updated 12:24 p.m. ET April 29, 2007

NEW YORK - JaMarcus Russell barely had to wait before taking the stage as an Oakland Raider at Saturday’s NFL draft. Brady Quinn turned out to be the forgotten quarterback, lingering long after Russell was picked, until Cleveland took him 22nd.

Russell was the top choice, by the offense-deficient Raiders. The 6-foot-6 junior QB who can throw the ball 80 yards fits the mold for Al Davis, who loves the deep ball.

LSU players had plenty of draft-day luster. Five spots after Russell, Tigers safety LaRon Landry went to Washington, and two more Tigers were chosen later in the opening round.

Notre Dame’s Quinn sat and watched 21 players get called before he went to the Browns, the team he grew up rooting for in Dublin, Ohio. Once considered the best prospect in this year’s crop, he was still available when the Browns traded with Dallas to get back into the first round.

When selected, Quinn let out a big sigh of relief before shaking commissioner Roger Goodell’s hand, and fans who booed him before the draft cheered him this time.

“I felt like the weight of the world was lifted of my shoulders,” Quinn said. “The love-hate relationship comes from going to Notre Dame. It’s like the Yankees, you either love ’em or hate ’em.

“I got great advice beforehand and that was just to be patient. I said before that I was going to be open-minded, and that’s the tough thing. I was open-minded, and I had a point in my head where I didn’t think I was going to fall any further, and it obviously exceeded that.”

Special report Round-by-round recap, analysis, more

Russell had no such anxious moments.

When Goodell, conducting his first draft as commissioner, announced Russell’s name, Raiders fans in the crowd cheered loudly. But there was a mixture of cheers and boos when Russell, who is bigger than some NFL linemen, came on stage to don a Raiders hat and hold up a No. 1 black jersey.

Then came chants of “L-S-U, L-S-U” for the man who soon will be in charge of the Oakland offense.

2007 NFL draft coverage Draft HQ: Round-by-round recap, analysis, more Picks by: Player  |  Team  |  Position  |  College Opinion: Raiders, Browns, Giants deliver No Raider doubts on Russell  |  Quinn’s freefall Opinion: Teams passed on players with ‘issues’ Lots of drama  |  Ravens take Heisman winner Lions take another WR  |  Miami fans unhappy Vote: Who will be best pro?  |  Trade rundown   Sound off on NFL message boards  |  MORE

“I kind of had faith in it. Everybody had been talking about it for a while,” Russell said of being chosen first. “It’s a dream come true. Growing up as a kid playing every sport in life and always seeing the guys on the professional level, and here I am today.”

“I can’t wait to get in the black and silver and get to work.”

While he works for a team that went 2-14 last season and scored only 168 points, Landry heads to the Redskins to team with Sean Taylor in what could be a dynamic set of safeties.

“Our feeling there was, with this pick, we need to pick someone that we feel is going to play for a long time,” coach Joe Gibbs said, “and have a chance to do some outstanding things.”

LSU wide receiver Dwayne Bowe went 23rd to Kansas City, and wideout Craig Davis was chosen 30th by San Diego.

Quinn’s draft day turned into an agonizing wait.

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He kept flashing a smile that became harder to maintain with each selection, perhaps recalling how Matt Leinart dropped last year and Aaron Rodgers plummeted in 2005. Leinart only fell to 10th to Arizona; Rodgers went 24th overall to Green Bay.

When Miami selected Ohio State wide receiver-kick returner Ted Ginn Jr., at No. 9, Dolphins instead of Quinn fans at Radio City Music Hall let out a gasp and booed. And then a huge portion of the crowd began chanting, “BRADY, BRADY.”

At one point the NFL allowed Quinn to wait it out in a room away from TV cameras.

“I guess just the opportunity to have Cleveland come back around and giving me a chance to play there is just something that I’ve always dreamed of doing,” Quinn said.

“I was surprised that he went past nine. I thought he could have gone anywhere from the first pick in the draft to the ninth pick in the draft,” said Notre Dame coach Charlie Weis. “I was surprised because when ... you establish a floor and you figure Miami is the floor, and he doesn’t get picked then, then you’re definitely surprised.”

The Browns gave a second-round choice and next year’s No. 1 to the Cowboys to get Quinn. They could’ve had him at No. 3 but took Wisconsin offensive tackle Joe Thomas instead.

Thomas spent the morning fishing back home rather than attend the draft.

“It didn’t surprise me,” Thomas said of being taken by the Browns. “I hoped for a few months that Cleveland would pick me. They showed a lot of interest in me all the way along.”

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