4/25/2020 football Edit

Kamren Curl becomes rare drafted defensive back from Arkansas

Kamren Curl was one of the top safeties in the SEC in 2019, according to Pro Football Focus. (Mark Zerof-USA TODAY Sports)

Andrew Hutchinson • HawgBeat

Managing Editor

College Students, get a year of HawgBeat coverage for just $11.95. Request details via email from your school account (.edu) to nchavanelle@yahoo.com.

The second Arkansas player taken in the 2020 NFL Draft is Kamren Curl, who went in the seventh round with the 216th overall pick to the Washington Redskins.

Curl joins defensive lineman McTelvin Agim (Broncos, fourth round, 95th overall) as drafted Razorbacks so far. It’s the 11th straight year multiple Arkansas players have been taken in the draft.

The only early entrant from Arkansas in this year’s draft, Curl was a highly sought-after 5.7 three-star safety coming out of Muskogee, Okla., in the Class of 2017. Among his 26 offers were 11 Power Five schools, including Nebraska, Ole Miss, Oklahoma and Texas, and he was a one-time commit to Texas Tech.

Ultimately, he decided to go just a couple of hours east from his hometown and pick Arkansas a couple of weeks before National Signing Day.

Once in Fayetteville, Curl moved to corner. An injury to starter Ryan Pulley in the first half of the season opener thrust him into the starting lineup as a true freshman and he racked up eight pass breakups - the most by an Arkansas freshman in 16 years.

After the coaching change, Curl switched back to his natural safety position and started 22 games over the last two years.

Fairly or not, he’ll likely be remembered by Arkansas fans for one of the three games he didn’t start during his career. Curl and Pulley were suspended for the 2018 finale at Missouri because they were spotted flirting with Mississippi State dance team members before the game a week earlier.

That incident and the historically bad defenses he was a part overshadowed what was actually a solid junior season for the Razorbacks. A preseason third-team All-SEC pick by the coaches, Curl made 76 tackles, including four for a loss and two sacks.

Curl also made a team-high two interceptions, forced a pair of fumbles and had two fumble recoveries, one of which he returned 69 yards for a touchdown against Ole Miss.

He didn’t receive any postseason accolades from the traditional coaches or AP All-SEC teams, but Curl was named a second-team all-conference performer by Pro Football Focus. His 87.6 overall grade from PFF was the highest mark on the team and tied for the third highest among SEC safeties.

By going to the Redskins, Curl becomes Arkansas’ first defensive back to be drafted since Tevin Mitchel in 2015 (sixth round, 182nd overall) and its first safety drafted since Vickiel Vaughn in 2006 (seventh round, 254th overall).

Mitchel was the Razorbacks’ only defensive back taken in the previous 12 NFL Drafts. They had six drafted between 2000-07.