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B1G Night: History made, drought ends and other notes from Round 1 of the NFL Draft
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If you’re a fan of the B1G, you probably enjoyed what you saw on Thursday night in Nashville.
Seven former stars from the conference heard their names called during the first round of the 2019 NFL Draft, turning their dreams into a reality. There were a few twists and turns throughout the night, but it was a tremendous day for the conference.
History was made, an ugly drought ended and there were a few other noteworthy items to take away from Day 1 of the NFL Draft. Here are some of the high points from the first round in Nashville:
Nick Bosa is the highest-drafted Buckeye two decades
Bosa was taken with the No. 2 overall pick by the San Francisco 49ers on Thursday night, becoming the highest-drafted Buckeye since Orlando Pace went No. 1 overall in 1997. The star pass rusher was selected one spot higher than his brother, Joey, who was taken at No. 3 in the 2016 draft. A B1G player has been selected No. 2 overall in back-to-back years, with the New York Giants taking Saquon Barkley at that spot last year.
Michigan’s draft streak extends to 81 years
The longest NFL Draft streak is extended by another year. Michigan has produced at least one NFL Draft pick every season for the last 81 years, dating back to 1939. Two Wolverines were drafted in the first round on Thursday night in Nashville, with Devin Bush going No. 10 to the Pittsburgh Steelers and Rashan Gary being selected by the Green Bay Packers at No. 12. Death, taxes and a Michigan player being selected in the NFL Draft.
Dwayne Haskins ends B1G’s drought without a first-round QB
Finally, one of the ugliest droughts hindering the B1G has been ended. With Haskins being selected No. 15 by the Washington Redskins on Thursday night, he became the first B1G quarterback chosen in the first round since Penn State’s Kerry Collins in 1995. It’s been a looming conversation every year when the draft rolls around, but is no longer relevant.
Iowa makes history with two first-round tight ends
Leave it to Iowa to make this kind of history at the NFL Draft. The Hawkeyes have become known as “Tight End U” recently, having produced a plethora of incredible prospects at the position. But Iowa took it one step further this year, becoming the first school to have two tight ends selected in the first round in the same draft. T.J. Hockenson was the No. 8 pick by the Detroit Lions and Noah Fant was selected by the Denver Broncos at No. 20. That’s an accomplishment that’ll be really difficult to match.
Ohio State ties USC for most first-round draft picks
With Bosa and Haskins being selected on Thursday night, Ohio State now ties USC for the most first round picks in history with 81. That’s a title the Trojans have held onto for 50 years. We could see the Buckeyes take over the No. 1 spot in 2020.
Maryland, Ohio State have first-round picks back-to-back years
The only two schools to have players selected in the first round of the 2018 and 2019 NFL Drafts were Maryland and Ohio State. You might expect the Buckeyes to be in this category, but the Terrapins are a bit of a surprise. Maryland has had one player taken in the first round each of the last two years and Ohio State has had two selections each year. Here are the names:
- Maryland: Darnell Savage (2019); DJ Moore (2018)
- Ohio State: Nick Bosa, Dwayne Haskins (2019); Denzel Ward, Billy Price (2018)
B1G nearly doubles its total of first rounders from 2018
A year ago, the B1G produced just four first-round picks in the NFL Draft. This year, seven players from the conference heard their names called on the first night of the event in Nashville. That total tied for second-most among conferences, along with the ACC. The SEC led the way with nine first-round selections. Here’s a recap of the B1G players selected Thursday night:
- No. 2: Nick Bosa, Ohio State, DE — 49ers
- No. 8: T.J. Hockenson, Iowa, TE — Lions
- No. 10: Devin Bush, Michigan, LB — Steelers
- No. 12: Rashan Gary, Michigan, DE — Packers
- No. 15: Dwayne Haskins, Ohio State, QB — Redskins
- No. 20: Noah Fant, Iowa, TE — Broncos
- No. 21: Darnell Savage, Maryland, S — Packers
Dustin grew up in the heart of Big Ten country and has been in sports media since 2010. He has been covering Big Ten football since 2014. You can follow him on Twitter: @SchutteCFB