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2017 NFL Draft: Recap Of 1st 2 Rounds

Here are some quick notes on how certain sports agencies fared through the first two rounds of the 2017 NFL Draft:

  • Creative Artists Agency (CAA) dominated the first round. In total, CAA had nine clients off the board in the first, with six of them being taken within the top twenty, five of them within the top thirteen and three of them grabbed in the top ten. The agency continued to roll with another four clients selected in the second round. The first two rounds were undoubtedly dominated by CAA. NFLPA Contract Advisor Tory Dandy had three clients selected among the first thirteen picks: Mike Williams, Marshon Lattimore and Hasson Reddick.
  • Athletes First also had a very impressive first round by having four clients selected therein. The company was joined by Lagardère Sports as having the second most clients drafted in the first round (four clients each). Young buck David Mulugheta, who has been interviewed on Sports Agent Blog, had a very impressive first round for Athletes First, with clients Deshaun Watson, Malik Hooker and Charles Harris being selected by various NFL teams. Athletes First also fared well in the second round by having another three players taken therein.
  • First Round Management, largely known for its practice of representing prominent MMA fighters, made a splash during the first two rounds of the 2017 NFL Draft. It had two clients selected in the first round (David Njoku and Reuben Foster) followed by Josh Jones and Teez Tabor in the second.
  • Rosenhaus Sports Representation had Malik McDowell selected in the second round. Prior to that, its client Derek Barnett was selected in the first round by the Philadelphia Eagles.
  • Select Sports Group had a solid second round with three players taken in that round alone: Forrest Lamp, Marcus Maye and Tyus Bowser.
  • Officially call it a comeback. Steinberg Sports represents first round pick Patrick Mahomes II, making it the second straight year that Contract Advisor Leigh Steinberg had a quarterback client selected in the first round. Last year, Steinberg had Paxton Lynch grabbed in the first. Leigh’s struggles had been publicly documented. His rebound should be praised by all.
  • Speaking of success with quarterbacks, Rep 1 Sports continued its roll of representing the best of the best. It is the agency of record for number two overall pick Mitch Trubisky. Last year the agency had the top two picks off the board: quarterbacks Jared Goff and Carson Wentz.

By Darren Heitner

Darren Adam Heitner, Esq., is a preeminent sports attorney and the founder of Heitner Legal, P.L.L.C., a Fort Lauderdale-based law firm specializing in sports law, contract negotiations, intellectual property, and arbitration. He earned his Juris Doctor from the University of Florida Levin College of Law in 2010 and a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science, magna cum laude, from the University of Florida in 2007, where he was named Valedictorian of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. Admitted to practice in the state bars of Florida, New York, and the District of Columbia, as well as multiple federal courts, Darren also serves as a certified arbitrator with the American Arbitration Association.

As an adjunct professor, Darren imparts his expertise through teaching Sports Law at the University of Florida Levin College of Law and Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) at the University of Miami School of Law in the Entertainment, Arts, and Sports Law LL.M. program. His scholarly contributions include authoring several books published by the American Bar Association, such as How to Play the Game: What Every Sports Attorney Needs to Know, and numerous articles in prominent publications like Forbes, Inc. Magazine, and Above the Law. His thought leadership in NIL has earned him recognition as one of the foremost experts by The Wall Street Journal, USA TODAY, and On3, and he has been lauded as a “power player in NIL deals” by Action Network and a “top sports trademark attorney” by Sportico.

Darren’s passion for sports law led him to establish Sports Agent Blog on December 31, 2005, initially titled “I Want To Be A Sports Agent.” The platform, created as a New Year’s resolution, has grown into a cornerstone of the sports agency community, offering in-depth analysis of industry trends, legal disputes, and agent-player dynamics. His commitment to the field is further evidenced by his representation of numerous athletes and sports agents, as well as his prior role as an Adjunct Professor at Indiana University Bloomington, where he developed and taught a course on Sport Agency Management from 2011 to 2014.

Darren’s contributions have been recognized with prestigious honors, including the University of Florida’s 40 Under 40 Award, the University of Florida Levin College of Law’s Outstanding Young Alumnus Award, and designation as the best lawyer in Fort Lauderdale by Fort Lauderdale Magazine. He remains an active voice in the sports law community, sharing insights through his weekly NIL newsletter and his X posts, engaging a broad audience on legal developments in sports.