LSU Football Ties NFL Draft Record with 14 Players Selected From National Championship Team
After weeks of hype and speculation, the 2020 NFL Draft is over and it was a historic one for the LSU Tigers. After seeing a record 10 players selected in the opening three rounds, the Tigers saw four more drafted on Saturday, breaking the SEC record and tying the 2004 Ohio State Buckeyes for the most players drafted from the same school in one draft.
The third day is all about finding diamonds in the rough and for four former Tigers, that’s exactly what they’re hoping. On Saturday, tackle Saahdiq Charles, defensive end Rashard Lawrence, long snapper Blake Ferguson and tight end Stephen Sullivan were all selected.
In addition to the four draftees selected on Saturday, the following Tigers were taken on days one and two:
No. 1: Joe Burrow - Cincinnati Bengals
No. 20: K’Lavon Chaisson - Jacksonville Jaguars
No. 22: Justin Jefferson - Minnesota Vikings
No. 28: Patrick Queen - Baltimore Ravens
No. 32: Clyde Edwards-Helaire - Kansas City Chiefs
No. 44: Grant Delpit - Cleveland Browns
No. 61: Kristian Fulton - Tennessee Titans
No. 69: Damien Lewis - Seattle Seahawks
No. 83: Lloyd Cushenberry - Denver Broncos
No. 97: Jacob Phillips - Cleveland Browns
After trading All-Pro tackle Trent Williams minutes before its selection, the Washington Redskins took the uber-talented tackle Charles with the 108th pick. If it weren’t for some character questions, there’s a very good chance Charles wouldn’t have made it past the second round.
Charles missed six games in 2019 due to suspension which significantly hurt his draft stock.
“I know that of course I made mistakes at school and they were dumb, bone-headed, type of mistakes," Charles said after being drafted. "But I know that moving forward I learn from my mistakes and I improved over the period I was at LSU."
On the field, a blend of elite athleticism and awareness make him a prospect who should come in and compete for the starting spot left behind by Williams.
"I wasn't sure where I would go, but I ended up in the right spot. They believe in me. For that I'll give the Redskins' organization everything I've got,” Charles said.
It was the two-year senior leader Lawrence who came off the board next, going to Arizona in the fourth round. The Cardinals have been a popular landing spot for Tigers in past NFL drafts and Lawrence will now team up with cornerback Patrick Peterson.
Lawrence had possibly his greatest game as a college player against UCF at State Farm Stadium, where the Cardinals play. In that 40-32 Fiesta Bowl win, Lawrence recorded five tackles, four tackles for a loss and two sacks.
"Personally, I played my best game in my career (in) Arizona's Stadium in the Fiesta Bowl. Defensive MVP. So got some good success there,” Lawrence said after being drafted.
Ferguson, drafted in the sixth round by the Miami Dolphins, made a little history himself, becoming the highest-drafted long snapper in the common draft era, where he'll now be able to square off against his brother Reid twice a year.
Just as hope seemed lost on the Tigers potentially climbing up to tie the 2004 Buckeyes squad, it was the Seattle Seahawks that traded up into the bottom of the seventh round to take the tight end Sullivan with the 251st pick.
So while the Tigers finished their record breaking season by making more history, more importantly, for 14 former players, this weekend marked the beginning of their NFL dreams. It'll be fascinating to watch each and every one of their careers unfold.
