Atlanta Falcons draft former Syracuse LB Marquis Spruill

Spruill
Spruill is headed to the Falcons

Former Syracuse linebacker Marquis Spruill was drafted by the Atlanta Falcons on Saturday afternoon. Spruill was the 168th overall pick, and the 28th pick in the fifth round.

Spruill
Spruill is headed to the Falcons

He was the second Orange player taken in the draft, after defensive lineman Jay Bromley was taken in the third round by the Giants on Friday.

Spruill finished the 2013 season with 66 tackles and 5.5 sacks and recorded 243 career tackles.

» Related: New York Giants take Jay Bromley in third round

Syracuse’s defense was ranked 24th in limiting opponents on the ground (137.4 yards per game), 15th in third-down defense (.335, 63-188) and was the only team in the country to prevent an opposing player from rushing for 100 yards.

Spruill is the first SU linebacker drafted since Doug Hogue was taken by the Detroit Lions in the 2011 NFL Draft.

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About Wes Cheng 2907 Articles
Wes has worked for Rivals.com covering the New York Knicks, as well as for Scout.com covering Syracuse athletics. Wes has also been a contributing writer for the South China Morning Post (Hong Kong), for SportsNet New York (SNY) as a news desk writer covering all of New York professional sports, and reported on the NBA and MLB for the New York Sportscene. A native of Long Island, New York, Wes graduated from Syracuse University in 2005 with a degree in journalism. Contact him at wes[at]sujuiceonline.com.