Nine LSU players selected in NFL Draft

NEW YORK – LSU football broke the school record for the most selections in a single NFL Draft with nine total players picked this weekend at Radio City Music Hall.

The previous record was eight selections in the 1948 Draft.

LSU finished second among all college teams with nine total draft picks, only trailing Florida State who finished with 11.

For the second time in as many years, two LSU football players were taken in the first round. On Thursday night at Radio City Music Hall, defensive end Barkevious Mingo was the sixth overall pick by the Cleveland Browns and safety Eric Reid was the 18th pick by the San Francisco 49ers.

Mingo, a 6-foot-5 junior defensive end from West Monroe, gave the Tigers the No. 6 pick for the second-straight year - Morris Claiborne was Dallas' first-round pick last year at No. 6.

The 49ers traded up 13 slots in the first round to grab Reid, a 6-2 junior safety from Geismar, who became the fifth LSU underclassman in the past three drafts combined to be selected in the first round.

LSU set an NFL Draft record for the most defensive players selected in the first three rounds of a single draft with six as linebacker Kevin Minter, defensive tackle Bennie Logan, cornerback Tyrann Mathieu and defensive end Sam Montgomery added to the Tigers’ two-day total on Friday night.

Minter was taken No. 45 overall by the Arizona Cardinals. When the Cardinals were able to draft again one round later, they took Mathieu with the No. 69 overall selection.

Logan went two picks prior to Mathieu, going No. 67 overall to the Philadelphia Eagles. Montgomery capped the evening when the Houston Texans called his name with the No. 95 overall pick prior to the third round ending.

Cornerback Tharold Simon (Seattle Seahawks), defensive end Lavar Edwards (Tennessee Titans) and running back Spencer Ware (Seattle Seahawks) were all picked Saturday to add to the six Tigers selected on the first two days of the draft.

On top of LSU's nine draft picks in the seven-round NFL Draft, seven played signed free agent contracts late Saturday including defensive end Chancey Aghayere (Seattle Seahawks), tight end Chase Clement (New York Giants), offensive tackle Chris Faulk (Cleveland Browns), running back Michael Ford (Chicago Bears), center P.J. Lonergan (Chicago Bears), wide receiver Russell Shepard (Philadelphia Eagles) and punter Brad Wing (Philadelphia Eagles).