Stevenson, Brown, Norwood Drafted on Day Three

NORMAN — The 2021 NFL Draft concluded Saturday with three more Sooners being selected, as running back Rhamondre Stevenson (New England Patriots) and cornerback Tre Brown (Seattle Seahawks) were taken with 15th and 32nd picks, respectively, in the fourth round and defensive back Tre Norwood (Pittsburgh Steelers) was drafted with the 18th pick in the seventh round.

Stevenson was the No. 120 overall selection, Brown No. 137 and Norwood No. 245.

The trio upped the number of OU draft picks in the four-year Lincoln Riley head coaching era to 21, and the Sooners extended their streak of NFL Drafts with at least four players selected to a nation-leading 14. Center Creed Humphrey (second round; Kansas City Chiefs) and defensive end Ronnie Perkins (third round; Patriots) were drafted Friday.

The Sooners' five selections tied with Texas for most among Big 12 programs.

Stevenson's playing time in an OU uniform was limited but he was extremely effective. The 6-0, 231-pounder from Las Vegas played in 19 career games (five starts) and rushed 165 times for 1,180 yards (7.2 per carry) and 13 touchdowns, while catching 28 passes for 298 yards (10.6 per reception). He ranked fifth nationally in yards per rush (7.2) over the 2019 and 2020 seasons combined (minimum of 150 carries).

The human relations major missed the first five games of the 2020 season, but over the final six contests rushed 101 times for a team-high 665 yards and seven touchdowns (110.8 yards per game and 6.6 yards per carry). Stevenson also registered 18 receptions (3.0 per game) for 211 yards (11.7 per catch) in 2020, a season that culminated with him being named Cotton Bowl Outstanding Offensive Player after rushing 18 times for a career-high 186 yards and a touchdown in 55-20 win over No. 10 Florida.

As a junior in 2019, Stevenson played in 13 of OU's 14 games and rushed 64 times for 515 yards and six touchdowns while catching 10 passes for 87 yards. He led the nation that season (among players with at least 50 rushes) with his 8.0 yards per carry.

"Rhamondre had a short career here in a lot of ways, but he did really make the most of his time," said Riley. "He broke so many tackles. I think that's probably the biggest thing that stands out for him - he's always had the ability to break tackles to get around guys, to run through guys. He has a very low center of gravity and just not much to tackle. He really improved his body, his conditioning level and his understanding of our offense, which allowed him to have a really strong back half of the season for us this past year."

Brown saw the field from the start of his OU career and played in 51 games with 33 starts (each of his last 32 contests). A 2020 second-team All-Big 12 selection by league coaches and media, and a 2018 second-team All-Big 12 pick by coaches as a kick returner, he won four Big 12 championship rings and helped the Sooners to three College Football Playoff appearances.

Brown finished his career with 141 tackles, 8.5 tackles for loss, 2.0 sacks, four interceptions and 31 pass breakups (he ranks sixth in school history). He served as the team's primary kickoff returner his sophomore and junior seasons, and finished his career with 55 returns for 1,207 yards for an average of 21.9 yards and a long of 86.

The 5-10, 185-pound Tulsa native played in 10 games as a senior in 2020 and finished with 31 tackles, a career-high three interceptions and six pass breakups as the Sooners advanced to the Cotton Bowl. He made victory-sealing interceptions as a senior in a four-overtime game against No. 22 Texas and in the Big 12 Championship vs. No. 8 Iowa State (his third interception in 2020 came against Kansas). Brown's only two kickoff returns last season went for 43 yards each and came in his final career game, a 27-21 Big 12 Championship win over No. 8 Iowa State.

An African and African American studies major, Brown played in all 14 games as a junior in 2019 and logged 40 tackles, 11 pass breakups and his first career interception (at UCLA). He saw action in 13 games as a sophomore (started final eight) and registered career highs of 58 tackles (49 unassisted), 6.0 tackles for loss, 2.0 sacks and 12 pass breakups. Brown played in all 14 games as a true freshman in 2017 (one start) and recorded 12 tackles and two pass breakups.

"Tre really grew a lot throughout his career here," said Riley. "He came in as a talented guy and left as a guy who was much more technically sound. He really played consistently for us in the defensive secondary this past year. He made a lot of big plays. He was a big factor in the special teams game as well, which I think had the interest of several NFL teams. I think he'll do a great job in both of those areas with Seattle."

Norwood played multiple defensive back positions during his four years in Norman, seeing action in 39 games and making 24 starts. He finished his career with 111 tackles (74 solo), 2.0 tackles for loss, six interceptions (for 103 yards) and 15 pass breakups.

The Fort Smith, Ark., product missed the 2019 season due to injury but rebounded to play in all 11 games in 2020 and make five starts over the last six contests. He tied for the Big 12 lead and tied for third nationally with five interceptions, all of which came in final six games. He also finished with 23 total tackles and two pass breakups.

Norwood, a 6-0, 192-pounder, closed his career in grand fashion, earning Cotton Bowl Outstanding Defensive Player honors after returning an interception 45 yards for a touchdown and adding two tackles in the victory over Florida.

A December graduate who earned a communication degree, Norwood started all 14 games as a sophomore in 2018, tying for fifth on the team with 58 tackles and adding five pass breakups and an interception. He saw action in all 14 games as a freshman, making starts in the final five outings and finishing with 30 tackles and eight pass breakups.

"It was fun to see Tre bounce back from such a tough injury two years ago and really become a great player for us," said Riley. "He made a lot of big plays and made several big interceptions, especially this past season. I think he really settled into Coach (Alex) Grinch's defense and did a lot of outstanding things. I was always impressed by Tre's work ethic and consistency, and I think what is also really going to help him in the NFL is the ability to play multiple positions. I'm very excited for his opportunity."