"I kind of had faith in it. Everybody had been talking about it for awhile," [Russell] said of being chosen first. "It's a dream come true."

"It didn't surprise me," [Joe Thomas] said of being taken by the Browns. "I hoped for a few months that Cleveland would pick me. They showed a lot of interest in me all the way along."

At No. 8, Arkansas defensive end Jamaal Anderson went to Atlanta, which went to the Super Bowl in 1999 with a running back named Jamal Anderson. Then Miami got [Ted Ginn Jr.]. "I promise you that Ted Ginn is going to be someone you're going to enjoy watching play for a long, long time as a Miami Dolphin," coach Cam Cameron said.