Dayton, Ohio — UPDATE (April 25): The New Orleans Saints late Friday night added Adam Trautman with the 105th pick in the third round of the 2020 NFL Draft.
That makes him the highest ranked UD Flyer ever drafted to the NFL and the tight end is the first UD Flyer drafted since 1977.
Dayton football celebrated the choice via Twitter:
He may now play for the @Saints but he will forever be a Flyer.
— Dayton Football (@DaytonFootball) April 25, 2020
Congrats to #84 Adam Trautman ‼️#NFLDraft20 #GOTGRIT pic.twitter.com/cFawTRa8nb
The Saints welcomed Trautman via social media:
With the 105th pick in the #NFLDraft, the #Saints select TE Adam Trautman, Dayton! #SaintsDraft | @HancockWhitney pic.twitter.com/2RJqNRj9MQ
— New Orleans Saints (@Saints) April 25, 2020
According to NFL.com, Trautman was on NFL scouts’ radar heading into the 2019 season and his senior-year production did little to quiet the hype.
He was a first-team Associated Press FCS All-American and the Pioneer League Offensive Player of the Year after recording 70 receptions for 916 yards (13.1 per) and 14 touchdowns (ranked fifth in the FCS) in 11 starts.
He was a high school quarterback in Michigan and won Dayton’s Scout Team Offensive Player of the Year during his redshirt season in 2015.
He became an offensive weapon in his first year on the field, lining up at tight end, in the slot, and as a Wildcat QB in 11 games (seven starts, 24 receptions, 238 yards, 9.9 average, three touchdowns). In each of the next two seasons, Trautman led the Flyers in receiving and was named second-team all-conference (43 receptions, 537 yards, 12.5 average, five touchdowns in 2017; 41 receptions, 604 yards, 14.7 average, nine touchdowns in 2018).
His brother, Alex, plays linebacker at Dayton.
EARLIER REPORT (April 10)
Adam Trautman knows one thing for sure, he will hear his name called in the NFL draft later this month. The question remains just when will a team use a pick on the Flyers tight end.
“I should go in the second round,” Trautman said before a workout here in Dayton this week. “I could see myself getting pushed to the third if a bunch of receivers start going because the receiver class is really good this year, but I don’t anticipate making it out of day two.”
Several mock drafts online have the Flyers all-time leading pass catcher ending up in New England, but in this game almost nothing is certain.
“Someone could come out of left field and take me that I haven’t really had any contact with so it’s still a toss up.”
Trautman is arguably the best player to wear a Flyers uniform, but in some ways he continues to battle the small school stigma.
""I wouldn’t change a thing about where I went to school," Trautman said. I’m going to be very proud to represent this school in the draft."
Due to the pandemic, the NFL draft won’t be as flashy as planned, but it will go on April, 23, 24, and 25. Trautman will watch with his family and friends here in Dayton.
© 2020 Cox Media Group
