The Miami Dolphins selection of Jake Long as the number one draft pick came as no surprise to many NFL followers. The Dolphins had signed the offensive tackle on Tuesday. But the rest of the first round had some unexpected moments, particularly due to the numerous trades made.
One of the most interesting was the Baltimore Ravens decision to trade twice, eventually settling for University of Delaware quarterback Joe Flacco, the number 18 pick.
"We decided it was time to pull the trigger on the quarterback that we felt like was the guy to lead our team into the future," Ravens general manager Ozzie Newsome said.
Other surprises included the New England Patriots selecting linebacker Jerod Mayo over its choice of cornerbacks and Atlanta trading back into the first round to take projected second-rounder offensive tackle Sam Baker.
The top ten is as follows. For a complete list of draft picks, visit ESPN's 2008 NFL Draft page.
1. Dolphins, Jake Long, OT, Michigan.
2. Rams, Chris Long, DE, Virginia.
3. Falcons, Matt Ryan, QB, Boston College.
4. Raiders, Darren McFadden, RB, Arkansas.
5. Chiefs, Glenn Dorsey, DT, LSU.
6. Jets, Vernon Gholston, LB, Ohio State.
7. Saints (from 49ers via Patriots), Sedrick Ellis, DT, USC.
8. Jaguars (from Ravens), Derrick Harvey, DE, Florida.
9. Bengals, Keith Rivers, LB, USC.
10. Patriots (from Saints), Jerod Mayo, LB, Tennessee.
