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2018 NFL Draft: 18 Pac-12ers selected on third day; 30 total players drafted

by Pac-12 Network Newsroom
Apr 28, 2018
Sun Devil Athletics / Washington State Athletics / Cal Athletics / Utah Athletics

A total of 30 Pac-12 football players were selected in the 2018 NFL Draft, with 18 selected in the fourth through seventh rounds on Saturday. UCLA and Washington tied for the conference lead with five NFL Draft selections each, while USC and Stanford each had four, Arizona State had three, Cal, Oregon and Washington State each had two and Arizona, Colorado and Utah each had one. Oregon State was the only Pac-12 school to not have a player chosen this year.

[Related: Eight Pac-12 players taken in rounds 2-3 of 2018 NFL Draft]

The 30 NFL Draft selections for the Pac-12 are the fourth most of any confernece in college football, trailing the SEC's 53, ACC's 45 and Big Ten's 33. 

Arizona

One Wildcat heard his name called in the 2018 NFL Draft, and it was safety Dane Cruikshank, who went in the fifth round (152nd overall) to the Tennessee Titans. The two-year starter was a team captain for the Wildcats in 2017 and finished up with 135 tackles during his time in Tucson after a stint at Citrus College. Per ArizonaWildcats.com, Cruikshank gives the Wildcats at least one draftee in 63 of the 83 all-time NFL drafts.

Arizona State

While no Sun Devils went on Thursday or Friday, three Arizona Staters were selected on Thursday, giving ASU its most NFL Draft picks since 2015. Running back Kalen Ballage kicked off the pitchfork fun when the Dolphins drafted him 131st overall in the fourth round, while the other two had to wait until the sixth round: Linebacker Christian Sam went 178th to New England, while center Sam Jones went five spots later at 183 to Denver. It is the second time in three years the Pats have selected a Sun Devil on Saturday, having also chosen Devin Lucien in the seventh round in 2016.

California

It was a longer wait for Cal fans, as it wasn't until the seventh round that two Golden Bears got scooped up. Both come from the defensive side of the ball, as linebacker Devante Downs went 225th to the Minnesota Vikings, while defensive end James Looney went 232nd to rival Green Bay. Cal has now had at least one player selected in 31 of the last 32 NFL drafts. Looney was the last Pac-12 player selected in the 2018 NFL Draft.

Colorado

No Buffs went on Saturday, making cornerback Isaiah Oliver the only Colorado player selected in 2018 (he went in the second round to Atlanta). It is the second straight year the Buffs were represented in the NFL Draft, with four Buffaloes going in 2017.

Oregon

Oregon offensive lineman Tyrell Crosby went in the fifth round (153rd overall) to the Detroit Lions, one spot after Pac-12 compadre Dane Cruikshank of Arizona was taken by Tennessee. Crosby's selection gave the Ducks two draft picks in 2018 following Royce Freeman's third-round selection by the Denver Broncos. Good to see the Ducks back in the NFL Draft after being shut out in 2017, the first time that had happened since 1985.

Oregon State

2018 marked the first time since 2000 that no Beavers went in the NFL Draft.

Stanford

Stanford matched its Friday output with two more players getting drafted on Saturday. Following Justin Reid and Harrison Phillips' third-round selections, tight end Dalton Schultz went 137th overall (last pick of the fourth round) to the Dallas Cowboys, while linebacker Peter Kalambayi wrapped things up from a Cardinal perspective when the Houston Texans selected him near the end of the sixth round (214th overall). Stanford has now had multiple players selected in the NFL Draft each year since 2010.

UCLA

Solid Saturday in Westwood with three Bruins getting picked, bringing UCLA's 2018 NFL Draft total to five. Linebacker Kenny Young became the third Bruin taken in 2018 when the Baltimore Ravens took him 122nd overall (fourth round). Up next was center Scott Quessenberry 33 picks later, going 155th to the Los Angeles Chargers in the fifth round. Wide receiver Jordan Lasley was quickly reunited with Young in B-More, as the Ravens took Lasley at 162nd overall (fifth round) to round up the Bruin day. It's the third straight year at least five Bruins went in the NFL Draft and sixth consecutive draft with at least three Bruins hearing their name called.

[Related: Sam Darnold leads 4 Pac-12ers taken in NFL Draft first round]

USC

After a busy Friday with three Trojans going, no USC players were selected on Saturday. The Trojans had four players drafted in 2018, marking the fourth straight year that at least four USC players went in the NFL Draft.

Utah

It was a record-setting 2017 NFL Draft for Utah, with program-high eight guys getting their names called. That didn't carry over to 2018, as Kylie Fitts' selection by the Chicago Bears at 181 (sixth round) was the only time the Utes made an imprint in the NFL Draft this time around. That said, it is the 10th consecutive year that at least one Ute has been picked in the NFL Draft, and Fitts becomes the eighth defensive end in the Kyle Whittingham era to be selected in the NFL Draft.

Washington

Three more Washington players went Saturday, bringing the total Husky haul to five for the 2018 NFL Draft. Tight end Will Dissly was the first Pac-12 player selected Saturday, going 120th overall (fourth round) to the Seattle Seahawks, while linebackers Azeem Victor and Keishawn Bierria went back-to-back at the end of the sxith round, with Victor going 216th to Oakland and Bierria going 217th to AFC West rival Denver. It is the second straight year that five Huskies were selected in the NFL Draft and the fifth consecutive year that multiple Dawgs went in the draft.

Washington State

Two Cougs went on Saturday to comprise the complete list of Washington State players selected in 2018. Offensive lineman Cole Madison went in the fifth round (138th overall) to the Green Bay Packers, while buddy and star quarterback Luke Falk went 199th overall (sixth round) to the Tennessee Titans, where he will compete for a backup spot behind Marcus Mariota. It is the sixth straight year that at least one Cougar was picked.

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