Northwestern Produces Pair of First-Round Picks for First Time in Program History

Northwestern made program history on Thursday night as Rashawn Slater and Greg Newsome II were both selected in the first round.

Is Northwestern the new powerhouse in the Big Ten? Thursday's NFL draft results suggest as much. 

The Wildcats were one of two Big Ten program to produce a pair of first-round picks, with offensive lineman Rashawn Slater going No. 13 to the Chargers before the Browns selected cornerback Greg Newsome II with the No. 26 pick. Perhaps Ohio State has more competition than it originally assumed in the heartland. 

Thursday's selections were certainly a rarity for the Wildcats. Northwestern had never previously produced more than one first-rounder in a single draft, and the program's last first-round pick came with the selection of defensive tackle Luis Castillo in 2005. Offensive tackle Chris Hinton is the Wildcats' highest draft pick in school history after being drafted at No. 4 in 1983. 

With the No. 13 pick, the @Chargers select: Rashawn Slater, OL, Northwestern@rdsl8r | @NUFBFamily

📺: 2021 #NFLDraft on NFLN/ESPN/ABC pic.twitter.com/JMvEF3PQee

— NFL (@NFL) April 30, 2021

"I call him a 🦄" - @coachfitz51

• High-level CB
• No off-the-field baggage
• Great leader
• Great captain
• Terrific teammate #ProCats | @gnewsii pic.twitter.com/0nphGoALyg

— Northwestern Football (@NUFBFamily) April 27, 2021

Penn State tallied a pair of first-round picks on Thursday. Linebacker Micah Parsons was selected by Dallas at No. 12 before the Ravens drafted EDGE Jayson Oweh at No. 31. Ohio State logged just one first-round pick as quarterback Justin Fields was drafted by the Bears with the No. 11 pick.