LAS VEGAS – A pair of Conference USA standouts were selected in the third round of the 2022 NFL Draft on Friday night in Las Vegas. UAB DE Alex Wright was the first C-USA player off the board, as the Cleveland Browns chose him in the third round with the 78th overall pick. Just four spots later, two-time C-USA Defensive Player of the Year, WKU EDGE DeAngelo Malone was selected by the Atlanta Falcons with pick No. 82.
Wright was productive from the moment he stepped on campus in Birmingham in 2019, garnering Conference USA All-Freshman Team honors after leading all C-USA true freshmen in sacks and tackles for loss that season.
Wright compiled 46 tackles and 7.5 sacks en route to Second Team All-Conference USA honors in 2021. For his three-year career as a Blazer, he tallied 91 tackles, 19 tackles for loss and 13 sacks.
Malone, the 2021 C-USA Defensive Player of the Year, started all 14 games in his final season with the Hilltoppers in 2021 and racked up 94 total tackles, including 17.5 for loss, with nine sacks, four forced fumbles and four pass breakups. He led C-USA in both tackles for loss and forced fumbles.
His 94 total tackles led all FBS defensive linemen, marking the second time in the past three seasons (99 total tackles in 2019) that he accomplished that feat.
Malone set a new WKU program record with 34 career sacks while finishing second with both 60 career tackles for loss and 349 career total tackles (in FBS era). His 53 career starts are second in WKU history among non-specialists, trailing only offensive lineman Brandon Ray’s 54 from 2014-17.
Wright and Malone’s selections bring C-USA’s total number of draftees to 52 since 2016. Heading into this year’s draft, C-USA had the second-most players selected in the NFL Draft among non-Power 5 leagues from 2016-21.
Conference USA 2022 NFL Draft Picks
Round 3, Pick 78 – DE Alex Wright, UAB – Cleveland Browns
Round 3, Pick 82 – EDGE DeAngelo Malone, WKU – Atlanta Falcons
-ConferenceUSA.com-
