UNC football WR Josh Downs selected by Indianapolis Colts in third round of NFL Draft
For the fifth time in the past seven NFL drafts, a former North Carolina player went within the first three rounds when the Indianapolis Colts selected Josh Downs on Friday night.
Downs, who caught 94 passes for 1,029 yards and 11 touchdowns for the Tar Heels last season, is the No. 79 player selected overall.
Downs watched 11 other wide receivers be selected in this year’s NFL Draft, including four in the first round, four in the second and three in the third round, before learning where he’ll head for his pro football career.
UNC has had at least one player selected in seven consecutive NFL Drafts, dating back to 2017 when quarterback Mitchell Trubisky, who went to Chicago with the No. 2 overall pick in the first round, was among six Tar Heels selected. Nazair Jones also went to Seattle in the third round that year.
In between Trubisky and Downs, other UNC players going in the first three rounds during the past seven drafts are cornerback M.J. Stewart (2018, second round, Tampa Bay), linebacker Chazz Surratt (2021, third round, Minnesota), wide receiver Dyami Brown (2021, third round, Washington), running back Javonte Williams (2021, second round, Denver) and offensive guard Joshua Ezeudu (2022, third round, New York Giants).
The 5-10, 175-pound Downs played three seasons for the Tar Heels, surpassing 1,000 receiving yards in each of the last two seasons. As a sophomore in 2021, catching passes from former Tar Heel and current Washington Commanders quarterback Sam Howell, Downs caught 101 passes for 1,335 yards with eight touchdowns.
Downs and quarterback Drake Maye, a projected first-round pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, found similar success last season when Downs averaged 10.9 yards per catch. Downs had six games with 100 receiving yards or more, including an 11-catch, 100-yard performance in the ACC championship game when Clemson beat UNC, 39-10.
That was Downs’ final game in a UNC uniform. He opted out of the Holiday Bowl, where Oregon beat the Tar Heels, 28-27.
Downs finished his college career with 202 receptions for 2,483 yards and 22 touchdowns.
This story was originally published April 28, 2023 at 10:04 PM with the headline "UNC football WR Josh Downs selected by Indianapolis Colts in third round of NFL Draft."