Duke in the NFL: Laken Tomlinson, Noah Gray move on after Super Wild Card Weekend

Chiefs rookie Noah Gray took 90% of snaps with the special teams unit in their Super Wild Card Weekend showdown against the Steelers
Chiefs rookie Noah Gray took 90% of snaps with the special teams unit in their Super Wild Card Weekend showdown against the Steelers

Super Wild Card Weekend is in the books, and a couple Blue Devils are moving on. In this week's Duke in the NFL, the Blue Zone takes a look at how former Duke football players performed this past weekend:

Laken Tomlinson, G, San Francisco 49ers

Veteran guard Laken Tomlinson looks to make a deep playoff run with the 49ers as he continues the search for his first career Super Bowl win. His last appearance on the sport’s grandest stage was in the 2019 season for Super Bowl LIV. This year, Tomlinson helped his team slide past the Cowboys in the wild card round, with the 49ers taking the victory 23-17 in Dallas. Along with the rest of the team’s offensive line, the guard kept the pocket relatively clean for quarterback Jimmy Garappolo, not allowing any sacks even when lining up against outstanding rookie linebacker Micah Parsons. Next up, the 49ers will face a formidable opponent in the Green Bay Packers, where he’ll meet fellow Duke guard Lucas Patrick. 

Noah Gray, TE, Kansas City Chiefs

The rookie tight end saw some playing time this Sunday in the Chiefs’ matchup against the Steelers. Behind two experienced tight ends, Noah Gray fell into his usual spot: filling in for All-Pro Travis Kelce, while Blake Bell took more of the run-blocking snaps. Gray took 26% of offensive snaps and was targeted twice, but he was unable to put up any catches; one of these targets saw Gray diving for the ball at the end of the first half, just barely failing to haul it in. The Duke product also played a significant role in the special teams department, taking 90% of snaps for the unit. His first career playoff win in the books, Gray looks to gain more postseason experience as the Chiefs take on the Bills in the divisional round. 


Alyssa Ting | Photography Editor

Alyssa Ting is a Trinity junior and a photography editor of The Chronicle's 119th volume. 

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