2024 NFL Draft: First round likely to set record for number of offensive players taken

| 2024 NFL Draft | 04/18/2024

How many offensive players will go on opening night next week?

By Jordan Dajani

The 2024 NFL Draft is just about a week away, and it is the most highly-anticipated party of the offseason. This is the 89th edition of the NFL Draft, which was first held in February of 1936 at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Philadelphia. University of Chicago halfback Jay Berwanger was the first-ever draft selection. But instead of playing football, he chose to work as a foam rubber salesman after the NFL wouldn’t agree to his salary demands. Oh, how the times have changed.

Landing the right player can change the course of your franchise. Hitting on your first two draft picks could immediately land a lowly team in the playoffs. This draft class appears to be deep at several different positions, especially on the offensive side. In fact, it may be historic.

The record for most offensive players selected in the first round of a draft is 19, and it’s happened three separate times, per ESPN. That number is not only expected to be matched next week, but surpassed.

Most mock drafts don’t have a defensive player being selected until No. 8 overall, where the Atlanta Falcons currently reside. Over at Caesars Sportsbook, the Over/Under for total offensive players drafted in the first round is set at 21.5. So even Vegas is expecting the record for most offensive players selected in the first round to be broken.

In CBS Sports NFL Draft expert Chris Trapasso’s seven-round mock draft, he has a total of 21 offensive players going in the first round: Five quarterbacks, six wide receivers, nine offensive linemen and one tight end. For CBS Sports’ most recent mock drafts, click here.

Read original CBS Sports article here.