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The league announced Thursday, April 28 that a slew of football legends and active players are set to call up draft selections onto the NFL’s biggest stage, including the San Francisco 49ers’ 2015 pick, Arik Armstead, who will be announcing the team’s No. 61 pick.
While nerves typically run high during the opening night of the NFL Draft, some seem to forget that the following two days are just as important as the first round in the grand scheme of things. This goes double for those teams who aren’t on the clock during the pivotal Day 1 – ‘Niners included.
And Armstead is in good company when it comes to being surrounded by some NFL stars who will also be calling out draftee names on April 29.
Excitement All Around
Armstead tweeted out the news earlier in the day along with a photo of him happily holding up a San Francisco jersey the night he was drafted into the pros.
“I didn’t go to the draft in 2015 but I am getting my draft day experience this weekend,” Armstead tweeted. “I will be announcing the @49ers 2nd round pick tomorrow. Who else will be in Las Vegas?”
The former Oregon defensive lineman was taken with the No. 17 overall pick and is a Northern California darling thanks to his Sacramento ties (Armstead attended Pleasant Grove High School in Elk Grove), so fans were thrilled when he made the announcement on Twitter.
“Sac Town’s finest right here!!!” one person tweeted. “Thankful we drafted you, Arik!! You represent Sacramento like a Big Dog!!”
“Omg I love this,” another said.
“Question is which 2nd round pick will you be announcing?” another asked.
In Legendary Company
Armstead is among other high-profile names set to announce teams’ picks during Round 2 including Dallas Cowboys running back Emmitt Smith, Las Vegas Raiders running back Marcus Allen, Pro Football Hall of Famer Larry Csonka, and Kansas City Chiefs tight end Tony Gonzalez.
Fans saw a slew of elite former players walk the Las Vegas stage on Day 1, including the 1976 Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Franco Harris, who announced the Pittsburgh Steelers first round selection of quarterback Kenny Pickett.
And calling his team’s pick isn’t all the 28-year-old will be doing.
“In addition to announcing NFL Draft selections, players are on-site to mentor the prospects and give back to the city of Las Vegas through a variety of service driven events to celebrate this momentous occasion,” an NFL news release said.
Drama in the City by the Bay
All eyes have been glued to every move that San Francisco has made in the past few days thanks to the heated Deebo Samuel debacle. Some insiders believed that the star wide receiver would be involved in a bombshell trade during the first round of the draft, but the rumors were just that – rumors
As of the end of Round 1, Samuel is still with the 49ers.
Armstead being in the spotlight on Day 2 can pull focus from the chatter and shine the light back where it belongs – on the ‘Niners’ pick at 61. There are a handful of players the DE might call, including Western Michigan WR Skyy Moore, Western Kentucky edge rusher DeAngelo Malone and Sam Houston State cornerback Zyon McCollum.
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