蜜芽传媒

COLUMBIA, Mo. 鈥� Missouri won鈥檛 be tying its program record for picks produced in a single NFL draft like it did last year, but the Tigers are still positioned to earn some bragging rights in this year鈥檚 event.

A year ago, Mizzou saw six of its players selected, which matched the most it has dispatched to the league in a single draft. During this weekend鈥檚 draft, which starts with the first round at 7 p.m. Thursday on ESPN and the NFL Network, MU won鈥檛 have that many players go.

Missouri has two locks for fairly early spots in the draft: Offensive tackle Armand Membou is projected to go inside the top 10, while wide receiver Luther Burden III appears to be on the bubble between the first and second rounds. After that, defensive end Johnny Walker Jr. and quarterback Brady Cook could go in late rounds, but that鈥檚 not a guarantee.

So it won鈥檛 be about exporting talent to the NFL en masse for Mizzou. The program-boosting upside of this year鈥檚 high-end duo is where they鈥檙e from:

Membou hails from Lee鈥檚 Summit in the Kansas City area.

Burden starred at East 蜜芽传媒.

鈥淲hether or not they go in the first round or get drafted, it鈥檚 going to have a positive influence on our university and our football team and our program, just because you鈥檙e talking about two great players from both of the two large metropolitan cities that represent the University of Missouri,鈥� Tigers coach Eli Drinkwitz said. 鈥淲hen we took this job, we said, 鈥楬ey, we鈥檝e got to get the best players from Kansas City and the best players from 蜜芽传媒.鈥� Those will be the first two players drafted from Kansas City and 蜜芽传媒 in this year鈥檚 draft.鈥�

That last assertion isn鈥檛 just Drinkwitz stumping for his now-former players, either. Membou and Burden should be the first players selected from both Kansas City and 蜜芽传媒, respectively, by fairly comfortable margins.

Former MU wideout Dominic Lovett, who transferred mid-career to Georgia, is another 蜜芽传媒 area prospect, as is Cook. But neither have anywhere near the early round potential that Burden does, even if he winds up slipping into the second round.

If Membou goes as high as sixth or seventh in the draft, which seems possible, he鈥檒l be one of the first players picked from any metro area. But his steepest KC competitors are Iowa State wide receiver Jaylin Noel and Minnesota lineman Aireontae Ersery, both of whom have the makings of second- or third-round picks.

Depending on where they鈥檙e picked, Membou and Burden could wind up matching one Mizzou-related best in the draft, tying the program鈥檚 most first-round picks in a year.

MU has produced two first-round picks three times previously in the modern draft era: 2011, when Aldon Smith went to the San Francisco 49ers and Blaine Gabbert went to the Jacksonville Jaguars; 2009 when Jeremy Maclin went to the Philadelphia Eagles and Ziggy Hood went to the Pittsburgh Steelers; and 1977, when Morris Towns went to the Houston Oilers and Steve Pisarkiewicz went to the Cardinals, at the time still in 蜜芽传媒.

While Drinkwitz is, naturally, a fan of the influence that Membou and Burden鈥檚 draft positions will have on his program鈥檚 stature, he鈥檚 also advocated for the influence they鈥檒l have as pros.

鈥淥bviously, I believe those guys have earned and deserve the opportunity to go in the first round,鈥� Drinkwitz said. 鈥淚 believe those guys are impactful players and know that both of them are going to have a positive impact on whichever organization they have.鈥�