University of North Carolina Athletics
Carolina NFL Draft Recap
May 14, 2014 | Football
• Five Tar Heels were picked in the 2014 NFL Draft - Eric Ebron (1st round, Detroit), Kareem Martin (3rd round, Arizona), Russell Bodine (4th round, Cincinnati), Tre Boston (4th round, Carolina) and Jabari Price (7th round, Minnesota). In addition, quarterback Bryn Renner and offensive tackle James Hurst signed free agent deals with Denver and Baltimore, respectively. Tailback A.J. Blue received a tryout invitation to Washington as did defensive tackle Tim Jackson to Chicago.
• Eight of Carolina's nine seniors in 2013 were either drafted, signed as a free agent or were invited to a professional tryout. In addition, juniors Eric Ebron and Russell Bodine were picked in the draft.
• Carolina had five players selected in the 2014 NFL Draft, which ranked second in the ACC and tied for seventh nationally. Only LSU (9), Alabama (8), Notre Dame (8), FSU (7), Stanford (6) and Ohio State (6) had more draft picks in 2014.
• Tight end Eric Ebron became the 23rd overall first round NFL Draft pick in school history, and the seventh since 2008, when he was chosen 10th overall by the Detroit Lions.
• Since 2011, North Carolina has had 10 players selected in the top two rounds of the NFL Draft, trailing only Alabama (16) and LSU (11) in that time frame.
• Ebron is the eighth player in UNC history taken in the top 10 of the NFL Draft. Carolina's other top 10 draft picks are Ken Willard (No. 2 in 1965), Lawrence Taylor (No. 2 in 1981), Peppers (No. 2 in 2002), Ken Huff (No. 3 in 1975), Ryan Sims (No. 6 in 2002), Jonathan Cooper (No. 7 in 2013) and Greg Ellis (No. 8 in 1998).
• Ebron is the seventh first-round pick at UNC since 2008. Defensive tackle Kentwan Balmer was selected 29th overall by San Francisco in 2008. Wide receiver Hakeem Nicks was picked 29th overall by the New York Giants in 2009. Defensive end Robert Quinn was the 14th overall selection by the St. Louis Rams in 2011. Defensive end Quinton Coples was picked 16th overall by the New York Jets in 2012.
• In Larry Fedora's two seasons at UNC, the Tar Heels have produced three first round picks - offensive guard Jonathan Cooper (seventh overall to Arizona in 2013), Sylvester Williams (28th overall to Denver in 2013) and Eric Ebron (10th overall to Detroit in 2014).
• North Carolina has produced seven first-round draft picks since 2008. That is the most of any ACC school. Florida State ranks second with six. The only other in-state schools with a first-round draft pick since 2008 are Wake Forest (1) and ECU (1).
Most First-Round NFL Draft Picks in ACC Since 2008
7 - Carolina - 2008, 2009, 2011, 2012, 2013 (2), 2014
6 - Florida State - 2010, 2011, 2013 (3), 2014
5 - Boston College - 2008 (2), 2009, 2011, 2012
3 - Virginia - 2008 (2), 2009
4 - Notre Dame - 2012 (2), 2013, 2014
4 - Louisville - 2009, 2014 (3)
3 - Pittsburgh - 2008, 2011, 2014
3 - Virginia Tech - 2008, 2012, 2014
3 - Clemson - 2010, 2013, 2014
2 - Syracuse - 2012, 2013
2 - Georgia Tech - 2010 (2)
1 - Miami - 2008
1 - Wake Forest - 2009
1 - Maryland - 2009
0 - Duke
0 - NC State
• Carolina has had 23 all-time first-round draft picks, which ranks just outside the top 25 in the country. It is, however, the most of any school in the state, ahead of NC State (15), Duke (5) and Wake Forest (4).
• Ebron was the first tight end taken in the 2014 NFL Draft. UNC head coach Larry Fedora also coached the first tight end taken in the 2009 draft when the Lions picked Oklahoma State's Brandon Pettigrew.
• Prior to Ebron's selection, the highest a Tar Heel tight end had been picked was Alge Crumpler, who was taken in the second round (35th overall) by Atlanta in 2001. Ebron is the first Carolina tight end picked in the NFL Draft since Green Bay picked Ryan Taylor in the seventh round in 2011.
UNC Tight End Draft History
2014 - Eric Ebron, 1st Round (10th overall), Detroit
2011 - Ryan Taylor, 7th Round, Green Bay
2009 - Richard Quinn, 2nd Round (64th overall), Denver
2001 - Alge Crumpler, 2nd Round (35th overall), Atlanta
1997 - Freddie Jones, 2nd Round (45th overall), San Diego
1992 - Deems May, 7th Round, San Diego
1986 - Arnold Franklin, 11th Round, Miami
1978 - Brooks Williams, 8th Round, New Orleans
1975 - Charles Waddell, 5th Round, San Diego
1971 - Tony Blanchard, 12th Round, Cleveland
• Kareem Martin became the fourth Carolina defensive end taken in the last five years when he was selected by Arizona this season. Other recent UNC defensive ends selected include Quinton Coples in the first round of the 2012 draft, E.J. Wilson in the fourth round of the 2010 draft and Robert Quinn in the first round of the 2011 draft.
• Carolina has had seven defensive linemen picked in the last five NFL Drafts.
• In the first round of the 2013 NFL Draft, North Carolina offensive guard Jonathan Cooper was selected seventh overall by the Arizona Cardinals and defensive tackle Sylvester Williams was picked 28th overall by the Denver Broncos.
• Cooper became the first offensive guard selected in the top 10 of the NFL Draft since 1997 when Colorado's Chris Naeole was selected by the New Orleans Saints at No. 10. He became the highest selected offensive guard since Bill Fralic was taken No. 2 by Atlanta in 1985.
• In 2013, Giovani Bernard became the first running back taken in the NFL Draft when he was selected by the Cincinnati Bengals with the fifth pick of the second round (37th overall). It was the first time Carolina had produced the first tailback of the draft. Ethan Horton, a running back at UNC, was selected in the first round of the 1985 draft, but played exclusively tight end in the NFL.
• A total of 30 Carolina players have been selected in the NFL Draft since 2008, which ranks second among ACC schools. Two Tar Heels were picked in the 2008 draft, five in 2009, two in 2010, a league-high nine in 2011, two in 2012, five in 2013 and five in 2014.
Most Draft Picks in ACC Since 2008
32 - Florida State
30 - North Carolina
30 - Clemson
27 - Miami
25 - Virginia Tech
17 - Pittsburgh
16 - Georgia Tech
16 - NC State
15 - Wake Forest
15 - Louisville
14 - Virginia
12 - Maryland
13 - Syracuse
12 - Boston College
2 - Duke
• Carolina's NFL Active Players (as of May 7, 2014
Marvin Austin, DT, Denver
Connor Barth, PK, Tampa Bay
Giovani Bernard, TB, Cincinnati
Travis Bond, OG, Carolina
Zach Brown, LB, Tennessee
Bruce Carter, LB, Dallas
Jonathan Cooper, OG, Arizona
Quinton Coples, DE, New York Jets
Shaun Draughn, RB, Chicago
Dwight Jones, WR, New York Jets
Greg Little, WR, Cleveland
Hakeem Nicks, WR, Indianapolis
Julius Peppers, DE, Green Bay
Robert Quinn, DE, St. Louis
Kevin Reddick, LB, New Orleans
DaNorris Searcy, DB, Buffalo
Brandon Tate, WR, Cincinnati
Ryan Taylor, TE, Green Bay
Cam Thomas, DT, Pittsburgh
Greg Warren, DS, Pittsburgh
Brennan Williams, OT, Houston
Sylvester Williams, DT, Denver
TJ Yates, QB, Houston
