South Carolina defender Kingsley Enagbare selected by Green Bay Packers
The South Carolina Gamecocks had three former players hear their names called in this year’s NFL Draft.
Defensive end Kingsley “JJ” Enagbare, running back Kevin Harris and tight end Nick Muse were all selected Saturday on the draft’s final day.
Enagbare was selected as a linebacker with the 179th pick by the Green Bay Packers in the draft’s fifth round. He entered the season as a projected first round draft pick, but watched his stock slowly decrease given the slew of talented pass rushers in this year’s class coupled with a less-dominant-than-expected campaign.
“Engabare isn’t a quick-twitch speed rusher, he is more of a long, heavy-handed power rusher,” The Athletic’s Dane Brugler told The State. “So while the 4.87 40-yard dash at 258 pounds at the combine is a below average number, I don’t think it was completely unexpected. The 7.51 three-cone at the pro day was also below average by NFL standards.”
The Georgia native anchored the South Carolina defensive line opposite Aaron Sterling in his first and only year under defensive coordinator Clayton White. Enagbare finished the season with a career-high 42 tackles, but his five tackles for a loss and 2.5 sacks were his lowest outputs since he was a freshman in 2019.
Enagbare is the sixth South Carolina defensive end to be drafted since 2011 and the first since D.J. Wonnum was selected in the fourth round by the Minnesota Vikings in 2020.
The Gamecocks have now had at least one player selected in the first three rounds of the NFL Draft since getting shut out entirely in 2017. Cornerback Jaycee Horn — who was in the same recruiting class as Enagbare — was the first South Carolina player off the board last season when he was taken with the No. 9 overall selection by the Carolina Panthers.
Kevin Harris to Patriots
Former Gamecocks tailback Kevin Harris was selected Saturday in the sixth round and No. 183 overall by the New England Patriots in the 2022 NFL Draft.
Harris finished the 2020 season as the Southeastern Conference’s leading rusher, racing to 1,138 yards and 15 touchdowns in just 10 games. Offseason back surgery limited Harris’ production in 2021. He missed South Carolina’s season opener against Eastern Illinois and didn’t participate in contact activity until his first carry of the East Carolina game in Week 2, he told The State earlier this year.
“The back injury is an important part of Harris’ evaluation and will be interpreted differently by each team,” Brugler told The State. “He doesn’t have the creativity or burst as a runner, regardless if you’re studying the 2020 or 2021 tape. But his run strength and balance while keeping his pads square to the line are positives to his game. Regardless, he needs to be more consistent on passing downs to make it in the NFL.”
Harris worked his way back to full health and fitness by season’s end, running for 128 yards in a win over Florida and and another 182 yards and a touchdown in the Duke’s Mayo Bowl victory against North Carolina.
The Georgia native tested well during his appearance at the NFL Combine in Indianapolis. Harris finishing second out of the 32 running backs that participated in the vertical jump with a 38.5-inch mark. His 10-foot, 6-inch broad jump also ranked third out of 30 rushers who took part the drill in Indianapolis.
Nick Muse to Vikings
South Carolina tight end Nick Muse, the brother of former Clemson standout Tanner Muse, was selected by the Minnesota Vikings in the seventh round and No. 227 overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft on Saturday.
The 6-foot-5, 259-pound Muse finished his career at South Carolina as a largely reliable pass catcher and solid blocker on running downs, concluding his time in Columbia with 805 yards receiving and three touchdowns on 67 catches over three years.
The North Carolina native began his career at William & Mary, where he earned third-team All-Colonial Athletic Association honors as a sophomore. Muse capped his second season in Williamsburg, Virginia ranking seventh in the CAA in receiving yards per game (64.7) and second on the team in catches (30) and receiving yards (453).
Muse’s best season as a Gamecock came in 2020, when he recorded 30 receptions for 425 yards receiving, slotting him second on the squad in both categories behind only 2021 sixth round draftee Shi Smith. He was named a fourth team All-SEC performer by Phil Steele.
“Muse is an interesting talent who could be drafted late,” Brugler said. “He has more drops than you want and his routes need continued refinement. But he is a ‘make it’ competitor and tested really well with a 4.70 40-yard dash at 258 pounds at the Gamecocks pro day. It wouldn’t be a surprise to see Muse earn a backup role as a rookie.”
Muse is the third South Carolina tight end to be drafted in recent years after Hayden Hurst (2018) and Jerrell Adams (2016) were both selected in the NFL Draft after their Gamecocks careers.
Tanner Muse was also previously drafted, going in the third round and No. 100 overall to the Las Vegas Raiders in the 2020 NFL Draft.
This story was originally published April 30, 2022 at 3:40 PM.
