GETTING THEIR CHANCE Wonnum, Brunson drafted as nine Gamecocks signed by NFL teams
W
By Josh Hyber | Staff writer • Photos by Allen Sharpe and Jenny Dilworth hile Javon Kinlaw was the standout on South Carolina’s defense last season, it was D.J. Wonnum and T.J. Brunson who were the
heart and soul. Both were chosen on day three of the 2020 NFL Draft. Wonnum, the Buck linebacker/defensive end, was chosen by the Minnesota Vikings in the fourth round (No. 117 overall). The 6-5, 260-pounder became the first Gamecock selected by the Vikings since Jasper Brinkley was taken in the fifth round of the 2009 draft. Brunson, the 6-1, 229-pound linebacker, was chosen by the New York Giants, a franchise with a lengthy list of legendary linebackers, with the No. 238 overall pick (seventh round). The four draft picks (Kinlaw, Bryan Edwards, Wonnum and Brunson) are the most selections for South Carolina since the 2015 Draft when A.J. Cann, Mike Davis, Corey Robinson and Rory “Busta” Anderson were taken.
10 FOOTBALL • NFL DRAFT
Both day three picks were widely acclaimed. Louis Riddick said Wonnum has the ability to play defensive end and linebacker in the NFL. “He plays with tremendous heavy hands in the run game, and then in the pass game he has tremendous cornering speed,” the ESPN analyst and former NFL scout said. “He has the ability to get to that high-side pad, use his hands and then close on the quarterback. He’s also a guy who you can move around as what they call a Joker in a two-point stance. … He doesn’t always have to be at the end of the line of scrimmage. They can move him inside and have him just stand up over the center and pick his gap. “This is a tremendous value pick in my estimation because of the versatility he gives them.” Former Gamecock defensive lineman Langston Moore (1999-2002), who crossed paths with Wonnum while the latter was training at the EXOS training facility in Frisco,
FREE AGENTS Though not drafted, five former Gamecocks signed rookie freeagent contracts or were invited to a team’s minicamp.
RB RICO DOWDLE Dallas Cowboys
RB TAVIEN FEASTER Jacksonville Jaguars
TE KYLE MARKWAY New York Giants
DT KOBE SMITH Tennessee Titans
C DONELL STANLEY Miami Dolphins
MAY 2020
