Three San Diego State football players were taken in the 2017 NFL Draft, which ran last Thursday to Saturday in Philadelphia, as the Aztecs continue to pace the Mountain West in NFL Draft Selections.
Offensive lineman Nico Siragusa was taken with the No. 122 overall pick (fourth round) by the Baltimore Ravens, running back Donnel Pumphrey was taken with the No. 132 overall pick (fourth round) by the Philadelphia Eagles and defensive back Damontae Kazee was taken with the No. 149 overall pick (fifth round) Atlanta Falcons.
Siragusa’s selection was the highest of any Mountain West player in this year’s draft and the Aztecs’ three selections were more than any other team in the conference
He was a two-time first-team all-Mountain West selection and helped open plenty of running lanes for Pumphrey, who set the NCAA FBS record with 6,405 rushing yards. Pumphrey, a two-time Mountain West Offensive Player of the Year, finished fifth in NCAA FBS with 7,515 all-purpose yards.
Kazee had 65 tackles and seven interceptions last season and was selected as the Mountain West Defensive Player of the Year for a second straight season.
SDSU’s 33 NFL Draft selections is the most of any current Mountain West team since the conference’s inception in 1999, one more than Boise State.
The Aztecs’ 157 all-time NFL Draft picks also leads all current Mountain West teams. Utah State is in second with 115 all-time NFL Draft picks.
Four other Aztecs will also be in NFL training camps after signing as undrafted free agents. Offensive lineman Daniel Brunskill signed with the Falcons, safety Malik Smith signed with the Houston Texans, defensive lineman Alex Barrett signed with the Detroit Lions and linebacker Calvin Munson signed with the New York Giants.
SDSU has won back-to-back Mountain West Championships and ended the year ranked No. 25 in the AP Top 25 poll after beating Houston in the Las Vegas Bowl. The Aztecs open the season against UC Davis at 5:30 p.m. on Sept. 2 at Qualcomm Stadium.
