ACC with 11 Players selected on Day 2 of the 2024 NFL Draft

by Press Release - Sat Apr 27 08:43:05 GMT-04:00 2024

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (theACC.com) – On day two of the 2024 National Football League (NFL) Draft, a total of 11 Atlantic Coast Conference football players were selected in the second and third rounds on Friday night in Detroit, Michigan.

Over the first three rounds of the 2024 NFL Draft, a total of 15 student-athletes from the ACC have been selected.

The 2024 NFL Draft will resume at noon ET on Saturday with Rounds 4-7.

Keon Coleman, Florida State, Wide Receiver – No. 33, Buffalo Bills

Named a first-team All-American as an all-purpose player by Action Network, a second-team All-American by Sports Illustrated and Fox Sports, and a Phil Steele fourth-team All-American, Coleman garnered first-team All-ACC honors as a wide receiver, all-purpose player, and return specialist in his lone season in Tallahassee to become the first Florida State player to earn three first-team all-conference honors in one season. The Biletnikoff Award semifinalist caught 50 passes for 658 yards and 11 touchdowns while adding 300 yards on 25 punt returns this season. His 11 receiving touchdowns were the most in the ACC and tied for 11th nationally, while his punt return yards total was the highest in the ACC and the third-most nationally.

An All-ACC Academic Team selection, Coleman helped lead the Seminoles to a perfect 8-0 conference record and an ACC Championship last season.

Ruke Orhorhoro, Clemson, Defensive Tackle – No. 35, Atlanta Falcons

A third-team All-ACC honoree in 2023, Orhorhoro was a three-time All-ACC selection by Phil Steele in each of the last two seasons in which he totaled 48 tackles, 16.0 tackles-for-loss, and 9.0 sacks for the Tigers’ defensive front.

For his career, Orhorhoro registered 88 tackles, 25.5 tackles-for-loss, 12.0 sacks, nine pass breakups and two fumble recoveries in 1,526 career snaps over 53 games from 2019-23.

Braden Fiske, Florida State, Defensive Lineman – No. 39, Las Angeles Rams

Tabbed a third-team All-American by the Associated Press and Phil Steele, Fiske was a second-team All-ACC selection in his lone year at Florida State. Last season, Fiske helped lead the Seminoles to the program’s 16th ACC Championship with 43 tackles, including 9.0 tackles-for-loss with 6.0 sacks and five quarterback hurries. He posted career-highs of nine tackles, 4.5 tackles-for-loss and 3.0 sacks, as well as two quarterback hurries in the 2024 ACC Championship Game victory versus No. 14 Louisville.

Renardo Green, Florida State, Defensive Back – No. 64, San Francisco 49ers

A second-team All-ACC selection this season after picking up honorable mention All-ACC honors in 2022, Green totaled 148 tackles, 7.0 tackles-for-loss, 21 pass breakups and one interception in over 50 games in his five years at Florida State.

A 2023 Phil Steele honorable mention All-American and Jim Thorpe Award semifinalist, Green led the ACC and ranked 10th in the nation with 13 pass breakups and ranked second in the conference and 18th nationally with 14 passes defended. The redshirt senior made a season-high seven tackles, all solo, including 1.0 tackle-for-loss in the Seminoles' 31-24 victory at Clemson. His lone interception of the season was one of only four thrown by Heisman Trophy winner Jayden Daniels of LSU in 2023. He also registered a career-high-tying three pass breakups in the ACC Championship Game victory versus No. 14 Louisville.

Trey Benson, Florida State, Running Back – No. 66, Arizona Cardinals

The first Florida State player with an 80-yard touchdown catch and an 80-yard touchdown rush, Benson was a two-time second-team All-ACC selection over his two years in Tallahassee, Florida. Tied for the FSU program record with three 80-yard touchdowns, Benson’s 23 rushing touchdowns rank 11th on FSU’s all-time list, while his 1,895 rushing yards are 18th in program history.

Last season, Benson rushed for 906 yards and 14 touchdowns and added 20 catches for 227 yards and one touchdown in the passing game. The recipient of the Bobby Bowden Leadership Award, his 14 rushing touchdowns ranked second in the ACC and 15th nationally. Benson’s 15 total touchdowns were second in the ACC and 19th in the country. He averaged 5.81 yards per carry, which ranked fourth in the conference, while he was the only ACC rusher with multiple three-touchdown games in 2023, with a career-high-tying three rushing touchdowns in a home win over Southern Miss and a road win at Florida.

Matt Goncalves, Pitt, Offensive Lineman – No. 79, Indianapolis Colts

A four-year starter along the offensive line for the Pitt Panthers, Goncalves had his 2023 season cut short after just three games due to a season-ending injury.

A 2022 third-team All-ACC pick, Goncalves played in 39 games for the Panthers, including all 14 games in 2021 and all 13 games in 2022. In 2021, he was a key part of the Pitt offense that averaged a school-record 41.4 points and 486.6 yards per game and finished the season ranked third nationally and eighth in total offense en route to the 2021 ACC Championship title.

Elijah Jones, Boston College, Cornerback – No. 90, Arizona Cardinals

A 2023 first-team All-ACC selection, Jones finished his career at Boston College tied for the most career games played at 60 contests. Highlighted by playing in nine games or more in each of his last four years for the Eagles, Jones totaled 156 total tackles, 4.0 tackles-for-loss, 1.0 sacks, seven interceptions, 43 passes defended and two forced fumbles for his collegiate career.

Last season, Jones totaled 25 tackles, five interceptions and eight pass breakups in the defensive backfield. He had a season-high six tackles and a forced fumble on a scoop-and-score against Florida State, recorded two tackles, a pass breakup and an interception versus Virginia and intercepted two passes and broke up three more in a win at Georgia Tech to pick up ACC Defensive Back of the Week honors. He also finished with two interceptions and a pass breakup as well as a tip on a game-clinching interception at Syracuse on the way to a second ACC Defensive Back of the Week honor.

DeWayne Carter, Duke, Defensive Tackle – No. 95, Buffalo Bills

The first three-time team captain in Duke history, Carter is a two-time All-America selection by College Football Network and Phil Steele, and a three-time All-ACC honoree, earning third-team honors in 2021, second-team accolades in 2022, and first-team recognition in 2023. Carter was the recipient of the ACC’s Jim Tatum Award in 2023 and named a National Football Foundation National Scholar-Athlete, as well as a finalist for the 2023 William V. Campbell Trophy.

Carter is also a two-time Academic All-ACC honoree and National Football Foundation Hampshire Honor Society member and was chosen to the 2022 AFCA Good Works Team. In 52 career games, he recorded 127 tackles, 25.0 tackles-for-loss, 12.0 sacks, forced seven fumbles, four fumble recoveries, 15 quarterback pressures, 11 pass breakups and blocked one kick. Carter, who started 38 consecutive contests at defensive tackle to close out his career, played 2,643 career snaps and helped Duke to consecutive bowl games in the 2022 Military Bowl and 2023 Birmingham Bowl.

In 2023, Carter started all 13 games for the Blue Devils, tallying 41 tackles, 3.5 tackles-for-loss, 1.0 sacks, four pass breakups, one fumble recovery and four quarterback hurries. He registered at least one tackle in 12 games, including a season-high eight stops against Wake Forest.

Jarrian Jones, Florida State, Cornerback – No. 96, Jacksonville Jaguars

Tabbed honorable mention All-ACC as a redshirt senior in 2023, Jones became the first player in FSU history and the only player nationally in 2023 to record a sack, a tackle-for-loss, force a fumble, make a fumble recovery and record an interception in a single game, hitting those marks in the Seminoles' 58-13 win versus North Alabama.

In 2023, Jones appeared in 12 games with nine starts, recording 25 tackles, including 5.0 tackles-for-loss with 1.0 sack, three interceptions, three pass breakups, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery.

A two-time recipient of the FSU Defensive Most Improved Player Award, he finished his collegiate career with 96 total tackles, including 84 tackles in his four years at Florida State, 5.5 tackles-for-loss, 1.0 sacks, five interceptions and 12 pass breakups.

Payton Wilson, NC State, Linebacker – No. 98, Pittsburgh Steelers

A 2023 consensus first-team All-American and the winner of both the 2023 Butkus Award and the 2023 Bednarik Award, Wilson was named the 2023 ACC Defensive Player of the Year and a first-team All-ACC selection. One of only two players to register over 120 tackles in the ACC on the season, Wilson led the ACC with 138 total tackles and ranked fifth nationally in tackles per game at 11.5 per contest. Wilson was also second in the conference in tackles-for-loss with 17.5, which was ninth in all of FBS. He also notched 6.0 sacks, broke up 10 passes, forced a fumble, recovered two more fumbles and made three interceptions, returning one for a touchdown.

In his five seasons with the Wolfpack, Wilson tallied 402 tackles, including 202 solo stops, 48.0 tackles-for-loss, 15.0 sacks, 20 pass breakups, seven interceptions, one forced fumble and two fumble recoveries.

Kamren Kinchens, Miami, Safety – No. 99, Los Angeles Rams

A two-time first-team All-ACC member and 2022 first-team All-American by the Associated Press and The Sporting News, Kinchens started all 10 games in which he competed and ranked third on the team with 59 total tackles in 2023. Kinchens finished with a team-high five interceptions, moving into the top 10 in the Miami record books for career interceptions with 11. He also became the first player since Sean Taylor to record double-digit interceptions throughout his career as a Hurricane.

In his three years in Miami, Kinchens registered 162 tackles, including 99 solo stops, 5.0 tackles-for-loss, 1.0 sacks and 15 pass breakups. Of his 11 career interceptions, he returned two for a touchdown.

Day two’s group joins the four ACC players who were selected in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft on Thursday. North Carolina quarterback Drake Maye went No. 3 overall to the New England Patriots, Florida State defensive lineman Jared Verse was picked No. 19 overall by the Los Angeles Rams, Duke offensive lineman Graham Barton was taken No. 26 overall by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Clemson cornerback Nate Wiggins was selected No. 30 overall by the Baltimore Ravens.

Live coverage of the 2024 NFL Draft continues tomorrow on ESPN, ABC and NFL Network.

ACC Selections in the 2024 NFL Draft

Rd. – Overall Pick, Name, Position, School, NFL Team

1 – 3rd, Drake Maye, QB, North Carolina, New England Patriots

1 – 19th, Jared Verse, DL, Florida State, Los Angeles Rams

1 – 26th, Graham Barton, OL, Duke, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

1 – 30th, Nate Wiggins, CB, Clemson, Baltimore Ravens

2 – 33rd, Keon Coleman, WR, Florida State, Buffalo Bills

2 – 35th, Ruke Orhorhoro, DT, Clemson, Atlanta Falcons

2 – 39th, Braden Fiske, DT, Florida State, Los Angeles Rams

2 – 64th, Renardo Green, CB, Florida State, San Francisco 49ers

3 – 66th, Trey Benson, RB, Florida State, Arizona Cardinals