The NFL Draft is serious business, but it’s not all serious business. Silly and heart-warming stuff happens throughout, too. We’re not just watching names fill up spreadsheets. We’re also watching dreams get fulfilled, millionaires get minted, and hope get (briefly) renewed.
The 2018 NFL Draft’s 18 coolest moments so far
Keeping track of the best and funniest moments, with more added here throughout the weekend
Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images
So here’s a running tally of the 2018 NFL Draft’s silly, weird, and very good moments, updated during all seven rounds. Click here for all the picks and stuff.
1. No. 1 pick Baker Mayfield owned the entire thing before it even kicked off.
The new Cleveland QB recreated Brett Favre’s legendary draft night jorts, down to the shirts in the background and even upgrading the mobile phone to somehow be more vintage.
2. Fellow Brown Denzel Ward set the uniforms tone.
We’ve seen these at the NBA Draft before, so it’s about time football caught up.
3. Noted affordable suit legend Lamar Jackson’s shirt has tiny UFOs on it. QB1.
4. Rashaan Evans of the Titans is your walk-up music winner.
For entrance music, the Alabama LB chose Chief Keef’s “Finally Rich,” a song about being finally rich. All players selected in this event are finally rich.
Here’s the playlist of other choices, with Josh Allen to blame for all the Bon Jovi.
5. Giants pick Saquon Barkley: the weekend’s overall champion.
The top running back is also a brand new father:
And somehow Odell Beckham Jr. tipped New York’s pick like an hour beforehand, via an Instagram tag?
6. Bucs first-rounder Vita Vea already has his first purchase staked out.
The big Washington DT’s family has been through a lot, but soon, he’ll be able to change everything:
Vita’s parents worked for what they have. They don’t complain or ask for handouts.
“We survive,” Sione said.
Nonetheless, as the NFL and first-round contract approach, their youngest child still wants to give.
“The one thing I do know is I’m going to get my mom a house, make sure my parents are comfortable over there with their living situations,” Vea said. “That’s one guarantee.”
7. The weekend’s best guest announcement likely came during the first round.
The third day will be full of animals and other wackiness — bring back the orangutan, IMO — but the Broncos’ first-rounder will be far more meaningful.
Austin Denton, a 17-year-old who has survived cancer, got the honor of picking DE Bradley Chubb.
8. Notre Dame guard Quenton Nelson’s dad had the hat game secured, no matter what. (The Colts made the pick.)
9. Virginia Tech linebacker Tremaine Edwards, taken by the Bills, is NINETEEN YEARS OLD.
10. New Packers DB Jaire Alexander forgot all about his own media spotlight as soon as the Ravens picked fellow Louisville Cardinal Lamar Jackson.
Elsewhere in Jaire news, there were tons of delighted Packers fans in SBNationCFB’s Twitter mentions discovering/enjoying this GIF of him prancing against Wake Forest:
11. Tremaine and Terrell Edmunds became the first brothers drafted together in the same round.
Terrell went to the Steelers.
“It’s a blessing for my family. It’s a blessing for my city. It’s a blessing for my school,” Terrell said in an ESPN interview after being picked. “I’m thankful to everyone who’s supported us along the way.”
12. Ryan Shazier walked out on-stage to announce the Steelers’ 1st-round pick.
He suffered a horrifying spinal injury in December and spent some time confined to a wheelchair. In recent weeks, he’s appeared at a handful of events, including NCAA tournament basketball games and hockey games in Pittsburgh. He was an honorary captain at Ohio State’s spring game earlier in March, too.
13. Nate Burleson delivered one heck of a speech to announce the Detroit Lions’ second-round pick.
It was for the “for the ‘the no-days off, lunch pail packin’, hard-hat wearin’ blue collar hands that helped build this country’ people of Detroit:”
14. Philly great David Akers screamed at all the Cowboys fans in Dallas as the Eagles pulled off an elaborate troll.
15. The Browns drafted one of Rick Ross’ producers.
Miami DE Chad Thomas, whose producer name is Major Nine, produced Rick Ross’ “Apple of My Eye,” the opening track on 2017’s Rather You Than Me.
16. Oklahoma State quarterback Mason Rudolph and his Pokes teammate, James Washington, will be together in Pittsburgh.
The Steelers took Washington in the second round, and took Rudolph in the third. The two were a dynamic duo for three seasons in Stillwater.
17. Some teams used some fun and unique ways to announce their picks on day three.
The Vikings used the U.S. Men’s gold medal winning curling team:
Denver used a diver from what looked like a cave to announce their fourth-round pick:
Oh, and there was a horse head, too, because of course.
The San Fransisco 49ers selected Kentavius Smith out of NC State with R2D2 from Star Wars, which was glorious:
18. UCF linebacker Shaquem Griffin was drafted by the Seahawks in the fifth round.
He’ll get to join his twin brother, Shaquill, in Seattle:
More to come!
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