Eleven players from North Carolina schools are bound for the NFL after the three-day draft that ended Saturday in Detroit, Michigan.
Duke, North Carolina and Wake Forest had three selections each, and N.C. State had two players chosen.
Round one
University of North Carolina quarterback Drake Maye went No. 3 overall to the New England Patriots, and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers took Duke center Graham Barton at No. 26.
Maye, who was 618-for-952 for 8,018 yards and 63 touchdowns through his career, while rushing for 1,209 yards and 16 touchdowns, is the Tar Heels' ninth first-round pick since 2008, according to the university.
Barton, who played in 40 career games with 39 starts at both tackle and center for Duke, is the eighth Blue Devil to go in the first round of the draft, according to the school.
Round two
The Buffalo Bills took Duke defensive tackle DeWayne Carter with the 95th pick, and the Pittsburgh Steelers chose N.C. State linebacker Payton Wilson just three selections later at No. 98.
Carter, who had 127 tackles and 12 sacks in 52 career games for the Blue Devils, is the first three-time team captain in the Duke program's history.
Wilson, of Hillsborough, whose 138 total tackles for the 2023 season were almost double the rest of the team, led the ACC in tackles for loss. Wilson's older brother, Bryse Wilson, is a pitcher for the Milwaukee Brewers.
Round four
Two North Carolina players – linebacker Cedric Gray and wide receiver Devontez Walker – were selected with the 106th and 113th picks, respectively. Gray joined the Tennessee Titans, while Walker joined the Baltimore Ravens.
Gray, of Charlotte, recorded 369 tackles and 8.5 sacks for the Tar Heels.
Walker, a transfer from Kent State, sat out the first four games of the 2023 season before recording 41 receptions for 699 yards and a team-leading seven touchdowns for the Tar Heels.
Round five
Duke center Jacob Monk went 163rd to the Green Bay Packers, and the Dallas Cowboys took Wake Forest cornerback Caelen Carson 174th.
Round six
The Philadelphia Eagles took N.C. State center Dylan McMahon 190th.
Round seven
The Minnesota Vikings selected Wake Forest center Michael Jurgens 230th.
This year’s draft saw 41 players from ACC schools picked by NFL teams.