GOLDEN: CAN BOISE GUY MAKE IT BIG IN BIG D?
Cowboys draft ex-Longhorn Williams, who grew up a suburb away from team’s old offices.
Connor Williams, the former Texas Longhorn, became the newest member of the Dallas Cowboys on Friday night.
The offensive lineman was on hand at AT&T Stadium in Arlington to walk on stage and put on a Cowboys hat. He grew up in nearby Coppell, which was a suburb away from the Cowboys’ old offices.
Williams had been projected as a possible firstrounder and was invited to attend the draft. He needed to extend his stay by a day after nine other linemen were picked ahead of him.
“It’s the Dallas Cowboys. It’s America’s team. I live 20 miles away,” an emotional Williams told ESPN moments after he was picked. “This is a dream come true.”
Meanwhile, how did the Cleveland Browns help out their newest quarterback, Baker Mayfield, and protect their biggest investment of the year?
The team used the first pick of the second round to select Nevada offensive lineman Austin Corbett and then added Georgia running back Nick Chubb at No. 35.
Presumably, those additions will please Mayfield, the Lake Travis High School ex and former Oklahoma Sooner who was the top selection of the entire draft Thursday night. Mayfield was the first walk-on ever selected with the top choice of the draft. Coincidentally, Corbett, Cleveland’s second-rounder, also was a former walk-on, who blossomed with the Wolf Pack, earning team captain honors by his sophomore year.
In between the Browns’ selections, the New York Giants opted for Texas-El Paso guard Will Hernandez, who had been projected as high as the first
round. Hernandez was a four-year starter with the Miners at left guard. And he outperformed most of the other offensive linemen at the NFL scouting combine. His 37 reps in the bench press topped the linemen.
Gil Brandt, the former Cowboys personnel director who now is an analyst with NFL.com, posted on Twitter: “Will Hernandez is one of my favorite players in this draft. Unbelievable value at this point.”
The draft also continued to be an odd one for the state of Texas.
The top three players from in-state schools were from non-Power Five squads UTSA, UTEP and SMU.
Then Texas A&M’s Christian Kirk was drafted by Arizona at No. 47. Kirk, who left school a year early, grew up outside Phoenix and was watching the draft from home. He won’t need to go far for rookie camp.
Kirk had hoped to continue A&M’s recent firstround tradition. The Aggies had produced at least one first rounder since 2011. Only Alabama carried a longer streak into the draft.
Earlier, Marcus Davenport, the defensive end from UTSA, was the 14th selection of the draft. The New Orleans Saints, who traded up from 27th to draft Davenport, loved the guy. Davenport promised Saints fans he would help them achieve big goals.
“I want to shoot big; I want a Super Bowl,” Davenport said on a teleconference with reporters. “I just want to be able to be an impact player and be able to help out any way I can.”
Hernandez, who grew up in Las Vegas, was the second player from an in-state school to go.
Then the Denver Broncos selected Mustangs receiver Courtland Sutton at pick No. 40.
Mayfield, although he played for OU, was the top Texan.
He left Austin for Cleveland on Friday to visit his new team. His new jersey was the second-most popular among first-rounders selected Thursday night, behind only Penn State’s Saquon Barkley, who went No. 2 to the Giants. And going No. 1 overall also secured Mayfield a $300,000 bonus from his trading card deal with contract Panini & Leaf, according to ESPN.
Mayfield, who loves to troll his former opponents on social media, took an apparent dig at the Longhorns in a video posted on the Oklahoma football Twitter page. He said to OU fans: “I love you guys, I appreciate your support. I’m sorry you now have to wear orange but we’re all going to go through it together because we’re a part of the Dawg Pound now.”