Four ACC players selected in first round of 2024 NFL Draft |
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (theACC.com) – Four Atlantic Coast Conference football players were selected in the first round of the 2024 National Football League (NFL) Draft Thursday night in Detroit, Michigan.
North Carolina quarterback Drake Maye went No. 3 overall to the New England Patriots, Florida State defensive lineman Jared Verse was picked No. 19 overall by the Los Angeles Rams, Duke offensive lineman Graham Barton was taken No. 26 overall by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Clemson cornerback Nate Wiggins was selected No. 30 overall by the Baltimore Ravens. Drake Maye, North Carolina, Quarterback – No. 3, New England Patriots A two-time All-ACC selection, earning first-team honors in 2022 and second-team recognition in 2023, Maye completed 65 percent of his passes for 8,018 yards and 63 touchdowns with just 16 interceptions over 30 games at North Carolina. He also rushed for 1,209 yards and 16 touchdowns in his career as a Tar Heel. Maye ranks fourth in school history in total offense (9,227 yards), fifth in passing yards, fourth in passing touchdowns and sixth in completions (618). A finalist for the 2023 Manning Award, Maye completed over 63 percent of his passes for 3,608 yards and 24 touchdowns with only nine interceptions as a redshirt sophomore in 2023. He also ran for 449 yards and nine more scores and ended the season with a quarterback rating of 149.00. Maye was named the 2022 ACC Player of the Year, ACC Offensive Player of the Year, ACC Rookie of the Year, and ACC Offensive Rookie of the Year as a redshirt freshman in which he became just the sixth quarterback in all of NCAA Division I FBS since 2010 to post 4,000 pass yards, 35 pass touchdowns, 650 rush yards and seven rush touchdowns in a season. Maye was named the 2022 Shaun Alexander and FWAA Freshman of the Year and was both a 2022 FWAA Freshman All-American and 2022 PFF Third-Team All-American. He was also named a semifinalist for the 2022 Walter Camp National Player of the Year, as well as the Davey O'Brien and Maxwell Awards. By being selected No. 3 overall to the New England Patriots, Maye is the highest draft pick from the ACC since Trevor Lawrence of Clemson went No. 1 overall to the Jacksonville Jaguars in the 2021 NFL Draft. Jared Verse, Florida State, Defensive Lineman – No. 19, Los Angeles Rams A 2023 AFCA first-team All-American and a second-team All-American by ESPN, Associated Press, USA Today and The Athletic, Verse was a first-team All-ACC selection last season in which he recorded 41 tackles, including 12.5 tackles-for-loss with 9.0 sacks, 11 quarterback hurries, three pass breakups, one forced fumble, one fumble recovery and one blocked kick in leading the Seminoles to a perfect 8-0 conference record and the 2023 ACC Football Championship title. A semifinalist for both the Lombardi Award and Lott IMPACT Trophy in 2023, the two-time FSU Defensive MVP recorded 89 tackles, 29.5 tackles-for-loss, 18.0 sacks, 14 quarterback hurries, three pass breakups, one forced fumble, two fumble recoveries and two blocked kicks over his two years at Florida State. Graham Barton, Duke, Offensive Lineman – No. 26, Tampa Bay Buccaneers Picking up All-America second-team honors from the AFCA in 2023, the two-time Phil Steel honorable mention All-American, and 2020 Freshman All-American selection by The Athletic, Barton earned first-team All-ACC honors this past season for the Duke Blue Devils. Named the program’s Offensive Lineman of the Year, Barton helped the offense accumulate 2,174 rushing and 2,351 passing yards as well as 26 rushing touchdowns in 2023, which was tied for the fifth-most in program history. He also anchored an offensive line that ranked third in the ACC and tied for 24th nationally in fewest sacks allowed per game (1.31) and second in the league and tied for 31st nationally in fewest tackles-for-loss allowed per game (4.77). A second-team CSC Academic All-America honoree this past season, Barton earned Academic All-District twice and Academic All-ACC honors three times while playing in 40 games over his four years in Durham. Nate Wiggins, Clemson, Cornerback – No. 30, Baltimore Ravens A 2023 first-team All-ACC selection, Wiggins also collected first-team All-ACC honors from the Associated Press, USA Today and Pro Football Focus and garnered second-team All-ACC status from Phil Steele and College Football Network in his junior year. He finished the season with 29 tackles, including 23 solo stops, 1.0 tackle-for-loss, 1.0 sack, two interceptions, two forced fumbles, and eight pass breakups. The first Clemson player since Rex Varn in 1977-78 to score on an interception return in back-to-back seasons in 2022 and 2023, including a 98-yard interception touchdown return in the 2022 ACC Championship Game, Wiggins totaled 60 tackles, including 49 solo stops, 3.0 tackles-for-loss, 1.0 sack, three interceptions, two forced fumbles and 24 pass breakups over his three years at Clemson. Live coverage of the 2024 NFL Draft continues through Saturday on ESPN, ABC and NFL Network. ACC Selections in the 2024 NFL Draft Rd. – Overall Pick, Name, Position, School, NFL Team 1 – 3rd, Drake Maye, QB, North Carolina, New England Patriots 1 – 19th, Jared Verse, DL, Florida State, Los Angeles Rams 1 – 26th, Graham Barton, OL, Duke, Tampa Bay Buccaneers 1 – 30th, Nate Wiggins, CB, Clemson, Baltimore Ravens
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