The NFL Draft is notoriously fickle, and former LSU players found that out this past weekend.
As many as seven Tigers were expected to be taken during the draft’s seven rounds, but only five made it onto teams’ boards.
Predicted first-round pick Rueben Randle slid all the way to the New York Giants, who took him with the final selection in the second round.
“I knew my opportunity was going to come,” Randle, the 63rd pick, said in a news release. “You can’t stress about that. It’s about what you do after you get drafted. I am going to go out there and work hard for these guys and hopefully make the team.”
The NFL invited Randle to Radio City Music Hall, believing him to be a solid top-30 candidate.
But Randle landed with the defending Super Bowl champions, who also have former LSU players Michael Clayton, Corey Webster and Chad Jones on the roster.
“There was a run on defensive lineman and running backs early,” said local draft expert Mike Detillier. “It pushed Rueben back. The Giants said they had him as a first-round guy, and they got him at 63. It just shows nobody’s board is the same.”
LSU has now had wide receivers chosen in six of the last seven drafts.
The San Diego Chargers nabbed safety Brandon Taylor 10 picks later to conclude LSU’s Friday haul.
Cornerback Ron Brooks didn’t last long on Saturday, the draft’s final day, as Buffalo made him the last Tiger taken with the 29th pick in the fourth round.
Brooks will likely find the field immediately come next fall, as his special teams prowess made him an attractive option beyond his coverage skills.
“The Bills’ scouting staff spends a lot of time in the South and at LSU looking for multi-talented players,” Detillier said. “Ron fits that bill perfectly. He proved, especially when [Tharold] Simon and [Tyrann] Mathieu got suspended, that he can make a difference anywhere on the field when the chance comes.”
Free agency was much kinder to LSU products.
Joining first-round pick Michael Brockers in St. Louis were center T-Bob Hebert and tight end Deangelo Peterson. Both were undrafted free-agent pickups.
Quarterback Jarrett Lee signed with the Chargers, fellow signal caller Jordan Jefferson signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, offensive lineman Will Blackwell landed with the Carolina Panthers, and defensive end Kendrick Adams joined Jacksonville, all as undrafted signees.
“Even though they weren’t taken, it shows you the interest level there for them around the league,” Detillier said.
Cornerback Morris Claiborne and Brockers kicked off the weekend as first-round selections on Thursday evening.
The Dallas Cowboys traded up to grab Claiborne with the sixth pick, making LSU the first school since the NFL merger in 1970 to have the first defensive back drafted in consecutive years.
“Dallas sacrificed a lot to come down to get me, but I feel like I’m worth it,” Claiborne said in a news release. “It’s a dream come true.”
The Rams took Brockers with the 14th overall pick.
 
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