From Thursday through Sunday, college football players waited for their name to be called for a chance to become part of an NFL organization. Some heard their name called and then some do not.
Aggie football entered the draft with a streak of its own, having a first round draft pick in each of the last five years, dating back to 2011. This weekend, the streak was extended. By the time the dust settled, three Aggies heard their names called and saw their professional lives changed.
The 2016 NFL draft got underway Thursday night, even though only one round was completed. Aggie offensive lineman Germain Ifedi had to wait until the final pick of the evening, but ultimately became the sixth first-round pick. Ifedi was selected at No. 31 overall to the Seattle Seahawks, where he will join former A&M players Michael Bennett and Christine Michael.
Ifedi becomes the fourth consecutive Aggie lineman to be taken in the first round, joining Luke Joeckel (2013), Jake Matthews (2014) and Cedric Ogbuehi (2015).
On day two, Aggie cornerback Brandon Williams heard his name called. The former five-star running back transfer from Oklahoma transitioned to cornerback for the 2015 season and it culminated in him being a top-100 draft pick. He was taken at No. 93 overall to the Arizona Cardinals.
Although his Heisman campaign never took off enough, A&M punter Drew Kaser was the final Aggie to be drafted at No. 179 overall. He was selected by the San Diego Chargers and joins his former teammate Josh Lambo on the special teams unit for the team.
As for the rest of the bunch, they waited only to not hear their names called. However, the dream does not end with the draft. The rest of the Aggies signed free agent contracts and will at least get their chance at making an NFL roster.
Bruising running back Tra Carson was one of the free agents, and he signed with the Cincinnati Bengals. Offensive lineman Joseph Cheek and Mike Matthews inked with the New Orleans Saints and Cincinnati Bengals respectively. Kicker Taylor Bertolet was signed by the Los Angeles Rams. Finally, De’Vante Harris inked a contract with the New Orleans Saints as well.
Overall, each will have a chance to make an NFL roster and while some might not, 2016 was another big success and hopefully there will be yet another infiltration of Aggies in the NFL come next season.
