The first round of the 2014 NFL draft is in the books, and as expected, the Big Ten fared much better than it did a year ago.
Four Big Ten players had their names called Thursday night at New York's Radio City Music Hall, although some waited a little longer than expected. The league had three more first-round picks than 2013 but went without a top-10 pick for the sixth consecutive year. Former Michigan tackle Jake Long, the No. 1 overall pick in 2008, is the last Big Ten player in the Top 10.
Two Big Ten players who made the trip to Manhattan, Minnesota defensive tackle Ra'Shede Hageman and Indiana wide receiver Cody Latimer, still don't know their draft fate.
Let's recap the Big Ten first-round picks:
No. 11 (Tennessee Titans): Michigan offensive tackle Taylor Lewan
No. 15 (Pittsburgh Steelers): Ohio State linebacker Ryan Shazier
No. 24 (Cincinnati Bengals): Michigan State cornerback Darqueze Dennard
No. 31 (Denver Broncos): Ohio State cornerback Bradley Roby
Our friends at NFL Nation reacted to the selections of Lewan, Shazier, Dennard and Roby.
It's no surprise that Lewan went first among Big Ten prospects, although some analysts had pegged him -- and possibly Dennard -- for the top 10. Two SEC offensive tackles, Auburn's Greg Robinson and Texas A&M's Jake Matthews, went ahead of Lewan, who likely still would have been a first-round pick if he had come out after his junior season in 2012. It will be interesting to see how he factors in with the Titans, who already have starting tackles in Michael Roos and Michael Oher.
Dennard fell further than most expected, as two cornerbacks -- Oklahoma State's Justin Gilbert and Virginia Tech's Kyle Fuller -- went ahead of him. He ended up in a pretty good spot, though, as he joins a very good secondary that includes another former Big Ten cornerback, Leon Hall. He'll also play for a defensive-minded coach in Marvin Lewis and first-year coordinator Paul Guenther.
Shazier's stock soared in the weeks leading up to the draft, and he enters a Pittsburgh organization known for swarming defense. The Steelers have taken linebackers in the first round in each of the past two years (Jarvis Jones in 2013). It doesn't hurt that longtime Steelers defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau is an Ohio State guy.
Like Dennard, Roby waited a little longer than expected but ends up with a very good team in Denver. Broncos general manager John Elway said Roby was the highest-ranked player on the team's draft board "by a long shot" when their pick rolled around.
It's a bit surprising Hageman didn't make the first round, although teams had concerns about his consistency. Latimer's stock surged in the pre-draft period, but five wide receivers went ahead of him Thursday night. Both likely won't be waiting long Friday.
Is the Big Ten's weakened reputation hurting its top draft prospects? You have to wonder when a guy like Dennard, who did everything he could for a nationally elite defense, falls as far as he did.
Finally, here are some notes on the Big Ten picks from ESPN Stats & Information:
Lewan is the highest drafted Big Ten player since former Wisconsin defensive end J.J. Watt in 2011 (also No. 11). He's the first Michigan player taken in the first round since defensive end Brandon Graham in 2010.
Shazier is the third Ohio State player drafted by the Steelers in first round since 2006: Cameron Heyward (2011) and Santonio Holmes (2006) are the others.
Dennard is the first Michigan State player taken in the first round since wide receiver Charles Rogers in 2003. He's the first Spartans defender in the first round since linebacker Julian Peterson in 2000.
Roby has high standards to uphold, as four of the last seven Ohio State defensive backs drafted in the first round went on to make the Pro Bowl (Donte Whitner, Nate Clements, Antoine Winfield and Shawn Springs).
The draft resumes today and finishes Saturday. We'll have a full Big Ten draft recap on Monday.