"I thought she was going to give me a Will Smith slap" - Ed Marinaro explains NFL Draft viral moment
The 2022 NFL Draft has concluded and there have been several headlines, including last-minute trades and predicting the winners and losers of the annual event. However, there is one headline that hysterically was head and shoulders above the others.
Former NFL running back Ed Marinaro was called upon to announce the Minnesota Vikings' second-round selection and what ensued next was the stuff of comedic legend.
Ed Marinaro talks about his viral moment at the draft: "I thought she was going to give me a Will Smith slap or something. But I got the hint.” wp.me/pbBqYq-cgDA
Marinaro took almost three minutes to get to the actual draft selection and even that had to be coerced by an official who came out on stage to inform Marinaro to speed things up and announce the selection.
Marinaro's "speech" before announcing the pick sounded like the opening monologue of your favorite talk show. He talked about his career in the 70s as a running back for the Vikings as well as cracking a few jokes.
Marinaro later spoke to Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press and said this about an NFL official coming on stage to hurry him up:
"I thought she was going to give me a Will Smith slap or something. But I got the hint.”
It's likely a safe bet to say it was the first and last draft that the league will request Ed Marinaro to participate in, at least as far as announcing goes.
What teams won the 2022 NFL Draft?
@GarrettWilson_V x @Jeremy_Ruckert1 
Reunited.
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There were several great selections in the draft, but perhaps no team performed better than the New York Jets. Head coach Robert Saleh and the Jets' brass did a masterful job of selecting players that will likely start on the first day of the season in 2022.
The team grabbed several players considered to be the best at their position. With the fourth overall pick, the Jets selected cornerback Ahmad "Sauce" Gardner out of the University of Cincinnati. Gardner is widely considered to be the best cornerback in the draft.
The Jets then selected Ohio State University's Garrett Wilson with the 10th pick. Wilson was considered by many to be the best overall receiver in the draft with his ability to outrun defenses and make spectacular catches.
With the 26th pick (and third in the first round), the Jets drafted edge rusher Jermain Johnson out of Florida State University to help their porous defense.
It remains to be seen if these additions will be able to raise the Jets from their recent run of poor seasons. The Jets finished bottom of the AFC East last season on 4-13 and haven't made the playoffs since 2010.