The football journey for a bevy of local prospects continued over the weekend following the NFL Draft.
On Thursday, Waimānalo native Tetairoa McMillan was selected in the first round by the Carolina Panthers with the eighth overall pick. He is expected to sign a fully guaranteed rookie contract in worth approxamately four years and $27.8 million with a $16.7 million signing bonus, per Spotrac.
On Friday, Saint Louis alumnus Jonah Savaiinaea was selected in the second round by the Miami Dolphins with the 37th overall selection, joining fellow Crusader Tua Tagovailoa.
Mililani alumnus Dillon Gabriel was one of the surprises of the draft, getting picked by the Cleveland Browns with the 30th pick of the third round. Gabriel was initially projected to be the picked on Day 3. His Day 2 selection was the talk of the draft, particularly after he was chosen before Colorado star quarterback Shedeur Sanders, the son of Deion Sanders.
Day 3 of the NFL Draft came and went on Saturday without any other local players getting selected. However, following the third round, a bevy of players with Hawai‘i ties signed deals with teams.
Former Kapolei defensive lineman Treven Ma'ae, who finished his collegiate career at Baylor, signed a free agent deal with the Las Vegas Raiders. Meanwhile, Pac-Five alumnus Leif Fautanu signed a free agent deal with the Detroit Lions after finishing his collegiate career at Arizona State. Additionally, former Saint Louis standout offensive lineman Ben Scott (Nebraska) signed a free agent deal with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
A trio of former University of Hawai‘i football players in Brayden Schager, Luke Felix-Fualalo and Cam Stone earned rookie minicamp invites. Schager will compete with the Baltimore Ravens, while Felix-Fualalo and Stone will do so for the Seattle Seahawks.
Additionally, Punahou alumnus Alaka‘i Gilman (Utah) got a minicamp invite with the Los Angeles Chargers, the same franchise where his older brother, Alohi, is a starting safety.
Christian Shimabuku can be reached at christian@alohastatedaily.com.
