Sprinkle Drafted By Washington In 5th Round

Sprinkle’s Bio & StatsArkansas’ All-Time Draft Picks | Bielema’s All-Time Draft Picks

PHILADELPHIA – University of Arkansas tight end Jeremy Sprinkle was selected in the fifth round of the 2017 NFL Draft when he was taken with the 154th overall pick by the Washington Redskins on Saturday.

Sprinkle becomes the eighth Arkansas tight end to ever be drafted, including the third in the Bret Bielema era. With Sprinkle’s selection, Arkansas becomes the only program with five tight end selections in the NFL Draft since 2011.

In Bielema’s 11-year head coaching career, he has had six tight ends drafted, which is tops among FBS head coaches during that span. Bielema’s career total of NFL Draft picks now stands at 41, including 16 at Arkansas.

Arkansas’ all-time leader in touchdown receptions by a tight end, Sprinkle played 50 games with 20 starts. He finished with 71 receptions for 921 yards and 11 touchdowns. Of his 71 career catches, 47 resulted in either a first down or touchdown for a conversion rate of 66.2 percent, while 14 were turned into 20-plus yard gains. According to Pro Football Focus, he only dropped five catchable passes combined over the last three seasons.

Sprinkle finished his senior season tied for second in touchdowns (4) among Southeastern Conference tight ends, fourth in receiving yards (380) and fifth in receptions (33). He had a catch in all 12 games played and three or more eight times. The White Hall, Arkansas, product was one of two tight ends in the nation to score a TD in each of the first three weeks of the season and the first Arkansas player to do so since 2005.

As a junior in 2015, Sprinkle caught 27 passes for 389 yards and led all SEC tight ends with six receiving touchdowns, good for a tie for ninth among Football Bowl Subdivision tight ends. All six scoring grabs came during the final seven games of the season, including three against Mississippi State, which equaled the program single-game record and tied for the most touchdowns by an FBS tight end.

One of the most impressive parts of Sprinkle’s junior campaign was that 21 of his 27 receptions resulted in a first down or touchdown, for a conversion rate of 77.8 percent. In addition, 16 of his receptions went for at least 10 yards, including seven for 20 yards or more.

Sprinkle’s Quick Hits
Hauled in a TD pass in nine career games.
Caught a pass in 32 career games.
Reeled in a 20-yard pass in seven of 12 games in 2016, including the last four he played.
Caught the game-winning TD in the fourth quarter of the 2016 season opener against Louisiana Tech.
Had a 19-yard TD on third down in the first OT of the 41-38 (2OT) win at No. 15 TCU on Sept. 10, 2016.
Broke the program record for TD catches by a tight end against No. 1 Alabama on Oct. 8, 2016.

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