With the 2015 NFL Draft less than one week away, we’ll take a look at several key graduating players from Duke and where they are projected to go in the upcoming NFL Draft.
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After Laken Tomlinson, Jamison Crowder, and Takoby Cofield, most experts do not believe another Duke player will be drafted this year. However, several other graduating players are projected to possibly sign as rookie free agents after the draft concludes, and get the chance to work their way onto an NFL roster. CBS Sports projects that as many as eight Blue Devils could be signed with an NFL team next year, five as undrafted rookie free agents.
Some scouts actually believe that wide receiver Issac Blakeney may have played his way into a late round draft pick after his performance in the Medal of Honor Bowl finishing with 105 receiving yards on 5 catches. Blakeney has a very high upside as an NFL wide receiver and is big target at 6-6 and has been compared to Carolina Panther’s receiver Kelvin Benjamin and Tampa Bay Buccaneers receiver Mike Evans, who are also very tall receivers. He is also a versatile player, spending time at receiver and tight end with the Blue Devils.
Quarterback Anthony Boone had an excellent career with the Blue Devils, starting in 2 consecutive bowl games, an ACC Championship game, and earning the highest winning percentage for a starting quarterback in Duke history. Boone has largely been overlooked throughout his college career competing against other top quarterbacks in the ACC and NCAA and he’s considered short for his position at 6-0, but Boone is a versatile quarterback finishing with 2,700 passing yards for 19 TDs and 375 rushing yards for 5 TDs last season. Boone’s mostly projected to be signed as a priority free agent or possibly a last round draft pick for a team looking for depth at QB.
Jordan DeWalt-Ondijo is a 6-4, 240 pound defensive end who started for the Blue Devils this past season. Earlier in his career at Duke he struggled to stay on the field with injuries, but DeWalt-Ondijo played in every game this year had 45 tackles after having 45 tackles total in his first three seasons combined and was tied for 2nd on the team with 4.5 sacks last season.
With the First Pick
Linebacker David Helton had a spectacular career at Duke, receiving First Team All-ACC honors after leading the conference with 134 tackles, winning the 2014 Jim Tatum Award for the top football scholar in the conference, as well as receiving the William V. Campell Trophy for the national scholar athlete in college football and being named to the Academic All-American First Team. Unfortunately, Helton was nursing a hamstring injury at the end of the season and wasn’t able to fully participate in Duke’s NFL Pro Day which has hurt his draft stock but if he makes a full recovery then should be able to eventually work his way on to an NFL roster.
Redshirt senior defensive end Dezmond Johnson is another player who has a chance to make it to an NFL roster this year. Johnson is a 6-4, 260 pound defensive end who has played over 1,000 career snaps for the Blue Devils. He was 2nd on the team in tackles for loss, QB pressures, fumble recoveries, and 3rd in sacks among players on the 2014 team. Both DEs Johnson and DeWalt-Ondijo graduated from Duke early in December and have spent this semester working out together and focusing on getting in shape for football.
All of these players played a significant role in the Duke football program, leaving as the winningest class in school history. The NFL Draft will take place later this week April 30th-May 2nd in Chicago. Even if all of these Blue Devils aren’t able to hear their name called in the seven rounds of the NFL draft, hopefully they will be able to sign with a team shortly after for their training camp and be able to compete for a roster spot next season. We’ll be sure to keep you updated on where these former Duke players end up and follow them throughout their professional careers here on Ball Durham.