NFL Draft: No BYU Players Taken, First Time Since ‘94; Greatest Hits Tour Taken in Top 40

By: Mitch Harper (Twitter: @Mitch_Harper)

We all knew it was going to be a reach for either BYU’s Vic So’oto (DE) or Brian Logan (CB) to hear their names called during the 3-Day event known as the NFL Draft.  Logan and So’oto didn’t hear their names called.  This was the first NFL Draft since 1994 where BYU didn’t have a player drafted by a NFL squad.

With the NFL Lockout back in place, So’oto and Logan are not able to sign Undrafted Free Agent contracts with any teams.  No franchise can sign anyone at this point, until the lockout is lifted.

So’oto and Logan have some options however.  They can pursue a career in the UFL, which has seen some of their players get picked up into the NFL.  There is also a strong possibility in Brian Logan’s case that he comes back as a Graduate Assistant.  Logan who came to BYU as a JC transfer from Foothill College, left BYU with a degree and a passion for what the program did for him.  Coach Mendenhall has stated in the past that Logan is welcome back in the program at anytime.

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Don’t expect that BYU will become a fixture of not producing players into the Draft.  It was due to having a very young team last year and Matt Reynolds who was a potential 1st Round pick decided to come back for his Senior season.

Reynolds was projected by Pro Football Weekly as a 1st Round pick in the 2012 NFL Draft.

Players like Jordan Pendleton, Braden Hansen, Braden Brown, Uona Kaveinga, and Jake Heaps have Sundays in their future in the coming years.  There is a ton of NFL-talent in this program going forward.

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After the first three weeks of last season where BYU started out 1-2 heading into a matchup with Nevada led by Colin Kaepernick, Coach Mendenhall referred to BYU’s opposing Quarterbacks as “The Greatest Hits”.  Apparently NFL executives felt the same way as Bronco.  Four of the Quarterbacks BYU faced in their Greatest Hits Tour was taken in the Top 40.

– Jake Locker, Washington; Round 1 (8) Tennessee

– Christian Ponder, Florida State; Round 1 (12) Minnesota

– Andy Dalton, TCU; Round 2 (35) Cincinnati

– Colin Kaepernick, Nevada; Round 2 (36) San Francisco

Pretty impressive.  Especially when you consider three of those guys were non-conference foes.  Even the fourth non-conference Quarterback BYU faced last season in Diondre Borel from Utah State was no slouch.  Just ask Jamie Hill.

Who has the best NFL career out of the four?  Always have had a great feeling about Kaepernick.  The only player in NCAA history to pass for 10,000+ career yards and rush for 4,000+ yards.  Possibly a upgrade at QB over a former #1 pick from a Pac-12 school? Newly hired 49ers Head Coach, Jim Harbaugh seems to think so.

Including the Quarterbacks a total of nine players from the four non-conference teams BYU faced last year were drafted.  Then including Dalton, a total of 10 players were drafted from BYU’s old conference the Mountain West.  Dalton was the highest draft pick amongst the MWC draftees.

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BYU’s 2011 Opponents saw a total of 25 players Drafted.  Here’s a breakdown.

– TCU (5)

– Texas (4)

– Hawaii (3)

– Idaho (3)

– Oregon State (3)

– UCF (2)

– Utah (2)

– New Mexico State (1)

– Utah State (1)

– Ole Miss (1)

– Idaho State (0)

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One of the more surprising picks of the Draft had to of been in Round 4 at Pick #102 to the Cleveland Browns.  Former BYU Basketball player, Jordan Cameron was the Browns pick.  Cameron was in the BYU Basketball program for one year during the 2006-2007 season.  Cameron redshirted that season.  After coming home from his mission he decided to transfer to USC, the same school his sister, Brynn attended and was a talented hoopster for the Lady Trojans.  Brynn is currently dating Los Angeles Clipper, Blake Griffin.  Jordan went to USC to play football at Tight End.

In Cameron’s career for the Men of Troy he only recorded 16 catches and 1 touchdown.  But similar to his sister’s boyfriend, Cameron had rare athleticsm that impressed execs at the combine.  Probably giving execs hope they are possibly discovering the next Antonio Gates or Tony Gonzalez, both players who had basketball backgrounds prior to having successful careers as TEs in football.

Regardless of what the Browns were thinking with Cameron it’s a head-scratcher pick.  And even more-so when you consider that former BYU TE who was a All-American and Mackey Award Runner-Up was taken at Pick #114, while Cameron goes at #102?  Sometimes I can’t put my finger on the NFL Draft evaluation process.

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