Quarterback Matthew Stafford went to the Detroit Lions with the top overall choice Saturday, and running back Knowshon Moreno was picked at No. 12 by the Denver Broncos as Georgia became the first school to have two players selected in the opening round.
The Lions, the first team ever to go 0-16 in a season, signed Stafford to a six-year contract with $41.7 million in guarantees and $78 million in maximum value.
"It's a huge relief," Stafford said Saturday on a conference call. "I'm just extremely excited to be a Lion."
Detroit hasn't had a quarterback play in the Pro Bowl since Greg Landry in 1971. Long-term stability at the position has been elusive since Bobby Layne starred for them in the 1950s. In an interesting twist, Stafford and Layne both played at Highland Park High School in Dallas.
"It's crazy," Stafford said. "I feel like you can't write it any better than that. It's a wild story, and it's good to be living it."
Moreno was surprisingly picked by the Broncos, who bypassed their many needs on defense to grab a player who rushed for 2,734 yards and 30 touchdowns in only two seasons at Georgia.
Denver signed three running backs in free agency - J.J. Arrington, LaMont Jordan and Correll Buckhalter - to compete with holdovers Peyton Hillis, Selvin Young and Ryan Torain. Now, the Broncos have Moreno, too.
Standout Georgia wide receiver Mohamed Massaquoi was selected by the Cleveland Browns in the second round. With Braylon Edwards' future in Cleveland uncertain, the Browns picked up Massaquoi.
It was the second wideout taken by Cleveland coach Eric Mangini, who has had talks with the New York Giants about Edwards.
Georgia started last season ranked No. 1, but blowout losses to Alabama and Florida ruined their championship hopes. The Bulldogs closed the regular season with their first loss to state rival Georgia Tech since 2000.
Michael Johnson, a defensive end for the Yellow Jackets, is hoping to go on the first day of the draft. Two rounds will be completed Saturday, with five more to be held on Sunday.
Matthew Stafford
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