New Orleans Saints select FAU’s Trey Hendrickson with the 103rd pick

After becoming the best defensive player in FAU history, earning Conference USA Defensive Player of the Year in 2016 and leaving FAU as the all-time leader in sacks, tackles for loss and forced fumbles, Trey Hendrickson is now off the NFL.

In the third round of the 2017 NFL Draft the New Orleans Saints drafted Hendrickson as a defensive end. The selection comes as a shock to no one as Hendrickson saw his stock rise after being named Defensive Player of the Game in the East-West Shrine Game. He was projected to be selected in the third or fourth round.

Since 2010 when Rusty Smith was drafted by the Tennessee Titans in the seventh round, there have been seven Owls who have been drafted in the NFL: Rusty Smith, Rob Housler, Alfred Morris, Keith Reaser, Randell Johnson, D’Joun Smith, and now Trey Hendrickson.

To see that FAU has been able to have seven players drafted in the NFL in the past seven years despite not having a winning season speaks to why many people believe FAU is a potential sleeping giant in the G5. Even in losing years, there has always been talent in Boca Raton.

The Saints run a 4-3 defense and Hendrickson will join a defensive line that is highlighted by Nick Fairley and Cameron Jordan.