unless there are any truths to the NFL rumors about the Jaguars thinking about taking a quarterback (courtesy of Jaguars Wire) at No. 4.

The Tennessee Titans and New York Jets are other teams currently in the top 10 which need to be watched. Tennessee is one of the teams which could trade down for more picks, while the Jets can go up or back in the draft.

Every other team which are currently in the top-10 do not appear to be swapping draft positions, but needs of each team is different.

Another running back is expected to join Leonard Fournette in the draft’s top 10 in Stanford’s Christian McCaffrey. Other names expected to be taken are Jonathan Allen, Malik Hooker, Marshon Lattimore and Jamal Adams. Adams and Hooker are primed to be the first two safeties to be ever be selected in the top-10 in the same draft class. Teams interested in quarterbacks could change things dramatically.

The Browns are fixated on Trubisky, as are other teams. Deshaun Watson could go as high as No. 3 to the Chicago Bears. If Trubisky goes early, teams targeting a passer will go after Watson and Pat Mahomes next. At least one of those teams could trade up. Again, that might include the Cleveland Browns.

Look for the Browns to get their trade done and a secret team jumping in on the top-10 NFL draft party. </s> Former No. 1 overall pick Bruce Smith (right) presents a Cleveland Browns jersey to Myles Garrett while his mother Audrey (left) and father Lawrence look on at the NFL Players Association’s Myles Garrett Draft Day party at Terra Verde on Thursday, April 27, 2017, in Arlington, Texas.

The first round of the NFL draft is a time for hope. Teams hope to choose players who will make an immediate impact. Players hope to use the process as a launching pad to stardom. And most fans merely hope they won’t rue the day their favorite team botched the first round. With that backdrop, let’s take a look at former college stars who inspired hope Thursday night in Philadelphia.

1. Browns. Defensive end Myles Garrett, Texas A&M. This one was a no-brainer. Regardless of Warren Sapp’s opinion, Garrett is a big-time edge rusher. He can play with his hand down as a 4-3 end or standing up as a 3-4 outside linebacker. He had 32.5 career sacks in college, the sixth-most in SEC history. End of discussion.

2. Bears. Quarterback Mitchell Trubisky, North Carolina. Chicago gave up a ton (the Nos. 67 and 111 picks in this draft, plus a 2018 third-rounder) to swap places with San Francisco. The Bears had better be right about Mitch.

3. 49ers. Defensive end Solomon Thomas, Stanford. New coach Kyle Shanahan has so many holes to fill. Thomas will help a porous defense. He’s smart, strong and agile. That’s the type of player Shanahan likes. And Shanahan also acquired needed picks in the trade with Bears. Sweet.

4. Jaguars. Running back Leonard Fournette, LSU. A great running game is a quarterback’s best friend. Jaguars QB Blake Bortles needs as many friends as he can get. Fournette has that rare combination of power and speed.

5. Titans. Wide receiver Corey Davis, Western Michigan. Tennessee quarterback Marcus Mariota took a big step forward last season. Davis, the all-time FBS leader with 5,285 receiving yards, should help the young passer to continue to move in the right direction.

6. Jets. Safety Jamal Adams, LSU. The Jets turn to Adams, the second LSU player drafted in the top 10, to help improve an absolutely awful pass defense. Adams possesses the type of coverage skills the Jets need.

7. Chargers. Wide receiver Mike Williams, Clemson. Williams teamed with one of college football’s best quarterbacks, Deshaun Watson, at Clemson. Now he gets to work with a top-shelf NFL quarterback in Philip Rivers. Any wideout should be so lucky.

8. Panthers. Running back Christian McCaffrey, Stanford. Even as a top 10 pick, this versatile running back could wind up being one of the steals of the draft. He is the first white tailback drafted in the first round since Penn State’s John Cappelletti went 11th overall to Rams in 1974.

9. Bengals. Wide receiver John Ross, Washington. Dude can fly. Back in March, Ross recorded the fastest 40-yard dash time (4.22) in NFL combine history. Exactly how are opponents supposed to contain Ross and A.J. Green?

10. Chiefs. Quarterback Patrick Mahomes, Texas Tech. Coach Andy Reid had to give up a lot – including a first-rounder in the 2018 draft – to move up and get his quarterback of the future. Mahomes, the son of a former big-league pitcher, is raw, but also so, so talented.

11. Saints. Cornerback Marshon Lattimore, Ohio State. The Saints got it right, selecting a corner who’s capable of playing immediately and playing well. Next up for New Orleans: Go get another 10 defensive players capable of doing the same.

12. Texans. Quarterback Deshaun Watson, Clemson. Ugh. I get that the Browns acquired a 2018 first-rounder for swapping spots with the Texans. But why do I get the feeling Browns fans will rue the day the team passed on Watson? Brown fans rue many days.

13. Cardinals. Linebacker Haason Reddick, Temple. This guy is such a force behind the line of scrimmage, he wakes up with two tackles for loss on his stat sheet. The Cardinals’ defense just got better. Reddick, whose motor matches his talent, is scary good.

14. Eagles. Defensive end Derek Barnett, Tennessee. Eagles fans once famously booed Santa Claus. They have no reason to be upset with team decision-makers about this pick. Barnett is a relentless edge rusher. He broke Reggie White’s school sack record. Chew on that.

15. Colts. Safety Malik Hooker, Ohio State. The Colts have the great Andrew Luck at quarterback, but they have to get him the ball. Indianapolis dips into that talented Buckeyes defensive backfield to bolster a secondary who, well, is in dire need of bolstering.

16. Ravens. Cornerback Marlon Humphrey, Alabama. The Ravens have to get back to being the Ravens, which means dominating on defense. The past two seasons, Baltimore gave up 30 and 28 touchdown passes, respectively, the worst performances in team history.

17. Redskins. Defensive tackle Jonathan Allen, Alabama. Although the Redskins are a mess in the front office and on the field, even they couldn’t botch this one. Allen, who attended high school near the team’s Northern Virginia training facility, fills a big need on the defensive line.

18. Titans. Cornerback Adoree’ Jackson, USC. Titans fans should be very happy with their team’s performance in the first round. After adding Davis at No. 5, the Titans get some help on defense and in the return game. Jackson played a big role in USC’s revival. Fight on!

19. Buccaneers. Tight end O.J. Howard, Alabama. The Buccaneers totally believe in Jameis Winston. They proved it again here by selecting a pass-catching tight end to help their young quarterback. Howard possesses the speed and size to be a matchup nightmare.

20. Broncos. Offensive tackle Garett Bolles, Utah. No one needs to tell Broncos boss John Elway that strong line play is a key to effective QB play. Bolles is the first offensive lineman the Broncos have selected in the first round since Ryan Clady in 2008. That worked out OK.

21. Lions. Inside linebacker Jarrad Davis, Florida. Despite missing four games because of injuries, Davis still ranked among the Gators’ leaders in tackles and tackles for losses. The Lions are counting on him to provide a boost to a defense that must get better.

22. Dolphins. Defensive end Charles Harris, Missouri. Harris makes things happen off the edge: He had 28 QB knockdowns. With Pro Bowler Cameron Wake approaching the end of his career, the Dolphins acquired someone to groom as his eventual replacement.

23. Giants. Tight end Evan Engram, Ole Miss. The Giants have an abundance of riches in their receiving corps. Engram is more like a big wideout than a tight end. He joins wide receivers Odell Beckham Jr., Brandon Marshall and Sterling Shepard. Eli Manning should be pleased.

24. Raiders. Cornerback Gareon Conley, Ohio State. Conley became the third Buckeyes defensive back to be drafted in the opening round. He has been accused of raping a woman in Cleveland but he has not been arrested and no charges have been filed.

25. Browns. Defensive back Jabrill Peppers, Michigan. Well, the Browns gave new defensive coordinator Gregg Williams some impressive tools to work with. After kicking off the draft by selecting Garrett, Cleveland at this spot brings in help for the secondary.

26. Falcons. Defensive end Takkarist McKinley, UCLA. The Falcons traded with the Seattle Seahawks to get a pass rusher. Vic Beasley led the league with 15.5 sacks last season. No other Atlanta player had more than 4.5 sacks. That was obvious in the Super Bowl.

27. Bills. Cornerback Tre’Davious White, LSU. White and former teammate Jamal Adams, selected by the Jets with the sixth overall pick, were part of an LSU defense that gave up only 16 touchdowns last season – the fewest in the Football Bowl Subdivision.

28. Cowboys. Defensive end Taco Charlton, Michigan. Set at quarterback, running back and at every spot along the offensive line, the Cowboys need to build their defense. Dallas adds a player who consistently set the edge for Michigan and made plays. Jer-ruh was smiling.

29. Browns. Tight end David Njoku, Miami. To be fair, Njoku is a good football player. He impressed at Miami. That established, how could the Browns make three first-round selections and not take a quarterback? Last time we checked, it’s still a QB league. The Browns need one.

30. Steelers. Outside linebacker T.J. Watt, Wisconsin. Pittsburgh got J.J. Watt’s little brother. T.J. won’t dominate opponents like his big bro, but he’ll make his share of big plays. And remember: The Steelers like linebackers who know how to get to the quarterback.

31. 49ers. Inside linebacker Reuben Foster, Alabama. San Francisco got pushed around too much on defense. That’s why coach Shanahan selected defensive end Solomon Thomas at third overall and Foster, Alabama’s fourth first-round pick in this draft, right here.

32. Saints. Offensive tackle Ryan Ramczyk, Wisconsin. Drew Brees is still going strong after all these years. But at 38, the Saints need to do everything they can to protect him. Ramczyk was either at the top or near it on most draft boards. </s> The Cleveland Browns select Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Baker Mayfield of Oklahoma first in the NFL draft

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — The Cleveland Browns select Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Baker Mayfield of Oklahoma first in the NFL draft. </s> ARLINGTON, Texas >> The Latest on the NFL draft (all times local):

ARLINGTON, Texas >> The Latest on the NFL draft (all times local):

The Washington Redskins addressed their leaky run defense by taking Alabama defensive tackle Da’Ron Payne with pick No. 13.

The 320-pound Payne was the anchor of Alabama’s national championship defense last season, and the second Crimson Tide player taken in the first round.

This is the 10th straight season Alabama has had a first-round pick. Only Miami at 14 from 1994-2008 has had one longer.

Tampa Bay has plugged a major hole in its defensive line with nose tackle Vita Vea.

The Buccaneers had traded down from seventh to 12th — Buffalo grabbed Wyoming quarterback Josh Allen in that deal — and found a 6-foot-4, 345-pound man-mountain adept at stopping the run. At Washington, he often occupied or even overpowered more than one blocker.

He’ll team with Tampa’s longtime defensive tackle, Gerald McCoy, in an attempt to improve a defense that ranked last in the league in 2017.

The Miami Dolphins had a top-10 talent fall to them at No. 11 and took Alabama defensive back Minkah Fitzpatrick.

The versatile All-American played safety, cornerback and nickel back in three seasons with the Crimson Tide and was one of coach Nick Saban’s favorite players.

UCLA quarterback Josh Rosen slipped a bit, but the Arizona Cardinals jumped up to No. 10 to get him.

Arizona traded with Oakland to get the 10th overall pick, moving up from No. 15.

Cardinals quarterback Carson Palmer retired after the season. Arizona also signed former Vikings quarterback Sam Bradford, who missed most of last season with an injury.

The San Francisco 49ers bolstered their offensive line, picking tackle Mike McGlinchey from Notre Dame at No. 9.

McGlinchey was the second Fighting Irish lineman to go in the top 10 after Quenton Nelson went to the Colts.

The Chicago Bears selected Georgia linebacker Roquan Smith with pick No. 8.

Smith was an All-American and Butkus Award winner for the Bulldogs in 2017.

The Buffalo Bills traded up to No. 7 to take Wyoming quarterback Josh Allen, a 6-foot-5, strong-armed passer.

Allen had no major scholarship offers out of college and went to junior college before spending two seasons at Wyoming.

He needs some seasoning and to work on accuracy, but he could sit behind AJ McCarron in Buffalo for a year or two.

The Colts grabbed the best blocker in the draft, Notre Dame guard Quenton Nelson at No. 6.

The Colts had traded down from No. 3 with the New York Jets.

Indianapolis took Nelson to help protect quarterback Andrew Luck, who missed all of last season with a shoulder injury.

Bradley Chubb of North Carolina State, seen as the best pass rusher in this draft, was selected fifth overall by Denver.

Once Cleveland, with its second selection in the top four, went for Ohio State cornerback Denzel Ward, it left the dynamic Chubb for the Broncos.

Chubb will bolster a defense that already has one star in linebacker Von Miller. Denver ranked third in overall defense last season, but GM John Elway couldn’t pass on a game-changing end.

The Browns surprised the experts again, picking Ohio State cornerback Denzel Ward No 4 overall.

After passing over more classic quarterbacks to take Oklahoma’s Baker Mayfield with the top pick, Cleveland skipped over North Carolina State defensive end Bradley Chubb, the top pass rusher in the draft, to grab the top cornerback.

The New York Jets, another of the NFL teams desperate for a franchise quarterback, chose Sam Darnold with the third pick Thursday night.

The Jets had traded up from sixth overall with Indianapolis with the expressed mission of finding that quarterback. Southern California’s Darnold, who had a superb 2016 season and was not quite so productive last year, was the choice.

Darnold might sit a while and learn behind veteran Josh McCown.

“There’s nothing better than being on this state,” Darnold said. “I think whatever the coaches what me to do, if they want me to sit, want me to play, I’ll do my role. That’s what I’ve done my whole life, not going to do any different.”

The New York Giants selected Penn State running back Saquon Barkley with the second pick in the 2018 NFL draft.

The All-American with speed, power, shiftiness and excellent hands is considered this year’s best player. New York has had one of the NFL’s worst running games in recent years, and Barkley is expected to boost an offense that has a veteran quarterback in Eli Manning and star receiver in Odell Beckham Jr.

“It’s unreal, two of the biggest moments in my life in the same week,” said Barkley, whose girlfriend gave birth to a girl earlier in the week.

Not surprisingly in the Cowboys’ home, the pick generally was booed.

Baker Mayfield, until the past few days considered an outsider to be chosen at the top of the NFL draft, has been taken by the Cleveland Browns to begin Thursday night’s selections.

The first Heisman Trophy winner taken No. 1 overall in the following draft since Cam Newton went to Carolina in 2010, Mayfield joins a team that went 0-16 in 2017.

The Browns were sold on his leadership skills and creativity inside the pocket and outside.

Most prognosticators pegged another quarterback, perhaps Josh Allen, Sam Darnold or Josh Rosen, for the Browns.

Instead, it’s the Oklahoma star —the Sooners went 34-6 with him— who overwhelmingly won the Heisman Trophy last season. He is the eighth winner of the award selected first in the NFL draft following that season since 1970.

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell will be accompanied by two Hall of Fame quarterbacks who won multiple Super Bowl titles with the Dallas Cowboys, along with one of their former receivers, when he takes the stage to open the NFL draft.

Quarterbacks Roger Staubach and Troy Aikman, and former Cowboys receiver Drew Pearson are all former winners of the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award that recognizes an NFL player for his excellence on and off the field.

Staubach led the Cowboys to Super Bowl titles during the 1971 and 1977 seasons, the latter of those years with Pearson leading the NFL in receiving yards. Aikman was the quarterback when Dallas won three Super Bowl titles in a span four seasons in the first half of the 1990s.

This is the first time the NFL draft is being held in a stadium.

Staubach, Pearson and Aikman played their home games with the Cowboys at Texas Stadium in Irving, the team’s previous home that no longer stands. The Cowboys moved into $1.3 billion AT&T Stadium in Arlington nine years ago.

For one Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback, the QB to concentrate on in this draft is Baker Mayfield.

That’s hardly a surprise when the speaker is Roger Staubach, the 1963 trophy winner who won two Super Bowls with the Dallas Cowboys and is in the Pro Football Hall of Fame .

After all, his nickname was “Roger the Dodger.”

“There’s something about Mayfield that’s interesting,” Staubach says. “He does some funky things, seems to be a leader, and they like him. He can move around and find people who come open. In the NFL, you have to do that.”

As Staubach did in one of the more storied careers. After playing for Navy, he spent four years in active duty, including a tour in Vietnam. After spending two weeks at the Cowboys’ training camp in California the year before getting out of the service, he was told by coach Tom Landry that the team was eager to have him back the next season.

From there, Staubach led the Cowboys to the top of pro football in an 11-year career in which he went 85-29 as a starter.

Speaking today to current and former military members at a draft event held by USAA, the official military appreciation sponsor of the NFL, Staubach offered some advice to the audience — and to the players headed to the NFL.

“The qualities you need to succeed in the military are the same as you need to succeed in sports, in the NFL,” he says.

“Integrity, hard work, teamwork. Those are all the attributes companies are looking for. Take advantage of the qualities you have.

“You must work hard at it. Of course, for the NFL you must have the talent. But if you have the talent and don’t work at it, someone with less talent will go past you.

“The service taught me and all of us to learn about teamwork and hard work. It takes a lot of unspectacular preparation to get spectacular results.”

The NFL has renewed an exclusive partnership with Amazon Prime Video for digital streaming of Thursday night games during 2018 and 2019 seasons.

Amazon will stream the 11 Thursday night games broadcast by FOX this season. Those games are also simulcast on NFL Network and distributed in Spanish on FOX Deportes.

Through the streaming deal with Amazon, the broadcasts will be available to more than 100 million Amazon Prime members worldwide in more than 200 countries and territories.

“Having over 100 million Amazon Prime members provides a massive platform to distribute Thursday Night Football digitally, not only to our fans in the United States but also around the world,” said Brian Rolapp, chief media and business officer for the NFL.

With 10 Thursday night games and one on Christmas last year, Amazon built on the audience Twitter had in 2016 in the first year of streaming on Thursday nights. The average per-minute audience for the 11 games hit 310,000, a 17 percent increase from Twitter’s numbers.

Bradley Chubb jokes that he’s changed positions for this draft and is now a quarterback.

In reality, the North Carolina State standout is probably the best defensive prospect in this draft. When you get past all the hype for QBs, much of the first round will be devoted to guys on that side of the ball.

“Yeah, don’t forget about us,” he says with a smile.

Chubb can do it all — stop the run, pass rush, shoot gaps, block passes and kicks. Some believe he is a better player than Myles Garrett, who was the top overall pick last year by Cleveland.

Chubb could wind up with the Browns, bookending the D-line with Garrett. Cleveland owns the fourth overall spot and after taking its quarterback at the top, could go his way.

“That would be awesome,” Chubb said. “I don’t know Myles, but I do know he’s a great player.”

As for sending some love the defenders’ way, Chubb reasons it will be coming.

“I feel like I got a spotlight now,” he says as reporters gather around for his views on the proceedings. “There are so many great players who can go into an organization and change it. I hope to be one.”

Don’t look for many wide receivers to be selected high in this draft.

Indeed, only Alabama’s Calvin Ridley seems sure to go in the first round, and he comes from a run-oriented offense.

Recent history shows that wideouts are not particularly wise choices until deeper into the proceedings.

Consider that in the past three years, the likes of Phillip Dorsett, Breshad Perriman, Kevin White, Laquon Treadwell, Josh Doctson, Corey Coleman, Mike Williams, Corey Davis and John Ross have gone in the opening round. Anybody seen or heard much from any of them so far in their NFL careers?

After evaluating the receivers on his roster, Browns general manager John Dorsey said: “Then you have to let the other young guys fight out for their roster spot. Who’s to say? We may get a receiver or two in this draft.”

Guaranteed it won’t be with the first and fourth overall spots Cleveland owns.

Former Wyoming quarterback Josh Allen has apologized for a series of offensive tweets he sent while in high school.

The potential No. 1 NFL draft pick apologized for the now-deleted tweets to ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith less than 24 hours before the draft.

Yahoo! Sports reported Allen sent the tweets in 2012 and 2013 and they contained racially insensitive language and offensive statements.

Allen told Smith he was parroting rap lyrics and catchphrases from TV and pop culture. In his apology, Allen told Smith he was “young and dumb” at the time.

According to ESPN, the tweets were removed from Allen’s account when it was vetted in January.

Wyoming coach Craig Bohl says Allen had “great relationships with his teammates and our fan base.” The coach adds in his statement that while at Wyoming Allen “embraced diversity.” Says Bohl: “We wish him all the best on his big night.”

This isn’t just the year of the quarterback in the NFL draft. It’s the century of the QB.

The previous time a quarterback wasn’t selected in the first round of the NFL draft was 1996, when 41 other players were chosen before the Rams selected Michigan State’s Tony Banks at No. 42.

Banks went 35-43 in eight seasons as a journeyman with the Rams, Ravens, Redskins and Texans.

He was by far the most accomplished of the six quarterbacks selected, two of whom never played in the league and another who never started in the NFL.

Third-rounder Bobby Hoying of Ohio State went 3-9-1 in five seasons for Philadelphia and Oakland.

The Broncos chose Jeff Lewis of Northern Arizona with the 100th overall pick, but this was during the Elway Era and Lewis made zero career starts in two seasons in Denver and two in Carolina.

Another fourth-rounder was Florida State’s Danny Kanell, who would post a 10-13-1 career mark over six seasons with the Giants, Falcons and Broncos.

In the seventh round, the Ravens took John Stark of Trinity International and the Packers selected USC’s Kyle Wachholtz, neither of whom ever played in the pros.

So, that was a total of 48-65-2 for the inglorious QB class of 1996.

There have been 56 quarterbacks selected in the first round since then, including five in 1999. That mark is expected to be matched or maybe broken tonight in Dallas.

The most inspirational story in this NFL draft, bar none, is Shaquem Griffin of UCF.

A standout linebacker for the undefeated Knights, Griffin achieved all of his success despite having no left hand. He wears a prosthetic, yet Griffin stunned onlookers by bench-pressing 225 pounds a staggering 20 times at the combine, then ran the 40-yard dash in 4.38 seconds.

Griffin is fast, hits hard and never stops coming. Will that make him a first-rounder? Probably not, given NFL teams’ concerns with any sort of physical issues for a prospect.

But Griffin, whose brother Shaquill was selected in the third round last year by Seattle, insists there are no drawbacks about him as a pro prospect.

“I don’t see it as a handicap and I have never looked at it that way,” Griffin says. “I hope I am an inspiration for people, to see I can do whatever I want. I haven’t seen anything I couldn’t do. I’m never going to let someone put a label on me.”

NFL personnel people praise Griffin to the sky for his talent, work ethic and fortitude. What they don’t say is how highly they will consider him on their draft board.

Griffin doesn’t like hearing that, though his cheerful demeanor allows him to laugh when told he could be sitting at this draft until Saturday before being selected.

“I don’t have a chip on my shoulder,” Griffin says. “I have chips. I have a bag of chips. Everyone else can have a chip. I need more than that.”

The Houston Texans will be bystanders deep into this draft; their first pick is in the third round, 68th overall.

That doesn’t mean they won’t be paying attention tonight and during the second round Friday. Plus, the man in charge of personnel moves believes the Texans already have achieved a lot in the offseason.

“Part of the process in this player evaluation is mixing the pro scouting element with the college draft process,” says new general manager Brian Gaine.

“As it relates to how we’re going to solve some of the issues on our roster with personnel, we feel like some of the things we did in free agency are going to put us in position in the draft where you’re not going to get forced to have to draft a player based on need.

“The players that we acquired both on the offensive line and in the secondary give us position flexibility within the group, so at least now we feel like we’re in position that if we draft players now, we’re hopefully drafting the best available player in that regard. The best combination of a pick is when you take the best available player that also meets a team need.”

Among Houston’s needs are the offensive line and tight end. Barring an unexpected run on tackles or tight ends, the Texans should find value when they finally get going.

“There are certainly challenges involved with that in terms of getting blue chip talent and blue chip prospects,” Gaines says, “but the focus that I have had and our staff has had here has been we are going to get a chance to get four players in the top 103 in this draft.

“So, if things were standard and we had a first- and second-round pick, a third- and fourth-round pick, that would still give us four players in the top 103.

“Now, although they might not be player 50 or 60, we’re still going to get four players, we believe, in the top 103. So, we’re very positive that we’ll be able to get contributing players at any one of those picks in the third and the fourth round.”

Meanwhile, barring a trade, the Texans will watch.

This year’s deep draft at quarterback lacks just one thing: a consensus top pick.

None of the mock drafts heading into today’s actual NFL draft in Dallas seems to even put them in the same order.

So, let’s see what the quarterbacks themselves think.

All of them say they’re the best of the bunch except for USC’s Sam Darnold, who suggests: “That’s for other people to decide.”

They all unabashedly tout themselves as the best option at QB in this draft.

“I think I’m the best quarterback here,” Rosen has said. “I think every person in this draft should have the exact same answer.”

Allen has said every quarterback has to believe he’s the best because that confidence is the cornerstone of a successful pro career.

“We’re all different, we all have our pluses, our minuses,” Allen says. “But if you don’t have the mindset that you’re the best quarterback in this draft, you’re not going to fare well in this league.”

Mayfield has concurred, saying, “If you don’t have that mindset then something’s wrong.”

When it comes to ranking the quarterbacks, most people have Jackson well behind the so-called “Big Four,” going somewhere in the middle of the first round.

Jackson has just as much confidence as the others, suggesting he’s better than all of them.

“But I don’t really care about what order we’re in,” Jackson has said. “They’re all great quarterbacks, as well. So, I know they feel the same way.”

As the traveling road show that the NFL draft has become settles in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, the league has added a new fan touch: the Inner Circle.

More than 1,600 fans — at least 50 from every franchise — will be in AT&T Stadium for the selections, and the festivities that go with them.

Each team selected its “draft ambassadors,” and the list of attendees ranges from locals who just happen to root for, say, the Eagles or Bills or Jets, to fans who will travel to North Texas (Falcons, Ravens). Many are season ticket holders.

The Inner Circle will feature team rivalry zones and chances for fans to celebrate the club’s selections with NFL players and former team standouts.

Tonight, some of these fans will be visited by their newest team members after they are selected on stage.
In American football, the Cleveland Browns select Texas A&M defensive end Myles Garrett first in the 2017 NFL Draft.