KANSAS CITY (WTKR) — Before Saturday's third and final day of the 2023 NFL Draft, Old Dominion football had never had a three-player class taken in the draft.
Four rounds later, that milestone officially reached.
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Monarch offensive lineman Nick Saldiveri was picked with the first choice in the fourth round by the New Orleans Saints. Saldiveri started three seasons for the silver and blue, grabbing all-conference honors in 2021 and 2022. He attended the Reese's Senior Bowl where he talked with the Saints, something that continued throughout the draft process.
"With my agency, they sent me like seven hats. Teams that we felt like were a good fit and that it could work out like this," he said in a post draft press conference. "The Saints were obviously one of them. I had a feeling and I was obviously super jacked up to get the phone call and I'm super fired up to get out there."
In the sixth round, ODU defensive back Tre Hawkins III was taken by the New York Giants at 206th overall. In his final season in Norfolk, the Texas native intercepted two passes and broke up six total, starting all 15 games he played at Old Dominion.
ODU tight end Zack Kuntz had his NFL Draft destiny answered in the next round, with the New York Jets taking him at pick 220. The Penn State transfer hauled in 85 catches for 836 yards and seven touchdowns.
After an injury ended his 2022 season, Kuntz put up some terrific NFL Combine numbers, becoming the tallest player in Combine history to hit a 40+ inch vertical and running a 4.55 time in the 40-yard dash.
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He'll now have the chance to catch passes from four-time NFL MVP Aaron Rodgers, who was traded to the Jets from the Packers just days before the draft.
"That's a tremendous opportunity to be able to go into that as a rookie," Kuntz said. "The most you can get out of it is learning. You have a future Hall of Famer taking the helm so anything I can do as a younger guy, obviously to learn, but still producing and still adding value in anyway possible."
"He's a guy that's been doing it the right way for a long time so I'm sure he's got some knowledge to drop on me as well."
