South suburban standout ready to make history at NFL Draft

Laquon Treadwell meets the media at February's NFL Scouting Combine. The former Crete-Monee star is expected to be taken in the first round of the 2016 NFL Draft. (Adam Rossow/Medill)

By Adam Rossow

On Thursday night at the Auditorium Theatre in Chicago, 31 college players will join an elite football fraternity: first-round NFL draft picks. One player that’s expected to be taken in the opening round is former Ole Miss wide receiver and Chicago-area prep standout Laquon Treadwell.

Treadwell made the varsity as a freshman at Crete-Monee High School, but it wasn’t until his sophomore season — his first as a wide receiver — that he began turning heads. Six years later, as he’s on the cusp of a history-making moment for his former high school, Treadwell is still turning heads — it’s now NFL coaches and executives impressed by the 6-foot-2 wideout’s skill set.

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The latest projections from NFL draft experts have Treadwell being selected anywhere from New Orleans at No. 12 to Carolina at No. 30. In Medill Sports’ mock draft, our experts projected him to be taken at No. 24 to Cincinnati.

Photo at top: Laquon Treadwell meets the media at February’s NFL Scouting Combine. The former Crete-Monee star is expected to be taken in the first round of the 2016 NFL Draft. (Adam Rossow/Medill)