Click here to subscribe today or Login.
Many of the final mock drafts had Chris Godwin pegged for the third round. That still didn’t Friday night’s wait any easier for the Penn State wide receiver.
Nine receivers went off the board over the first three rounds of the NFL draft before Godwin heard his name called, going 84th overall to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Godwin is just the fifth Lions receiver to be drafted since 2000, following Allen Robinson (second round, 2014), Derrick Williams (third round, 2009), Deon Butler (third round, 2009) and Bryant Johnson (first round, 2003).
In joining the Bucs, Godwin will work in behind top target Mike Evans and the recently signed DeSean Jackson while catching passes from former No. 1 overall pick Jameis Winston.
Thanks to a lights-out performance in the Rose Bowl against USC — nine catches, 187 yards, two touchdowns — and a strong showing at the combine, Godwin began appearing as high as the second round in some projections.
After three wideouts went in the top nine picks on Thursday, there was a thought that Godwin’s stock could get another boost.
But as the draft lingered into the third round, Godwin saw Eastern Washington’s Cooper Kupp, Western Kentucky’s Taywan Taylor, Alabama’s ArDarius Stewart and Louisiana Tech’s Carlos Henderson all selected ahead of him.
It snapped a three-year streak of a Penn State player being drafted in the second round. Austin Johnson (2016), Christian Hackenberg (2016), Donovan Smith (2015) and Robinson all went in the top 61 picks.
The Lions have not had a first-rounder since Jared Odrick was selected 28th overall in 2010 — though Saquon Barkley could change that next spring.
Godwin was the top target in an offense that quickly evolved into one of the country’s most dangerous attacks in 2016. He finished his junior season with team-highs in catches (59), receiving yards (982) and receiving touchdowns (11).
The success of Godwin, and the offense as a whole, was underscored when eight defenders the Lions faced last season were drafted in the first round — CB Marshon Lattimore (Ohio State, No. 11), LB Haason Reddick (Temple, No. 13), S Malik Hooker (Ohio State, No. 15), CB Adoree’ Jackson (USC, No. 18), CB Gareon Conley (Ohio State, No. 24), S Jabrill Peppers (Michigan, No. 25), DE Taco Charlton (Michigan, No. 28) and LB T.J. Watt (Wisconsin, No. 30).
Godwin caught touchdowns over both Jackson and Conley in man-coverage last season.
There was some thought that Godwin would go off the board near the end of the second round, where the Pittsburgh Steelers were looking for a receiver. The team even had Penn State luminary Franco Harris come out to announce the pick.
But although the Steelers had brought Godwin in for a pre-draft interview, they selected the other wideout who had an excellent Rose Bowl performance — USC’s JuJu Smith-Schuster.
Another Penn State alum — Philadelphia native Bryan Scott — announced the Buffalo Bills’ second-round pick of Temple guard Dion Dawkins.
The draft wraps up with the final four rounds on Saturday. Edge rusher Garrett Sickels is the most likely to be drafted out of Penn State’s remaining eligible players.
