Taking a quarterback in the first round can go two different ways in the NFL. Either a team can afford to let the talent mature — as was the case with Patrick Mahomes and Aaron Rodgers — or they need inspired play under center immediately.
The latter approach either leads to a quarterback who takes his lumps and grows with the team — think Cam Newton — or takes so many lumps he’s spent, like David Carr.
Not every first-round quarterback starts Week 1. Some who should have sat, and some who should have sat were thrust into the moment.
Here is a look at each first-round rookie quarterback who started on Opening Day since 2002.