DETROIT (AP) — The Latest on the first round of the NFL draft (all times local):
Patriots pick Drake Maye at No. 3
With the first pick since parting ways with Bill Belichick, the Patriots picked quarterback Drake Maye at No. 3 overall.
The former North Carolina star has the size, arm strength and athleticism teams in the league are looking for. Scouts rave about his ability make a variety of throws with accuracy.
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Commanders select Jayden Daniels with second pick
The Washington Commanders selected Jayden Daniels with the No. 2 pick overall.
The 2023 Heisman Trophy made the most of his fifth season of college football, becoming a breakout star at LSU.
Daniels excels at throwing deep and making play with his feet and will get plenty of opportunities to do both in Washington.
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Bears take Caleb Williams with No. 1 pick
The NFL draft kicked off with Caleb Williams picked No. 1 overall by the Chicago Bears, as expected.
Williams, a star at USC, was cool and calm in the days leading up to the draft, perhaps because he was one of the only prospects who knew where he would be playing later this year.
The 2022 Heisman Trophy winner is the first of many quarterbacks who will be selected.
Jayden Daniels, Drake Maye and J.J. McCarthy may make this the first draft to have four signal callers chosen among the top five.
Michael Penix Jr. and Bo Nix could make it six QBs taken in the first round to tie a record.
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How to watch the 2024 NFL Draft
The Chicago Bears go on the clock with the NFL draft’s first pick shortly after 7 p.m. Thursday, to be followed by the rest of the first round. Rounds 2 and 3 will air Friday night, and Rounds 4-7 take place Saturday.
Television: ABC, ESPN, ESPN Deportes, NFL Network
Streaming: ESPN+, NFL+, YouTube TV, Hulu+ Live TV, Fubo TV and Sling TV
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First round NFL draft order
1. Chicago Bears (from Carolina)
2. Washington Commanders
3. New England Patriots
4. Arizona Cardinals
5. Los Angeles Chargers
6. New York Giants
7. Tennessee Titans
8. Atlanta Falcons
9. Chicago Bears
10. New York Jets
11. Minnesota Vikings
12. Denver Broncos
13. Las Vegas Raiders
14. New Orleans Saints
15. Indianapolis Colts
16. Seattle Seahawks
17. Jacksonville Jaguars
18. Cincinnati Bengals
19. Los Angeles Rams
20. Pittsburgh Steelers
21. Miami Dolphins
22. Philadelphia Eagles
23. Minnesota Vikings (from Cleveland through Houston)
24. Dallas Cowboys
25. Green Bay Packers
26. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
27. Arizona Cardinals (from Houston)
28. Buffalo Bills
29. Detroit Lions
30. Baltimore Ravens
31. San Francisco 49ers
32. Kansas City Chiefs
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AP mock NFL draft: Williams and Daniels go 1-2, then things get wild
It’s no secret the Chicago Bears are taking Caleb Williams with the No. 1 overall pick. The 2022 Heisman Trophy winner at USC has been ticketed for the top selection for months.
The Washington Commanders are expected to choose between LSU’s Jayden Daniels, the 2023 Heisman winner, and North Carolina’s Drake Maye at No. 2.
Then, the New England Patriots are expected to take the remaining quarterback. Or, will they?
▶ Read the AP’s full mock draft
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A historic QB class?
Caleb Williams says this quarterback draft class could be “historic.” Williams, Jayden Daniels, Drake Maye and J.J. McCarthy could make this the first NFL draft to have four QBs selected in the top five.
Michael Penix Jr. and Bo Nix could join Williams, Daniels, Maye and McCarthy to make it six QBs in the first round, which would tie a record.
The 1983 draft had three Hall of Fame quarterbacks — John Elway, Dan Marino and Jim Kelly — selected in the first round along with Todd Blackledge, Tony Eason and Ken O’Brien.
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Detroit shines in draft spotlight
Motown is getting its groove back.
“The city, it’s got an energy to it,” Dan Gilbert told The Associated Press after his real-estate company, Bedrock, worked with public and private entities to land one of the league’s signature events.
Detroit is hosting the NFL draft one month after NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 games and a regional final were played at Little Caesars Arena — and three years before the Final Four returns to Ford Field.
The big-time sports events end a drought that followed quite a run.
From 2004 to 2009, the Motor City had a Super Bowl, Final Four, Major League Baseball All-Star Game, Ryder Cup and the PGA Championship.
▶ Read more about Detroit’s turn in the draft spotlight.
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Offense expected to dominate first round
The first round will have a strong offensive flavor with QBs, receivers and linemen expected to dominate the selections.
The odds favor a record-setting night on offense with teams expected to take more than 20 players from that side of the ball in the first round. The current high is 19 last reached in 2009.
There’s a chance that the records for those three key positions could fall. The record for first-round QBs is six in 1983, for receivers is seven in 2004 and for linemen it’s 10 in 1968.
This also could threaten the latest for the first defensive player to go. The 2021 draft set that record when Jaycee Horn was the first defensive player taken at No. 8.
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AP NFL: https://apnews.com/NFL