University of California, Los Angeles, Athletics
Takk McKinley Goes in First Round of NFL Draft
April 27, 2017 | Football
Takkarist McKinley was selected by the Atlanta Falcons with the 26th pick in the first round of the 2017 NFL Draft held on Thursday night in Philadelphia. UCLA has now had a defensive player, including three defensive linemen, selected in the first round of four of the past five drafts --- 2013 โ DL Datone Jones No. 26 Green Bay, 2014 โ LB Anthony Barr No. 9 Minnesota, 2016 โ DL Kenny Clark No. 27 Green Bay. It marks the fifth straight year in which a Bruin defensive lineman has been chosen in the draft โ 2013 Datone Jones-Green Bay, 2014 Cassius Marsh-Seattle, 2015 Owa Odighizuwa-NY Giants, 2016 Kenny Clark-Green Bay. ย
McKinley made 24 career starts as a Bruin. He was named a first-team All-Pac-12 selection last season by the coaches. The Richmond, Calif. native ranked 10th nationally in tackles for loss per game in 2016 (1.6 avg. with 18.0 tackles for loss) and 11th in the country in sacks per game (0.9, with 10.0 sacks). His total of 18.0 tackles for loss tied for 11th on the all-time school single-season list. McKinley had a season-high of 5.0 tackles for loss and 3.0 quarterback sacks in a game last year versus Utah. He posted a streak of eight straight games with a tackle for loss during the season. McKinley topped off his collegiate days with a career-best 11-tackle effort at California.
As a junior, McKinley was third on the team with 7.5 tackles for loss and recorded 4.0 sacks while making 35 tackles. In 2014, his first with the Bruins after transferring in from Contra Costa College, he saw action in 10 games, with one start, and made 3.5 tackles for loss and 2.5 sacks.
The last time UCLA had a player chosen in the first round in four out of five drafts was in 1995 (WR J.J. Stokes), 1996 (OT Jonathan Ogden), 1998 (DB Shaun Williams) and 1999 (QB Cade McNown).The last time UCLA had a player selected in the first-round in three consecutive drafts was in 1994 (LB Jamir Miller), 1995 (Stokes) and 1996 (Ogden).
The NFL Draft continues on Friday, with the second and third rounds, and on Saturday, with selections in rounds four through seven. ESPN, ESPN 2, NFL Network and Sirius/XM Ch. 80, 88 are each providing live coverage of the draft which begins at 4 p.m. PT on Friday and at 9 a.m. PT on Saturday. In addition, NFL.com will live stream the event both days.
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