NASHVILLE, Tenn. – The opportunity to pursue a professional football career starts Thursday for more than a dozen Vanderbilt standouts when the NFL Draft begins in our hometown.
More than 200,000 fans are expected in Nashville for the three-day draft, which opens Thursday with first-round selections announced from a massive stage located downtown at the intersection of 1st Avenue South and Broadway.
This week opens represents the first chance at an NFL career for Vanderbilt’s draft-eligible contingent topped by cornerback Joejuan Williams, quarterback Kyle Shurmur, offensive linemen Justin Skule and Bruno Reagan, running back Khari Blasingame and defensive end Dare Odeyingbo.
Head coach Derek Mason, who is expected to make national television appearances on NFL Network and ESPN programming, looks forward to several Commodores getting selected at the draft that will take place just two miles from the Vanderbilt campus.
“This is going to be an incredible showcase for our city to the entire country and beyond, and I’m also really hopeful that it’s going be a weekend to remember for our players,” Mason said. “We have a number of talented Commodores that would make outstanding additions to any NFL roster. These guys have been productive on the field, have tremendous work ethic and are driven to succeed.”
The NFL Network, ESPN/ESPN2 and ABC will have daily coverage of the draft, which starts Thursday at 7 p.m., Friday at 6 p.m., and Saturday at 11 a.m.
Williams invited to participate in Day 2 of the Draft
Williams, a two-year starting cornerback who ranked among the SEC leaders in interceptions last year, has been invited to participate in the draft on Friday. That’s if he isn’t selected Thursday in the opening round.
Williams would become the second Commodore to attend the NFL Draft, joining wide receiver Jordan Matthews, who joined other elite prospects at the 2014 Draft in New York City.
Mason appearances around the draft
Mason is scheduled to make at least two national television appearances this week.
On Thursday, he will make a live appearance on ESPN’s College GameDay Show starting at 4:50 p.m. On Friday, he will appear on the NFL Network’s NFL Draft Kickoff set starting at 3:35 p.m.
Vanderbilt notes on the NFL Draft
– Nine Commodores have selected in the first round, including Wade and offensive lineman Chris Williams, who as the 14th pick by the Chicago Bears in 2008 is the most recent first-round draftee. Besides Wade and Williams, other Commodore first-round selections are QB Jay Cutler (No. 11 by Denver, 2005), OL Will Wolford (No. 20 by Buffalo, 1986), CB Leonard Coleman (No. 8 by Baltimore Colts, 1984), RB Tom Moore (No. 5 by Green Bay, 1960), RB Phil King (No. 12 by N.Y. Giants, 1958), RB Charley Horton (No. 11 by Los Angeles Rams, 1956) and RB Jack Jenkins (No. 10 by Washington, 1943).
– Quarterback Bill Wade is Vanderbilt’s only No. 1 overall pick, selected by the Los Angeles Rams in 1952. More than a decade later, Wade guided the Chicago Bears to the 1963 NFL championship.
– Since the draft was reduced to its current seven-round format in 1994, the most Vanderbilt players selected came in 2001 when four Commodores were taken: linebackers Jamie Winborn (2nd round) and LB Matt Stewart (4rd round), kicker John Markham (5th round), and defensive back Jimmy Williams (6th round).
– Last year, linebacker Oren Burks was the only Commodore drafted when he was picked by Green Bay in the third round as the 88th overall selection.
Vanderbilt Draft Picks in Last 20 Years
Year | Player | NFL Team | Draft Selection |
---|---|---|---|
2021 | Dayo Odeyingbo • DL | Indianapolis | 2nd Round, 54th pick |
2020 | Ke'Shawn Vaughn • RB | Tampa Bay | 3rd Round, 76th pick |
2019 | Joejuan Williams • DB | New England | 2nd Round, 24th pick |
Justin Skule • OL | San Francisco | 6th Round, 183rd pick | |
2018 | Oren Burks • LB | Green Bay | 3rd Round, 88th pick |
2017 | Zach Cunningham • LB | Houston | 2nd Round, 57th pick |
Will Holden • OL | Arizona | 5th Round, 157th pick | |
2016 | Stephen Weatherly • LB/DE | Minnesota | 7th Round, 227th pick |
2014 | Jordan Matthews • WR | Philadelphia | 2nd Round, 42nd pick |
Wesley Johnson • OL | Pittsburgh | 5th Round, 173rd pick |
|
Andre Hal • DB | Houston | 7th Round, 216th pick | |
2013 | Zac Stacy • RB | St. Louis | 5th Round, 160th pick |
Ryan Seymour • OL | Seattle | 7th Round, 220th pick | |
2012 | Casey Hayward • DB | Green Bay | 2nd Round, 62nd pick |
Tim Fugger • DE | Indianapolis | 7th Round, 214th pick | |
2010 | Myron Lewis • DB | Tampa Bay | 3rd Round, 67th pick |
Thomas Welch • OL | New England | 7th Round, 208th pick | |
2009 | D.J. Moore • DB | Chicago | 4th Round, 119th pick |
2008 | Chris Williams • OL | Chicago | 1st Round, 14th pick |
Earl Bennett • WR | Chicago | 3rd Round, 70th pick | |
Jonathan Goff • LB | N.Y. Giants | 5th Round, 164th pick | |
2006 | Jay Cutler • QB | Denver | 1st Round, 11th pick |
2005 | Jovan Haye • DL | Carolina | 6th Round, 189th pick |
Justin Geisinger • OL | Buffalo | 6th Round, 197th pick | |
2003 | Hunter Hillenmeyer, • LB | Green Bay | 5th Round, 166th pick |
2001 | Jamie Winborn • LB | San Francisco | 2nd Round, 47th pick |
Matt Stewart • LB | Atlanta | 4th Round, 102nd pick | |
John Markham • PK | N.Y. Giants | 5th Round, 160th pick | |
Jimmy Williams • DB | Buffalo | 6th Round, 196th pick | |
1999 | Fred Vinson • DB | Green Bay | 2nd Round, 47th pick |
1998 | Corey Chavous • DB | Arizona | 2nd Round, 33rd pick |
Jamie Duncan • DB | Tampa Bay | 3rd Round, 84th pick | |
Anthony Jordan • LB | Indianapolis | 5th Round, 135th pick | |
1996 | James Manley • DL | Minnesota | 2nd Round, 45th pick |
1992 | Corey Harris • WR/DB | Houston | 3rd Round, 77th pick |
1990 | DeMond Winston • LB | New Orleans | 4th Round, 98th pick |
John Gromos • QB | Seattle | 12th Round, 312th pick | |
1988 | Chris Gaines • LB | St. Louis | 5th Round, 120th pick |
Carl Parker • WR | Cincinnati | 12th Round, 307th pick | |
1986 | Will Wolford • OL | Buffalo | 1st Round, 20th pick |
Jim Popp • TE | San Francisco | 8th Round, 203rd pick | |
Steve Wade • DL | Indianapolis | 12th Round, 309th pick | |
1985 | Chuck Scott • WR/TE | Los Angeles | 2nd Round, 50th pick |
Rob Monaco • OL | St. Louis | 8th Round, 212th pick | |
Ricky Anderson • K | St. Louis | 11th Round, 298th pick | |
Karl Jordan • LB | Dallas | 12th Round, 324 pick | |
1984 | Leonard Coleman • CB | Baltimore | 1st Round, 8th pick |
Steve Bearden • DL | New Orleans | 3rd Round, Supplemental Draft | |
1983 | Jim Arnold • P | Kansas City | 5th Round, 119th pick |
Allama Matthews • TE | Atlanta | 12th Round, 322nd pick | |
1982 | Ken Hammond • OL | Dallas | 6th Round, 143rd pick |
Van Heflin • TE | Cleveland | 8th Round, 204th pick | |
1980 | Preston Brown • WR | New England | 6th Round, 150th pick |
Frank Mordica • RB | New Orleans | 9th Round, 233rd pick | |
Mike Wright • QB | Cincinnati | 12th Round, 308th pick | |
1979 | Martin Cox • WR | New England | 10th Round, 270th pick |
Ed Smith • LB | Pittsburgh | 12th Round, 322nd pick | |
1978 | Dennis Harrison • DL | Philadelphis | 4th Round, 92nd pick |
1976 | Jay Chesley • DB | San Francisco | 7th Round, 194th pick |
Barry Burton • TE | Pittsburgh | 7th Round, 209th pick | |
Steve Curnette • DB | New York Giants | 17th Round, 471st pick | |
1975 | Gene Moshier • OL | Kansas City | 14th Round, 346th pick |
1974 | Mark Ilgenfritz • DL | Cleveland | 5th Round, 118th pick |
Doug Nettles • DB | Baltimore | 5th Round, 129th pick | |
1973 | Rod Freeman • TE | New York Giants | 7th Round, 172nd pick |
Ken Stone • DB | Washington | 10th Round, 245th pick | |
Dave Leffers • OL | Oakland | 15th Round, 387th pick | |
1971 | Karl Weiss • OL | Chicago | 8th Round, 192nd pick |
1970 | Bob Asher • OL | Dallas | 2nd Round, 27th pick |
Pat Tommay • DL | Dallas | 6th Round, 153rd pick | |
1969 | Chip Healy • LB | St. Louis | 3rd Round, 71st pick |
1968 | Gary Davis • QB | Cincinnati | 3rd Round, 56th pick |
Bob Goodridge • WR | Minnesota | 6th Round, 144th pick | |
1966 | Dick Lemay • OL | Washington | 5th Round, 70th pick |
1965 | Bennett Baldwin • RB | Washington | 15th Round, 202nd pick |
Gary Hart • E | Washington | 17th Round, 230rd pick | |
1963 | Steve Shaw • B | Cleveland | 20th Round, 275 pick |
1961 | Cody Binkley • OL | New York Giants | 15th Round, 207th pick |
1960 | Tim Moore • RB | Green Bay | 1st Round, 5th pick |
1959 | Jimmy Butler • B | St. Louis | 3rd Round, 27th pick |
Tom Redmond • OL | St. Louis | 6th Round, 63rd pick | |
Ben Donnell • OL | Detroit | 7th Round, 77th pick | |
Lew Akin • E | San Francisco | 8th Round, 90th pick | |
George Deiderich • OL | Los Angeles | 23rd Round, 272nd pick | |
Ron Miller • E | Pittsburgh | 25th Round, 295th pick | |
1958 | Phil King • B | New York | 1st Round, 12th pick |
Bob Taylor • E | Baltimore | 6th Round, 69th pick | |
Eric Soesbe • OL | St. Louis | 24th Round, 279th pick | |
1957 | Joe Scales • B | Detroit | 24th Round, 287th pick |
Bob Swann • OL | Pittsburgh | 26th Round, 307th pick | |
1956 | Charley Horton • B | Los Angeles | 1st Round, 11th pick |
Tommy Harkins • E | Philadelphia | 12th Round, 137th pick | |
Joe Stephenson • E | Detroit | 20th Round, 230th pick | |
Don Orr • B | Chicago | 26th Round, 311th pick | |
Billy Krietemeyer • B | Chicago | 29th Round, 346th pick | |
John Battos • E | Cleveland | 29th Round, 349th pick | |
1955 | Herman Watson • OL | Philadelphia | 8th Round, 94th pick |
Charley Horton • B | Washington | 15th Round, 172nd pick | |
Terry Fails • E | Philadelphia | 19th Round, 225th pick | |
1953 | Mick Lakos • B | Los Angeles | 10th Round, 120th pick |
1952 | Bill Wade • QB | Los Angeles | 1st Round, 1st pick |
Ted Kirkland • E | Washington | 24th Round, 283rd pick | |
Bob Werckle • OL/DL | Detroit | 24th Round, 285th pick | |
1951 | Herb Rich • B | Los Angeles | 2nd Round, 24th pick |
Bucky Curtis • E | Cleveland | 2nd Round, 26th pick | |
Ken Cooper • OL | Chicago | 10th Round, 115th pick | |
1950 | Herb Rich • B | Baltimore | 6th Round, 67th pick |
Carl Copp • OL | New York Giants | 26th Round, 332nd pick | |
1949 | Lee Nalley • B | Chicago | 10th Round, 99th pick |
Ken Cooper • OL | Green Bay | 15th Round, 143rd pick | |
Carl Copp • OL | Philadelphia | 15th Round, 151st pick | |
Zealand Thigpen • B | Detroit | 17th Round, 162nd pick | |
1947 | Charley Hoover • OL | Detroit | 4th Round, 24th pick |
Alf Satterfield • OL | Philadelphia | 8th Round, 61st pick | |
Fred Hamilton • OL | Pittsburgh | 21st Round, 189th pick | |
Binks Bushmaier • B | Pittsburgh | 23rd Round, 209th pick | |
1945 | Johnny North • E | Washington | 6th Round, 51st pick |
Bob Cummings • OL | Washington | 31st Round, 320th pick | |
1944 | J.P. Moore • B | Chicago | 12th Round, 117th pick |
1943 | Jack Jenkins • B | Washington | 1st Round, 10th pick |
1942 | Bob Gude • OL | Chicago | 14th Round, 130th pick |
1941 | Ed Hiestand • E | Washington | 20th Round, 190th pick |
1940 | Ray Andrus • B | Green Bay | 16th Round, 149th pick |
1938 | Ed Merlin • OL | Brooklyn | 5th Round, 33rd pick |
Carl Hinkle • OL | Philadelphia | 11th Round, 92nd pick | |
1937 | Dick Plasman • B | Chicago | 3rd Round, 28th pick |