UAB’s Alex Wright is Conference USA’s First Selection of 2022 NFL Draft

The UAB Blazers and Conference USA as a whole finally heard their names called in the 2022 NFL draft when the Cleveland Browns selected defensive end Alex Wright on Friday night.

A 6’7”, 270 pound junior in 2021, Wright was a Second Team All‐Conference USA selection and was PFF’s pick for C‐USA Defensive Player of the Year. He played in 12 games making eight starts last season. He collected 46 tackles with 7.5 TFL, seven sacks, three pass breakups, 12 QBH and two forced fumbles, establishing himself as a constant presence in opposing backfields. The highlight of his final college season came when he collected a career‐high eight tackles, two sacks and three TFLs versus Florida Atlantic, for which hea was named C‐USA Defensive Player of the Week.

His highlights did not start in 2021, however, as he picked up 17 tackles on the year with three TFLs and one sack with a pair of pass breakups and two quarterback hurries in 2020 as the Blazers won their second consecutive Conference USA title. As a freshman in 2019, he made the Conference USA All‐Freshman Team with 28 total tackles, 8.5 TFL and 4.5 sacks with two fumble recoveries, one forced fumble, and three quarterback hurries. In his freshman season, he led all C‐USA freshman in sacks and TFL. and had a sack in four consecutive games.

Throughout his college career, Wright was a large part of why UAB’s defense earned the reputation as the league’s top defense.