Collins Goes to Falcons in First Round; Brock and Jackson Also Are Drafted

Three San Diego area athletes were picked Sunday on the first day of the National Football League draft, which ended after five rounds.

Northern Arizona tight end Shawn Collins (6-feet-2, 210 pounds), a graduate of Kearny High, was the 27th player taken in the first round by the Atlanta Falcons.

Oregon’s Matt Brock (6-5, 270), a defensive end who went to University City, was taken by the Green Bay Packers in the second round, the 58th overall pick.

The Rams made San Diego State wide receiver Alfred Jackson (6-1, 185) their fifth-round selection. Jackson was the 135th player of 139 taken on the first day.

Atlanta traded its picks in the second, fourth and 10th rounds with Cincinnati to acquire Collins, who caught 201 passes for 2,764 yards and 24 touchdowns for the Division I-AA Lumberjacks.

Brock had 81 tackles and eight sacks this season for Oregon. Jackson, who missed four games this season because of injuries, caught 69 passes for 1,058 yards and 12 touchdowns in his SDSU career.