Top 10 surprising events of the NFL Draft

The NFL draft was the weekend of April 25 and like every other draft, there were some major surprises. Players fell, players rose and teams made trades. These are the moments that may have surprised people on draft weekend.

10. Denver Broncos take Georgia running back Knowshown Moreno 12th overall

This was a surprising pick because the Broncos finished 29th in defense last season. Their defense was the biggest reason the Broncos didn’t make it to the playoffs. Instead of taking a defensive player, the Broncos went with Moreno to solidify their running game. While the Broncos placed several running backs on injured reserve last season, the Broncos were expected to get much needed help on the defensive side.

9. Cincinnati Bengals take Alabama offensive tackle Andre Smith ahead of Virginia offensive tackle Eugene Monroe

This would not have been a surprise in the middle of the college football season. Smith was considered one of the best prospects in the draft, but his stock took a hit after he was suspended for the Sugar Bowl, left the NFL Combine early and fired his agent a couple weeks before the draft. Those events, combined with Monroe’s strong play, vaulted Monroe ahead of Smith on draft boards. While Smith is considered the better player, Monroe was considered the safer pick.

8. Baltimore Ravens move up to the 23rd pick to take Mississippi offensive tackle Michael Oher

Michael Oher was not considered the best offensive tackle in the draft, but he wasn’t expected to last until pick 23, either. Most mock drafts had Oher gone by the 15th pick and some even had him in the top-10. Oher was a victim of how the first half of the draft played out. Once Oher fell to 23, the Ravens traded up to get him to replace longtime left tackle Jonathan Ogden.

7. Miami Dolphins take West Virginia quarterback Pat White in the second round

The Dolphins surprised many people by taking dual-threat quarterback Pat White with the 44th pick. It is unclear what position White will play in the NFL. Many experts believe White isn’t talented enough to play quarterback at the NFL level, but his running ability is too much to ignore. Besides, the Dolphins took former Michigan quarterback Chad Henne in the second round last year. Most believe White will play in the Dolphins’ “wildcat” formation, but that is only expected to be six or seven snaps a game. What else will White do?

6. Southern Cal linebacker Rey Maualuga isn’t chosen until the second round by the Cincinnati Bengals with the 38th pick

Southern Cal had one of the most dominating linebacker units in recent memory with Rey Maualuga, Brian Cushing and Clay Matthews Jr. anchoring the defense this past season. All three were projected to be first round picks. While Cushing and Matthews Jr. went in the first round, Maualuga dropped to the second round. This was surprising because Maualuga received the most hype from the press while the trio was at Southern Cal.

5. Kansas City Chiefs select LSU defensive end Tyson Jackson with the third pick

Most experts had the Chiefs selecting Wake Forest linebacker Aaron Curry with the third pick. Curry was thought to be the safest pick of the draft and the Chiefs need help at the linebacker position. But as the draft approached, Tyson Jackson shot up draft boards because he was considered the best fit to play defensive end in the 3-4 scheme that most teams in the NFL, including the Chiefs, are switching to. Jackson is 6’4″ and 295 pounds, the ideal size for the position. The Chiefs decided to go with need instead of best player.

4. Tampa Bay Buccaneers trade up to 17th pick and take Kansas State quarterback Josh Freeman

Josh Freeman was considered the third-best quarterback after Matthew Stafford and Mark Sanchez, but not nearly as polished as the two. This was a bit of a shock because the Buccaneers moved ahead of the Denver Broncos and Philadelphia Eagles, two teams thought to have no interest in drafting Freeman. The Buccaneers also said on multiple occasions that they were impressed with how quarterback Josh Johnson, a fifth-round pick last season, was progressing.

3. New York Jets trade up to fifth pick and take Southern Cal quarterback Mark Sanchez

The fact that a team traded up to take Mark Sanchez, the second-rated quarterback by most experts, wasn’t a surprise. The surprise was the Jets were that team. It was being reported that the Redskins and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers were the teams most interested in Sanchez, but the Jets came in and stole the quarterback from both teams. Jets head coach Rex Ryan said at times before the draft that he was satisfied with the quarterback situation, but decided on draft day to make the move and get the Jets’ quarterback of the future.

2. Texas Tech wide receiver Michael Crabtree falls to San Francisco 49ers at 10th pick

Many experts and fans alike believed the Texas Tech wide receiver to be the first or second best player in the entire draft. Many draft boards had Crabtree going to the Seattle Seahawks at the fourth pick, Cleveland Browns at the fifth pick, Oakland Raiders at the seventh pick or the Jacksonville Jaguars at the eighth pick, but all four teams passed on the Texas Tech star. The Seahawks took a linebacker, the Raiders took another wide receiver, the Jaguars took an offensive lineman and the Browns traded down, allowing Crabtree to fall into the lap of the 49ers.

1. Oakland Raiders select Maryland receiver Darrius Heyward-Bey with the seventh pick

Every year there are surprises in the first round. This year, the surprise was the Raiders taking Darrius Heyward-Bey seventh overall. Heyward-Bey was not thought of as a top-10 pick on any draft board. The Raiders could have gotten Heyward-Bey later in the draft. They passed on higher rated players to take Heyward-Bey. Heyward-Bey ran the fastest at the NFL Combine with a 4.3 second 40-yard dash, but it takes more than speed to be a top-10 pick.