The Bears remained golden Saturday on Day 3 of the NFL Draft.
Safety Craig Woodson and linebacker Teddye Buchanan were the first two local players off the board as fourth round draft picks, with Woodson going No. 106 overall to the New England Patriots and Buchanan No. 129 to the Baltimore Ravens. A third Cal player, cornerback Marcus Harris, was drafted by the Tennessee Titans in the sixth round, No. 183 overall.
The first local player off the board was Cal cornerback Nohl Williams, who was drafted Friday night by the Kansas City Chiefs in the third round, No. 85 overall.
In Tennessee, Harris will be joined by Stanford wide receiver Elic Ayomanor, selected by the Titans in the fourth round, No. 136 overall.
San Jose State wide receiver Nick Nash, who led the nation in receptions (104), yardage (1,382) and touchdowns (16), was not drafted and according to Fox Sports was expected to sign a free agent contract with the Atlanta Falcons. Nash was projected to be a Day 3 selection.
A two-year captain at Cal, Woodson (6-foot, 210 pounds), had 245 career tackles, 21 pass deflections and five interceptions in 46 games and was versatile enough to play deep safety, box safety and had occasional duty in the slot.
Woodson said the Patriots seemed interested from the beginning of the draft process.
“The Patriots were my only formal interview at the combine, and that stuck out for me,” Woodson said. “Once they had me in for a visit, everything was just great. The staff was great, the coches were great and it was good vibes there.”
So when Woodson got the phone call, he wasn’t overly surprised.
“As soon as I saw the location of the call, saying Foxboro, Massachusetts, I knew it was New England,” Woodson said. “It was great, telling them I was blessed. Now it’s time to go to work”
Woodson believes his experience at Cal will prepare him for the step up in New England, which is now under the direction of Mike Vrabel as head coach.
“At Cal we ran pretty much everything so I don’t think it’s going to be too difficult for me,” Woodson said. “I think I’m going to come in and really transition easy.”
After playing four years at UC Davis, Buchanan became a standout at Cal and boosted his draft stock by being named to the All-Atlantic Coast Conference team with 114 tackles, 12 for losses, two forced fumbles and five sacks.
Unlike Woodson, who was aware New England was interested, Buchanan didn’t hear much from Baltimore during the draft process.
“I honestly haven’t talked to the Ravens as much as other teams but I’m just super grateful to get the opportunity and I’m going to give everything I’ve got to this organization and I’m blessed to be here,” Buchanan said.
Buchanan said he has always admired the Ravens from afar.
“The Ravens are great organization and a team I followed my whole life growing up as a football fan,” Buchanan said. “I think about Ravens linebackers, obviously Ray Lewis kind of epitomizes what a middle linebacker for me was growing up.”
Ayomanor (6-2, 206) was considered a possible Day 2 pick so waiting until Saturday caused some anxious moments. The Titans, who drafted Miami quarterback Cam Ward No. 1 overall, finally called on Day 3 after 18 other wide receivers had been selected.
“I’ll take these emotions and add it to the preparation going forward,” Ayomanor said. “I don’t think I’ll be defined by where I was drafted at. I’m going to do everything I can to prove that to myself.”
In two seasons at Stanford, Ayomanor caught 125 passes for 1,844 yards and 12 touchdowns, but he’s best known for a 13-catch, 294-yard game with three touchdowns against Colorado while being defended by Travis Hunter, the No. 2 overall draft pick by Jacksonville.
“I think I’m a dynamic playmaker,but I think my biggest strength is in my mind,” Ayomanor said. “I think I’m gritty, willing to do what it takes, willing to block in the run game.”
Harris arrived at Cal after being an FCS first-team All-American at Idaho. In the 2024 season with the Bears, Harris played in 13 games with 12 starts with 46 tackles, 2 1/2 tackles for loss, a pair interceptions, a forced fumble and a pass breakup.
Harris said he hadn’t heard much from Tennessee but was “blessed” to be selected. He’s looking forward to being on the same team as Ward, the No. 1 overall pick who engineered a comeback against Cal.
“I played against Cam Ward twice, I played him against Washington State when I was at Idaho and then against Miami with Cal,” Harris said. “Both times we lost by one score so it’s good to finally have him on my team.”