PHILADELPHIA – Junior running back Christian McCaffrey was selected by the Carolina Panthers with the eighth overall pick of the NFL Draft.
McCaffrey is the 25th first-round draft pick in program history. He is Stanford's highest running back draft pick since 1982.
.@CMcCaffrey5 has realized his dream! Selected No. 8 overall in the #NFLDraft by the @Panthers.#WildCaff #StanfordNFL #KeepPounding pic.twitter.com/VxeqZgM86R
— Stanford Football (@StanfordFball) April 28, 2017
The newest running back for the @Panthers...@CMcCaffrey5!#NFLDraft pic.twitter.com/YQfmD87Cg9
— NFL (@NFL) April 28, 2017
Along with teammate Solomon Thomas' third overall selection to the San Francisco 49ers, Stanford has two top-10 picks for the fifth time ever -- 1942, 1972, 1978, 1992 and 2017.
That feeling when your dreams come true. Welcome to the @NFL, @CMcCaffrey5! pic.twitter.com/yISKEu2dpu
— Carolina Panthers (@Panthers) April 28, 2017
McCaffrey is the sixth first-round draft pick in as many seasons Bradford M. Freeman Director of Football David Shaw, and the only first-round running back. Shaw has also produced five first-round offensive players.
Welcome to the family @CMcCaffrey5! #PanthersDraft pic.twitter.com/9a8zFezKlc
— Carolina Panthers (@Panthers) April 28, 2017
McCaffrey, the CoSIDA Academic All-American of the Year, led the nation in 2016 with 211.6 all-purpose yards/game and ranked fourth nationally with 145.7 rushing yards/game. His 2,327 all-purpose yards as a junior ranked second in Stanford history, only bested by his NCAA record of 3,864 set in 2015.
Congratulations @CMcCaffrey5 and @Panthers! The most dynamic player in the nation will thrive in Carolina.#NFLDraft #StanfordNFL #WildCaff pic.twitter.com/2fMT7lC9r8
— Stanford Football (@StanfordFball) April 28, 2017
The newest member of the squad. #PanthersDraft pic.twitter.com/WWZQkJqSCY
— Carolina Panthers (@Panthers) April 28, 2017
His 1,603 rushing yards this past season was tops in the Pac-12 and fourth-most in a single season in school history. Over the final five games of his college career, he averaged 198.2 yards on the ground and scored 12 combined touchdowns (rushing and receiving).
.@CMcCaffrey5 is Stanford's highest running back draft pick in 35 years.#WildCaff #StanfordNFL #NFLDraft #KeepPounding pic.twitter.com/soLWQ9EqTL
— Stanford Football (@StanfordFball) April 28, 2017
.@panthers select RB @CMcCaffrey5 8th overall!
— NFL Network (@nflnetwork) April 28, 2017
First time in 25 years 2 Stanford players went in the top 10 pic.twitter.com/tAwpUiH31E
McCaffrey became Stanford's first AP Player of the Year in 2015, the same season he was named Pac-12 Offensive Player of the Year, Rose Bowl Game Most Outstanding Offensive Player, consensus All-America, and Heisman Trophy finalist.
In 2015, McCaffrey was the only FBS player to lead his team in rushing and receiving yards, and won the Paul Hornung Award as the nation's most versatile player.
McCaffrey's father, Ed, was a third-round pick by the New York Giants in 1991.