After three Bulldogs were taken in the first round of the NFL Draft, rounds two and three saw four Rebels and one Bulldog come off the board.
Related: Three Bulldogs taken in first round of NFL Draft
LT Greg Little – #37 Carolina Panthers – Round 2
The first Rebel taken was LT Greg Little, who was selected by the Carolina Panthers with the 37th overall pick. At 6’5 315 pounds, the Panthers selected Little to protect QB Cam Newton, and Little says that he’s up to the task.
“I’m going to keep him safe,” Little said. “I want to show people that I’m the best left tackle in this draft and I’m going to be here for a long time,” Little said. “I’m a true, franchise left tackle.”
Marty’s reaction after trading up for Little is priceless #PanthersDraft pic.twitter.com/gutdBwnR4C
— Carolina Panthers (@Panthers) April 27, 2019
Little allowed pressure on just 2.8 percent of his pass-blocking snaps since 2017, the fourth-best in the class among offensive tackles. He was named second-team All-America from the Sporting News, Walter Camp Foundation, FWAA and Phil Steele. He was also a first-team All-SEC selection by the Associated Press and the league coaches.
WR A.J. Brown – #51 Tennessee Titans – Round 2
Next up was WR A.J. Brown. Brown was taken by the Tennessee Titans with the 51st overall pick. The all-time leading receiver in Ole Miss history will now look to become the go-to-guy for QB Marcus Mariota.
“I think Mariota is a real tough quarterback. … Me, as a rookie, I have to come in and build that trust with him. That’s going to be big. He’s going to get a complete receiver – anything he needs, I’m going to be there,” Brown said.
New #Titans WR AJ Brown strongly dislikes defensive backs. 😎 pic.twitter.com/KJN0ELC29s
— Tennessee Titans (@Titans) April 27, 2019
Brown finished his Ole Miss career with 2,984 yards, and he also set the Ole Miss single-season receptions record with 85 catches this past season.
He will now join Mississippi State DT Jeffery Simmons, who was the Titans’ first-round selection, in Nashville.
WR D.K. Metcalf – #64 Seattle Seahawks – Round 2
Many expected Brown to be taken after teammate D.K. Metcalf, but Metcalf was taken with the final pick of the 2nd round by the Seattle Seahawks.
After running a 4.33 40-yard dash at the combine, the hype surrounding Metcalf skyrocketed, but he fell out of the first round. When he was selected by the Seahawks after sliding, the former Rebel was overcome with emotion.
Is it just us or is it getting dusty in here? @dkmetcalf14, we’re so excited to have you. 💙#SeahawksDraft pic.twitter.com/Uh3H0sZ85P
— Seattle Seahawks (@Seahawks) April 27, 2019
The Seahawks drafted Metcalf on the same night that reports indicated that WR Doug Baldwin may retire.
In just 21 games at Ole Miss, Metcalf had 14 touchdowns. Injuries limited his playing time in Oxford, including a season-ending neck injury in 2018.
TE Dawson Knox – #96 Buffalo Bills – Round 3
The final Rebel drafted on night two of the draft was TE Dawson Knox, who was taken by the Buffalo Bills with the 96th pick.
Time to get to work 😎 #BillsMafia https://t.co/9XqRB2ALHA
— Dawson Knox (@dawson_knox) April 27, 2019
Knox wasn’t featured in the Ole Miss offense much in 2018, finishing the season with just 15 catches, but at 6’4 255 pounds, many believe he has a skill set that will translate to the NFL.
“Outstanding combination of measurables and traits, but he’s much more moldable clay than game-ready prospect at this point. Knox lacks early speed and short-area quickness which could limit his ability to uncover underneath but he’s much more dangerous when allowed to roam the middle of the field as a more linear route-worker. His pass-catching production may never match up with the testing numbers, but his aggressiveness and talent as a run-blocker could provide him work as a combo tight end for years to come,” NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein said.
Knox walked on as a QB at Ole Miss before making the switch to TE.
Mississippi State
C Elgton Jenkins – #44 Green Bay Packers – Round 2
After their historic first round, another Bulldog was taken on day two. C Elgton Jenkins was taken by the Green Bay Packers with the 44th pick.
On the team’s website, the Packers said that they “may have found a true backup center as well as a prospect to compete at guard in 2019.”
“We took him as a guard,” college scout Charles Walls said. “But with a guy that size, that athletic, you watch the tape and you feel comfortable putting him anywhere you need him to be. Definitely a light bulb goes off when a guy falls to you with that much value, that much versatility.”
College scout Charles Walls talks with @kuhnj30 about the #Packers‘ second-round selection of G Elgton Jenkins.#PackersDraft #GoPackGo https://t.co/rWcXFD7m7x
— Green Bay Packers (@packers) April 27, 2019
Jenkins has a total of 34 starts to his credit – 26 of them at center. According to Pro Football Focus, he allowed only one sack over 762 pass-blocking snaps at center over the last two years.
