🏈 2020 NFL Draft Preview

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2020 NFL Draft will look much different than in years past. The NFL unveiled its plan to host a Draft-A-Thon Live Stream with hosts Rich Eisen and Deion Sanders along with other television personalities, which will also be a fundraising effort for much-needed funds for COVID-19.

Fans wanting to watch the next group of Kansas Jayhawks be selected in the Draft will be able to watch a live stream on NFL social and digital platforms, and live Draft coverage on ABC, ESPN, NFL Network and ESPN Deportes on April 23-25. Also, follow Kansas football on social media (@KU_Football) and on KUAthletics for up to the date news on Jayhawk selections in the Draft.

2020 NFL Draft Schedule (Central)

Thursday, April 23: Round 1 (7 p.m.)
Friday, April 24: Rounds 2-3 (6 p.m.)
Saturday, April 25: Rounds 4-7 (11 a.m.)

Kansas Football | NFL Draft By the Numbers
2 – Two Jayhawks were invited to the 2020 NFL Combine – Hakeem Adeniji and Azur Kamara.
3 – Three Pro Football Hall of Famers – Gale Sayers, Mike McCormack and John Riggins – were selected in the Draft.
7 – Seven Jayhawks taken in 1957 and 1977 are the highest number of Draft selections in a single class.
100 – Eddie Lewis in the 1976 NFL Draft became the 100^th Jayhawk Draft Selection.
165 – Kansas has 165 NFL Draft selections.
1938 – First NFL Draft selection – Clarence Douglas.
1944 – First, first round NFL Draft Selection – Ray Evans.
2008 – Last, first round NFL Draft Selection – Aqib Talib.
2018 – Last NFL Draft Selection – Dorance Armstrong Jr.

Kansas Football | NFL Draft Timeline
1938 – Clarence Douglas became the first Kansas Jayhawks drafted in the NFL. Douglas was a halfback and was selected in the ninth round by the Detroit Lions.

1944 – Ray Evans was the first, first round NFL Draft selection. Evans was selected in the first round by the Chicago Bears and ninth overall. He was joined by three other Jayhawks – Gene Long, Warren Hodges and George Dick – becoming the first four-person draft class for Kansas football. Hodges was the first Kansas tackle selected in the draft.

1951 – Mike McCormack is selected in the third round by the New York Yanks. After being called into military service, McCormack returned to the NFL in 1953 with the Baltimore Colts, who traded him to the Cleveland Browns. He played nine seasons with the Browns and finished with 119 games played. McCormack was selected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in the class of 1984.

1953 – Six Kansas Jayhawks were selected in the 1953 NFL Draft, which was a then-largest Draft class in Kansas history.

1957 – Seven Jayhawks were selected in the 1957 Draft, breaking the previous program best of six set four years prior.

1959 – Homer Floyd was the first African-American from Kansas to be drafted into the NFL. Floyd led Kansas in rushing three seasons (1956-58) and earned all-conference honors his senior season. He was drafted in the 26th round of the 1959 Draft by the Cleveland Browns.

1962 – John Hadl is selected by the then-San Diego Chargers of the AFL in the third round. Hadl played 16-years of professional football between the AFL and NFL, playing for four different franchises. He was an AFL All-Star three times and a Pro Bowler on two separate occasions.

1965 – Gale Sayers is selected by the Chiefs of the AFL and the Chicago Bears of the NFL. Sayers, or the Kansas Comet, played seven seasons in the NFL, all with the Chicago Bears. As a rookie, Sayers scored a rookie record 22 touchdowns and led the NFL in rushing in 1966 and 1969. He was selected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1977.

1971 – John Riggins is selected in the first round of the 1971 NFL Draft by the New York Jets sixth overall. Riggins played 14 seasons in the NFL – five with the New York Jets and nine with the Washington Redskins. He played in 175 games and finished with 11,352 rushing yards with 104 rushing touchdowns. Riggins was selected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1992.

1977 – Seven Jayhawks are selected in the 1977 Draft, tying the previous program-best seven selections set in 1957. Mike Butler was selected in the first round and ninth overall by the Green Bay Packers, while Nolan Cromwell (31st) and Terry Beeson (41st) were second round selections.

1981 – David Verser is selected 10th overall in the 1981 NFL Draft by the Cincinnati Bengals.

1993 – Dana Subblefield is selected 26th overall by the San Francisco 49ers in the 1993 NFL Draft.

2008 – Aqib Talib is drafted in the first round, 20th overall by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Talib is a five-time Pro Bowl selection and a one-time selection as an All-Pro. He also was a member of the Denver Broncos, who won Super Bowl 50.

2018 – Dorance Armstrong Jr. is selected in the fourth round, 116th overall by the Dallas Cowboys. Armstong Jr. is the last Jayhawk that was selected in the NFL Draft.

Kansas Football | 2020 NFL Combine

Career Honors:

2020: Candidate for the Senior CLASS Award; Outland Trophy Wath List; Senior Bowl Invitee; NFL Combine Invitee; All-Big 12 First Team; Second Team All-Big 12 (Associated Press) 2019: Big 12 Commissioner’s Honor Roll and Athletic Director’s Honor Roll (spring); Preseason All-Big 12 First Team (Phil Steele); Preseason All-Big 12 Second Team (Athlon). 2018: Preseason All-Big 12 Third Team (Athlon). 2017: Big 12 Commissioner’s Honor Roll and Athletic Director’s Honor Roll (fall and spring); Third Team All-Big 12 (Phil Steele); Honorable Mention All-Big 12 (Coaches); Preseason Third Team All-Big 12 (Athlon); Academic All-Big 12 Rookie Team. 2016: All-Big 12 Honorable Mention (Coaches); Freshman All-Big 12 First Team (Athlon); KU’s Offensive Player of the Week (at Oklahoma); KU’s Offensive Player of the Week (Ohio).

2019 (Sr.): Indiana State: Started at left tackle in the season opener … Coastal Carolina: Ranks 16th in the nation in consecutive starts, marking his 38th game vs. the Chanticleers … at Boston College: Started his third game of the season, his 39th-consecutive overall, against the Eagles at left tackle … West Virginia: Made his 40th-career start for the Jayhawks against the Mountaineers … at TCU: Continued his streak of consecutive-games started for Kansas, marking his 41st, at left tackle … Oklahoma: Started his sixth-straight game of the season at left guard, and 42nd-consecutive overall, for the Jayhawks … at Texas: Has started all seven games of the season for the Jayhawks, upping his consecutive-starts streak to 43 … Texas Tech: Again started at left guard on KU’s offensive line … Kansas State: Against the Wildcats, made his 45th-consecutive start for KU … at Oklahoma State: Made his 10th-straight start of the season for the Jayhawks …at Iowa State: Made his 47th-consecutive start, in what is one of the longest active streaks in the country … Baylor: Started Senior Day at left tackle for the Jayhawks, his 12th start of the season, and the 48th-straight, of his KU career.

Career Honors: 2019: Honorable Mention All-Big 12; Big 12 Commissioner’s Honor Roll and Athletic Director’s Honor Roll (spring).

2019 (Sr.): Indiana State: Started at outside linebacker in the Jayhawks’ opening game … Recorded three total tackles, including one sack and one tackle-for-loss … Coastal Carolina: Made three tackles for the Jayhawks vs. the Chanticleers (two solo, one assisted) and added a sack for a loss of seven yards … at Boston College: Tallied four total tackles (two solo, two assisted) for the Jayhawks in Chestnut Hill … Was also credited with 0.5 sack for a loss of three yards … West Virginia: For the second-straight game, made four tackles for the Jayhawks (one solo, three assisted) … at TCU: Matched his KU-career best with five total tackles against the Horned Frogs (three solo, two assisted) … Oklahoma: Was all over the field defensively for the Jayhawks against the Sooners, contributing five total tackles (three solo, two assisted), 1.0 sack for a loss of eight yards … Also hurried the quarterback once … at Texas: In his seventh-straight start of the season, the senior again made an impact on the defensive side of the ball for the Jayhawks … Set a new season and career high with seven total tackles (four solo, three assisted) on the night … Contributed 0.5 sack for a Longhorn loss of four yards … 1.5 TFL on the night, for a total of seven yards … Also matched his season and career high at Kansas by hurrying the quarterback one time … Texas Tech: Made two total tackles (one solo, one assisted) in the Jayhawks’ Homecoming victory over the Red Raiders, 37-34 … Also made a quarterback hurry on the afternoon, his third of the season … Kansas State: Collected stats across the board in KU’s defensive effort against in-state rival K-State: five total tackles (four solo, one assisted), 1.0 TFL and another quarterback hurry, his second game in a row with that particular statistic … at Oklahoma State: Again among the Jayhawks’ defensive leaders on the field, contributing six total tackles (four solo and two assisted), good for third on the team for the day, against the nationally ranked Cowboys … at Iowa State: Tallied four total tackles (one solo, three assisted) for the Jayhawks in Ames … Baylor: Contributed three solo tackles to the Jayhawks’ defensive effort against the nationally ranked Bears.