Lawler, Quinn Round Out NFL Draft
via SMU
ARLINGTON, Texas (SMU) – SMU defensive end Justin Lawler and wide receiver Trey Quinn were selected in the seventh round of the 2018 NFL draft. Lawler was chosen as the 26th pick in the round by the Los Angeles Rams, while Quinn went to the Washington Redskins as the draft’s final pick. Lawler and Quinn join Courtland Sutton, who was selected 40th overall by the Denver Broncos.
Lawler, the 244th overall pick, started all 13 games for the Mustangs at defensive end in 2017, helping SMU to seven wins and its first bowl appearance since 2012. A first-team All-American Athletic Conference selection, Lawler was a member of the Ted Hendricks Award Final Watch List and earned a spot on Chuck Bednarik, Bronko Nagurski and Wuerffel Trophy preseason lists. Additionally, he was a nominee for the AFCA Good Works Team.
The Pottsboro, Texas, native tied for the national lead in blocked kicks with three, and led SMU with 15.5 tackles for loss and 9.5 sacks, tied for fifth in a single season for a Mustang. His 0.73 sacks per game ranked him 16th nationally. Lawler was second on the team with 74 tackles (42 solo, 32 asst).
In four seasons on the Hilltop, Lawler played in 49 games finishing with 20.5 sacks, tied for second on SMU’s all-time list, for 145 yards. Lawler registered 226 tackles, 39.5 for loss, and added six blocked kicks.
Quinn led the nation with 114 receptions and 8.8 per game en route to Pro Football Focus First-Team All-America honors. He was also a semifinalist for the Biletnikoff and Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Awards and earned first-team All-AAC accolades.
His 114 receptions is most in a single-season at SMU, and his 13 touchdowns tied for fourth nationally and are second for a Mustang in a season. His 1,236 receiving yards placed him 21st nationally and fourth in a single-season at SMU. He was also in the top 10 for receiving yards per game.
Quinn had a career-high 186 receiving yards at Cincinnati, which ties him for the sixth-highest single-game total at SMU, and posted back-to-back performances with 17 receptions (at Houston, at Cincinnati) and added 15 against UConn to make him the only FBS player with 15+ receptions in three straight games this century.
The last time the Mustangs had multiple players selected in the draft was 2014 when Kenneth Acker went to the San Francisco 49ers and Garrett Gilbert to the then-St. Louis Rams. The three selections are the most since 2012 when Josh LeRibeus (Washington Redskins), Taylor Thompson (Tennessee Titans), Richard Crawford (Washington Redskins) and Kelvin Beachum (Pittsburgh Steelers) were chosen.
