Mitchell Trubisky was drafted 2nd overall by the Chicago Bears in the 2017 NFL Draft. Despite a heartbreaking drop, Williams was head and shoulders above anyone else in the Heels’ loss to FSU. UNC Football: Late round Tar Heel NFL Draft success stories, UNC Football at FSU: Three Things Learned, A strong second half effort was not enough as the Tar Heels fell to Florida State 28-31, UNC vs. Florida State - Player of the Game: Javonte Williams. [A 1] The highest that a Tar Heel has ever been drafted is second overall, which has happened on four occasions: Ken Willard in 1965, Lawrence Taylor in 1981, Julius Peppers in 2002, and Mitch Trubisky in 2017[3] The Buffalo Bills and Washington Redskins have drafted the most Tar Heels with sixteen and fifteen, respectively. SCOUTING REPORTS. Ed Kesler was drafted in 1964 by the Houston Oilers (174th overall) and by the Pittsburgh Steelers (219th overall). MORE MOCK DRAFTS. The other was selected in a … UNC Football Jason Stowbridge and Myles Dorn were both projected to get drafted in Matt Miller’s latest mock draft By Jacob Cowden Feb 7, 2020, 1:00pm EST The North Carolina Tar Heels football team, representing the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, has had 215 American football players drafted into the National Football League (NFL) since the league began holding drafts in 1936. He went in the fifth round, but went on to be a regular starter for Washington last season, his first in the league. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, "2019 North Carolina Football Media Guide", "Draft order to change for playoff teams", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=List_of_North_Carolina_Tar_Heels_in_the_NFL_Draft&oldid=983329829, North Carolina Tar Heels football players, Lists of National Football League draftees by college football team, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, Selected to a Pro Bowl and won a Super Bowl, This page was last edited on 13 October 2020, at 16:28. Player Pages NFL Draft Home 2020 NFL Draft Order 2020 NFL Draft Picks by Team. He helped Washington to Super Bowl VII, where he and his defensive teammates held the famous undefeated Dolphins team to just 14 points. The following is a list of players that attended North Carolina who were drafted in the NFL Draft from 1960-present. Charlie Heck is headed to the Houston Texans after a fourth round pick, while Jason Strowbridge went in the fifth round to the Miami Dolphins. (Tom Brady was a sixth round pick, etc.) This led to a massive bidding war over top prospects between the two leagues, along with the subsequent drafting of the same player in each draft. Because of the NFL–AFL merger agreement, the history of the AFL is officially recognized by the NFL and therefore this list includes the. Historical list of UNC football players selected in the NFL and AFL drafts. Walker in the fourth round was the earliest any of that trio went. In that spirit, and considering where both UNC players were picked this year, let’s look at some Tar Heels of the past who went on to have success in the NFL despite late selections. As for the Tar Heels that weren’t selected, history shows that you can have a career even without being picked. As part of the merger agreement on June 8, 1966, the two leagues held a multiple round "Common Draft". The single first round of the NFL Draft with the most Tar Heels selected was 1998 with three: Greg Ellis, Brian Simmons, and Vonnie Holliday. The North Carolina Tar Heels football team, representing the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, has had 215 American football players drafted into the National Football League (NFL) since the league began holding drafts in 1936. Bob Lacey was drafted in 1964 by the New York Jets (83rd overall) and by the Minnesota Vikings (75th overall). Jeff Saturday is a Super Bowl champion, six-time Pro Bowler, and has been a Hall of Fame finalist despite going wholly undrafted back in the day. One player is tied with Hanburger in terms of years for longest Tar Heel NFL career after being selected in the 4th plus round. For everyone involved, including two former UNC football players who entered the draft, the introduction of online communication elements will lead to an unprecedented experience. Build Your Own Mock Draft FFToolbox Users' Mock Drafts NFL Draft … In American and Canadian football, a back is a player who is lined up behind the linemen, the players who line up closest to the line of scrimmage. Two former UNC players are in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Teams that did not make the playoffs are ordered by their regular-season record, with any remaining ties broken by strength of schedule. Of the Tar Heels selected in the NFL Draft, fifteen have been selected to a Pro Bowl, seventeen have been a member of a Super Bowl winning team; four have achieved both. The draft rules were last updated in 2009. Two former UNC players are in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Bob Elliott was drafted in 1961 by the St. Louis Cardinals (190th overall) and in 1962 by the Oakland Raiders (241st overall). Bracy Walker, Carlton Bailey, and future UNC coach John Bunting are all players who went on to have a double digit season career in the pros after being selected in later rounds. Best of luck to them. [3], Each NFL franchise seeks to add new players through the annual NFL Draft. Tar Heel Times … [6] Both Chris Hanburger and Taylor are in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. As far as recent players, Cole Holcomb is a shining light, at least so far in his career. Rip Hawkins was drafted in 1961 by the Boston Patriots (9th overall) and by the Minnesota Vikings (15th overall). Both Tar Heels picked in this year’s NFL Draft came on Saturday, the final day of selections. 2020 Draft Scouting Reports Reports by School Most Popular Prospects Latest Updates Small School Prospects Top Underclassman Prospects Most Used Prospects in Mocks 2020 NFL Combine Results . Punter Tommy Barnhardt went on to have a 14-year NFL career after being selected in the ninth round out of Carolina. Several Heels carved out long careers for themselves after late NFL Draft selections. In the 1965 NFL Draft, Chris Hanburger was taken in the 18th round by the Washington Redskins. The most Tar Heels selected in a single NFL Draft is nine, in 2011. As you’ve probably heard if you pay attention to the NFL or just football in general, you don’t need to be a first round pick to go on to have a good or even great pro career. He went on to by a five-time All-Pro and a nine-time Pro Bowler, while being named Defensive Player of the Year in 1972. Twenty-four Tar Heels have been drafted in the first round of the NFL Draft, with the most recent being Mitch Trubisky in 2017. Their team just happened to only score seven in a loss. Playoff participants are sequenced after non-playoff teams, based on their round of elimination (wild card, division, conference, and Super Bowl). Having a career that long after going that relatively late is impressive. However, that means there were less teams and less roster spaces in the league. There’s also Ethan Albright and his 16-year career following his non-selection. The other was selected in a round that doesn’t even exist anymore. UNC vs Florida State: How to watch, time, streaming, channel. NFL Draft - Players from North Carolina. Admittedly, the eighth round in 1956 was the 91st overall pick, which falls in the third round today. The team with the worst record the previous year picks first, the next-worst team second, and so on. Every current NFL franchise has drafted a player from North Carolina. Bill Koman went on to be an 11-year starter an two-time Pro Bowler, both with the Cardinals, after the Colts selected him in the eighth round of the 1956 NFL Draft. Once the AFL officially merged with the NFL in 1970, the "Common Draft" simply became the NFL Draft.[1][2][5]. One was Lawrence Taylor, who was almost taken as high in the draft as possible. [4], Before the merger agreements in 1966, the American Football League (AFL) operated in direct competition with the NFL and held a separate draft. One was Lawrence Taylor, who was almost taken as high in the draft as possible. While they still have a road ahead of them, it’s not impossible for the likes of Heck and Strowbridge to carve out long careers for themselves at the next level.