The Chicago Bears drafted quarterback Caleb Williams out of the University of Southern California with the number one overall pick in the 2024 NFL draft on Friday (AEST).
Five quarterbacks went in the first 10 picks of the draft with no defensive players selected.
All three of the top draft picks were used to select quarterbacks, with the Washington Commanders choosing Jayden Daniels from Louisiana State University and the New England Patriots opting for North Carolina signal-caller Drake Maye.
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But the highlight of the night came when Brian Thomas Jr’s parents were interviewed after the wide receiver out of Louisana was taken with pick 23 by the Jacksonville Jaguars.
“Sondra, how far has this family come?,” Thomas Jr’s mother was asked by ABC TV reporter Laura Rutledge after her son was drafted in a lifechanging moment.
She replied immediately: “We came from Baton Rouge, Louisiana.”
The hilariously innocent response predictably did the rounds on social media, with many viewers labelling it the “best answer of the night”.
Watch the video of the exchange in the video below
Australia’s Jordan Mailata, who plays offensive tackle for the Philadelphia Eagles, announced Quinyon Mitchell as their first pick via video link from the Gold Coast.
The Patriots were taking part in the draft without Bill Belichick as their head coach for the first time since 1999 and they will hope Maye can end their search for a quarterback to finally replace Tom Brady.
In a quarterback heavy top of the draft, the Atlanta Falcons surprisingly opted for Michael Penix Jr out of Washington with the eighth pick despite recently signing a quarterback in Kirk Cousins.
Penix is a highly-rated quarterback but was expected to have fallen down the draft due to concerns over a series of injuries he has suffered including two anterior cruciate ligament knee injuries.
To replace Cousins, the Minnesota Vikings moved up a place in the draft to take Michigan quarterback J.J. McCarthy with the 10th pick.
There had been speculation that the New York Giants might make a move for a quarterback with their sixth pick but they opted for a wide receiver in Malik Nabers from LSU.
The Los Angeles Chargers took an offensive tackle in Joe Alt out of Notre Dame and the Tennessee Titans also took a player in that role, drafting Alabama’s JC Latham.