Cleveland traded out of the No. 2 spot, and at their press conference they pointed out that quarterbacks can come from anywhere. And that's true. But maybe they'll still end up using a first-round pick on one, either this year or next. Because that's where the vast majority of NFL starters come from.
Of the 32 projected starting quarterbacks in the NFL this year, only nine of them weren't selected in the first round. That number might be 10 (we don't know who the Jets will go with), but it's certainly possible that they, too, use a first-round pick to select someone like Paxton Lynch and chuck him into the lineup.
In any case, it's likely that 22 starting quarterbacks this season will have been originally drafted in the first round. Some are with their second or third team at this point, but regardless; former first-round pick. And almost half (15) of the league's starting quarterbacks were selected not only in the first round but within the top 5 overall picks.
Projected starting quarterbacks for each NFL team are below; non first-rounders are in bold.
| 2016 PROJECTED STARTING QB | ||
|---|---|---|
| Team | Starting QB | Drafted |
| Arizona | Palmer | No. 1 |
| Atlanta | Ryan | No. 3 |
| Baltimore | Flacco | 1st round |
| Buffalo | Taylor | 6th round |
| Carolina | Newton | No. 1 |
| Chicago | Cutler | 1st round |
| Cincinnati | Dalton | 2nd round |
| Cleveland | Griffin | No. 2 |
| Dallas | Romo | Undrafted |
| Denver | Sanchez | No. 5 |
| Detroit | Stafford | No. 1 |
| Green Bay | Rodgers | 1st round |
| Houston | Osweiler | 2nd round |
| Indianapolis | Luck | No. 1 |
| Jacksonville | Bortles | No. 3 |
| Kansas City | Smith | No. 1 |
| LA Rams | Goff/Wentz | No. 1 |
| Miami | Tannehill | 1st round |
| Minnesota | Bridgewater | 1st round |
| New England | Brady | 6th round |
| New Orleans | Brees | 2nd round |
| NY Giants | Manning | No. 1 |
| NY Jets | ??? | ??? |
| Oakland | Carr | 2nd round |
| Philadelphia | Bradford/Wentz | No. 1/No. 2 |
| Pittsburgh | Roethlisberger | 1st round |
| San Diego | Rivers | No. 4 |
| San Francisco | Gabbert | 1st round |
| Seattle | Wilson | 3rd round |
| Tampa Bay | Winston | No. 1 |
| Tennessee | Mariota | No. 2 |
| Washington | Cousins | 4th round |
--Andy Richardson