First virtual NFL draft gets highest viewership of all time. Here are the highlights

The COVID-19 pandemic changed the world in the blink of an eye, and suddenly, our lives have been very different.

Everything seems suspended in time, sports included.

But for a few hours Thursday night, the NFL managed to help us forget about the coronavirus, death tolls and unemployment rates with the first virtual NFL draft.

Viewers, many needing a sports fix, tuned in. According to Deadline, ABC’s coverage of the first ever virtual NFL Draft drew a preliminary 1.6 rating in the adults 18-49 demographic and a record breaking 6.14 million viewers, topping the 2018 NFL Draft which averaged 5.5 million viewers.

The first round aired not just on ABC, but on multiple networks, including ESPN, the NFL Network, and others, and drew in 15.6 million across the board.

Previously, the high was in 2014 with 12.4 million tuning in across different networks.

Second- and third-round coverage continues at 7 p.m. ET Friday on ABC, ESPN and NFL Network, with the Bengals on the clock with the 33rd pick.

What Monday night’s first round lacked in sparkle was made up with elements of a reality TV show.

Earlier this year, the 2020 NFL draft prospects were looking forward to attending the planned ceremony in Vegas, decked out in the glitz and glamour of turning pro. But the coronavirus struck down that dream, and instead of the draft being held in front of the Belliagio Hotel and Casino, the future NFL players were following stay-at-home orders.

Instead of red carpets, the first-round draft picks had their couches.

Instead of TV crews and cameras, the draftees had Zoom.

Instead of media, they had their friends and family.

Instead of draftrooms, the NFL owners, GMs and coaches were armed with latptops and cellphones.

General managers around the league offered fans a glimpse into their homes, complete with makeshift, quaratine-friendly draft rooms. While the teams were ready for any technical problems that might come up during the first night of the draft — including a possible Zoom hackers debacle — not every challenge could be anticipated.

Which made for some hilarious, and unforgettable highlights. Here are the best from Thursday night:

Or course Jerry Jones did the draft from his yacht

Leave it to Dallas Cowboys’ owner and billionaire Jerry Jones to stand out in a crowd by putting his draft room on the water. A smiling Jones and the Cowboys drafted Oklahoma wide receiver CeeDee Lamb with the No. 17 overall pick, from the owner’s ginormous $250 million yacht, a 357-footer named the “Bravo Eugenia.”

And boy, did Twitter go all in with the jokes:

They could shoot a ‘Pararsite’ sequel at Kliff Kingsbury’s house

Think Jones’ yacht was impressive? Well take a gander at Arizona Cardinals head coach Kliff Kingsbury’s digs:

The Cardinals tweeted out this photo while the Cincinnati Bengals were on the clock with the first pick of the draft and we have to say, we found ourselves enamored with Kingsbury’s $4.5 million mansion featuring a sleek, architectural design and stunning backyard. Who did the Bengals pick?

Speaking of the first overall pick ...

When cameras showed Joe Burrow with his parents in his living room in Ohio, he looked rather nervous as he sat on his couch, pensively leaning forward.

Of course, Twitter wasn’t about to let the Bengals newest franchise quarterback get away with simply sitting there, so it was meme time.

Don’t mess with Isaiah Wilson’s mom

When the offensive tackle from Georgia was selected by the Tennessee Titans with the 29th overall pick, Isaiah Wilson’s girlfriend embraced him with a hug, only his mom wasn’t about to have any of lack of social distancing caught on camera.

You wanna explain yourself, Mike Vrabel?

OK, it was nighttime and late in the draft, but one of the most hilarious moments came when it was time for the Tennessee Titans to make their first pick. When head coach Mike Vrabel’s house show up on the screen it was ... chaotic, to say the least.

If you need to know, those two in the back are Vrabel’s son Carter and Carter’s friend Jackson. Vrabel explained himself to ESPN.

And no, that wasn’t a reflection of someone on the can in the background.

Packers trying to catch lightning in a bottle again?

Paging Brett Favre...

In a somewhat familiar move in Green Bay Packers history, the franchise traded up to nab Utah State quarterback Jordan Love with the 26th overall pick. Green Bay gave up the 30th overall pick and a fourth-round selection in order to secure, what’s sure to eventually be, 36-year-old Aaron Rodger’s replacement.

As Packers fans already know, Rodgers was drafted by the Packers with the 24th overall pick out of Cal as quarterback Favre’s back up in 2005.

CeeDee Lamb’s got some good hands

With the Cowboys on the phone telling CeeDee Lamb he’d just been picked, his girlfriend, Crymson Rose, could be seen on camera reaching for a second cellphone in his lap. Lamb showed off his hands and quickness, retrieving it from her.

Everyone can relax — she wasn’t trying to go through his phone and she explained Friday on Twitter: