CLEVELAND – Kawaan Baker became the second individual in the University of South Alabama football program's history to be selected in the annual National Football League Draft when he was announced on Saturday as the final pick of the New Orleans Saints.
Baker — who was taken with the 27th selection of the seventh round, going 255th overall — joins former Jaguar Gerald Everett, who was chosen by the Los Angeles Rams in the second round of the 2017 NFL Draft and just signed as a free agent with the Seattle Seahawks this offseason.
A three-time all-Sun Belt Conference honoree, Baker ended his South career as the school's all-time leader with 1,829 receiving yards as well as tied for first with 16 touchdown catches and second with 126 receptions. The Atlanta, Ga., native ended up among the top 10 in 13 different statistical categories overall, including tying for second after scoring 27 touchdowns and fourth with a total of 2,748 all-purpose yards.
Last season, Baker posted career highs after catching 51 passes for 659 yards and eight touchdowns as he ranked among the top six in the Sun Belt in both receptions and receiving yards per game while earning second-team all-league accolades. He was selected the SBC co-Offensive Player of the Week after recording 154 yards and three touchdowns — both career-high figures — on six catches in the Jags' win over ULM, and he led all players with seven receptions for 129 yards and a score against Tulane in the first-ever game played at Hancock Whitney Stadium.
The wide receiver was named honorable mention all-conference as a junior when he finished with a team-best 35 receptions for 574 yards and three touchdowns, earning the same honor the previous season after recording 33 catches for 494 yards while tying a school season record with 13 total touchdowns as he ranked 10th in the league and among the top 100 nationally in points per game.
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