Bradford, Tebow first QBs to go

NEW YORK - It was Sam Bradford's night. For the National Football League's first-ever prime-time draft, Bradford, a junior out of Oklahoma, became the 10th quarterback in the last 13 years to be the No. 1 overall pick, going to the St. Louis Rams.

But it was the quarterback taken 24 slots later that was the shocker. After Denver twice traded down, from No. 11 to No. 13, then to No. 24 - the Eagles' original pick - the Broncos moved again to take Florida quarterback Tim Tebow with the 25th pick.

It was quite the gamble for Broncos coach Josh McDaniels. Tebow is one of the most decorated quarterbacks in college history, leading the Gators to two national titles and winning the Heisman Trophy in 2007, but after the scouting combine in February there were serious questions about his mechanics and throwing motion.

Tebow worked to change his motion and keep the ball up higher before he throws it. The Broncos liked what they saw. Although they have Kyle Orton and Brady Quinn on the roster, they sent their Nos. 43, 70, and 114 picks to Baltimore in order to pick Tebow 25th.

Tebow and Bradford were the only two quarterbacks picked. Notre Dame's Jimmy Clausen, projected by many to be a first-rounder, and Texas' Colt McCoy were not selected.

Overall, five cornerbacks and five tackles were among 18 defensive players selected.

At No. 16, the Tennessee Titans selected former Coatesville High star Derrick Morgan, a defensive end from Georgia Tech. Penn State defensive tackle Jared Odrick went to the Miami Dolphins, 28th overall.

The San Francisco 49ers chose Rutgers offensive tackle Anthony Davis with the 11th pick. His Scarlet Knights teammate, defensive back Devin McCourty, went to New England at No. 27 overall.

With a night to regroup and reevaluate their draft boards, teams should provide more theatrics Friday with Round 2, also scheduled for prime time.

"OK, good evening, football fans." And with that, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell opened the league's first draft shown in prime time.

Goodell has had a busy week. In his continuing effort to capitalize on the league's popularity and the fans' seemingly insatiable desire for information, regardless of the month, Goodell turned the release of its schedule on Tuesday into a two-hour, made-for-NFL network event, even though each team's opponents were already known. On Wednesday, he suspended Pittsburgh quarterback Ben Roethlisberger for the first six games of the 2010 season for violating the league's personal-conduct policy.

And then came what has become the second biggest day on the NFL calendar: the draft. Last year, the NFL draft drew a record 39 million viewers, who watched at least part of the two-day event. This year, with the draft spread across two nights and Saturday afternoon, even more people are expected to tune in.

"One of the things that makes this draft so great is it's about hopes and dreams, for our players, for our teams and for you the fans," Goodell told the rowdy fans at the packed Radio City Music Hall just minutes before the Rams selected Bradford.

The question for St. Louis coach Steve Spagnuolo and his offensive coordinator, Pat Shurmur (two former Eagles assistants) is: Will Bradford blossom into Peyton Manning or be a bust like Tim Couch? He is the first Heisman Trophy winner selected first overall since the Cincinnati Bengals picked Carson Palmer out of Southern California in 2003.

Bradford missed all but three games of his junior season after separating his shoulder. He underwent surgery and extensive rehabilitation under the watchful eye of surgeon James Andrews, and looked sharp during his pro day at Oklahoma in March.

After finishing 1-15 in 2009 and releasing veteran Marc Bulger, the Rams desperately needed a quarterback around whom to rebuild the franchise. St. Louis scored a league-low 175 points last season.

"I can't wait," Bradford said of getting started in St. Louis. "I was there on a visit last week and got to see the facility and thought the facility was very nice. I loved the coaching staff. I thought they had a great group of guys in the locker room. I can't wait to get there."

Bradford was asked, in light of what happened to Roethlisberger, about being the face of a franchise.

"People out there are going to try to bring you down," Bradford said. "I think as long as you surround yourself with good people and place yourself in good situations, you can eliminate a lot of possibilities of bad things happening."

Three of the first four picks were from Oklahoma. Tampa Bay selected Gerald McCoy third and Washington picked Trent Williams fourth.

Williams will be charged with protecting Donovan McNabb's blind side. The Redskins desperately needed help on the offensive line, and they got it in the 6-foot-4, 314-pound Williams.

Williams said Redskins coach Mike Shanahan told him "he wanted [me] to be great, and he wanted me to be committed to be great," Williams said.

Undoubtedly, Bradford and Tebow heard the same thing.