NFL Draft: Jersey Shore's Quenton Nelson, Mike Gesicki went early

And then there were two.

Mike Gesicki became the second Shore Conference product to be selected in the NFL Draft on Friday night when the Penn State University tight end and former Southern Regional High School graduate was chosen by the Miami Dolphins in the second round.



“It’s one of the most exciting moments in my life,” Gesicki said on the Miami Dolphins' website. “I know I’m exactly where I belong.''



He was the 42nd pick overall.

Gesicki was the second former Shore Conference star to be selected in this year's draft.



Former Red Bank Catholic star and Notre Dame offensive guard Quenton Nelson was selected by the Indianapolis Colts Thursday night in the first round. Nelson was the sixth overall selection.



Gesicki is the Shore Conference's ninth highest overall selection .





The 6-foot-5½, 247-pound Gesicki had an outstanding career at Penn State. He had 129 receptions and 1,481 yards receiving are both school records for a tight end.



“He’s got a unique skill set,” Dolphins' General Manager Chris Grier said on the Dolphins' website. "He’s big, he’s long, he’s fast, high-points the ball really well.



"Addressing that position and adding some competition was important,” Grier said. “It’s a matchup league. He’s got a unique skill set that not many people at this position have.”



Gesicki told the Miami Herald website that the Dolphins made him feel comfortable in his predraft visit to Miami.



"The people in that program and the people in that organization ... they made it seem like home when I was down there a couple of weeks ago,'' Gesicki told the Miami Herald. "I'm excited to get down there."



Penn State won the Big Ten Championship in 2016 and the Fiesta Bowl last season during Gesicki's four-year career.



Gesicki won a Big Ten title in 2016. He played in a Rose Bowl, and a Fiesta Bowl. He leaves State College as a multiple-time All-Big Ten selection and a multiple-time All-American. His 129 catches and 1,481 yards are both school records for a tight end.

He was among the top tight end recruits in the country in the Class of 2014, and, after some early problems with drops, he leaves Penn State as the best-ever at that position.



Gesicki blossomed into one of the nation's top tight ends after his freshman season.



Gesicki won a Big Ten title in 2016. He played in a Rose Bowl, and a Fiesta Bowl. He leaves State College as a multiple-time All-Big Ten selection and a multiple-time All-American. His 129 catches and 1,481 yards are both school records for a tight end. He was among the top tight end recruits in the country in the Class of 2014, and, after some early problems with drops, he leaves Penn State as the best-ever at that position.

Nelson was picked Thursday night, when he learned his football odyssey would be taking him just down the road from Notre Dame to Indianapolis, with the Colts selecting the 6-5, 325-pound guard with the sixth pick in the first round to protect oft-injured franchise quarterback Andrew Luck.

And if history is any indication, Nelson, an All-American in high school and college, will have a profound impact in the trenches at the sport’s highest level, with Nelson tabbed by some observers as the best guard propect in several decades.

``He's nasty, he's tough, he's everything we want to be as a team,'' said Colts general manager Chris Ballard.

Luck missed the entire 2017 season and part of the 2016 campaign with a shoulder injury, with the Colts finishing 31st in the league in total offense last season. Colts head coach Frank Reich indicated he was impressed with Nelson's instincts and athletic ability when pulling on running plays.

``I would say that I’m a very nasty offensive lineman,'' said Nelson on a conference call with the Indianapolis media. `

``I want to protect one of the best quarterbacks in the game and establish a great running game.''

Nelson’s selection was the fastest a former Shore Conference player has ever heard their name called in the first round. Middletown South grad Knowshon Moreno was selected No. 12 overall in 2009 by Denver. Moreno played six season in the NFL, rushing for over 1,038 yards in 2013 when the Broncos played in Super Bowl XLVII at MetLife Stadium.

In case you're wondering, the sixth pick last year was safety Jamal Adams, who signed a four-year, $23-million deal with the Jets, which included a $14.3-million signing bonus.

Rutgers University was also represented in the draft. Kemoko Turay, an edge rusher and Newark native, was chosen in the second round Friday night, 52nd overall, by the Indianapolis Colts. Turay is Rutgers' highest selection since 2010 when Anthony Davis (11th) and Devin McCourty (27th) both went in the first round.

Rutgers defensive tackle Sebastian Joseph was also picked.

The Scarlet Knights defensive tackle was selected by the Los Angeles Rams in the sixth round of the NFL Draft on Saturday, coming off draft boards as the 195th pick overall.

It marks the first time since 2015 that Rutgers had more than one player selected in the NFL Draft.

Staff Writer Josh Newman: jnewman@app.com; @Joshua_Newman; Steven Falk: 732-643-4267; sfalk@gannettnj.com







