This past weekend's NFL Draft was a huge success for the Colorado Buffaloes' football program.
Chidobe Awuzie went off the board first, and while it was later than expected, he landed with the Dallas Cowboys, who are a Super Bowl contender. Awuzie was in Philadelphia in the green room on Thursday, but since he was not selected in the first round, he decided not to come back for the second day. The Cowboys selected Awuzie with the No. 60 overall selection.
Ahkello Witherspoon went just six picks after Awuzie to the San Francisco 49ers. Witherspoon is from northern California, so landing with the 49ers has to be a perfect fit.
Tedric Thompson went in the 4th round to the Seattle Seahawks, and he will be a great fit in their ball-hawking defense. The Cowboys selected another Buff in Jordan Carrell in the 7th round.
RECAP: 8 Buffs land in the NFL
Sending players to the NFL is not only great for the players moving forward in their careers. There are immediate benefits for Colorado, especially in recruiting.
Colorado sent three defensive backs in the first four rounds of the draft, and that is something that the coaching staff can sell to recruits.
"Colorado returned back on the national scene this season with a great year and showcased some impressive talent with experience. That paid off this past weekend at the draft as well and these two things combined will only help the brand and recruiting," Rivals.com National Recruiting Director Mike Farrell said. "Kids want to win and they want to go to the NFL. Colorado is now offering both of those key components together for the first time in awhile. Hats off to the coaches for the player development."
After not having any NFL Draft selections in 2016, the Buffs did well in 2017 and could do just as well in 2018. It was all about the defensive backs this year, and the wide receivers might get the draft spotlight next year.
Shay Fields, Bryce Bobo, and Devin Ross lead the way for the "Black Out Boys" and Kabion Ento had a huge spring. With a big senior season, Ento could climb up draft boards.
Looking ahead to the 2018 draft is premature, but it's clear that The Rise at Colorado is continuing. The Buffs are now putting players into the NFL, and they are high character guys. This is something that Mike MacIntyre can sell to parents when he sits in their living room for an in-home visit.
