2015 NFL Draft: Five Oregon Ducks Selected, Four Sign as Free Agents
It was a busy weekend for Oregon Football fans. It all started on Friday night with Quarterback Marcus Mariota as the second overall pick in the 2015 NFL Draft with little mystery as to where he would go. He was chosen by the Tennessee Titans, which is where he will likely stay. Philadelphia made a run to get the former Duck, but the cost was too high. It did not take long for a second Oregon player to be taken off the board.
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, DE, San Francisco 49ers, 17th overall, 1st Round
Armstead had a solid Junior season but decided to depart early and enter the Draft. The decision looks like it was a good one now as he was chosen in the first round and will play close to home with the San Francisco 49ers. He was the fifth Defensive player taken in the 2015 NFL Draft.
Mariota and Armstead were the only Oregon players taken in the first round. The second and third rounds on Day Two saw two more former Ducks enter the NFL.
Oct 18, 2014; Eugene, OR, USA; Oregon Ducks offensive lineman
Jake Fisher(75) motivates the crowd against the Washington Huskies at Autzen Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Scott Olmos-USA TODAY Sports
Jake Fisher, OL, Cincinnati Bengals, 53rd overall, 2nd Round
Fisher was the second Offensive tackle taken by the Bengals. They used their first round selection on Cedric Ogbuehi from Texas A&M. Fisher showed he has some versatility. While at Oregon he played on both sides of the line. He should not have a problem filling a hole in the National Football League.
The third round saw one former Oregon player in Center Hroniss Grasu.
Hroniss Grasu, Center, Chicago Bears, 71st overall pick, 3rd Round
Grasu, like Fisher, was a seasoned veteran in College. He started forty games for the Ducks in four years and proved his versatility on one of the best lines and teams in the country during his time in Eugene. His workload under center will certainly see an increase in the National Football League. During his time with Mariota at Oregon many of his snaps came in the shotgun formation. This adjustment should not be a problem for Grasu, one of the better at the position to come out of Oregon since Max Unger.
The final Oregon Duck taken in the 2015 NFL Draft was Ifo Ekpre-Omolu.
Ifo Ekpre-Omolu, CB, Cleveland Browns, 241st overall pick, 7th Round
The former Oregon Ducks Cornerback, who returned for his Senior season was injured in practice leading up to the College Football Playoff ended his season in 2014. Olomu was one of the best cornerbacks in the Pac-12 and the Nation in his career at Oregon and he was smart. In knowing any injury may cause him to slide in the Draft, the University of Oregon took out a loss of value policy on Olomu before the start of the 2014 season, which will pay him $3.5 million before he even sets foot on the field in Cleveland.
Undrafted Free Agents
Four more former Oregon Ducks signed Free Agent Contracts following the NFL Draft including Dior Mathis who signed with the Pittsburgh Steelers, Troy Hill signed with Cincinnati, Derrick Malone signed a Free Agent contact with the Atlanta Falcons, and Tony Washington signed with the Houston Texans.