NFL Draft: Breaking down the ACC selections
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The NFL Draft is in the books and now it’s time to review what happened over a busy three-day period. Here is a look at how the ACC programs played out.
MORE NFL DRAFT: Breaking down the Big Ten selections | Breaking down the SEC selections | Gorney's takeaways | Where the first-rounders ranked in high school
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FLORIDA STATE (10)
Drafted players: Jared Verse, Keon Coleman, Braden Fiske, Renardo Green, Trey Benson, Jarrian Jones, Jordan Travis, Johnny Wilson, Jaheim Bell, Tatum Bethune
Overview: Florida State was undefeated through the ACC championship and had a legitimate argument to make the College Football Playoff. The Seminoles finished with a top-12 recruiting class.
And now Florida State put as many players in the NFL Draft as Alabama led by Verse in the first round and then Coleman, Fiske and Green in the second as Coleman has gone viral in a positive way following the draft.
Mike Norvell has things humming in Tallahassee.
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CLEMSON (6)
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Drafted players: Nate Wiggins, Ruke Orhorhoro, Will Shipley, Xavier Thomas, Jeremiah Trotter Jr., Tyler Davis
Overview: It was a very strong draft for Clemson, which should only help in recruiting, as Wiggins, a former four-star defensive back, was a late first-round selection and then everyone other than Orhorhoro was either a five-star or four-star prospect coming out of high school.
The Tigers had a haul on the defensive side of the ball as five of six picks – including five-star Thomas, who’s dealt with injuries his entire career – were defensive players.
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LOUISVILLE (4)
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Drafted players: Isaac Guerendo, Jarvis Brownlee Jr., Jamari Thrash, Jawhar Jordan
Overview: It was a rather ho-hum draft for Louisville, which had four picks but none until Day 3. It was a surprise Jordan lasted into the sixth round but this was not a draft heavy with elite running backs.
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MIAMI (4)
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Drafted players: Kamren Kinchens, Jaden Davis, Matt Lee, James Williams
Overview: Mario Cristobal is recruiting at such an outstanding clip that it feels almost inevitable that the Hurricanes will be pumping many more players into the NFL in the coming years, but Miami still has to cycle through a few classes of unimpressive numbers until the roster turns over.
Williams was a five-star that received heavy debate as to whether he deserved that ranking and he ended up as a seventh-rounder, not ideal.
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DUKE (3)
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Drafted players: Graham Barton, DeWayne Carter, Jacob Monk
Overview: There was some talk that Barton, a former three-star offensive lineman, could have been taken in the first round. Then it happened late on the first night, which could be huge for offensive line recruiting for the Blue Devils.
There was a line focus for Duke in the draft as Carter, a third-rounder, is a defensive tackle and Monk is an offensive lineman as well.
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NORTH CAROLINA (3)
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Drafted players: Drake Maye, Cedric Gray, Devontez Walker
Overview: Quarterback recruiting should not be hurting in Chapel Hill after Maye was the third overall pick in a loaded draft at that position, as some prognosticators felt the former four-star should go even higher.
Other than Maye, who drew significant attention to the draft for the Tar Heels, Gray and Walker were both fourth-round selections early on Day 3.
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PITT (3)
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Drafted players: Matt Goncalves, Bub Means, M.J. Devonshire
Overview: Other than Goncalves going in the third round, and then having one of the best draft-night reaction calls with the Indianapolis Colts, it was a rather quiet draft for the Panthers, as Means went in the fifth round and Devonshire was a seventh-rounder.
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WAKE FOREST (3)
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Drafted players: Malik Mustapha, Caelen Carson, Michael Jurgens
Overview: Two of the three Wake Forest players taken were defensive backs so that’s something the Demon Deacons coaches could sell on the recruiting trail, but it was a rather quiet draft for them. All three selections were Day 3 players.
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BOSTON COLLEGE (2)
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Drafted players: Elijah Jones, Christian Mahogany
Overview: Boston College hasn’t won eight games in a season since 2009 and its coach left to become a coordinator in the NFL, but the Eagles still put two players in the NFL Draft. That’s not going to knock anybody’s socks off but Jones, a defensive back who had five interceptions this past season, went in the third round and Mahogany surprisingly fell to the sixth round.
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NC STATE (2)
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Drafted players: Payton Wilson, Dylan McMahon
Overview: Only two NC State players were drafted but Wilson, a former four-star linebacker, became one of the stories of the draft when he fell into the third round because it was learned he doesn’t have an ACL in one knee. Wilson still had more than 400 tackles for the Wolfpack so if he can stay healthy, he could be one of the steals in the entire draft.
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VIRGINIA (1)
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Drafted player: Malik Washington
Overview: The Cavaliers had only one selection in the NFL Draft, which is not ideal especially for recruiting purposes, but Washington had a breakout year in Virginia’s offense (which never went gangbusters) with 110 catches for 1,426 yards and nine touchdowns.
Virginia could sell Washington’s success (he transferred from Northwestern) to receiver recruits but needs more numbers in the draft across the board.
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Note: Georgia Tech, Syracuse and Virginia Tech did not have a player selected in the 2024 NFL Draft.
