The modern NFL is all about star quarterbacks, star receivers and scoring a ton of points. But if the first round of the NFL Draft is any indication, it looks like defense is still something that teams value. And they showed it in a historic way.
The first pick? Travon Walker to the Jaguars. A defender.
The second pick? Aidan Hutchinson to the Lions. A defender.
The third pick? Derek Stingley Jr. to the Texans. Once more, a defender.
The fourth pick? Ahmad “Sauce” Gardner to the Jets. Another defender.
Whoa. Have four players ever comprised the top four of an NFL Draft before?
As it turns out: Yes! But it’s been a while.
This is the first draft since 1991 that the top four picks were all defensive players.
(1991: Russell Maryland, Eric Turner, Bruce Pickens, Mike Croel) pic.twitter.com/IqD5fjquLg
— Action Network NFL (@ActionNetNFL) April 29, 2022
I don’t know what you were doing in 1991, but over three decades is a long time, Dear Reader.
The historic run on defenders might signify the league is trying to fight the ongoing onslaught of amazing offense. We’ll see whether this grand plan works out in stemming the tide.
