Two quarterbacks and eight quarterback chasers were grabbed in the first 25 picks of the NFL draft Saturday, forcing the Bears to take somebody to protect their quarterback.
The choice of Boston College offensive tackle Marc Colombo fills a need but also leaves coach Dick Jauron’s defense without the edge pass rusher every team covets and several teams believe they landed Saturday.
The need for quarterbacks and pass rushers is so obvious that expansion team Houston selected and signed quarterback David Carr and Carolina told North Carolina defensive end Julius Peppers he was their man before Saturday, leaving the suspense for the Detroit Lions on the third pick.
No real surprise: They took Oregon quarterback Joey Harrington, who was surprised. The Lions had said they would stick with second-year man Mike McMahon. Only five minutes before they picked Harrington, the Lions told him they were talking to the agent for Texas cornerback Quentin Jammer.
“I was just about to sit down with my mom and dad and watch the Lions pick someone else and I got a phone call,” Harrington said. “I was shocked. I was caught off guard but I’m thrilled to be there.”
The first of six trades in the first round was by the Kansas City Chiefs to get the No. 1 defensive tackle, Peppers’ North Carolina teammate Ryan Sims.
The first big surprise of the first round was at No. 11, when the Indianapolis Colts took 6-foot Syracuse pass rusher Dwight Freeney, who set an NCAA record with 17 sacks last season.
Freeney is a player the Bears thought might fall to them at the 29th pick because he’s short by most standards. But general manager Jerry Angelo was beat out by his former coach at Tampa Bay, Tony Dungy, who is trying to rebuild the Colts’ defense.
“Freeney looked a little rich there, but I’m not surprised,” Angelo said. “That’s a dome team on turf, and Dungy has a great scheme for him.”
Colts general manager Bill Polian said: “Seventy percent of games are decided in the last two minutes, and you’ve got to be able to sack the quarterback. It’s the main thing.”
It was the main thing for the Jacksonville Jaguars at No. 9 when they added Tennessee defensive tackle John Henderson to match with last year’s first-round pick, Marcus Stroud.
It was the main thing for Arizona coach Dave McGinnis at No. 12 when he took Wisconsin’s quick defensive tackle Wendell Bryant.
It was the main thing when the Tennessee Titans took Henderson’s teammate, Albert Haynesworth, at No. 15.
With the 22nd pick, the New York Jets reached for an up-and-coming pass rusher in Bryan Thomas of Alabama-Birmingham even though they spent two first-round picks on pass rushers John Abraham and Shaun Ellis only two years ago.
“We feel Bryan comes in with great pass-rush ability,” said Jets coach Herman Edwards, another former Bucs assistant.
After Georgia defensive end Charles Grant went to New Orleans at No. 25, the pass-rush cupboard was bare for the Bears, who didn’t like South Carolina’s Kalimba Edwards. Projected as a first rounder, the combination linebacker-defensive end went to Detroit in Round 2.
A record-tying five University of Miami players were drafted in the first round: offensive tackle Bryant McKinnie, tight end Jeremy Shockey, cornerback Phillip Buchanon, safety Edward Reed and cornerback Mike Rumph. The 1968 USC team also had five first-rounders, including the Bears’ Mike Hull, a fullback who was shifted to tight end and didn’t make it at either position.
Tight ends, a strong position this year, figured in three of the six first-round trades. The Giants wanted Shockey so badly they gave Tennessee a fourth-round pick to move up one slot.
The world-champion New England Patriots gave a third and a seventh pick to Washington to move up 11 slots and get Colorado’s Daniel Graham. Seattle extracted a second-rounder from Green Bay to move down eight picks and still got a tight end they liked in Washington’s Jerramy Stevens.
The Oakland Raiders and New Orleans Saints, the only teams with two first-round picks, both came away with two starters. The Saints added Grant and the fastest receiver in the draft, Tennessee’s Donte Stallworth. The Raiders traded up twice to get cornerback Buchanon, then took Northwestern linebacker Napoleon Harris.
After Stallworth went at No. 13, Washington owner Daniel Snyder traded down twice to the final pick in the round and still found a potential starting quarterback in Tulane’s Patrick Ramsey for new coach Steve Spurrier.
But before Ramsey was picked, Spurrier and defensive coordinator Marvin Lewis left Redskin Park in Ashburn, Va., on Snyder’s helicopter so they could speak at a fan party at the Redskins’ stadium in Landover, Md. They were back within an hour, well before the Redskins were on the clock. The first round lasted a record 5 hours 48 minutes.
An overview of the first round
A quick look at the 32 players chosen in the first round of the 2002 NFL draft.
%% TEAM PLAYER POS SCHOOL
Houston David Carr QB Fresno State
Comment: Tough job, but it will pay $46 million.
Carolina Julius Peppers DE North Carolina
Comment: Reeling franchise needs PR and pass rusher.
Detroit Joey Harrington QB Oregon
Comment: Its first No. 1 pick at QB since Andre Ware in 1990.
Buffalo Mike Williams OT Texas
Comment: Weighs 375, but said to carry it like 330.
San Diego Quentin Jammer CB Texas
Comment: Best name in the draft helps 20th pass defense.
Kansas City Ryan Sims DT North Carolina
Comment: Needed to improve 27th run defense.
Minnesota Bryant McKinnie OT Miami
Comment: Never has given up sack. Daunte Culpepper likes it.
Dallas Roy Williams S Oklahoma
Comment: Intimidating hitter improves Cowboys instantly.
Jacksonville John Henderson DT Tennessee
Comment: Rebuilding from middle of defense out.
Cincinnati Levi Jones OT Arizona State
Comment: Surprising move by Bengals; could have had him later.
Indianapolis Dwight Freeney DE Syracuse
Comment: So what if he’s short? Coach Tony Dungy is too.
Arizona Wendell Bryant DT Wisconsin
Comment: One tackle is a start, but Dave McGinnis needs more.
New Orleans Donte Stallworth WR Tennessee
Comment: Fastest receiver in draft, but will he help?
N.Y. Giants Jeremy Shockey TE Miami
Comment: Gave up fourth-round pick to move up one slot.
Tennessee Albert Haynesworth DT Tennessee
Comment: Young (21 in June), could make or break defense.
Cleveland William Green RB Boston College
Comment: The best complete back; Browns finally get one.
Oakland Phillip Buchanon CB Miami
Comment: Al Davis loves to collect cornerbacks.
Atlanta T.J. Duckett RB Michigan State
Comment: Good player, so why pay Warrick Dunn $28 million?
Denver Ashley Lelie WR Hawaii
Comment: Rod Smith was one-man show at receiver.
Green Bay Javon Walker WR Florida State
Comment: Gave up second-round pick to move up and get him.
New England Daniel Graham TE Colorado
Comment: Even Super Bowl champs draft ahead of Bears
N.Y. Jets Bryan Thomas DE Alabama-Birmingham
Comment: They ignored needs at cornerback.
Oakland Napoleon Harris LB Northwestern
Comment: Normally don’t take linebackers this high.
Baltimore Edward Reed S Miami
Comment: Will start right away on rebuilding defense.
New Orleans Charles Grant DE Georgia
Comment: Slid further than projected.
Philadelphia Lito Sheppard CB Florida
Comment: Already loaded in secondary.
San Francisco Mike Rumph CB Miami
Comment: Third Hurricanes defensive back to go.
Seattle Jerramy Stevens TE Washington
Comment: Checkered past checked out.
BEARS Marc Colombo OT Boston College
Comment: Nasty competitor who should start on left side.
Pittsburgh Kendall Simmons G Auburn
Comment: Can play tackle and guard. Typical Steeler.
St. Louis Robert Thomas LB UCLA
Comment: Did Rams know brother is ex-Bear Stan Thomas?
Washington Patrick Ramsey QB Tulane
Comment: Spurrier moves down for his starter.
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