Central Michigan had no representation in the National Football League draft for the second consecutive season after three players from the school were drafted in 2007.

However, 10 players from the Mid-American Conference were taken in the seven-round event.

Northern Illinois’ Larry English became the first Mid-American Conference player selected in the first round of the National Football League draft since 2007.

The defensive end was drafted 16th by San Diego on Saturday.

He is the first MAC player to be picked in the opening round since CMU offensive tackle Joe Staley was selected 28th in the 2007 draft.

The Detroit Lions selected safety Louis Delmas from Western Michigan with the first pick of the second round, while Ohio safety Michael Mitchell was drafted 14 picks later by the Oakland Raiders.

Temple defensive tackle Terrance Knighton was drafted by the Jacksonville Jaguars with the eighth pick of the third round. The Dallas Cowboys traded down to grab Ball State’s Robert Brewster with the round’s 11th pick.

At the ninth pick of the fourth round, Eastern Michigan’s T.J. Lang, an offensive tackle, was drafted by the Green Bay Packers.

The fifth round saw heralded Ball State quarterback Nate Davis selected by the San Francisco 49ers with the 35th pick.

Three more players were taken in the seventh and final round. Western Michigan cornerback Edjuan Biggers was taken by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers with the eighth pick. At No. 23, Kent State’s Julian Edelman, who converted from quarterback to a wide receiver for the NFL, was taken by the New England Patriots. Tight end Jake O’Connell from Miami University was selected by the Kansas City Chiefs at No. 28 to round out the MAC’s representation.

sports@cm-life.com

E-mail the author: defaultuser