NFL Draft: Antoine Green drafted by the Detroit Lions in the seventh round of the NFL draft

The Third of the Tar Heels looking to hear his name being called had to wait all of Saturday, but in the end, he heard it.

Green is someone who benefited from having an extra year granted to him because of the COIVD exemption given to everyone who was in school for the 2020 season. He made appearances in all five of his seasons in Chapel Hill. In 2021 he started all 13 games as a wide receiver and was second on the team in receptions, yards, and touchdowns. Still, the numbers weren’t enough for him to feel he would get drafted last year, so he returned in 2022.

It was the right decision.

While an injury hampered Green to where he only appeared in nine games, starting in eight, he still managed to lead the team in yards per catch, grabbed a Third Team All-Acc, and was the ACC Receiver of the week after his amazing performance in the October 29th game against Pittsburgh. Green caught it 10 times for 180 yards, hauled in two touchdowns, and had a long catch of 50 yards. This was after a 113 yard effort against Duke that saw him haul in a 53 yard catch and another Touchdown.

He was borderline to play in the Holiday Bowl, but once field conditions in San Diego were discovered to be...sub optimal...he was a pre-game scratch, and his absence was felt. That said it was easily the right move for someone who was at this level of the draft, as any sort of injury would have hampered him from being able to work out for teams. It was pretty clear that those workouts provided the information at least one team needed.

Green joins a high-flying Lions offensive attack that ranked fourth in the league in total offense, just added to its running back room, and saw 4,281 yards of passing. It used to be that a seventh round pick had no chance of staying on, but Green is going to be given every chance to show he can be a downfield weapon, stretching what will likely already be an open field for the Lions.

Good luck in Detroit, Antoine Green! Congrats on hearing your name called!