Los Angeles Rams and Cincinnati Bengals in the 2002 Super Bowl final. Photo: Brian Rothmuller/Icon Sportswire
The Carolina Panthers have selected former Alabama quarterback Bryce Young with the first pick of the 2023 NFL draft.
The 21-year-old, awarded the Heisman Trophy for best college player in 2021, had replaced CJ Stroud as favourite to be the first off the board.
Ex-Ohio State quarterback Stroud, also 21, was selected second by the Houston Texans in Kansas City, Missouri.
The Texans then made a big play by trading up from the 12th pick to third to take pass rusher Will Anderson Jr.
But the biggest story on draft day actually involved 26-year-old Jackson, the NFL's Most Valuable Player in 2019.
Three hours before the draft started, the Ravens announced they had agreed a new five-year contract with Jackson reportedly worth $US260m, which would make him the NFL's highest-paid player less than two weeks after Jalen Hurts claimed that title.
Baltimore have already boosted Jackson's offence by signing free agent Odell Beckham Jr and they added another wide receiver in the draft, claiming Zay Flowers with the 22nd pick.
It was thought as many as four quarterbacks could be among the first 10 picks, but Will Levis was kept waiting in the green room on day one.
Several trades made in draft-day scramble
Some NFL analysts predicted several draft-day trades in the scramble for the best young players coming out of the US college system.
There proved to be three among the first nine picks alone, plus the trade Carolina had already agreed last month to move up from ninth to gain the first overall pick from the Chicago Bears.
The Panthers were eager to acquire a franchise quarterback having gone through three starting QBs last season, when they missed out on the play-offs for a fifth straight year.
In Young they hope to have finally found a long-term successor to Cam Newton, who Carolina selected the only other time they had the first pick in 2011 and was the 2015 MVP as he led the Panthers to the Super Bowl.
- Reuters
