5 Sooners Picked On Day Three Of NFL Draft, 7 Overall

Five University of Oklahoma players were selected on the final day of the 2022 NFL Draft on Saturday, giving the Sooners seven overall picks on the weekend. Defensive tackle Perrion Winfrey was the third pick of the fourth round (108th overall) by the Cleveland Browns, safety Delarrin Turner-Yell was the ninth selection of the fifth round (152nd overall) by the Denver Broncos, wide receiver Michael Woods II was the 24th pick of the sixth round (202nd overall) by the Browns, defensive end Isaiah Thomas was the second pick of the seventh round (223rd overall) by the Browns and offensive lineman Marquis Hayes was the 36th selection of the seventh round (257th overall) by the Arizona Cardinals.

Oklahoma's seven overall selections led the Big 12 and were tied with Alabama for the fifth most of any program. This marks the 15th straight year the Sooners have produced at least four NFL Draft picks, good for the longest streak in the country. OU now has 409 all-time NFL Draft picks, fifth most nationally.

This draft also marked the first since 1984 that each of OU's first four selections were defensive players.

Outside linebacker Nik Bonitto (No. 32 selection in the second round; 64th overall) and linebacker Brian Asamoah (No. 2 selection in the third round; 66th overall) were drafted Friday by the Denver Broncos and Minnesota Vikings, respectively.

The 6-4, 290-pound Winfrey played two seasons at OU after transferring from Iowa Western Community College. He was a two-time second-team All-Big 12 honoree as a Sooner, starting in 20 of the 23 games in which he played. He totaled 42 tackles, 17.0 tackles for loss and 6.0 sacks during his two seasons in Norman.

As a senior in 2021, Winfrey, a multidisciplinary studies major from Maywood, Ill., registered 23 total tackles, 11.0 TFLs (totaling 44 lost yards) and 5.5 sacks (for 29 lost yards). Each of his last five stops of the season (and six of the last seven) went for lost yardage. He also forced a fumble that resulted in a safety in OU's regular season finale at Oklahoma State. He registered three tackles, 2.0 TFLs, 1.0 sack and a QB hurry against Texas and recorded a career-high 1.5 sacks against Western Carolina.

During the 2020 campaign, Winfrey notched 19 tackles, 6.0 TFLs and three pass breakups. He tallied a season-high four tackles and a pass breakup against Baylor and recorded a season-high 1.5 TFLs and a pass breakup at Iowa State. He also blocked a field goal in the third overtime of OU's 53-45 four-OT win over Texas.

Turner-Yell, a 5-10, 197-pounder from Hempstead, Texas, played four years for the Sooners and started 31 of his 40 games (all of his starts came over the last three seasons). He finished his college career with 191 tackles, 10.0 tackles for loss, four interceptions and six pass breakups.

Turner-Yell earned second-team All-Big 12 honors as a senior in 2021 after starting all 10 of his games and logging 52 tackles, 2.5 TFLs and a team-high three interceptions.

He played in 10 games (eight starts) in COVID-shortened 2020 and ranked second on the team with 52 total tackles while registering 2.0 TFLs and an interception. He started all 13 of his games in 2019 and registered career highs of 75 tackles (second most on team), 5.5 TFLs and three pass breakups. As a freshman in 2018, he missed OU's first six games due to injury but played in seven of the last eight and made 12 tackles.

A 2021 Academic All-Big 12 Team selection, Turner-Yell graduated in December with a degree in human relations.

Woods transferred to OU in 2021 after playing his first three seasons at Arkansas. He started 38 of his 43 career games between the two programs and finished with 118 receptions for 1,648 yards (14.0 average) and 12 touchdowns.

The 6-1, 204-pound Woods earned honorable mention All-Big 12 honors in his only season with the Sooners, registering a career-high 35 catches for 400 yards and two TDs. He started nine of his 11 games.

As a junior at Arkansas in 2020, he started all 10 contests and caught 32 passes for career highs of 619 yards (19.3 average; long of 82) and five touchdowns. That followed a 2019 campaign in which he started all 12 outings and had 33 receptions for 423 yards and four TDs. He started seven of 10 games in 2018 and caught 18 passes for 206 yards and a TD.

Woods, from Magnolia, Texas, graduated from Arkansas in May 2021 with a degree in recreaton and sport management.

Thomas was at OU for five years and earned second-team All-Big 12 honors each of the last two. The 6-5, 266-pound Tulsa native played in 43 career games and made 22 starts (all over the last two seasons). He finished his career with 81 tackles, 26.5 tackles for loss (for 151 yards), 18.5 sacks (for 127 yards), four forced fumbles, three fumble recoveries and seven pass breakups.

He started 11 of his 12 games as a redshirt senior in 2021 and logged career highs of 38 tackles, three forced fumbles and four pass breakups, as well as 11.5 TFLs and a team-high 8.0 sacks.

In 2020, Thomas started all 11 of OU's games and played both defensive end and defensive tackle. He registered 32 tackles, a forced fumble, two fumble recoveries, eight QB hurries, two pass breakups and team and career highs of 13.0 TFLs and 8.5 sacks. He saw action in nine games as a redshirt freshman in 2018 and made four tackles.

A 2020 Academic All-Big 12 Team member, Thomas graduated in August 2021 with a degree in human relations.

Hayes, a 6-5, 318-pounder from St. Louis, played and started at left guard in 37 of OU's 38 games the last three seasons.

He was a second-team All-Big 12 selection in 2021 as a redshirt senior when he started all 13 games. He started all 11 contests in 2020 and allowed just two sacks on 416 pass-blocking plays, according to PFF. As a redshirt sophomore in 2019, he started all 13 of his contests, and in 2018 he saw action in three outings in a reserve role.

Hayes earned Academic All-Big 12 honors the last two years (4.0 GPA in 2021) and graduated in December 2020 with a degree in human relations.