Byron Cowart is officially headed to the next level. The defensive lineman was drafted 159th overall by the New England Patriots in the fifth round of the NFL Draft on Saturday. He becomes the second Maryland player to be drafted this weekend, joining first-rounder Darnell Savage Jr.
Although Cowart was expected to be an NFL player coming out of high school, he didn’t take the road everyone expected. After committing to Auburn as one of the top recruits in the country, he failed to live up to expectations and transferred to Hillsborough Community College three games into the 2017 season.