Edwardsville star must wait another day as trades dominate late 1st round of NFL Draft
AJ Epenesa must wait a another day to be taken in the National Football League Draft.
An Edwardsville High School graduate and two-time first team All Big 10 Conference defensive end for the Iowa Hawkeyes, Epenesa was left out of the mix Thursday as trades dominated the later stages of the first round of the 2020 draft.
Thought by many to be a top 25 pick, Epenesa was bypassed, as at least three teams thought to be interested made trades.
Epenesa was projected by some NFL analysts, including Todd McShay of ESPN, to be selected by New England with the 23rd overall pick. However, the Patriots traded that selection to San Diego, which took Oklahoma inside linebacker Kenneth Murray.
Two other teams mentioned to be interested in the 6-5, 275-pound Epenesa — Miami and Minnesota — also traded their late first round picks.
Miami traded down, swapping the 26th pick to Green Bay for the 30th selection. The Packers chose Utah State quarterback Jordan Love.
Epenesa’s journey to become a member of the NFL will begin after a brilliant three year collegiate career with the Hawkeyes and his legendary days as a high school athlete at Edwardsville.
A 2017 EHS graduate, Epenesa was one of the top high school athletes in the nation. In addition to being an all-state football player, he was also an all-state basketball player and was one of the nation’s best in the discus during the track and field season.
Epenesa entered the NFL after three exceptional years with the Iowa. An Associated Press second team All-American in 2019, Epenesa concluded the season with 49 tackles, including 32 solos. He also led the team in tackles for loss with 14 and had 11 1/2 quarterback sacks. For his college career, he had 101 tackles and 26 1/2 sacks.
Epenesa will become the second Edwardsville player currently in the NFL. Craig James, who played his final two years of college football at SIU-Carbondale, is a defensive back/special teams player with the Philadelphia Eagles.
Thomas of East St. Louis also expected to get drafted
East St. Louis native Jeff Thomas will also have to wait at least another day. A wide receiver at the University of Miami, Florida, the past three years, Thomas is projected as a possible fifth round draft choice.
The NFL Draft continues Friday with rounds two and three beginning at 6 p.m. and concludes Saturday beginning at 11 a.m. with the final four rounds. The draft will be broadcast on ESPN and the NFL Network.
This story was originally published April 24, 2020 at 12:24 AM.
