Raiders trade up to select Mizzou’s Gillespie, igniting big Saturday for drafted Tigers

Missouri had a big day in the NFL Draft on Saturday.

Four Tigers were selected, starting in the fourth round, giving Mizzou five players taken overall. It was the busiest NFL Draft for the program since 2015, when five Tigers were selected.

That draft included players who had completed on SEC East Division-winning teams in 2014 and 2013.

These Tigers finished 5-5 last season, Eli Drinkwitz’s first as head coach.

The parade started in the fourth round, when the Las Vegas Raiders thought highly enough of Missouri safety Tyree Gillespie to trade up for him.

Gillespie was the second to last pick in the fourth round, No. 143 overall. The Raiders didn’t have a fourth-round selection because of an earlier deal. But they gave up two later picks, Nos. 162 and 200, to move back into the fourth round.

The 6-0, 207 pound Gillespie started eight of nine games last season for Missouri, missing one with an injury. He had 46 tackles, including four for loss, and seven pass deflections.

Gillespie could play safety or linebacker, but he’s projected in the secondary as a backup to Johnathan Abram and Karl Joseph. He was the third safety selected by the Raiders, who finished 8-8 last season and missed the playoffs for the 17th time in 18 years.

In the fifth round, the Chicago Bears selected offensive lineman Larry Borom, No. 151 overall.

In the sixth round, the New England Patriots drafted MU’s Joshuah Bledsoe. Taken at No. 188, he was the second MU safety drafted this weekend.

Missouri running back Larry Roundtree was taken by the Los Angeles Chargers in the sixth round, No. 198 overall.

The run on Missouri players started Friday when the Chiefs took All-America linebacker Nick Bolton in the second round, No. 58 overall.

The last time Missouri had more than five players selected in a draft was 2009, when six were taken, led by wide receiver Jeremy Maclin.

Central Missouri tight end Zach Davidson became the first player from the MIAA selected. He was taken by the Vikings in the fifth round, No. 168 overall.

Davidson, from Webb City, Mo., also punted for the Mules. He was named an All-American in 2019, when 15 of his 40 receptions went for touchdowns.

Central Missouri did not play a fall 2020 schedule because of the pandemic.