Hundley highlights last day of successful Chicago event
CHICAGO — From Jameis Winston, No. 1 overall, to Mr. Irrelevant, Louisville tight end Gerald Christian, the 2015 NFL draft is in the books.
Winston was the first player announced when the draft began Thursday, and Christian was the final player picked, 256th overall, when the proceedings came to a close Saturday afternoon at Grant Park.
On the final day of the NFL draft, it’s not when you go but where, and new Green Bay Packers quarterback Brett Hundley can look to his tutor for further explanation.
Hundley, of UCLA, was drafted by the Packers in the fifth round, 147th overall, a surprise for many who projected the athletic passer as a second- or third-round pick. Green Bay moved up 19 spots to secure a backup for MVP Aaron Rodgers Saturday, the final day of the three-day event held in Chicago for the first time in 51 years.
Packers personnel director Eliot Wolf, whose Hall of Fame father, Ron, brought Brett Favre to Green Bay, said of Hundley: “Strong arm, a lot of upside. We expected him to get drafted a lot higher.” The Packers view Hundley’s athletic ability as “rare.”
Baylor quarterback Bryce Petty waited 103 picks before he was drafted by the New York Jets, with whom he'll compete for time with Geno Smith and Ryan Fitzpatrick and reunite with college tight end Jace Amaro.
Boise State running back Jay Ajayi, downgraded because of knee concerns, was a fifth-round pick by the Miami Dolphins. The aggressive, physical back could be a complement to starter Lamar Miller.
“I was definitely disappointed,” he said. “At the same time, I can only control what I can control, and I know right now at this very moment that I’m extremely healthy and I’m ready to go into camp and ready to contribute right away.”
Petty put up big numbers in the Bears’ spread offense, but concerns about his accuracy and adapting to the passing principles of the prostyle offense in the NFL caused Petty to dive into the fourth round. The Jets traded up one spot to select Petty.
Head coach Todd Bowles and owner Woody Johnson called Petty.
“You’re going to like it here — we're happy to have you,” Johnson said.
The Tennessee Titans began the third day of the draft with Auburn defensive tackle Angelo Blackson at pick 100 and selected Minnesota running back David Cobb 138th. Blackson's former Tigers teammate, Gabe Wright, landed with the Detroit Lions at 113.
New England spent three of its first four picks on defensive linemen before grabbing Jackson, including their first fourth-rounder, Arkansas defensive end Trey Flowers.
Even as four fullbacks came off the board, LSU guard La'el Collins was available at the end of the sixth round. Collins, a firstrounder based on NFLDraftScout.com projections, was due to meet Baton Rouge police Monday as part of the investigation into the murder of his ex-girlfriend. Collins has not been named as a suspect.
Ohio State defensive tackle Michael Bennett dropped to 180th before the Jacksonville Jaguars picked up the undersized three technique. Buckeyes receiver Evan Spencer was a sixthr-ounder to the Washington Redskins. His father, Tim Spencer, is running backs coach for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
The three-day event in Chicago has gone so well that the league now faces a new choice: whether to return here next year or move the draft to yet another city.
Thursday and Friday, 110,000 people visited Draft Town, the free fan festival in Grant Park across the street from the theater where the draft was held. Saturday, larger crowds were expected when selections in the fourth through seventh rounds were announced at the festival. The crowds have far exceeded the league’s original estimates.
Many fans who came to Chicago were from NFL cities within driving distance — Cincinnati, Cleveland, Detroit, Green Bay, Indianapolis, Kansas City, Minneapolis and St. Louis — giving the draft a Midwestern feel.
Despite the success of this year’s event, the NFL has been noncommittal about whether it would hold the event here again next year.
“We will take five minutes on Monday morning to celebrate the success of the draft and then get back to work, including beginning to evaluate what we do next year with this event,” said Brian McCarthy, a league spokesman.
Some analysts surmised that if Los Angeles were awarded an NFL franchise for the 2016 season, the draft would move there next year to drum up support.
The response in Chicago, though, has changed that thinking.
Now that the NFL has introduced a format that includes a fan festival outdoors, the event has generated interest from other cities, including Dallas.
“Before this week, the expectation was about where else to put it,” said Marc Ganis, a consultant to several NFL teams. “Chicago has so outperformed expectations that it wouldn’t surprise me to see the league look at Chicago again next year.”