NEW YORK -- Quarterbacks typically dominate the headlines in the first round of the NFL draft, and this year's edition was no different.
Blake Bortles, Johnny Manziel and Teddy Bridgewater made news in the first round, and two teams went after the best remaining quarterbacks Friday in the second round of the draft at Radio City Music Hall.
The first to go was Derek Carr of Fresno State, who was taken by the Oakland Raiders. Carr's older brother David has played for 11 seasons with the Houston Texans and the New York Giants, among others.
The New England Patriots took Jimmy Garoppolo of Eastern Illinois late in the second round, but the rest of the round was dominated by defensive linemen and backs, as well as wide receivers.
No quarterbacks were chosen in the third round even though A.J. McCarron of Alabama, Garrett Gilbert of SMU and others were available.
Teams often try to build rosters that mirror that of the Super Bowl champion. This year, that means emulating the Seattle Seahawks and their top-ranked defense and nimble receivers.
Five defensive linemen were drafted in the second round by the Dallas Cowboys, Atlanta Falcons, Pittsburgh Steelers, Baltimore Ravens and Carolina Panthers. Two linebackers and two defensive backs were also picked, including Lamarcus Joyner, a defensive back from Florida State, who went to the St. Louis Rams.
Seven receivers were taken in the round, including perhaps the most popular -- at least based on the cheers at Radio City: Marqise Lee from USC, who was chosen by the Jacksonville Jaguars. Later in the second round, the Jaguars took Allen Robinson, a receiver from Penn State. The two will play alongside Bortles, a quarterback from Central Florida who was chosen third overall by the Jaguars.
"I got the chance to sit down and really pay attention to Blake and the things he does," Lee said after he was picked.
Jordan Matthews of Vanderbilt, another top receiver, was taken by the Philadelphia Eagles, while the Seahawks chose Paul Richardson, a receiver from Colorado.
Matthews was among the players chosen in the second round who felt they should have been picked in the first. He said being passed over left him with a "sour feeling." Cyrus Kouandjio, an offensive tackle chosen by the Bills, said it was frustrating being ignored in the first round.
Needing to strengthen their offensive line, the Giants chose Weston Richburg, a center from Colorado State, in the second round. In the third, they picked Jay Bromley, a defensive tackle from Syracuse who grew up in New York City.
The New York Jets added Jace Amaro, a tight end from Texas Tech, to improve their weak receiving corps, and Dexter McDougle, a cornerback from Maryland.
One of the most scrutinized players was not drafted through the middle of the third round on Friday. Michael Sam, who is openly gay, may be chosen in the final rounds today.
Kony Ealy, who is also a defensive end from Missouri, was chosen by the Panthers in the second round.
This year, like last, no running backs were taken in the first round, another sign of how dominant the passing game has become in the NFL. The drought continued this year until the Tennessee Titans chose Bishop Sankey from Washington with the 54th pick, the latest the first running back has ever been selected in the draft. The ice broken, the Cincinnati Bengals chose Jeremy Hill from LSU, and the San Francisco 49ers took Carlos Hyde from Ohio State.
In all, 11 offensive linemen, five running backs, three wide receivers and three tight ends were chosen in the third round. Teams also chose seven defensive linemen, three linebackers and four defensive backs.
The pace was faster Friday because teams had only seven minutes to make their picks in the second round and only five minutes in the third round. Several teams, including Seattle, swapped picks to get more choices later in the draft, an approach that worked well for the Seahawks when they built their title team.
Sports on 05/10/2014