University of North Carolina Athletics
Downs Selected By Colts In Third Round Of NFL Draft
April 28, 2023 | Football
KANSAS CITY - University of North Carolina wide receiver Josh Downs was selected 79th overall in the third round by the Indianapolis Colts in the 2023 NFL Draft. Downs becomes the 17th Carolina wide receiver selected and the 248th Tar Heel chosen in the NFL Draft.
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"This has been a dream of mine since I was a kid and I'm so thankful and blessed to be in this position," Downs said. "I want to thank the Colts organization for putting their faith in me and giving me the opportunity to represent the franchise. I want to thank my family. Your support has meant everything. I also want to thank all my coaches and teammates throughout the years. You've helped me get where I am today and I appreciate each and every one of you. I can't wait to get to Indianapolis and get the next part of this journey going."
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"We're all so excited for Josh and the Downs family," said UNC head coach Mack Brown. "Josh is one of the hardest workers I've ever coached, and as a result, became one of the greatest receivers in Carolina history. He constantly works at his craft and takes every opportunity to be the best player he can be. One thing I appreciate about Josh is that he's never satisfied and he's always looking for a way to get better. Those characteristics will serve him well as he transitions to the next level and I'm looking forward to watching him play with the Colts."
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Downs wrapped up his career with 2,483 yards receiving, the fourth-highest total in Carolina lore. He finished his Tar Heel career with 22 touchdown receptions, second-most in school history and is one of three players in UNC history with over 200 career receptions, finishing third on the school's all-time list with 202. He is one of two players in Carolina history with two 1,000-yard receiving seasons.
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In 2022, Downs started all 11 games he appeared in. He was named first-team All-America by PFF, tabbed second-team All-America by the AP, FWAA and Phil Steele, was a Biletnikoff Award Semifinalist and named first-team All-ACC.
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Downs set the pace for wide receivers in the ACC last season. In 2022, Downs was named ACC Receiver of the week twice while leading the ACC in multiple categories. He led the ACC in receptions (94), yards receiving (1029), receptions per game (8.5) and yards receiving per game (93.5). He ranked second in the FBS in receptions per game, seventh in touchdown receptions and 11th in receiving yards per game. He became just the third player at UNC with over 90 catches in a season and his 11 touchdown grabs were the second-most in the ACC and fourth-most in UNC history. Downs finished the season with over 1,000 yards receiving for the second consecutive season (1,029).Â
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For up-to-date information on Carolina Football and the 2023 Spring Game, visit GoHeels.com/Football and follow us on Twitter (@UNCFootball), Instagram (@uncfootball) and Facebook (Facebook.com/TarHeelFootball).
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"This has been a dream of mine since I was a kid and I'm so thankful and blessed to be in this position," Downs said. "I want to thank the Colts organization for putting their faith in me and giving me the opportunity to represent the franchise. I want to thank my family. Your support has meant everything. I also want to thank all my coaches and teammates throughout the years. You've helped me get where I am today and I appreciate each and every one of you. I can't wait to get to Indianapolis and get the next part of this journey going."
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"We're all so excited for Josh and the Downs family," said UNC head coach Mack Brown. "Josh is one of the hardest workers I've ever coached, and as a result, became one of the greatest receivers in Carolina history. He constantly works at his craft and takes every opportunity to be the best player he can be. One thing I appreciate about Josh is that he's never satisfied and he's always looking for a way to get better. Those characteristics will serve him well as he transitions to the next level and I'm looking forward to watching him play with the Colts."
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Downs wrapped up his career with 2,483 yards receiving, the fourth-highest total in Carolina lore. He finished his Tar Heel career with 22 touchdown receptions, second-most in school history and is one of three players in UNC history with over 200 career receptions, finishing third on the school's all-time list with 202. He is one of two players in Carolina history with two 1,000-yard receiving seasons.
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In 2022, Downs started all 11 games he appeared in. He was named first-team All-America by PFF, tabbed second-team All-America by the AP, FWAA and Phil Steele, was a Biletnikoff Award Semifinalist and named first-team All-ACC.
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Downs set the pace for wide receivers in the ACC last season. In 2022, Downs was named ACC Receiver of the week twice while leading the ACC in multiple categories. He led the ACC in receptions (94), yards receiving (1029), receptions per game (8.5) and yards receiving per game (93.5). He ranked second in the FBS in receptions per game, seventh in touchdown receptions and 11th in receiving yards per game. He became just the third player at UNC with over 90 catches in a season and his 11 touchdown grabs were the second-most in the ACC and fourth-most in UNC history. Downs finished the season with over 1,000 yards receiving for the second consecutive season (1,029).Â
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For up-to-date information on Carolina Football and the 2023 Spring Game, visit GoHeels.com/Football and follow us on Twitter (@UNCFootball), Instagram (@uncfootball) and Facebook (Facebook.com/TarHeelFootball).
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Players Mentioned
Wide Receiver
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