Duke’s senior class cemented its legacy at Wallace Wade Stadium when it led the team to its first bowl appearance since the 1994 season. This weekend, former Blue Devils will have a chance to carry that legacy into the NFL ranks.
Wide receiver Conner Vernon and quarterback Sean Renfree headline a class that hopes to garner Duke’s first selection in the NFL Draft since tackle Drew Strojny was picked in the seventh round by the New York Giants in 2004.
“It’s definitely exciting, at the same time, I’m kind of nervous,” Vernon said. “At this point it’s just going to play out. We’ll let the chips fall where they may and I’ll end up where I end up.”
The first round of the NFL Draft will take place Thursday at 8 p.m., followed by the second and third rounds Friday at 6:30 p.m. and the fourth through seventh rounds Saturday at noon.
Vernon is widely regarded as Duke’s most prized NFL prospect, becoming the ACC’s all-time leader in receptions and receiving yards after catching 85 passes for 1,074 yards and eight touchdowns during his senior season. He is expected to be selected sometime on the third day of the NFL Draft, likely sometime between the fifth and seventh rounds.
“If I had a guess, I feel like I will be selected,” Vernon said. “Again, nothing is guaranteed. So there’s still work to be done either way.”
In addition to participating in the Senior Bowl, NFL Scouting Combine and Duke’s Pro Day since the conclusion of his senior season, Vernon also received the opportunity to participate in a three-day mini-camp with two quarterbacks who have earned Super Bowl MVPs in Eli and Peyton Manning. Joining the Manning brothers were some of the top receivers in the league: Wes Welker, Eric Decker, Demaryius Thomas, Victor Cruz and Hakeem Nicks.
Vernon said that working out with these players give him a taste of life as a professional football player. He added working alongside Welker and Cruz—two of the league’s top talents who both went undrafted—gave him some perspective on this weekend’s draft.
“That’s taught me that it’s not the end of the world if you go undrafted because the NFL is littered with guys who go undrafted and have great careers—Hall of Fame careers,” Vernon said. “Look at a guy like Tom Brady, he was taken in the sixth round and he’s a three-time Super Bowl champion and he’s probably the best quarterback doing it right now.”
It appeared that Renfree’s NFL Draft hopes were derailed when he had surgery to repair a torn pectoral muscle the day after Duke’s Belk Bowl loss to Cincinnati. Although Renfree hasn’t recovered to full strength since the surgery, a number of mock drafts still have him being selected as high as the fifth round. Mel Kiper Jr., ESPN’s NFL Draft guru, called Renfree one of his favorite sleeper picks of this year’s draft class.
“I like the fact that he has size, I like his arm. I like that he was with David Cutcliffe for five years,” Kiper said in an interview with BuffaloBills.com. “He’s a Matt Hasselbeck, Matt Schaub type to me so I like Renfree in the fifth round area.”
In a year that boasts a weak quarterback class, Renfree has generated buzz and still could be a day three selection. Otherwise, he will almost certainly be a priority free agent and have his shot to make an NFL roster during training camp. Cutcliffe has called Renfree “the most accurate passer in this year’s draft class” and Mike Mayock, draft guru for the NFL Network, recently pegged Renfree as a quarterback who “might surprise us all.”
“He’s a very, very smart quarterback,” Vernon said. “I know Coach Cutcliffe and Coach [Kurt] Roper gave him a lot of freedom to do what he wanted within our offense because they knew he could handle it. I don’t know if he’s throwing a football yet but it wouldn’t shock me one bit if he was picked. I think he should be taken.”
Wide receiver Desmond Scott, cornerback Tony Foster and long snapper Jackson Anderson are the other three Blue Devils that will try to break into the NFL this weekend. Although none of the trio are expected to be drafted, all three had successful Pro Days and have been in contact with NFL teams. They could be expected to sign as undrafted free agents before the weekend draws to a close.
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