After a four-year stretch that included three consecutive bowl appearances and a rebirth of Duke football, more than a handful of Blue Devils on both sides of the football found themselves new homes following the 2015 NFL Draft.
Former offensive guard Laken Tomlinson became the first Duke player selected in the first-round in 28 years, when he was chosen 28th overall by the Detroit Lions. The first-team All-American had the honor of attending the event in Chicago and hearing NFL commissioner Roger Goodell announce the selection in front of a host of friends and family.
But Tomlinson may not be the only former Blue Devil strapping on a Lions uniform next season.
Senior signal-caller Anthony Boone will have the chance to compete for a roster spot after being signed by the Lions as an undrafted free agent Saturday. The former Duke quarterback was instrumental to the team’s success in the last two seasons and left Durham as the winningest play-caller in school history.
Boone’s top target Jamison Crowder was the only Blue Devil other than Tomlinson drafted during the three-day event and was selected in the 4th round—105th overall—by the Washington Redskins. Whether it was through the air or in the special teams game, getting the ball to the game-breaking wide receiver was a staple of Duke’s success in the last three seasons. The Monroe, N.C., native has the potential to use his speed to become a serviceable slot receiver for the Redskins.
Yet, Crowder wasn’t the only Blue Devil receiver who drew the attention of NFL teams.
Senior Issac Blakeney agreed to terms as an undrafted free agent with the San Francisco 49ers Saturday and appears to have the build—at 6-foot-6—to become a successful red-zone target on the next level. Although the Monroe, N.C., native changed positions frequently early in his tenure at Duke, expect NFL teams to look at Blakeney as the perfect jump-ball receiver near the goal-line.
Along with Crowder, offensive tackle Takoby Cofield will have the chance to make Washington his new home after signing as an undrafted free agent with the Redskins. The former Blue Devil helped anchor a Duke offensive line that led the nation in fewest tackles for loss per game and fewest sacks per passing attempt this past season. At 6-foot-4 and 314 pounds, Cofield possesses the size and the strength needed to be an above-average run-blocker in the NFL.
One of the beneficiaries of Cofield's blocking—running back Josh Snead—continued the Blue Devils run to the NFL when he agreed to a deal with the Denver Broncos as an undrafted free agent Monday. Snead leaves Durham as the only running back to have multiple 100-yard rushing games in bowl games.
The Blue Devils defensive standouts also had their fair share of success earning deals as undrafted free agents.
Defensive ends Jordan DeWalt-Ondijo and Dezmond Johnson inked deals with the Philadelphia Eagles and Cincinnati Bengals respectively and both will look to translate their successful four-year Duke careers into permanent NFL homes. DeWalt-Ondijo posted 90 tackles along with 10.0 sacks in his 45 career games as a Blue Devil. Johnson was a three-time academic all-ACC selection and finished fourth on the team with 5.5 tackles for loss despite missing three games this season.
Former Duke linebacker David Helton turned one of the most decorated senior seasons in Blue Devil history into a deal with the N.Y. Jets. The Chattanooga, Tenn., native received the National Football Foundation William V. Campbell Trophy as the best student-athlete in the nation as well as the ACC’s Jim Tatum Award given to the best student-athlete in the league. On the field, Helton was a first-team all-ACC selection this past season and became only the fifth player in league history to repeat as tackle champion.
With the foundation laid by its graduating senior class, look for Duke to continue transforming itself into one of the football powers in the ACC.
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