Quarterback drama dominates first round of NFL draft

Thursday began with all eyes on the five quarterbacks who made up what was believed to be one of the best crops of signal-caller prospects in recent history.

Then one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time entered the chat and threw some potential chaos into the 2021 NFL draft in Cleveland.

Hours before the Jaguars made Clemson’s Trevor Lawrence the expected first pick, rumors began circulating that reigning league MVP Aaron Rodgers wanted out of Green Bay and changed the complexion of draft night.

His potential availability threatened to overshadow the mystery of the third selection, the first unknown spot heading into draft day, with San Francisco mentioned as a possibility to ship the pick to the Packers as part of a package for Rodgers.

Instead, the 49ers held on to the pick and created a little drama anyway by selecting FCS star Trey Lance of North Dakota State, throwing mock drafts into chaos and creating a bit of a slide for two of the top five quarterbacks.

San Francisco general manager John Lynch confirmed he reached out to the Packers about acquiring Rodgers, though he didn’t use his name.

“Yeah, we inquired and it was a quick end to the conversation,” he said. “It wasn’t happening.”

The Raiders were also mentioned as a potential suitor, though division-rival Denver has emerged as the front-runner should such a move happen.

Green Bay general manager Brian Guteknust told reporters on a conference call late Thursday the organization has work to do mending the relationship, but there are no plans to trade the star quarterback.

So for now, Rodgers remains a member of the Packers and the Broncos passed on adding another quarterback in the draft a day after acquiring Teddy Bridgewater from Carolina.

Denver wasn’t the only team in the top half of the first round to opt against taking a quarterback on a night most mock drafts had all five going among the first 10 picks.

The selection of Lance followed Lawrence and then Zach Wilson going to the Jets at No. 2.

It was the start of a run of a record-setting seven consecutive offensive players to start the draft. None of them were named Justin Fields or Mac Jones.

Jones, the former Alabama standout long-rumored to go No. 3, had to wait longer than Fields.

The Bears gave up several picks, including next year’s first-rounder, to move up from No. 20 to No. 11 and select Fields.

Chicago has been looking for a true franchise quarterback for years and hope their search has come to an end. Fields believes he is the one to finally break the cycle.

“I think nobody has the story that I have,” he said. “So just everything inside of me, just wanting to be a great quarterback, wanting to be a franchise quarterback. And just me dreaming for this moment my whole life.”

Once the Bears made Fields the fourth quarterback to be selected, all eyes turned to Jones, who was showing signs of getting anxious as he shifted in his seat in a light blue suit backstage.

He ended up getting about as good an outcome as he could have hoped for if he was going to fall out of the top five. Jones was eventually selected by New England, where he will go play for Bill Belichick, a longtime friend of his college coach Nick Saban.

“At the end of the day, you kind of want to get the right fit,” Jones said. “I feel like, secretly, I really wanted to go to the Patriots all along. So I’m actually really happy it happened.”

Jones is the first quarterback Belichick has selected in the first round, but the 11th player the Patriots coach has taken from a Nick Saban program.

Contact Adam Hill at ahill@reviewjournal.com. Follow @AdamHillLVRJ on Twitter. .