A no-huddle draft (APRIL 26, 2012)
Radio City Music Hall, Kalil got a hug from his older brother, Ryan, a center for the Panthers.
“He’s just proud of me,” the younger Kalil said. “He’s my No. 1 fan, so it was definitely fun hugging him through that whole moment and kind of celebrating with everyone who’s helped me throughout my whole life to get where I am today.”
With Richardson off the board, the Bucs bailed out of the fifth pick, allowing the Jaguars to move up two spots to select Oklahoma State’s Justin Blackmon, who won the Biletnikoff Award as the nation’s top receiver the last two seasons.
The Cowboys made an aggressive move up to the sixth spot to intercept the top-rated cornerback, LSU’s Morris Claiborne. The last two years, the Cowboys had the worst pass defense in team history.
The Bucs followed by taking the best safety in the draft, Alabama’s Mark Barron, whom some scouts have compared to Ronnie Lott, the Hall of Fame safety in the 49ers’ glory days.
That opened the door for the Dolphins to take the third quarterback of the first round in Texas A&M’s Ryan Tannehill, a converted receiver who played quarterback for only one full season.
The Browns took the fourth quarterback of the opening round, using the 22nd pick on Oklahoma State’s Brandon Weeden, 28, a former professional baseball player.
The Seahawks made the most surprising pick of the night at No. 15, selecting West Virginia’s Bruce Irvin, a spectacular pass rusher with a checkered past. According to multiple reports, Irvin was arrested for disorderly conduct and destruction of property in March just after his pro day.