All of Tar Heel Nation’s attention on Thursday, April 25 was turned towards the NFL Draft.
Fans wondered where Drake Maye, the record-setting quarterback who played himself into Heisman Trophy contention and was the 2022 ACC Rookie and Player of the Year, would be selected. Several mock drafts had Maye to the New England Patriots, while others had the Washington Commanders calling his name.
When the third overall pick rolled around, it was New England who chose Maye. The Patriots are hoping he can break their bad luck streak at quarterback, with no one finding sustained success under center since Tom Brady briefly retired.
Maye isn’t the only former Tar Heel to hear his name called on Draft Day in the past 25 years.
Take a look at this highlight reel the UNC football program posted to its Instagram page, as a few North Carolina legends walked the stage during their draft days.
https://www.instagram.com/p/C6MQfI8LIIb/
Julius Peppers is the greatest defensive player to come out of Chapel Hill since Lawrence Taylor, with both being amongst the top defensive players in college and NFL history.
Peppers ranks fourth in NFL history with 159.5 sacks, plus he played in 266 of 272 games – sixth-most by a defensive player. Peppers also had a penchant for terrorizing opponents in college, ranking second all-time in UNC history with 30.5 sacks.
Javonte Williams was part of a deadly rushing duo with Michael Carter, as both Tar Heels ran for 1,000 yards during the COVID-altered 2020 campaign. Williams is now starting for the Denver Broncos, totaling 2,501 scrimmage yards and 12 touchdowns.
Hakeem Nicks earned First Team All-ACC honors in 2008, catching 68 passes for 1,222 yards and 12 touchdowns that year at North Carolina. He was a Super Bowl Champion with the New York Giants in 2012, the highlight of his 7-year NFL career that included 5,081 receiving yards and 31 touchdowns.
Mitch Trubisky hasn’t played to the standards of the 2017 NFL Draft’s second overall pick, only eclipsing 3,000 yards in a season twice (2018, 2019). He started for one season at UNC, posting 3,748 passing yards and 30 touchdowns, then has bounced around since the Chicago Bears selected him.
Josh Downs is the latest talented wide receiver to come out of Chapel Hill, with the Indianapolis Colts selecting him in the third round of last year’s NFL Draft.
Downs was a 2-time, First Team All-ACC honoree (2021, 2022), ending his Tar Heel career with 2,483 receiving yards and 22 touchdowns. Downs quickly ascended up Indy’s depth chart to the number two receiver behind Michael Pittman Jr., finishing his rookie season with 771 receiving yards (seventh-most amongst rookie pass-catchers) and two touchdowns.
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