Then came another Long, who proudly held up a Rams jersey and pointed to the fans in the upper deck of the hall. Chris Long is the second straight defensive lineman selected in the opening round by St. Louis, following Nebraska's Adam Carriker last year. Carriker likely will move to DT to open a spot for his new teammate.

"I knew I was in the running, but all the guys here were great players and they could have chosen anyone," Chris Long said. "It came down to needs."

Ryan has an open course to starting in Atlanta, with Michael Vick in jail on dogfighting charges, and only journeymen Chris Redman and Joey Harrington to compete with.

"I have to go down and gain the respect of my teammates, do everything I can do to get on the field next year," Ryan said.

Asked about replacing Vick in Atlanta and whether he expected to play or watch as a rookie, Ryan added: "I'll go down there to do all I can to be successful, try to not be distracted, try to win. ... There's not a right or wrong way to do it. I want to get there and learn the offense so I have a chance to play."

McFadden joins a crowded backfield in Oakland, where Justin Fargas recently signed a new contract and Dominic Rhodes and LaMont Jordan are on the roster.

Dorsey will be a building block for the Chiefs, who are revamping their roster this offseason. Gholston could do the same for the Jets, who have lacked a true pass-rushing threat since trading away John Abraham.

Following the trades, Cincinnati took USC linebacker Keith Rivers ninth, then the Patriots selected another linebacker, Jerod Mayo of Tennessee. Buffalo went for Troy CB Leodis McKelvin and Denver took Boise State tackle Ryan Clady.

Carolina, looking for a complement to DeAngelo Williams, selected Oregon running back Jonathan Stewart. Chicago, which also is in the market for a running back, instead took Vanderbilt tackle Chris Williams for their spotty offensive line.