From Thursday April 23rd to Saturday April 25th, the annual NFL draft will be aired on ABC, ESPN, and NFL Network. This year’s draft was scheduled to be held in Las Vegas, Nevada, and players were to be escorted to the stage by a boat to add to the vibrant ceremony. However, due to COVID-19, the draft is being held remotely. Commission Roger Goodell will announce every pick from his house in New York, and players will celebrate with their family from their homes. 

On Thursday night, only round one will be aired, and it is expected to last 3+ hours. This round will feature the nation’s top college players, including Heisman Trophy winner and National Champion from LSU, quarterback Joe Burrow, and defensive end from Ohio State, Chase Young. 

Round one was filled with surprises and success. Many people expressed their concerns that the draft was going to get hacked or glitch, but fortunately, neither happened. Despite a few glitches at the beginning of the draft, everything went smoothly after the Bengals made their pick.  

After watching round 1 of the NFL draft, Hingham High School sophomore Jack Libby expressed his thoughts about the virtual draft. He reflects, “the virtual draft was a strong improvisation considering the circumstances, and had a promising effect on the revival of the income of the sporting event.” However, he prefers watching the normal NFL draft because it is “a lot more effective.”

Many fans expressed their anger after the Patriots traded the 23rd pick in the NFL draft. The Patriots received a 2020 second and third round draft pick from the Chargers in return. With the 23rd pick, the Chargers selected Oklahoma linebacker Kenneth Murray, who could have made a huge impact on the Patriots linebacker core. 

Hingham High School sophomore Anthony Longo declared, “the Patriots trading their pick was classic Bill [Belichick] fashion. My guess is they were planning on taking someone like Jefferson and traded once he was gone.” The Patriots have lost a lot of players on their defense, legend quarterback Tom Brady, and just recently tight end Rob Gronkowski. 

Considering the circumstances, round one of the NFL draft was a huge success. With the top college players off the board, which players in the later rounds could have the potential to be the next Tom Brady? Drop predictions below.