Rams select Bradford first, Tim Tebow taken by Broncos
As expected the St Louis Rams took Oklahoma junior Sam Bradford as the overall No.1 pick of the 2010 NFL draft, a move that signals their intention of having a franchise quarter-back for the coming years.
Bradford becomes the first quarter-back to be taken in the first round by the Rams in the common draft era. It now means every team in the NFL has taken a quarter-back in the first round.
Despite only playing three games this season, after injuring his shoulder and requiring surgery, the Rams were sufficiently impressed with Bradford’s shoulder in workouts he performed in front of their scouts.
Asked how excited he was about playing in the NFL, Bradford said he just can’t wait. "You have no idea how excited I am just to have the opportunity to come to St Louis and play my NFL career there. It's just a blessing and I can't wait to get there and get to work,” he said.
And when asked if he thought he was ready for the NFL, Bradford said he has no worries over his arm after a workout in Pensacola, Fla, two weeks before the draft.
"My ball, it was coming out quick. My arm strength felt good. After I went through that workout I called one of my friends and I was like, 'You know what, I think I'm back.'
"I feel like I've matured mentally from going through that situation and I think I'll be much better prepared as I make this transition,” Bradford said.
The only other quarter-back to be taken in the first round was Tim Tebow, a player who many believed would have been taken in the second round. If being picked in the first round was a shock, then the team who picked him was an even bigger shock.
The Denver Broncos, already with Kyle Orton and Brady Quinn on their roster, decided to trade up after trading down twice to select Tebow with the 25th overall pick. Denver gave up picks in the second, third and fourth rounds to get Tebow, but the reaction from the crowd was mixed, generating some cheers and jeers.
“I want to be a great quarterback," Tebow said. “For the next few years, my mindset is going to be to repay [Broncos head coach Josh McDaniels] for what he did for me, believing in me. Just like it was when I was at Florida. My biggest joy was doing things for Coach [Urban] Meyer, winning championships, being able to help him."
The most controversial pick of the night, Tebow will be unlikely to play next year but after winning the national championships twice and having four consecutive winning years the Broncos have decided to roll the dice, much to the displeasure of some of their fans.
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