The NFL Draft was dominated by CAA Sports this year, with the agency securing 12 first-round picks, surpassing their previous record of 11 in 2018. This marked the end of Athletes First’s four-year reign as the top agency in the draft.
CAA Sports’ success was highlighted by North Carolina QB Drake Maye going to the Patriots with the third overall pick. Notably, the top pick of the draft, USC QB Caleb Williams, was represented by his father, Carl Williams, showcasing a unique trend of parental representation with top prospects like Ohio State WR Marvin Harrison Jr., son of Football HOFer Marvin Harrison, also being selected in the top five.
In addition to CAA Sports’ dominance, WME Sports and Athletes First each had four first-round picks, while Excel Football and Wasserman had two each. CAA also had the most top-five picks, including Notre Dame OT Joe Alt going to the Chargers at number five. Their success this year was reminiscent of Athletes First’s triumph in the 2020 virtual draft after CAA had led the way for four years prior.
This year there were 11 agencies involved in the first round, with CAA agent Patrick Collins representing five players, which is more than any other agent. The representation of different agencies and schools added excitement to the draft and highlighted a new wave of talent entering the NFL. LSU, Alabama and Washington each had three picks in the first round. QBs took