Baltimore Picks Mark Clayton in First Round

NORMAN, Okla. -- Mark Clayton, the all-time leading receiver in Oklahoma history, is bound for Baltimore. As expected, the Arlington, Texas, native went in the first-round to the Ravens. He was the No. 22 pick overall.

Clayton joined teammate Jammal Brown as a first-round pick. Brown went in the No. 13 slot to New Orleans. Oklahoma now has a first-round pick in three straight seasons and in four of Bob Stoops' six seasons in Norman.

This marks the first time that multiple Sooners went in the first round since 1988 when Rickey Dixon went to Cincinnati and Keith Jackson to Philadelphia.

2005 Oklahoma NFL Draft Central

Clayton rewrote the Oklahoma record book for receiving with 221 career receptions for 3,241 yards and three touchdowns. He also returned one punt return for a touchdown during his time with the Sooners. At 5-11, 187 pounds, Clayton proved to be one of the most elusive receivers in college football in recording yards after the catch.

Clayton is just the fourth Oklahoma player drafted by Baltimore, the second during the Stoops era. TE Trent Smith went to the Ravens as a seventh-round pick in 2003.

The Sooners have been draft-active in recent years, but Clayton proves to be at least somewhat a novelty. He is the first OU receiver drated since Anthony Stafford was a sixth-round pick for Denver in 1989. Clayton is the first OU pass-catcher taken in the first round since Billy Brooks went to Cincinnati in 1976. Brooks was the No. 11 pick overall.

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Mark Clayton might now have been the fastest receiver in the draft. And he sure was not the biggest. But Clayton was Eric DeCosta's favorite, a significant reason why the Ravens took the former Oklahoma wideout with the 22nd overall pick in the 2005 Draft Saturday.

After watching four of their top targets go in the preceding nine picks, the Ravens had to sweat out Clayton, but in the end, their draft-day magic did not leave with Phil Savage, who is now the Browns' general manager.

“I'm very excited,” said DeCosta, whose opinion now carries more weight. “I saw a lot of players this fall, and Mark was one of the few guys I saw that I thought was a true, Ravens-type player...

Baltimore Ravens Release on Clayton | NFL Draft Profile

University of Oklahoma Athletics

Baltimore Picks Mark Clayton in First Round

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