Rebels Make History With Three First Round Picks in NFL Draft

CHICAGO  (WCBI/Ole Miss Athletics) – Three Ole Miss Rebels were chosen in the first round of the 2016 National Football League Draft on Thursday night, the most first-round picks in program history.

Offensive tackle Laremy Tunsil was taken 13th overall by the Miami Dolphins, wide receiver Laquon Treadwell was selected 23rd by the Minnesota Vikings, and defensive tackle Robert Nkemdiche was chosen 29th by the Arizona Cardinals. All three declared for the draft following their junior seasons at Ole Miss.

There have now been 22 first-round draft picks in Ole Miss history.

Ole Miss is the third Southeastern Conference team in the last five years with three first-round picks in a single draft, joining Alabama and Texas A&M.

Tunsil is the highest Rebel draft pick since Patrick Willis went 11th overall to the San Francisco 49ers in 2007. He is the first Ole Miss player to be chosen by the Dolphins since offensive guard John Jerry in 2010.

A native of Lake City, Florida, Tunsil was one of the most dominant offensive tackles in college football throughout his three-year career and garnered a number of accomplishments throughout his time in Oxford.

TUNSIL’S COLLEGE ACCOMPLISHMENTS:

• Two-time All-American, including 2015 Walter Camp second team
• Three-time All-SEC, including 2014 AP first team
• 2013 Freshman All-America and was one of the first two true freshmen in school history to garner All-SEC status
• In 29 games (26 starts) as the Rebels’ left tackle, was personally responsible for just two sacks
• Helped Ole Miss set a school record with 6,153 total yards in 2013 and then shatter that record with an SEC-leading 6,731 in 2015
• Also helped Ole Miss set school records for points, touchdowns, first downs, passing yards, passing touchdowns, 50-point games and 600-yard games in 2015
• Took a toss from Chad Kelly to score a 2-yard touchdown in his final game as a Rebel in the Allstate Sugar Bowl (48-20 win over Oklahoma State)

Treadwell is the first Ole Miss wide receiver to be selected in the first round. The previous highest-drafted Rebel receiver was Dexter McCluster in 2010 (second round, 36th overall pick).

The most recent Rebel drafted by the Vikings before Treadwell was safety Jamarca Sanford in 2009.

A native of Crete, Illinois, Treadwell was one of the most accomplished offensive players in Ole Miss football history.

TREADWELL SCHOOL RECORDS:

• Most catches in a career (202)
• Most catches per game in a career (5.77)
• Most receiving yards per game in a career (68.4)
• Most catches in a season (82 – 2015)
• Most receiving yards in a season (1,153 – 2015)
• Most touchdown catches in a season (11 – 2015)
• Most 100-yard receiving games in a season (6 – 2015)
• Most catches per game in a season (6.31 – 2015)
• Most receiving yards per game in a season (88.7 – 2015)
• Consecutive games with a touchdown catch (6 – 2015)
• Consecutive games with 100 receiving yards (5 – 2015)
• Most catches in a game (14 – 2015 vs. Memphis)

OTHER NOTABLE TREADWELL ACCOMPLISHMENTS:

• First Ole Miss Rebel to be named a finalist for the Biletnikoff Award
• 2015 All-American (Walter Camp second team, AP third team)
• 2015 All-SEC first team (unanimous)
• 2014 All-SEC second team (Athlon)
• 2013 SEC Freshman of the Year (first Ole Miss Rebel to earn that honor)
• 2013 Freshman All-American
• Led all SEC players with 1,153 receiving yards and 11 touchdown catches in 2015
• Seventh-most career receptions in SEC history
• Top three in school history in career receiving yards, receiving touchdowns and 100-yard receiving games

Nkemdiche is the first Ole Miss defensive lineman to be drafted since Jerrell Powe went to Kansas City in 2011. He is the first Rebel to be chosen by the Cardinals since offensive tackle Bobby Massie in 2012.

A native of Loganville, Georgia, Nkemdiche received a bevy of accolades during his career as a three-year starter in the middle of the Rebels’ defensive line.

NKEMDICHE’S COLLEGE ACCOMPLISHMENTS:

• Two-time All-American, including a first-teamer by Scout.com in 2015
• Two-time first team All-SEC selection
• First defensive lineman to be named a finalist for the Hornung Award (nation’s most versatile player)
• Started 34 of 35 games in his Ole Miss career
• Totaled 98 tackles, 19.0 tackles for loss and 7.0 sacks
• Scored three offensive touchdowns (two rushing, one receiving) as a junior in 2015

Ole Miss has a great tradition of producing NFL talent, including 284 draft picks and 22 first-round selections. Last year, there were 19 Rebels in the league, including Super Bowl 50 participant Michael Oher of the Carolina Panthers.