255 names were called Thursday through Saturday as part of the 2010 NFL Draft. Unfortunately for Duke’s graduating football class, none of those names belonged to Blue Devils.
Going into the draft, quarterback Thaddeus Lewis and defensive tackle Vince Oghobaase were regarded as the Duke prospects with the best chances of being selected. Many draft gurus had Oghobaase slotted as a mid-round prospect—still none of the NFL’s 32 teams took a chance on the Houston native.
However, in the 24 hours following the draft, five former Duke players found homes in the NFL as undrafted free agents.
Lewis, who departs Duke as the second leading passer in ACC history, was signed by the St. Louis Rams, the same team that spent the draft’s first overall pick on former Oklahoma star Sam Bradford. While scouts have been impressed by Lewis’s composure in the pocket and ability to read defenses, the biggest question marks surrounding him have always been his lack of height and inconsistent decision making.
Oghobaase, one of the most highly touted recruits that the Blue Devils staff brought to Durham in the past decade, was picked up by the Miami Dolphins.
A number of teams had exprtessed interest in linebacker Vincent Rey in the weeks leading up to the draft. An All-ACC performer and the team’s leading tackler, Rey has never had his talent or determination questioned, but is small for an NFL linebacker. The 6-footer was ultimately signed by the Cincinnati Bengals.
The last two Blue Devils who found new homes in the NFL will both head to the same location. Cornerback Leon Wright and defensive lineman Ayanga Okpokworuk were signed by the New York Giants.
While the odds are certainly stacked against the five players in terms of making their respective ballclubs, they will get their chance to prove themselves in mini-camp scheduled for this summer and then training camp come fall.
NFL rosters are not littered with undrafted signees, but this group doesn’t have to look any further than fellow Duke alumnus Patrick Bailey to find an exception. Bailey, in his third NFL season with the Pittsburgh Steelers, survived training camp and has found a home on the 53-man roster, even winning a Super Bowl ring with the team in 2009.
This weekend’s draft marked the sixth straight year that no Duke alums were drafted. The last Blue Devil drafted was tight end Drew Strojny in 2004.
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