#First round full of reunions

Tua Tagovailoa smiled and gave his approval. Joe Burrow posted a celebratory GIF. Jalen Hurts sent a congratulatory tweet.

All three young quarterbacks had one thing in common — excitement over reuniting with a college teammate.

In Cincinnati, Burrow will now get to throw the ball to Ja’Marr Chase, the LSU star he won a national championship with and the first wide receiver off the board at No. 5. In Miami, Tagovailoa will be joined by former Alabama teammate Jaylen Waddle. In Philadelphia, Hurts can now air it out to Heisman Trophy winner DeVonta Smith, the Crimson Tide speed merchant he played two seasons with in Tuscaloosa. Adding to that, the Jaguars had an all-Clemson first round. After taking quarterback Trevor Lawrence with the first pick, they selected running back Travis Etienne at No. 25

It was a night of reunions to start the NFL draft, beginning with the Bengals’ choice of Chase, who opted out of last season due to COVID-19. The season before, Chase teammed with Burrow to lead LSU to its first title in 12 years, catching 84 passes for 1,780 yards and 20 touchdowns. Now they will play together for the Bengals, hoping to turn around a franchise that has suffered through five straight losing seasons.

“Me and Joe talked about this three or four times, actually,” Chase said. “He texted me this morning, letting me know, get your bags packed. I don’t know if that was a hint or what. I was like, ‘OK, I’m ready, bro.’ ”

With the following pick, the Dolphins made Tagovailoa happy by picking Waddle.

“J-Dub, yessir, let’s go,” Tagovailoa said on Instagram Live.

The 5-foot-10 Waddle was considered one of college football’s top receivers before fracturing his ankle in October, a gifted speedster who has drawn some comparisons to Chiefs star Tyreek Hill. Now he will reunite with Tagovailoa, who he played two seasons with at Alabama.

“We are going to do our best to make plays,” Waddle said. “I’m trying to be a part of something special.

“Chemistry is there for sure. I’m coming to work. I’m sure he is too.”

The Eagles made one of the biggest splashes of the opening night of the draft by trading up two spots — they gave the Cowboys their first-, third- and fifth-round picks for their first pick and a fourth-round selection — to land Smith at No. 10 overall.

His first two years in college, Smith played with Hurts — he caught the national championship-clinching touchdown his first season at Alabama — and this past year became college football’s most dynamic downfield weapon, with 117 receptions for 1,856 yards and 23 touchdowns, all No. 1 in the sport. Hurts is in line to take over as the team’s full-time starter, and Smith gives him a dangerous threat on the outside.

“That’s my guy,” Smith said, noting Hurts helped recruit him to Alabama coming out of high school. “I have a very good relationship with him and I’m ready to work.”