Colorado University Athletics
Colorado cornerback was a first-team All-Pac-12 selection as a junior last fall for the Buffaloes
Isaiah Oliver Drafted in Second Round By Atlanta
April 27, 2018 | Football
BOULDER – University of Colorado cornerback Isaiah Oliver was selected with the 26th pick in the second round, No. 58 overall, by the Atlanta Falcons Friday Night in the 2018 NFL Draft.
Oliver is the fourth Buffalo defensive back to be picked in the last two years and his selection comes after he became the ninth CU player in history to declare early for the draft.
"Isaiah Oliver is a phenomenal corner with still a lot of growth potential left in him," Colorado head coach Mike MacIntyre said. "He has excellent ball skills and is excellent at tracking the football, is a very tough corner, very sure tackler and he is young. He is not going to do anything but keep improving."
In just his three seasons at Colorado, playing in 32 games with 16 starts, he recorded 32 pass breakups to tie for the 10th-most in school history. His 35 passes defended, including adding in his three interceptions, tied for 13th all-time at CU. He had 71 tackles, one for a loss, three tackles for no gain and 18 third down stops in his collegiate career with the Buffs.
He played with four defensive backs who made NFL rosters: Chidobe Awuzie (Cowboys), Kenneth Crawley (Saints), Tedric Thompson (Seahawks) and Ahkello Witherspoon (49ers) – but was the highest drafted among the group.
According to MacIntyre, Oliver's football IQ will bode well for him as he starts his professional career.
"Isaiah is exceptionally bright, which will be able to help him catch on to things really quick," MacIntyre said.
A first-team All-Pac-12 selection last fall for the Buffs, Oliver also excelled on the track. There he competed two seasons in the decathlon on CU's outdoor track team, and was a two-time All-Pac-12 performer in the event. As a sophomore in the California Invitational, he had posted the highest score by a CU decathlete in 43 years in rolling up 7,331 points.
His speed and athleticism was a constant on the football field, not just at cornerback, but as a punt returner. His 68-yard punt return for a touchdown against UCLA in 2016 was CU's first punt return for a TD in 11 years.
Colorado feeding DBs into the NFL
Oliver is the fourth Colorado defensive back selected in the draft in the last two seasons (third cornerback). Last year, CU's three drafted DB's tied for the second most by any school and only trailed Michigan who had four (two cornerbacks and two safeties).
The last time Colorado had four defensive backs drafted in consecutive years was in 1999 and 2000. CB/FS Marcus Washington went in the sixth round of the 1999 draft to New England and the following year CB Ben Kelly (third round to Miami), CB Damen Wheeler (sixth round to San Diego) and FS Rashidi Barnes (seventh round to Cleveland).
CU's pension for putting defensive backs in the NFL is also highlighted by the fact that four different Buffaloes – Jimmy Smith at Baltimore, Crawley at New Orleans, Awuzie in Dallas and Witherspoon in San Francisco – all started games at cornerback for NFL teams last season.
Most defensive backs from a single school in the common draft era (since 1967)
59 – Ohio State
54 – USC
49 – Nebraska
49 – Notre Dame
48 – Colorado
47 - Miami
46 - Oklahoma
46 – Texas
45 – Florida State
43 – LSU
40 – Michigan
Oliver is the fourth Buffalo defensive back to be picked in the last two years and his selection comes after he became the ninth CU player in history to declare early for the draft.
"Isaiah Oliver is a phenomenal corner with still a lot of growth potential left in him," Colorado head coach Mike MacIntyre said. "He has excellent ball skills and is excellent at tracking the football, is a very tough corner, very sure tackler and he is young. He is not going to do anything but keep improving."
In just his three seasons at Colorado, playing in 32 games with 16 starts, he recorded 32 pass breakups to tie for the 10th-most in school history. His 35 passes defended, including adding in his three interceptions, tied for 13th all-time at CU. He had 71 tackles, one for a loss, three tackles for no gain and 18 third down stops in his collegiate career with the Buffs.
He played with four defensive backs who made NFL rosters: Chidobe Awuzie (Cowboys), Kenneth Crawley (Saints), Tedric Thompson (Seahawks) and Ahkello Witherspoon (49ers) – but was the highest drafted among the group.
According to MacIntyre, Oliver's football IQ will bode well for him as he starts his professional career.
"Isaiah is exceptionally bright, which will be able to help him catch on to things really quick," MacIntyre said.
A first-team All-Pac-12 selection last fall for the Buffs, Oliver also excelled on the track. There he competed two seasons in the decathlon on CU's outdoor track team, and was a two-time All-Pac-12 performer in the event. As a sophomore in the California Invitational, he had posted the highest score by a CU decathlete in 43 years in rolling up 7,331 points.
His speed and athleticism was a constant on the football field, not just at cornerback, but as a punt returner. His 68-yard punt return for a touchdown against UCLA in 2016 was CU's first punt return for a TD in 11 years.
Colorado feeding DBs into the NFL
Oliver is the fourth Colorado defensive back selected in the draft in the last two seasons (third cornerback). Last year, CU's three drafted DB's tied for the second most by any school and only trailed Michigan who had four (two cornerbacks and two safeties).
The last time Colorado had four defensive backs drafted in consecutive years was in 1999 and 2000. CB/FS Marcus Washington went in the sixth round of the 1999 draft to New England and the following year CB Ben Kelly (third round to Miami), CB Damen Wheeler (sixth round to San Diego) and FS Rashidi Barnes (seventh round to Cleveland).
CU's pension for putting defensive backs in the NFL is also highlighted by the fact that four different Buffaloes – Jimmy Smith at Baltimore, Crawley at New Orleans, Awuzie in Dallas and Witherspoon in San Francisco – all started games at cornerback for NFL teams last season.
Most defensive backs from a single school in the common draft era (since 1967)
59 – Ohio State
54 – USC
49 – Nebraska
49 – Notre Dame
48 – Colorado
47 - Miami
46 - Oklahoma
46 – Texas
45 – Florida State
43 – LSU
40 – Michigan
Players Mentioned
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