NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell kicked off the Pittsburgh NFL draft with the announcement that Fernando Mendoza is the first pick of the draft for the Las Vegas Raiders. 

Directly after the Indiana Heisman winner was drafted, the New York Jets were on the clock. There were two consensus options for the Jets: Ohio State linebacker Arvell Reese or Texas Tech edge rusher David Bailey. 

The Jets chose the more polished pure pass rusher, Bailey, who led all of college football last year with 14.5 sacks, which is something the Jets hope will translate to the field right away. 

Passing on Reese did not stop him from heading to East Rutherford. Just three picks later, the New York Giants selected Reese, whose incredible versatility as the linebacker last year shows that he has the potential to be an elite pass-rusher and an off-ball linebacker. 

The first-round picks for the New York teams certainly did not end there. A few days before the draft, the Giants traded their Pro Bowl defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence to the Bengals in exchange for the 10th overall pick. 

With that selection, the Giants chose Miami Hurricanes offensive lineman Francis Mauigoa. Mauigoa played a huge role in Miami’s success last season, helping to lead the Hurricanes to the national championship game. 

Six picks later, the Jets acquired Oregon Ducks’ tight end Kenyon Sadiq, who had a truly historic combine running a 4.39-second 40-yard dash, the fastest time ever recorded by a tight end. There has been a lot of discussion surrounding the Jets’ selection since they selected tight end Mason Taylor in the second-round just last year.

Sadiq is a unique prospect, so it is likely that Aaron Glenn and the rest of the Jets’ coaching staff plan to use him in an untraditional way. 

It appeared that would be the end of the first night for New York’s teams, but the Jets were not done. 

They traded the first pick of the second round and pick No. 179 to the San Francisco 49ers in exchange for the 30th overall selection. 

With that pick, the Jets selected Indiana’s wide receiver Omar Cooper Jr. 

This was a pick many analysts thought the Jets would make at No. 16. 

The Jets added another pass catcher to an already packed group including Garrett Wilson, Adonai Mitchell and Mason Taylor. 

The two New York teams combined for five first-round selections, each bringing unique skills to MetLife Stadium this fall.