Tuten kicks off Day 3 of NFL Draft with South Jersey flavor

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Soon after the start of day three of the NFL Draft in Green Bay, South Jersey made its presence felt. Bhayshul Tuten from Paulsboro became the second selection of the fourth round and the 104th choice overall. Jacksonville Jaguars .

As the day came to a close, an additional five players from South Jersey were on their way to join NFL teams, raising the count for the weekend to seven. Prior to this, the highest number of selections in one draft had been six, occurring twice—in 2020 and back in 1984.

Next in line for the South Jersey brigade was Miles Frazier. He was selected in the fifth round, 171st overall, by the team. Lions The guard from Louisiana State University initially attended Woodrow Wilson - which is currently called Camden Eastside - prior to completing one year of prep school at Milford Academy in New Berlin, New York.

In the early stages of the sixth round, the Eagles Added their second South Jersey athlete in Syracuse quarterback Kyle McCord, who resides in Mount Laurel and competed just across the Delaware River at St. Joseph's Prep. Subsequently, defensive lineman Fadil Diggs was selected by the Saints. This makes him the third Syracuse player from South Jersey and the second one from Camden Eastside to be picked this year. Diggs was the 254th overall selection, only three picks away from concluding the draft.

Halfway through the seventh round, LeQuint Allen from Millville was selected by the Jacksonville Jaguars. He was the 236th overall pick in the draft.

Once the draft ended, all 32 teams started signing undrafted rookie free agents.

Tyreem Powell from Vineland (Rutgers LB), New Orleans Saints ), Millville's Solomon DeShields (Defensive End from Texas A&M) Indianapolis Colts Cinnaminson’s Cam Horsley (defensive lineman for Boston College, drafted by the Tennessee Titans), St. Augustine’s Isaiah Raikes (linebacker who committed to Auburn, later signed with the Tennessee Titans), and Camden’s Alijah Clark (safety bound for Syracuse, eventually joining the Dallas Cowboys) all sealed their deals on Saturday evening as reported through various social media updates.

Tuten, who previously played at North Carolina A&T before transferring, had an impressive season as a running back for Virginia Tech during his senior year. He rushed for 1,159 yards across 11 out of 15 possible games.

Standing at 5 feet 9 inches tall and weighing 206 pounds, Tuten demonstrated impressive speed with a remarkable 4.32-second 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine. Known for his ability to break tackles and score touchdowns, he achieved 34 runs exceeding 10 yards over the previous season.

Tuten becomes the fifth player from Paulsboro selected by an NFL team and the third to be chosen in the fourth round. offensive tackle Julie'n Davenport was picked by the Texans In 2017, and linebacker Gerald Hodges was selected by the Vikings in 2013.

Flipper Anderson, a wide receiver, stood as the top selection from Paulsboro when he was chosen by the 49ers in the second round back in 1988. Kevin Ross, a cornerback who became the inaugural Red Raider draftee, joined the Chiefs through a seventh-round pick also in 1981.

Before transferring to LSU, Frazier earned Freshman All-America honors at Florida International. At LSU, he played as an integral part of the offensive line for three years. Known for his strong performance in run blocking and solid skills in pass protection, Frazier began 27 games at right guard, 10 at left guard, and one game each at both tackle positions.

Frazier stands as the eighth Tiger selected in the draft. Joining him are defensive tackle Turk McBride (second round, Chiefs, 2007), defensive end Jamaal Green (fourth round, Eagles, 2003), safety Donovin Darius (first round, Jaguars, 1998), defensive back Marvin Goodwin (fifth round, Eagles, 1994), defensive lineman Lorenzo Freeman (fourth round, Packers, 1987), linebacker Bill Singletary (fourth round, Chargers, 1973), and eventual Heisman Trophy winner Mike Rozier (first round, Oilers, 1983). Notably, Darius was also from Highland High School.

McCord spent three years playing for Ohio State before concluding his college career with Syracuse, accumulating 4,779 passing yards during this time. Standing at 6-3, 218 pounds, he shares similarities with Tanner McKee rather than Jalen Hurts, making him a promising candidate to serve as the Eagles' backup quarterback next season.

St. Joseph's Prep boasts a rich tradition of developing athletes from South Jersey. Take, for example, Jeremiah Trotter Jr., hailing from Hainesport, whom the Eagles selected in the fifth round just last year. Other notable alumni include cornerback John Reed from Mount Laurel, chosen in the fourth round by the Texans in 2020; offensive lineman Jon Runyan Jr., originally from Moorestown, picked sixth by the Packers in 2020; and linebacker Victor Hobson, another product of Mount Laurel, drafted in the second round by the Jets back in 2001.

Last season, Allen topped the ACC charts with 16 rushing touchdowns. As a skilled receiver from his position at running back, he also secured 64 receptions amounting to 521 receiving yards. Known for excelling in confined areas, Allen demonstrates impressive power as a runner along with the speed to transform modest gains into substantial ones.

Allen is the second Thunderbolts running back chosen by the Jags. Ryquell Armstead was selected in the fifth round in 2019. Back in 1981, two athletes from Millville were drafted; running back Calvin Murray was picked by the Eagles in the fourth round, and defensive tackle Bubba Green was selected by the Colts in the sixth round.

Quarterback Steve Romanik became the initial Millville player and only the third representative from South Jersey when he was selected in the 3rd round of the 1950 draft by the Bears.

Diggs started his college career at Texas A&M before moving on to Syracuse. He recorded the quickest 40-yard dash time among defensive ends at the combine, served as a team captain for three years, and topped the Orangemen in both sacks and tackles for loss during the previous season.

Tom Rimback grew up reading the Burlington County Times and Courier Post sports sections and began writing for the BCT in 1996. He has covered everything from Super Bowls and Final Fours to Tri-County Swimming but he’s happiest on a sideline interviewing South Jersey scholastic athletes. Follow him on twitter @Rimbacksports. Email him with story ideas at tomrimback@gmail.com and, most importantly, support local journalism with a subscription to the Courier-Post.

The article initially appeared in the Cherry Hill Courier-Post. Tuten begins Day 3 of the NFL Draft with a touch of South Jersey flair.