Could Missouri Tigers have two players selected in first round of NFL Draft?
The opening day of the NFL Draft could be a busy one for former Missouri Tigers.
Only the first round is conducted on Thursday, and Mizzou could have two players selected that early for the first time since 2011.
Offensive tackle Armand Membou is projected to be a top-10 selection in several mock drafts. The range for wide receiver Luther Burden III is late first round to early second.
“The anticipation, it’s like Christmas morning for me,” Missouri coach Eli Drinkwitz said.
Membou’s stock has steadily risen over the past few months. He excelled at the NFL Combine, running the second fastest 40 time among tackles at 4.91 seconds.
The former Lee’s Summit North star played right tackle for the Tigers, where he was named second-team All-SEC last season. He could switch to left tackle in the NFL.
“It’s been a great three-year journey,” Drinkwitz said. “Obviously an elite player from Lee’s Summit North, developed at the University of Missouri. He believed in us and now he’s going to be a top-10 pick.”
Burden arrived in Columbia from St. Louis, as one of the nation’s top-rated prospects. His best season statistically came as a sophomore when he caught 86 passes for 1,212 yards, helping Mizzou to an 11-2 record. Burden was named second-team All-America.
The numbers dropped to 61 receptions and 676 yards as a junior, but Burden added 115 rushing yards and two touchdowns on the ground. He figures to be part of the return game in the NFL.
“To have two guys like that, developed by our coaching staff, and for them to achieve their dreams, it’s the best recruiting we can do,” Drinkwitz said.
Other Missouri players who could hear their name called over the three-day, seven-round draft: wide receiver Theo Wease, quarterback Brady Cook and defensive end Johnny Walker Jr.
Missouri has had two first-round picks three times:
In 2011, defensive end Aldon Smith, who played at Raytown High, was taken seventh by the San Francisco 49ers, and quarterback Blaine Gabbert 10th by the Jacksonville Jaguars.
In 2009, wide receiver Jeremy Maclin was taken 19th by the Philadelphia Eagles, and defensive tackle Ziggy Hood 32nd by the Pittsburgh Steelers.
In 1977, offensive tackle Morris Towns was selected 11th by the Houston Oilers, and quarterback Steve Pisarkiewicz 19th by the St. Louis Cardinals.