2016 NFL DRAFT: QBs get top billing; OT Tunsil’s fall grabs buzz

California’s Jared Goff acknowledges the crowd after being chosen by Los Angeles as the top pick in the NFL Draft on Thursday. Goff, who was a three-year starter in college, became the sixth quarterback to be taken as the No. 1 overall pick in the past eight years.
California’s Jared Goff acknowledges the crowd after being chosen by Los Angeles as the top pick in the NFL Draft on Thursday. Goff, who was a three-year starter in college, became the sixth quarterback to be taken as the No. 1 overall pick in the past eight years.

CHICAGO -- California showed love for Jared Goff, and Philadelphia displayed pride for Carson Wentz.

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North Dakota State’s Carson Wentz poses for photos after being selected by the Philadelphia Eagles as second pick in the first round of the 2016 NFL football draft, Thursday, April 28, 2016, in Chicago.

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Ohio State’s Joey Bosa poses for photos with NFL commissioner Roger Goodell after being selected by the San Diego Chargers as the third pick in the first round of the 2016 NFL football draft, Thursday, April 28, 2016, in Chicago.

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Ohio State’s Ezekiel Elliott poses for photos after being selected by Dallas Cowboys as the fourth pick in the first round of the 2016 NFL football draft, Thursday, April 28, 2016, in Chicago.

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Florida State’s Jalen Ramsey poses for photos with NFL commissioner Roger Goodell after being selected by Jacksonville Jaguars as fifth pick in the first round of the 2016 NFL football draft, Thursday, April 28, 2016, in Chicago.

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Notre Dame’s Ronnie Stanley poses for photos with NFL commissioner Roger Goodell after being selected by Baltimore Ravens as the sixth pick in the first round of the 2016 NFL football draft, Thursday, April 28, 2016, in Chicago.

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DeForest Buckner

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Michigan State’s Jack Conklin poses for photos with NFL commissioner Roger Goodell after being selected by Tennessee Titans as the eighth pick in the first round of the 2016 NFL football draft, Thursday, April 28, 2016, in Chicago.

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Leonard Floyd

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Ohio State’s Eli Apple poses for photos after being selected by New York Giants as the 10th pick in the first round of the 2016 NFL football draft, Thursday, April 28, 2016, in Chicago.

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AP

Mississippi’s Laremy Tunsil (left) poses with NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell after being selected No. 11 by Miami Tunsil might have been chosen earlier, but a video of him appearing to smoke out of a large pipe taped to a gas mask surfaced on his verified Twitter account, which might have caused him to slip in the draft.

It was all about the quarterbacks before Laremy Tunsil's tumble down the board at the NFL Draft.

Goff went No. 1 overall to the Rams on Thursday for their first pick since they moved to Los Angeles in the offseason. Wentz was the No. 2 selection by the Eagles after a successful career at North Dakota State in the second tier of college football.

"I'm taking it as an honor and ... I'm going to have to prove them right, that they made the right decision," Goff said.

After the top quarterbacks were off the board, the focus turned to the slide by Mississippi offensive tackle Tunsil, once thought to be a potential first selection. He fell to Miami at 13 after a pair of damaging posts to his social media accounts.

A video shared on Tunsil's Twitter account Thursday night showed him smoking marijuana out of a bong-gas mask contraption. His Instagram account reportedly showed a text-message exchange indicating he took money from coaches at Ole Miss, something he acknowledged during his news conference after he was selected by the Dolphins.

"Somehow, somebody got in my photos and hacked my Twitter account, and somebody hacked my Instagram account, so it's crazy," Tunsil said. "I can't control that, man. I can control what I control."

Miami wasn't turned off.

"He's a smart kid," General Manager Chris Grier said. "He's very football intelligent. This guy is one of those grinders. There's no doubt this guy loves football, and football is very important to him."

There was little doubt about the position of the top picks after Los Angeles and Philadelphia each made big trades to get into the draft's top two slots. It's the second consecutive year two quarterbacks were the first names off the board and the seventh time in the modern era of the draft since 1967.

A third quarterback went in the first round when Denver moved up to No. 26 to take Paxton Lynch of Memphis, making him a possible successor for Peyton Manning with the Super Bowl champion Broncos.

After Goff and Wentz got their hats and exchanged pleasantries with Commissioner Roger Goodell, it was an Ohio State parade to the podium. San Diego grabbed defensive end Joey Bosa at No. 3, and Dallas selected running back Ezekiel Elliott with the fourth pick.

Cornerback Eli Apple went to the New York Giants at No. 10, putting three Buckeyes in the top 10 for the first time ever at the school. Offensive tackle Taylor Decker went to Detroit and speedy linebacker Darron Lee went to the Jets, running the Ohio State total to five.

"That's why we came to Ohio State, to play at the next level," Bosa said.

Elliott, who rushed for 1,878 yards last season, made quite a fashion statement when he showed off his midsection while walking the red carpet before the draft. But his dress shirt under his blue suit was in place by the time he was drafted by the Cowboys.

"I wanted to be a little different than everyone else," said Elliott, who played with a bare midriff during his time with the Buckeyes. "I had to go out on the red carpet with the crop top."

The Browns, who traded the No. 2 pick to the Eagles last week, moved down again in the first major deal of the night and grabbed Baylor wide receiver Corey Coleman with the 15th pick. They also have the first pick in the second round today and could field more trade offers with UCLA linebacker Myles Jack and Alabama's Derrick Henry and Reggie Ragland still available.

Jack was expected to go in the first half of the opening round at one point, but there is concern within the league about the health of his right knee.

The 6-foot-4 Goff started every game during his three seasons at California and set school records with 977 completions, 12,220 yards passing and 96 touchdown passes. The Rams traded with Tennessee to get the pick.

The Titans then returned to the top 10 through a trade with the Browns -- sending them a third-round pick this year and a second-round pick next year -- to select Michigan State offensive tackle Jack Conklin at No. 8. Conklin began his career with the Spartans as a walk-on.

Wentz led the Bison to their fifth consecutive FCS championship in January. He passed for 1,651 yards and 17 touchdowns during his senior year, which was shortened by a broken right wrist.

It's the first opening-round quarterback for the Eagles since they grabbed Donovan McNabb with the No. 2 pick in the 1999 draft.

"It's exciting a team believes in me that much to go up and get me," Wentz said.

FIRST-ROUND PICKS

The 31 picks in the first round of Thursday’s NFL Draft: PK.

TEAM PLAYER POS. HT. WT. COLLEGE

  1. Los Angeles Jared Goff QB 6-4 215 California
  2. Philadelphia Carson Wentz QB 6-5 237 N. Dakota State
  3. San Diego Joey Bosa DE 6-5 269 Ohio State
  4. Dallas Ezekiel Elliott RB 6-0 225 Ohio State
  5. Jacksonville Jalen Ramsey CB 6-1 209 Florida State
  6. Baltimore Ronnie Stanley OT 6-6 312 Notre Dame
  7. San Francisco DeForest Buckner DE 6-7 291 Oregon
  8. Tennessee Jack Conklin OT 6-6 308 Michigan State
  9. Chicago Leonard Floyd LB 6-6 244 Georgia
  10. NY Giants Eli Apple CB 6-1 199 Ohio State
  11. Tampa Bay Vernon Hargreaves CB 5-10 204 Florida
  12. New Orleans Sheldon Rankins DT 6-1 299 Louisville
  13. Miami Laremy Tunsil OT 6-5 310 Mississippi
  14. Oakland Karl Joseph S 5-10 205 West Virginia
  15. Cleveland Corey Coleman WR 5-11 194 Baylor
  16. Detroit Taylor Decker OT 6-7 310 Ohio State
  17. Atlanta Keanu Neal S 6-0 211 Florida
  18. Indianapolis Ryan Kelly OC 6-4 311 Alabama
  19. Buffalo Shaq Lawson DE 6-2 269 Clemson
  20. NY Jets Darron Lee LB 6-0 232 Ohio State
  21. Houston Will Fuller WR 6-0 186 Notre Dame
  22. Washington Josh Doctson WR 6-2 202 TCU
  23. Minnesota Laquon Treadwell WR 6-2 221 Mississippi
  24. Cincinnati William Jackson III CB 6-0 189 Houston
  25. Pittsburgh Artie Burns CB 5-11 193 Miami
  26. Denver Paxton Lynch QB 6-6 244 Memphis
  27. Green Bay Kenny Clark DT 6-2 314 UCLA
  28. San Francisco Joshua Garnett OG 6-4 312 Stanford
  29. Arizona Robert Nkemdiche DT 6-3 294 Mississippi
  30. Carolina Vernon Butler DT 6-3 323 Louisiana Tech
  31. Seattle Germain Ifedi OT 6-5 324 Texas A&M

NOTE Rounds 2-3 are today, beginning at 6 p.m. while rounds 4-7 will take place on Saturday, starting at 11 a.m.

Sports on 04/29/2016

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