Las Vegas Sun

March 28, 2024

Five from Las Vegas taken Saturday in NFL Draft; none from UNLV

Brandon Marshall

Michael Conroy / AP

Nevada linebacker Brandon Marshall runs a drill at the NFL football scouting combine in Indianapolis, Monday, Feb. 27, 2012.

Updated Saturday, April 28, 2012 | 5:19 p.m.

After two days of waiting to hear their names called in the NFL Draft, five players with ties to Southern Nevada were selected on Saturday.

Outside linebacker Brandon Marshall, a Cimarron-Memorial High graduate and UNR senior, was the first local taken when the Jacksonville Jaguars selected him No. 142 overall with the seventh pick of the fifth round. Despite being undersized, the 6-foot-1, 242-pound Marshall, who started the past three seasons for UNR, had a team-best 102 tackles in 2011.

Also in the fifth round, former Shadow Ridge player Korey Toomer was picked by the Seattle Seahawks with the No. 154 overall pick. The 6-foot-2, 235-pound Toomer played the past two seasons at Idaho, earning team MVP honors in 2011 by leading the Vandal in sacks (four) and tackles for loss (10.5).

Also in the fifth round, Canyon Springs High graduate Juron Criner was selected by the Oakland Raiders with the No. 168 pick. The 6-foot-2, 225-pound Criner caught 209 passes for 2,859 yards and 32 touchdowns during a four-year career at the University of Arizona.

In the sixth round, defensive lineman Billy Winn of Las Vegas High was selected by the Cleveland Browns with the No. 205 overall pick. The 6-foot-3, 295-pound Winn had 131 career tackles and 15.5 sacks from his defensive tackle position for Boise State.

Winn, who was projected to be selected as early as the second round, will likely be moved to defensive end with the Brown. Winn, who was part of two state championship teams at Las Vegas, was one of school-record six Boise State players drafted.

In the seventh round, safety D.J. Campbell of Cheyenne High in North Las Vegas was picked by the Carolina Panthers with the No. 216 pick. Campbell, who played in college at Cal, is the second safety from Cheyenne to be picked in as many years. Last year, Quinton Carter went to the Denver Broncos in the fourth round, posting 56 tackles as a rookie in helping Denver reach the playoffs.

No UNLV players were selected, but wide receiver Phillip Payne signed a free agent contract with the San Diego Chargers. UNR had a school-record three picked. Last year, three former Las Vegas area players were picked — DeMarco Murray (Cowboys), Lawrence Guy (Packers) and Carter.

Also, former Desert Pines High defensive lineman Michael Cosgrove signed a free agent contract with the Detroit Lions. Cosgrove had 111 career tackles at 7.5 sacks in four years at Idaho.

Ray Brewer can be reached at 990-2662 or [email protected]. Follow Ray on Twitter at twitter.com/raybrewer21.

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