NEW YORK (AP) -A few good quarterbacks will be available when the second round of the NFL draft gets underway Friday.
Jimmy Clausen and Colt McCoy went undrafted Thursday night in the first round, watching as Sam Bradford went No. 1 overall and Tim Tebow – with less experience in a pro-style system than Clausen – went at No. 25 to the Denver Broncos.
After spending three years being coached by former NFL offensive coordinator Charlie Weis, Clausen was widely seen as a first-round pick.
While Tebow was no lock for the first round, Clausen’s pedigree seemed to place him in among the top third of the first round. He’s tall, experienced and has a nice, quick delivery honed in three years as a starter at Notre Dame.
The knock on him was that he couldn’t drive the ball downfield – not that Tebow was known for that, either. Clausen was the third-most efficient passer in the Bowl Subdivision last season, throwing for 28 touchdowns and 3,722 yards.
Of course, Tebow was No. 1, despite lower overall numbers.
McCoy, with 27 TDs and more than 3,500 yards, wasn’t at Radio City Music Hall either. And it was probably for the best.
The former Texas star had ESPN cameras on hand in case someone took him early, but despite a sterling record and a track record of production and good decision-making in college, he went unchosen, too.
So much for that.
If Clausen and McCoy want to console themselves, the only quarterbacks taken in the first round were Heisman Trophy winners. Bradford won in 2008 and Tebow won the year before.
And Clausen avoided the awkward moment experienced by his predecessor at Notre Dame. In 2007, Brady Quinn sat in the green room and fell, and fell, and fell until the Cleveland Browns traded back into the round get him at No. 22.
Not everyone who came was picked, though. Cornerback Brandon Ghee of Wake Forest, defensive tackle Lamarr Houston of Texas, and tight end Rob Gronkowski of Arizona were all left untaken.
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THERE HE GOES: The first indication anyone at Radio City had that Tim Tebow was taken came when the big screens flanking the stage showed a scene from his draft party.
The former Florida quarterback had a cell phone stuck to one ear and a finger in the other.
Yep, he just got his call. And before any quarterback but Sam Bradford, too.
that the Denver Broncos had picked him – if only because everyone there was all of a sudden wearing Broncos hats (How did they get those so fast, anyway?)
So the central question of the 2010 NFL draft – the one the NFL moved to a weeknight for TV – was answered just a little bit after 10 p.m. on the East Coast.
Tebow went 25th to the Broncos. As he was picked, the Broncos’ earlier pick, wide receiver Demaryius Thomas, was being interviewed.
Goodell’s announcement drew raucous cheers from the rowdy bunch on hand at Radio City Music Hall, but various groups later dissented, working up an “Over-rated!” chant, among others.
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RED CARPET: The NFL rolled out the red carpet at Radio City Music Hall before Thursday night’s NFL draft.
NFL Hall of Famers Jim Brown, Lawrence Taylor and Dan Marino, among others, greeted hundreds of cheering fans lined up on both sides of Sixth Avenue.
“Jim Brown! Jim Brown!” the fans chanted as Brown followed soon-to-be-drafted Jahvid Best and Hall of Famer Floyd Little along the red carpet.
Even NFL commissioner Roger Goodell made the stroll.
“This is great for the fans, I’m having a blast,” he said before pausing for an interview with Jets All-Pro cornerback Darrelle Revis, working as a reporter for OCNN – Chad Ochocinco’s social media operation.
“You look great over on the other side,” Goodell kidded Revis.
Among the NFL former and future stars who arrived decked out in stylish suits for the first draft in prime-time were quarterback Sam Bradford, AP Player of the Year Ndamukong Suh, Tennessee safety Eric Berry, Clemson running back C.J. Spiller and about a dozen other expected first-round picks.
“I’m a little nervous, the butterflies are flyin’ around right now,” Bradford said.
Among the last to arrive for the walk were Super Bowl-winning quarterback Drew Brees and Hall of Famer Joe Montana.
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BIG NIGHT, BIG 12: With nine players taken in the top 24 picks, it was a big night for the Big 12.
“It shows you that the Big 12 is legit,” Oklahoma defensive tackle Gerald McCoy said Wednesday. “The Big 12 always has questions – ‘Aw, they not tough enough. They don’t play football there.”’
In addition to the four Oklahoma players taken – McCoy (3), QB Sam Bradford (1), OT Trent Williams (4) and TE Jermaine Gresham (21), five other Big 12 players were picked
Defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh went second, offensive tackle Russell Okung of Oklahoma State went sixth to Seattle, which later picked Texas safety Earl Thomas at No. 14.
Atlanta took linebacker Sean Weatherspoon 19th, and wide receiver Dez Bryant of Oklahoma State went to Dallas at No. 24. That’s over a third of the first 24 players.
Since the Big 12 was formed in 1996, the SEC has had five No. 1 picks and the Big Ten has had three. Heck, even the WAC (David Carr, Fresno State) and Mountain West (Alex Smith, Utah) have gotten into the act.
But not the Big 12, despite claiming a couple of national titles and many more appearances in title games.
Until now.
McCoy was happy to see the league finally get its due.
“It’s insane isn’t it?” McCoy said with a huge smile. “We can’t play football in the Big 12, but the first four picks went out the Big 12? Mmmmm – three of ’em from Oklahoma, by the way.”
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SAME TEAM: The NFL honored the United States armed forces with uniformed members of all five branches on stage, holding their corresponding football jerseys.
Commissioner Roger Goodell shook everyone’s hand while the Radio City crowd chanted U-S-A! in unison.
Things were just dying down on stage when the crowd erupted again – seeing on the big screens that Tim Tebow was talking on the phone.
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AP Sports Writer Richard Rosenblatt contributed to this report.
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