Thursday night, former Duke football quarterback Daniel Jones was taken with the sixth overall pick by the New York Giants in the 2019 NFL Draft. It marked the most recent first-round pick for the Blue Devils since Laken Tomlinson in 2015 and the highest a Duke player has been taken since linebacker Mike Junkin was taken fifth overall in 1987.
In Jones' three years as the Blue Devil starter, he racked up 9,524 yards of total offense and 69 touchdowns to go along with two bowl victories. The Charlotte, N.C., native also won MVP honors at the Senior Bowl back in January.
Take a look back at Jones' three years under Duke head coach David Cutcliffe, from the first time he took the field at Wallace Wade Stadium to his dominant curtain call in the Walk-On's Independence Bowl.
1. Sept. 9, 2016: Jones makes collegiate debut against N.C. Central.
After anticipated starter Thomas Sirk re-injured his torn achilles just over a week away from the season opener, many Duke fans hardly even knew Jones' name when he was announced as the starter. The then-redshirt freshman would announce his presence quickly, though, as the Blue Devils scored 49 points in the first half with the youngster under center.
Jones completed 10 of 15 passes for 189 yards and three total touchdowns in an impressive effort, solidifying his spot over then-junior Parker Boehme for the starting job.
2. Sept. 24, 2016: Jones shines in Blue Devils' upset win at Notre Dame.
Duke rolled into Notre Dame as whopping 21-point underdogs, and after finding themselves in a quick 14-0 hole, it was Jones' maturity that stood out. He shined for 290 yards and three touchdowns in just his fourth career start, as the Blue Devils snuck away with a 38-35 win for one of the biggest victories in program history.
Jones twice gave Duke the lead in the second quarter, but completed one of the biggest throws of his career on a 64-yard touchdown to Anthony Nash, tying the game at 35 with six minutes to play in regulation.
3. Nov. 10, 2016: Jones picks up first victory over a ranked opponent and the Victory Bell.
Again faced with a 14-0 deficit, Jones showed the crowd at Wallace Wade that he could do it with his legs too, rushing for 94 yards and a couple of scores in his first meeting against the Tar Heels.
He would connect with Davis Koppenhaver on a touchdown from two yards out for the eventual game winning score in what was a 28-27 win against No. 15 North Carolina.
4. Sept. 9, 2017: Jones makes history in blowout win over Northwestern.
Trying to avoid the program's third straight loss to the Wildcats, Jones became just the second player in Duke history to throw for 300 yards and rush for 100 yards in the same game, joining Brandon Connette. The sophomore showed his strides compared to his previous season, also tallying four touchdowns on the day.
The Blue Devils used a dominant, consistent offensive game to handle Northwestern easily 41-17. Duke scored double-digit points in three out of four quarters.
5. Sept. 23, 2017: Jones' game winning drive gives Duke a 4-0 start to the season.
Armed with the confidence from his first Victory Bell win, Jones led his team to Chapel Hill looking to keep their perfect record. Although it wasn't the flashiest game for the 6-foot-5 signal caller, he led Duke on a 74-yard touchdown drive in the fourth quarter to put the Blue Devils up by three.
A Bryon Fields Jr. pick-six would seal North Carolina's fate and give Cutcliffe his second win at Kenan Memorial Stadium.
6. Nov. 25, 2017: Jones clinches first bowl appearance in win over Wake Forest.
Despite the promise from the 4-0 start, the Blue Devils lost their next six games, risking having a second straight season without a bowl game appearance. Duke took care of Georgia Tech the week before, but rallied behind a 346-yard, two-touchdown air raid from Jones to knock off the Demon Deacons.
The Blue Devils were down 10 halfway through the third quarter, but outscored Wake Forest 21-3 over the remainder of the game for a 31-23 win.
7. Dec. 26, 2017: Jones and Blue Devils come out firing in Quick Lane Bowl win against Northern Illinois.
In his first bowl game, Jones and the Duke offense made it a point to open the scoring quickly. The Blue Devils grabbed a quick 14-0 lead, and although they let the Huskies tie it, Duke scored the last 22 points of the game for a 32-14 win.
Jones tallied 338 yards and three touchdowns to lead the team to victory.
8. Nov. 8, 2018: Jones throws three early touchdowns, exits early with clavicle injury during win over Northwestern.
Let's just say that Northwestern fans aren't upset to see Jones leave early for the NFL Draft. In his third meeting against the Wildcats, the junior would toss three touchdown passes in the second quarter to put the Blue Devils up 21-7 at halftime.
Unfortunately for Duke, Jones was hit hard at the end of the third quarter and injured his clavicle, sidelining for the rest of the game and the two weeks after.
The score would hold though, and the Blue Devils would pick up a momentum-building win against the eventual Big Ten West Division champions.
9. Nov. 3, 2018: Jones pushes Duke to bowl eligibility in the rain over Miami.
It wasn't the best day for quarterbacks in Miami, as rain poured down over Hard Rock Stadium. Jones never tried to do too much though, and helped the Blue Devils by only committing one turnover.
The Hurricanes however, would turn it over when it counted, giving Duke great field position throughout the game and a 20-12 win.
10. Nov. 10, 2018: Jones completes 3-0 record against North Carolina.
Jones made sure the Tar Heels would never get a chance to have the best of him, throwing for 361 yards and three scores in a 42-35 win. He would tie a career high with 54 pass attempts on the afternoon.
Perhaps the biggest highlight of the game was a 61-yard rushing touchdown from Jones, going straight up the middle and avoiding defenders to give Duke a seven-point lead going into halftime.
11. Dec. 27, 2018: Jones solidifies NFL Draft status with historic Independence Bowl showing.
Looking for one last opportunity to display his talents in college, Jones did not disappoint, throwing for 423 yards and accounting for six total touchdowns. Both marks set records at the Independence Bowl, where Cutcliffe improved his career record there to 4-0.
The Blue Devils were down 27-14 late in the second quarter and looked greatly overmatched, but looked to Jones and scored 42 unanswered points for a 56-27 win.
Get The Chronicle straight to your inbox
Signup for our weekly newsletter. Cancel at any time.