5 outstanding NFL Draft hidden gems from UNC football since 2000
By Sam Fariss
The 2024 NFL Draft is rapidly approaching and the UNC Tar Heels may have more stars in the league, very soon.
Since the draft was first introduced in 1936, UNC has had 224 players drafted into the NFL.
Four Tar Heels have gone second overall, the highest a former UNC player has been drafted, including Ken Willard (1965), Lawrence Taylor (1981), Julius Peppers (2002), and Mitch Trubisky (2017).
Obviously, not all UNC legends can be selected second overall but which Tar Heel greats truly slipped through the ranks before hearing their name called in the draft?
Here are the five best NFL Draft hidden gems from UNC since 2000:
441. Round 5, Pick 179. T.J. Logan. player. . 2017 NFL Draft. 5. T.J. Logan. . T.J. Logan
- 5 rushing attempts
- 12 rushing yards
- 9 receptions
- 50 receiving yards
- 691 return yards
Despite his minimal stats on the offensive front, T.J. Logan became an elite special teams player in the NFL.
Logan wasn't selected until the fifth round of the 2017 NFL Draft when the Arizona Cardinals called his name 179th overall.
Over just two seasons, Logan returned 13 punts for 124 yards and only called for a fair catch twice. On 25 kick returns, he averaged 22.7 yards per attempt and amassed 567 yards.