Southeast Missouri offensive tackle Drew Forbes was selected in the sixth round of the 2019 National Football League Draft Saturday. The Cleveland Browns drafted Forbes as the 189th overall pick, the Redhawks second-highest draft pick in school history.
SEMO had a player drafted for the second year in a row, marking the first time since 2003 (Willie Ponder, New York Giants) and 2004 (Eugene Amano, Tennessee Titans) that the Redhawkshad a player drafted in back-to-back years.
Forbes is SEMO’s 15thdraft pick all-time and follows former teammate Kendall Donnerson who was selected by the Green Bay Packers in the seventh round of last year’s draft. His 40-yard dash time of 4.87 seconds at SEMO’s pro day was faster than any offensive linemen times at this year’s combine.
Forbes helped SEMO to its second-ever Football Championship Subdivision Playoff berth as it ranked 12th nationally in scoring offense (37.1 points/game); that mark shattered the school record for points/game in a season (previously 34.7 by the 2002 team) and was an improvement of 16.6 points/game over a season ago.
He helped block for Ohio Valley Conference Offensive Player of the Year Marquis Terry who ran for 1,229 yards and 14 touchdowns despite missing parts of four games. Forbes helped protect transfer quarterback Daniel Santacaterinawho passed for 28 touchdowns (eighth-most in OVC single-season history) and 2,844 yards.
Forbes played in every game and started three seasons at SEMO. He ended his college career with a streak of 35-consecutive starts.
A First-Team All-OVC selection, Forbes was named to the Walter Camp, STATS, Phil Steele, Associated Press, HERO Sports and Athlon Sports All-America teams following his senior campaign.
Forbes visited seven different NFL teams ahead of the draft, including the San Francisco 49ers, Minnesota Vikings, Atlanta Falcons, Green Bay Packers, Cleveland Browns, New York Jets and a team wishing not to be named.
Southeast Missouri NFL Draft Picks
1955 Ken Dement, T (25thround, 296thpick), New York Giants
1958 John Wittenborn, G (17thround, 203rdpick), San Francisco 49ers; John Harbour, T (23rdround, 266thpick), Chicago Cardinals
1972 Eddie Moss, RB (13thround, 313thpick), Buffalo Bills
1973 Dan Peiffer, C (14thround, 346thpick), St. Louis Cardinals
1974 David Means, DE (12thround, 303rdpick), Buffalo Bills
1978 Mike Wood, K (8thround, 204thpick), Minnesota Vikings
1980 Kent Davis, DB (9thround, 231stpick), Buffalo Bills
1989 Rick Aeilts, TE (8thround, 214thpick), Cleveland Browns
1990 Tony Walker, LB (6thround, 148thpick), Indianapolis Colts
1998 Angel Rubio, DE (7thround, 221stpick), Pittsburgh Steelers
2003 Willie Ponder, WR (6thround, 199thpick), New York Giants
2004 Eugene Amano, C (7thround, 239thpick), Tennessee Titans
2018 Kendall Donnerson, LB (7thround, 248thpick), Green Bay Packers
2019 Drew Forbes, OL (6th round, 189th pick), Cleveland Browns