BC At The 2022 NFL Draft: Vegas, Baby! Vegas!
April 27, 2022 | Football, #ForBoston Files
Hopefuls and dreamers descend on Vegas intent on changing their realities.
Winning in Las Vegas requires a combination of skill and luck.
The players themselves can't win unless they know what they're doing. It's up to them and their training to block out that extra noise produced by the flashy lights and glitzy glamuor, which means they have to rely on their lessons and training to control every possibility flying at them at the speed of light.
But there's a little bit - okay, a lotta bit - of luck involved. Vegas is America's playground, and without the right timing, that glitz and flash can swallow them whole. There are hundreds and thousands of like-minded individuals who arrive in Vegas every year hoping to make it big, so timing is almost as important as the skill needed to make that dream come true.
In other words, it's the perfect place for a football player looking to cash in on their professional dreams of playing at the next level, and it's the perfect location for Boston College's next class of NFL Draft hopefuls. For years, they trained and learned systems from professional-level coaches, and they developed skills capable of succeeding at the next level. They survived every hurdle at every stage, a process designed to weed out hopefuls who aren't true contenders. They controlled that timeline with help from the Eagles, all while they hoped and banked on the right combination of timing, hope and chance that this year's draft would be theirs to control.
That's the quintessential Vegas story, and this weekend, the hopefuls who once wore Boston College's maroon and gold outfit hope the Strip produces their turn atop the world as the NFL Draft lands among the lights and landmarks nestled into the Nevada desert for the first time in its history.
"It's something you dream about as a child," tight end Trae Barry said after BC's Pro Day workout one month ago. "It's a lifelong goal and something I have my heart set on. I'm just thankful for the opportunity to have the chance to even play in the NFL and continue playing ball."
Hearing Boston College called out during the NFL Draft is, for the better part of its history, a near-annual rite for anyone surrounding the program. Over 200 NFL players know that experience, and 20 have walked across the stage or heard their name called during the first round's spectacular selection process. Another two-dozen latched onto rosters after the draft as free agents, producing a history that included Super Bowl champions and All-Pro selections.
Each of the last seven drafts produced at least one BC draft pick, with 14 of the past 15 drafts dating Eagles back to Mathias Kiwanuka's first round pick in 2006. Six others have gone in the first round, most recently in 2019 when Atlanta drafted Chris Lindstrom, while another dozen went in either the second or the third rounds. Some, like Kiwanuka, Will Blackmon, B.J. Raji, and undrafted free agent Mark Herzlich, won Super Bowl championships, while others like Matt Ryan, Luke Kuechly and Anthony Castonzo, either appeared in either the big game or the playoffs or earned All-Pro status.
"The biggest thing is just getting my foot in the door and showing up to work every day," defensive back Brandon Sebastian said. "It shows that I can compete with the best, and that's all I really need and all my teammates really need."
That history is a big reason why BC is a draft destination for scouts and franchises. It's also why players like Sebastian and Barry, and linebacker Isaiah Graham-Mobley, are wild cards for this year's draft. They all play a position that isn't part of BC's "O-Line U" moniker, but they all have a shot at hearing their name called during the seven rounds stretching across the three days this weekend.
The tradition stretches beyond just one position, which is why it's a little ironic that "O-Line U" is exactly why BC sits among the headlines for Thursday night's first round. It's the biggest night of the NFL offseason, and after steadily rising up draft boards with his performances at the NFL Combine and BC's Pro Day, it's why Zion Johnson's name is directly in the mix for all the flash and glitz Vegas can throw at him.
His performance and versatility has him among possible first round selections, and earlier this week, ESPN lauded him with a predicted pick on that first night. Both mock drafts sent him to Tennessee with the 26th pick, and both Mel Kiper, Jr. and Matt Miller predicted Johnson would make an immediate impact for running back Derrick Henry. Miller, whose draft included all seven rounds, further predicted a reunion with BC center Alec Lindstrom, who he said the Titans would draft in the fourth round with the 143rd overall pick.
"Ever since I was a freshman, [BC] preached it to you," said Tyler Vrabel. "It's something that's about taking care of each other. At the end of the day, it's about being tough and physical and doing everything as best and as hard as you can."
"You just think about all the great offensive linemen that were here," Johnson said. "I can list so many guys that were just great offensive linemen. That tradition, if you feel that, and you're a guy that's here, you don't want to let the prior generations down. You want to uphold those standards. Our job as older guys in the room is to impart that on younger guys, and that process is awesome because we have that tradition to pass down."
This weekend is as unpredictable as anything in football, but that's the beauty about Las Vegas. Amidst the nightly chaos, hundreds of hopefuls line the Strip and hope it's their turn to tell the story. They seek their fortune among the fountains, the roller coasters, and the headlining shows. They chase their dreams and hope the timing is perfect for their skills to will them into reality.
The 2022 NFL Draft begins Thursday, April 28, at 8 p.m. in Las Vegas, Nevada. Television coverage is available on multiple networks, most notably NFL Network and both ABC and ESPN, with continuing coverage of the second and third rounds on Friday night at 7 p.m. The draft concludes on Saturday with the fourth through seventh rounds, beginning at 12 p.m.
The players themselves can't win unless they know what they're doing. It's up to them and their training to block out that extra noise produced by the flashy lights and glitzy glamuor, which means they have to rely on their lessons and training to control every possibility flying at them at the speed of light.
But there's a little bit - okay, a lotta bit - of luck involved. Vegas is America's playground, and without the right timing, that glitz and flash can swallow them whole. There are hundreds and thousands of like-minded individuals who arrive in Vegas every year hoping to make it big, so timing is almost as important as the skill needed to make that dream come true.
In other words, it's the perfect place for a football player looking to cash in on their professional dreams of playing at the next level, and it's the perfect location for Boston College's next class of NFL Draft hopefuls. For years, they trained and learned systems from professional-level coaches, and they developed skills capable of succeeding at the next level. They survived every hurdle at every stage, a process designed to weed out hopefuls who aren't true contenders. They controlled that timeline with help from the Eagles, all while they hoped and banked on the right combination of timing, hope and chance that this year's draft would be theirs to control.
That's the quintessential Vegas story, and this weekend, the hopefuls who once wore Boston College's maroon and gold outfit hope the Strip produces their turn atop the world as the NFL Draft lands among the lights and landmarks nestled into the Nevada desert for the first time in its history.
"It's something you dream about as a child," tight end Trae Barry said after BC's Pro Day workout one month ago. "It's a lifelong goal and something I have my heart set on. I'm just thankful for the opportunity to have the chance to even play in the NFL and continue playing ball."
Hearing Boston College called out during the NFL Draft is, for the better part of its history, a near-annual rite for anyone surrounding the program. Over 200 NFL players know that experience, and 20 have walked across the stage or heard their name called during the first round's spectacular selection process. Another two-dozen latched onto rosters after the draft as free agents, producing a history that included Super Bowl champions and All-Pro selections.
Each of the last seven drafts produced at least one BC draft pick, with 14 of the past 15 drafts dating Eagles back to Mathias Kiwanuka's first round pick in 2006. Six others have gone in the first round, most recently in 2019 when Atlanta drafted Chris Lindstrom, while another dozen went in either the second or the third rounds. Some, like Kiwanuka, Will Blackmon, B.J. Raji, and undrafted free agent Mark Herzlich, won Super Bowl championships, while others like Matt Ryan, Luke Kuechly and Anthony Castonzo, either appeared in either the big game or the playoffs or earned All-Pro status.
"The biggest thing is just getting my foot in the door and showing up to work every day," defensive back Brandon Sebastian said. "It shows that I can compete with the best, and that's all I really need and all my teammates really need."
That history is a big reason why BC is a draft destination for scouts and franchises. It's also why players like Sebastian and Barry, and linebacker Isaiah Graham-Mobley, are wild cards for this year's draft. They all play a position that isn't part of BC's "O-Line U" moniker, but they all have a shot at hearing their name called during the seven rounds stretching across the three days this weekend.
The tradition stretches beyond just one position, which is why it's a little ironic that "O-Line U" is exactly why BC sits among the headlines for Thursday night's first round. It's the biggest night of the NFL offseason, and after steadily rising up draft boards with his performances at the NFL Combine and BC's Pro Day, it's why Zion Johnson's name is directly in the mix for all the flash and glitz Vegas can throw at him.
His performance and versatility has him among possible first round selections, and earlier this week, ESPN lauded him with a predicted pick on that first night. Both mock drafts sent him to Tennessee with the 26th pick, and both Mel Kiper, Jr. and Matt Miller predicted Johnson would make an immediate impact for running back Derrick Henry. Miller, whose draft included all seven rounds, further predicted a reunion with BC center Alec Lindstrom, who he said the Titans would draft in the fourth round with the 143rd overall pick.
"Ever since I was a freshman, [BC] preached it to you," said Tyler Vrabel. "It's something that's about taking care of each other. At the end of the day, it's about being tough and physical and doing everything as best and as hard as you can."
"You just think about all the great offensive linemen that were here," Johnson said. "I can list so many guys that were just great offensive linemen. That tradition, if you feel that, and you're a guy that's here, you don't want to let the prior generations down. You want to uphold those standards. Our job as older guys in the room is to impart that on younger guys, and that process is awesome because we have that tradition to pass down."
This weekend is as unpredictable as anything in football, but that's the beauty about Las Vegas. Amidst the nightly chaos, hundreds of hopefuls line the Strip and hope it's their turn to tell the story. They seek their fortune among the fountains, the roller coasters, and the headlining shows. They chase their dreams and hope the timing is perfect for their skills to will them into reality.
The 2022 NFL Draft begins Thursday, April 28, at 8 p.m. in Las Vegas, Nevada. Television coverage is available on multiple networks, most notably NFL Network and both ABC and ESPN, with continuing coverage of the second and third rounds on Friday night at 7 p.m. The draft concludes on Saturday with the fourth through seventh rounds, beginning at 12 p.m.
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