Upcoming Event: Football versus NC State on September 20, 2025 at 4 p.m.
Football
vs NC State
Gray Selected by Kansas City Chiefs in Fifth Round
5/1/2021 3:16:00 PM | Football
DURHAM - Former Duke tight end Noah Gray was selected in the fifth round of the 2021 NFL Draft by the Kansas City Chiefs.
Gray was the 162nd overall pick in the draft, and the 18th selection in the fifth round.
Gray, a 6-4, 240-pound Leominster, Mass., product is Duke's third 2021 NFL Draft selection as teammates Chris Rumph II and Michael Carter II went to the Los Angeles Chargers (118th overall pick) and New York Jets (154th overall pick), respectively. This marks the first time since 1996 that the Blue Devils have had three draft picks in the same year, and the 24th time in program history with three-plus selections. Gray is Duke's first tight end selected since Ben Patrick went in the seventh round to the Arizona Cardinals in 2007. Gray is also the first Duke draft pick by the Chiefs.
Â
With the 162nd pick in the 2021 #NFLDraft, we've selected @noahgray87! pic.twitter.com/BdlaqkEeiW
— Kansas City Chiefs (@Chiefs) May 1, 2021
A 2019 All-America pick by The Walter Camp Football Foundation and a 2019 second team All-ACC honoree, Gray broke a 57-year-old program record when he surpassed Stan Crisson to become Duke's career leader in receptions by a tight end. He missed only one game during his Blue Devil tenure (48 games), making 21 starts, and recorded 105 receptions for 948 yards and eight touchdowns. Gray owned 26 games with two-plus receptions, including a career-high seven catches at Wake Forest in 2019. He also caught four-plus passes in 12 contests and reached 20-plus receiving yards in 21 games with a career-high 76 yards coming at Wake Forest in 2019.
Gray finished fourth in program history for most career touchdown receptions by a tight end and concluded his career having caught one-plus reception in 26 consecutive games played.
Â
???? ?????????? ??@noahgray87 ?? @Chiefs #DukeInTheNFL | #NFLDraft pic.twitter.com/IJMQr84DiF
— Duke Football (@DukeFOOTBALL) May 1, 2021
This team captain was selected to represent Duke at the 2021 Reese's Senior Bowl. During his final campaign, Gray had 29 receptions for 285 yards and two touchdowns in 10 games played, nine starts. He ranked second in the ACC for a tight end in catches and yards. He also recorded two-plus receptions in seven contests and five-plus receptions in three games. Gray compiled a season-best 68 yards on five catches at Notre Dame and added another 61 yards on five catches with a season-long 24-yard reception against Boston College. He scored receiving touchdowns in back-to-back contests against Virginia and Virginia Tech.
Gray is the eighth NFL Draft pick to have played at Duke under head coach David Cutcliffe.
#GoDuke
Players Mentioned
Coach Diaz Media Availability: NC State
Wednesday, September 17
Aaron Hall Media Availability: NC State
Tuesday, September 16
Justin Pickett Media Availability: NC State
Tuesday, September 16
Coach Patke Press Conference: NC State
Monday, September 15
