Wake Forest Athletics
Wake Forest Set to Send Next Wave of NFL Talent to the League
4/25/2023 9:45:00 AM | Football
The Demon Deacons could see a record number of players selected in the Dave Clawson era this week.
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – As the 2023 NFL Draft approaches this week in Kansas City, Mo., Wake Forest and head coach Dave Clawson are set to send the next class of Pro Deacs to the league.
The Demon Deacons could see a record number of players selected in the Clawson era this week during the annual draft festivities as three Deacs are projected to hear their names called.
Since the start of the 2016 season, the Deacs are tied for the second-most wins in the ACC not counting the COVID-shortened 2020 season entering bowl season. Additionally over the last five years, the Deacs have the second-most wins in a single five-year period while also having the second-longest bowl streak in the ACC..
A large reason the Demon Deacons have been successful has been the NFL talent they have identified and developed in Winston-Salem:
Kevin Johnson | 2015 NFL Draft | CB | First Round | Houston Texans
Johnson became the third Demon Deacon player since 2003 to be selected in the first round of the NFL Draft, all coming on the defensive side of the ball. After being chosen with the 16th overall in 2015 by the Houston Texans, Johnson spent the next four seasons with the franchise, suiting up in 35 games.
Since then, he went on to play for the Buffalo Bills and the Cleveland Browns, helping them both to the playoffs the past two seasons. Johnson lastly signed with the Tennessee Titans 2021 season.
Johnson was a key piece during Dave Clawson's first season at Wake Forest, locking down the perimeter as he grabbed an interception and had a team-best six pass deflections. Over his last three seasons in a Demon Deacon uniform, he tallied seven interceptions and 36 pass deflections. He earned All-ACC honors each season.
Marquel Lee | 2017 NFL Draft | LB | Fifth Round | Oakland Raiders
After being taken in the fifth round in 2017 by the Oakland Raiders, Lee became a key piece in the middle of the Raiders defenses. During his first two seasons with the franchise, he played in 29 games, making 16 starts. In 2018, Lee tallied 68 total tackles including 36 solo tackles while also having three tackles for loss and three quarterback hits.
Ahead of the 2021 season, Lee inked a free agent contract with the Buffalo Bills and went to end the season back with the Raiders.
Over his last three seasons in Winston-Salem, he was one of the most productive players in the entire ACC. Under Dave Clawson's tutelage, he recorded over 100 tackles twice in 2014 and 2016. He earned First Team All-ACC honors during his senior season. In his final game as a Deac, he totaled a team-high tying seven tackles as Wake Forest held No. 23 Temple to -20 yards rushing in the 2016 Military Bowl victory.
Jessie Bates III | 2018 NFL Draft | S | Second Round | Cincinnati Bengals
During his five seasons in the NFL, Bates III has proven himself to be one of the best players at his position in the league including being named an AP All-Pro in 2021. Bates III led all NFL safeties this season with a combined 18 interceptions and pass break ups while also finishing second on his team with 109 total tackles. Additionally, he led the Bengals with 15 pass breakups and three interceptions.
Over his first four seasons, he is the only player in the NFL to have over 100-plus tackles and three interceptions during each season. This summer he signed a big free agent deal with the Atlanta Falcons that will pay home $64.02 million over the next four seasons.
During his three years in Winston-Salem, Bates III developed into one of the best defensive backs in the country.
In his first season on the field, he was named a consensus Freshman All-American while also being the ACC Defensive Rookie of the Year runner-up. During the 2016 season, Bates III recorded five interceptions including returning two for touchdowns. His 158 interception return yards ranked fourth nationally and led the ACC.
He used those return abilities to his advantage as a sophomore, becoming one of the most feared punt returners in the country. On his nine attempts during his final season, he averaged 17.9 yards per punt return. This included a 59-yard punt return for a touchdown in the Belk Bowl, helping Wake Forest past Texas A&M, 55-52, in his final game as a Demon Deacon.
Duke Ejiofor | 2018 NFL Draft | EDGE | Sixth Round | Houston Texans
A dream became reality when Ejiofor was selected by his hometown Houston Texans in the sixth round of the 2018 draft. He made an immediate impact for the Texans during his rookie season, playing in 12 games during the 2018 season. He had a sack, forced fumble and two pass deflections. During his last two seasons in the league, he has been hampered by preseason injuries and unable to play.
Over his last two seasons at Wake Forest, he became one of the most dominant pass rushers in the conference, totaling 18.5 sacks during those seasons and led the Demon Deacons to two bowl victories. His 23.5 sacks rank third-best in school history. During his senior campaign, he totaled 16.5 tackles for loss en route to All-ACC honors.
Phil Haynes | 2019 NFL Draft | OL | Fourth Round | Seattle Seahawks
Haynes enters his fifth season with the franchise after being selected in the fourth round in 2019. He has played both guard positions for Seattle and has helped the Seahawks reach the playoffs in three of his first four seasons in the NFL. Coming off the bench in the 2020 NFL Divisional Round, Haynes helped pave the way for a Marshawn Lynch touchdown run against the Green Bay Packers.
While at Wake Forest, he was a key cog to the building of the Beef Boys over the early seasons of Dave Clawson's tenure. Haynes started 47 career games including the final 22 contests, playing primarily at right guard as well as right tackle. The Demon Deacons captured three bowl victories over his final three seasons in Winston-Salem.
Justin Strnad | 2020 NFL Draft | LB | Fifth Round | Denver Broncos
Before he was able to suit up in his first season for the Broncos in 2020, Strnad suffered a season-ending injury. During preseason workouts and camp, Strnad impressed the Denver staff and looked to be pushing for plenty of playing time during his rookie campaign.
Over the last two seasons, he has racked up 41 tackles on defense and as a special teams ace for the franchise.
He was coming off his best season to date as a Demon Deacon, leading Wake Forest with 69 total tackles in seven games including three games of 12 or more tackles. When the lights were the brightest against North Carolina in 2019, Strnad had his best game as a Deac. He tallied a career-best 15 tackles while also having a sack and pass deflection.
The game and the season helped him earn a spot on the Bednarik Award Watch List as the Demon Deacons started the year with a 7-1 record, climbing as high as No. 19 in the College Football Playoff poll.
Justin Herron | 2020 NFL Draft | OL | Sixth Round | New England Patriots
In his first season with the six-time Super Bowl winners, Herron turned into a mainstay along the Patriots offensive line. He played in 12 games during his rookie season, making six starts including the last four games of the regular season.
He continued to play a key role for the Patriots before being traded in 2022 to the Las Vegas Raiders. Shortly after being traded, his season ended due to injury, but was a key piece to the Raiders front.
This was no different during his time for the Demon Deacons as Herron set the school record with 51 games started in a career. The Silver Spring, Md. product was a key piece to the first Dave Clawson recruiting class in 2014 as by the end of his time at Wake Forest the Deacs had made trips to four consecutive bowl games, winning three.
Carlos " Boogie" Basham Jr. | 2021 NFL Draft | DL | Second Round | Buffalo Bills
During his first two seasons in Buffalo, Basham has been a key reason to the Bills success up front, reaching the playoffs in each of his two seasons.
Playing in 23 career regular season games, he has recorded 37 tackles, 5.0 tackles for loss, 4.5 sacks, an interception, forced fumble and fumble recovery. He has been better in the playoffs, having 2.0 sacks in just four career games and 11 total tackles.
During his five years in Winston-Salem, Basham Jr. became not only one of the most feared defensive linemen in the ACC but the entire country.
During the first five games of the 2020 season, Basham recorded a sack in each game. Over his last 17 contests as a Demon Deacon, the Roanoke, Va. native has at least one sack in 13 games. He finished fourth on Wake Forest's all-time sack list with 20.5 total sacks just 3.0 away from third all-time.
Against Syracuse this season, Basham Jr. saw his streak of 23 games with a tackles for loss come to an end. Over the course of the nation's longest streak, he had a total of 29.5 tackles for loss and 112 total tackles for loss yards. By the end of the streak he was the only player in the country to have a streak of double digits in the nation.
Prior to his redshirt senior campaign, he earned All-American honors from the Walter Camp Foundation, Sporting News, Athlon Sports, Lindy's Sports, Street & Smith and Phil Steele.
Zach Tom | 2022 NFL Draft | OL | Fourth Round | Green Bay Packers
After being taken in the third round last season, Tom immediately blossomed into one of the best rookie offensive linemen in the league. He started all across the Packers front as a rookie and had multiple starts at each tackle spot. In 489 snaps in 2022, he allowed just one sack.
He appeared in 48 games over the course of his career, making 37 starts including all 36 over the last three seasons. Over the course of his career, Tom has played in 3,107 snaps and gave up just two sacks.
During his final season with the Demon Deacons, Tom was chosen as an All-American by Phil Steele, The Athletic and the Football Writers Association of America. He also captured the Jim Tatum Award, given to the top senior student-athlete in the conference while also earning First Team All-ACC status by league, coaches and press. He was listed on the Outland Trophy Preseason Watch List while also being named a Campbell Trophy Preseason Semifinalist, given to the top senior student-athlete in the country.
He was named ACC Offensive Lineman of the Week for the first time of his career following Wake Forest's win over Duke, which helped Wake Forest start the season 8-0, the best start in program history and the longest winning streak in program history. Additionally, he tallied more plays than any other Demon Deacon in 2021, finishing the year with 1,205 snaps.
The 2021 ACC Postgraduate Scholarship recipient was also a three-time member of the ACC All-Academic Team in 2019, 2020 and 2021 while also earning All-ACC honorable mention on the field in 2019.
According to PFF, he has the highest pass blocking grade at 92.1 percent of any FBS offensive lineman who has played over 25 snaps.
Ja'Sir Taylor | 2022 NFL Draft | CB | Sixth Round | Los Angeles Chargers
Despite playing in a loaded defensive backs room, Taylor still was able to find the field and make an impact during his first season in the NFL.
The sixth-round pick totaled 22 tackles and a pass deflection at the corner position and on special teams.
Taylor, who played in the 2022 East-West Shrine Game, is the program-record holder for most career games played with 62 in his five seasons. He started the last 23 games in his career. Over the course of his career, he totaled 185 career tackles with 153 solo tackles including a career-best 60 in 2021. Additionally, he tallied six career interceptions all coming in the last three seasons including a pair during the 2021 season.
During the historic 2021 campaign, he earned All-ACC Honorable Mention by the league, coaches and media. He got his final season with the Deacs off to a quick start, receiving ACC Specialist of the Week (Sept. 7) after a win over Old Dominion. Taylor became the first player in Wake Forest history to have a kick return touchdown and an interception in the same game, helping defeat the Monarchs in the opener, 42-10. He was the first player in college football to return a kickoff for a touchdown in 2021.
He ended the season fifth on the team with a career-best 60 total tackles while his career-best 47 solo tackles ranked second for the Demon Deacons. Additionally, he tied for the team lead with three fumble recoveries while his two interceptions ranked second.
