Getting selected in the first round of the NFL Draft is no longer a dream for UTSA defensive end Marcus Davenport. It’s a reality.
And it’s a reality that the New Orleans Saints desperately wanted, as they traded two first-round picks (this year's and next year's) and this year's No. 147 overall pick to move up and draft him with the No. 14 overall pick at AT&T Stadium on Thursday night.
Davenport is the 14th player from the San Antonio area picked in the first round of the NFL draft, and the second from the Northside Independent School District. Jay graduate Derrick Hatchett, who played at Texas, was drafted by the Baltimore Colts with the No. 24 pick in 1980.
Ron Davenport, Marcus' father, was born and raised in New Orleans.
"That's his team, the Saints," said former Stevens coach Darryl Hemphill, who attended the draft as a guest of Marcus. "He said it's a dream come true. His team, his son. It's really good. New Orleans gave up a lot to get him, so they have really been impressed."
Hemphill said he still hadn't talked with Marcus because he was whisked away by league officials for media interviews, but added that they communicated via text messages after his selection.
"Everybody is just ecstatic," Hemphill said.
Davenport is UTSA’s second all-time draft pick, joining David Morgan II, who was selected in the sixth round by the Minnesota Vikings in 2016.
“I know we have a great program,” Davenport said before the draft, referring to UTSA. “It’s just a matter of time before people realize that they need to jump on the train.”
Davenport was also the first player from a Texas university and the second Texan taken in this year's draft. Oklahoma quarterback Baker Mayfield, who graduated from Austin Lake Travis High School, was selected by the Cleveland Browns with the No. 1 overall pick.
UTSA becomes the second San Antonio university to have a player picked in the first round of the NFL draft. Trinity defensive lineman Martin Upshaw was the Cleveland Browns’ top selection in 1968.
At 6-foot-6 and 264 pounds, Davenport has the height, length, speed, quickness, skills and instincts that NFL teams look for in a defensive end. A top-flight pass rusher, Davenport finished his senior season with 55 tackles and set school records with 17.5 tackles for loss, 8.5 sacks and eight quarterback hurries.
A San Antonio native, Davenport was a wide receiver for two seasons at Stevens before getting moved to defensive end before his junior year.
“We didn’t have the personnel to throw the ball the way we wanted to at the time,” Hemphill said Thursday night. “He was too good an athlete to be out there standing with his hands on his hips and be pretty. I wanted him to be more of a contributor. We moved him to defensive end and the rest is history.”
Hemphill was the Falcons’ defensive coordinator in Davenport’s first three seasons at Stevens and was promoted to head coach before his senior year in 2013. Hemphill is now an assistant athletic director with the Northside ISD.
“To watch Marcus throughout high school and see him develop and him inviting me to the draft, and being here with him and his family tonight, is a very special treat,” Hemphill said. “This is one of the highlights of my career. It just means a lot. As a high school coach, you set a lot of foundations and try to have an impact on kids’ lives.”
Davenport is the second Stevens graduate to be selected in the NFL Draft. Safety Mykkele Thompson, who played at Texas, was drafted in the fifth round by the New York Giants in 2015.
Davenport committed to UNLV when he was a senior at Stevens, but changed his mind after making a recruiting visit to UTSA.
“The real reason was the family atmosphere I felt here,” Davenport said. “I found another family. They helped me grow into myself and helped me grow my own passion.”
Davenport improved steadily throughout his career and earned a reputation as a highly motivated player who did whatever it took to get better every time he stepped on the field.
“He set the bar real high for himself as far as work ethic,” Hemphill said. “He rarely went home right after school. He played football, basketball, and ran track. When he crossed the line on the football field, it was business. Very quiet, very humble kid. But when the lights came on, the work ethic paid off.”
Davenport graduated from UTSA with a degree in multidisciplinary studies last December.
As a point of reference to understand how much money Davenport is likely to make with his rookie contract, last season’s No. 14 overall pick was also a defensive end, Derek Barnett of the Philadelphia Eagles. Barnett signed a four-year deal with about a $7.5 million signing bonus and about $12.5 million in guarantees.
