Photo: Twitter / @ATTStadium
Staten Island, NY – It has finally arrived - after months of continuous conversation all across the internet, endless mock drafts appearing on all social media platforms and beyond, and countless hours of content-spewing debates on a host of television and radio sports talk shows - all dedicated to predicting what team will take what player in what round - the moment is here.
The 2018 NFL Draft kicks off tonight at At&T Stadium in Dallas, TX, with the first round set to begin at 8:00 p.m. ET (TV channels: ESPN, FOX, & NFL Network) with each team on the clock having 10 minutes in which to make its pick.
On Friday night, the draft continues with rounds 2 & 3 at 7:00 p.m. ET
(TV channels: ESPN 2, FOX, & NFL Network)
Time per pick: 7 minutes for round 2; 5 minutes for round 3.
Day Three, consisting of rounds 4 through 7, begins on Saturday at 12:00 p.m. ET (ESPN, ABC, & NFL Network)
Time per pick: 5 minutes for rounds 4-6; 4 minutes for round 7
Most draft experts project Wagner College offensive lineman
Greg Senat as a Day Three pick. If he's not drafted, the 6-8, 310-pound Senat, who arrived on Grymes Hill via a basketball scholarship, will undoubtedly sign with a team as a priority free agent.
It's been more than half a century since Wagner's one and only NFL draft pick,
Rich Kotite, was selected in the 18
th round of the 1965 NFL Draft by the Minnesota Vikings. Following his Hall of Fame playing career at Wagner, and before he would go on to become a longtime NFL assistant coach and later head coach of the Philadelphia Eagles and the New York Jets,
Kotite spent five seasons in the NFL (1967-72), one with the Pittsburgh Steelers and four with the New York Giants.
The former Wagner player who has played in the most NFL games is one who took the free agent path to the NFL. In 2012, linebacker
Julian Stanford signed with the Jacksonville Jaguars, before spending two seasons with the Detroit Lions, and another two with the New York Jets, seeing action in a combined 53 games for these three franchises. Following the 2017 season, he signed a multi-year contract with the Buffalo Bills.
Senat's road to the NFL has been a unique one. A four-year member of the Seahawk men's basketball team, Senat went on football scholarship prior to the 2016 season and became a fixture on the Seahawk offensive line, starting all 22 games that he played in during his two-year gridiron career. In 2016-17, Senat helped the Wagner hoops team to a 16-14 season as a senior before competing solely in football during the 2017 season as a fifth-year senior.
Since the conclusion of the 2017 season, Senat has achieved several firsts. In January, the Elmont, NY native became the first football player ever from a Northeast Conference (NEC) institution to be
selected to play in the prestigious East-West Shrine All-Star Football Game.
After impressing NFL scouts with his combination of size, speed and agility throughout the week of practice sessions and drills leading up to the January 20 game in Tampa, FL, Senat then
became the first player from Wagner, and just the second NEC player, ever invited to the NFL Scouting Combine. From February 27-March 3, Senat was one of 336 participants at this year's NFL Combine in Indianapolis, IN. Held at Lucas Oil Stadium, home of the Indianapolis Colts, Senat showcased his talents, going through a myriad of physical and mental tests, in front of NFL scouts and general managers.
Before, and after the combine, Senat has trained under the watchful eye of Rich Sadiv, director of the NFL Combine Program for the Parisi Speed School in Fair Lawn, NJ, one of the leading authorities in preparing college players for the Combine and, ultimately, the NFL.
"I couldn't be any prouder of Greg," said head coach
Jason Houghtaling, who will enter his fourth season at the helm of the Seahawk program in 2018. "When he came over to us from basketball, he was about 245 pounds and someone we envisioned as a tight end.
"He switched to the offensive line, where he put on more than 40 pounds of mass, and found a home as our starting right tackle for 22 games over two seasons," Houghtaling continued. "Greg's a tremendous ambassador for Wagner College, and our football program, and we wish him all the best at the combine, and beyond."
Another Seahawk looking to earn a spot on an NFL roster is 6-6, 295-pound offensive lineman
Matt Diaz. In January, the two-time First-Team All-NEC selection left tackle was
selected to play in the College Gridiron Showcase & Symposium, a post-season contest for NFL Draft-eligible in January.
A member of the 2017 All-NEC Preseason Team, the Edison, NJ native lived up to that advanced billing this season. Along with his obvious pass protection abilities, Diaz's explosion at the point of attack in the running game helped the Green & White rush for 1,727 yards, with eight games of 150 yards or more.
In addition, Diaz joined five other teammates, including Senat and a host prospects from other local colleges,
at Wagner's annual Pro Day on March 27, where they showcased their skills is front of no less than 20 NFL Teams in attendance.
After these many months of training and preparation, the 2018 NFL Draft has arrived – and all of Seahawk Nation awaits the word and where
Greg Senat and
Matt Diaz will begin their NFL journeys.
Follow us: #CHAOSonthehill
Wagner Athletics:
Football:
