NFL Draft: Sanchez goes Broadway

In the 2009 NFL Draft, the New York Jets traded DE Kenyon Coleman, DB Abram Elam, QB Brett Ratliff, a first-round pick (17th overall) and a second-round pick (52nd) to the Cleveland Browns for the fifth overall first-round pick. With that pick, the Jets selected USC QB Mark Sanchez to fill the void left by the retired Brett Favre. Sanchez was an underclassman who caught the football world off-guard when he announced he would leave USC and enter the draft. Other Trojans joined Sanchez in the first-round of the draft: the Houston Texans used their 15th pick to select linebacker Brian Cushing, and the Green Bay Packers acquired the New England Patriots' 26th overall pick to select Clay Matthews.

Overall first-round picks in this year's NFL Draft:

1. Detroit Lions: Matthew Stafford, QB, Georgia
2. St. Louis Rams: Jason Smith, OT, Wake Forest
3. Kansas City Chiefs: Tyson Jackson, DE, LSU
4. Seattle Seahawks: Aaron Curry, LB, Wake Forest
5. New York Jets (from Cleveland): Mark Sanchez, QB, USC
6. Cincinnati Bengals: Andre Smith, OL, Alabama
7. Oakland Raiders: Darrius Heyward-Bey, WR, Maryland
8. Jacksonville Jaguars: Eugene Monroe, OT, Virginia
9. Green Bay Packers: B.J. Raji, DT, Boston College
10. San Francisco 49ers: Michael Crabtree, WR, Texas Tech
11. Buffalo Bills: Aaron Maybin, DE, Penn State
12. Denver Broncos: Knowshon Moreno, TB, Georgia
13. Washington Redskins: Brian Orakpo, DE, Texas
14. New Orleans Saints: Malcolm Jenkins, DB, Ohio State
15. Houston Texans: Brian Cushing, LB, USC
16. San Diego Chargers: Larry English, DE, Northern Illinois
17. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (from New York Jets through Cleveland): Josh Freeman, QB, Kansas State
18. Denver Broncos (from Chicago): Robert Ayers, LB, Tennessee
19. Philadelph Eagles (from Tampa Bay through Cleveland): Jeremy Maclin, WR, Missouri
20. Detroit Lions (from Dallas): Brandon Pettigrew, TE, Oklahoma State
21. Cleveland Browns (from Philadelphia): Alex Mack, C, California
22. Minnesota Vikings: Percy Harvin, WR, Florida
23. Baltimore Ravens (from New England): Michael Oher, OT, Mississippi
24. Atlanta Falcons: Peria Jerry, DT, Mississippi
25. Miami Dolphins: Vontae Davis, CB, Illinois
26. Green Bay Packers (from Baltimore through New England): Clay Matthews, OLB, USC
27. Indianapolis Colts: Donald Brown, RB, Connecticut
28. Buffalo Bills (from Carolina through Philadelphia): Eric Wood, C, Louisville
29. New York Giants: Hakeem Nicks, WR, North Carolina
30. Tennessee Titans: Kenny Brit, WR, Rutgers
31. Arizona Cardinals: Chris "Beanie" Wells, RB, Ohio State
32. Pittsburgh Steelers: Evander Hood, DT, Missouri

The Cleveland Browns surprised many people by trading their fifth overall pick to New York, then trading the 17th overall pick they received for the 21st pick from Tampa Bay. The first overall pick lost most of its impact after Stafford came to an agreement with Detroit on Friday. The Jets stood out as the main winner of the draft, trading up to acquire Mark Sanchez after Seattle opted for Aaron Curry. Most of the highly regarded Trojan defenders fell out of favor, with Rey Maualuga not being chosen until the second round by Cincinnati. The Colts used their 56th overall pick to sign USC-alumni Fili Moala, a defensive tackle.