CHICAGO – Running back Daniel Lasco became the third former Cal player selected in the 2016 NFL Draft when he was taken in the seventh round Saturday by the New Orleans Saints with the 163rd pick overall. Lasco's selection followed the Los Angeles Rams' Thursday pick of quarterback Jared Goff and the Green Bay Packers' fifth-round selection of wide receiver/kick returner Trevor Davis earlier Saturday. Goff became the second player in Cal history to be selected No. 1 overall.

Lasco finished his Cal career with 2,395 all-purpose yards over 41 games and 15 starts including 1,872 rushing yards and 18 touchdowns on the ground to rank 10th on Cal's all-time list. He was selected a captain by his teammates each of his last two campaigns.

Lasco's performance at the NFL Combine in February that included an 11'3” broad jump that was the longest ever by a running back at the event and a 41.5 vertical jump that was third all-time at his position helped his draft status despite an injury-plagued 2015 senior season that limited him to 331 yards and three touchdowns on 65 carries over nine games with three starts. Lasco missed four contests and was limited in others due to injury.

The successful 2015 season in which the Golden Bears finished 8-5 overall and won the Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl over Air Force was the culmination of Cal's seven-win turnaround in two years from a 1-11 record in 2013 that is tied for the second best in school history behind only the eight-win improvement from a 2-10 mark in 1946 to a 10-1 record in 1948.

Lasco had a breakthrough 2014 junior season when he was named Cal's Most Valuable Player and was an honorable mention All-Pac-12 selection who rushed for 1,115 yards and tallied a combined 1,471 rushing and receiving yards for the highest total in those categories by a Cal player since 2011 and 2008, respectively. He also had 12 rushing touchdowns to rank ninth on Cal's all-time single-season list, while his 12 rushing touchdowns were third in the Pac-12, his 14 scoring TD's tied for fourth, his 92.9 rushing yards per game fifth and his 1,115 total yards sixth. Lasco added 33 receptions for 356 yards receiving and his other two scores, as well as five tackles.

His 2014 season including a memorable performance in a win at Oregon State when he set single-game career highs for rushes (30), rushing yards (188), rushing touchdowns (3) and all-purpose yards (208), with the rushing yards also the most by a Cal player since 2011. Lasco also turned a screen pass from Goff against Colorado into a 92-yard touchdown that is the longest pass play in school history during his junior season.

Lasco rushed for 317 yards on 67 carries with two touchdown runs as a 2013 sophomore, while adding 11 receptions for 78 yards and one kick return for 18 yards to total 431 all-purpose yards.

Lasco played in all 12 games off the bench as a freshman and totaled 109 yards rushing with one touchdown on six carries including a career-long 77-yard scoring run against Southern Utah that was the team's second-longest run of the year. He also had three kick returns for 42 yards to total 151 all-purpose yards, as well as a team-high 12 special teams tackles and a team-high-two forced fumbles.

Goff, Davis and Lasco are three of five former Cal players along wide receivers Stephen Anderson and Kenny Lawler that were among top draft prospects to attend the NFL Combine in February

Other former draft-eligible Cal players who completed their collegiate eligibility in 2015 and attended the school's Pro Day last month include linebacker Nathan Broussard, wide receiver Maurice Harris, defensive tackle Mustafa Jalil, linebacker Jalen Jefferson, defensive tackle Trevor Kelly, defensive end Kyle Kragen, safety Stefan McClure, wide receiver Darius Powe, offensive lineman Jordan Rigsbee, wide receiver Bryce Treggs and cornerback Darius White.

In addition to NFL Draft selections, many players who are not drafted typically sign undrafted free agent contracts to join NFL rosters shortly after the draft.

Extensive coverage of all former Cal football players selected in the 2016 NFL Draft will be provided by CalBears.com along with the Cal football Twitter (@CalFootball), Instagram (Cal_Football) and Snapchat (CalFootball) social media accounts. Fans can join in the conversation using the hashtags #GoBears, CalFamily CalInTheNFL and #NFLDraft.

Cal Football NFL Draft Notes

• Daniel Lasco became the third former Cal player selected in the 2016 NFL Draft when he was taken in the seventh round by the New Orleans Saints. Jared Goff was the first selected Thursday when the Los Angeles Rams made him the second player in Cal history to be chosen No. 1 overall following quarterback Steve Bartkowski, who was taken by the Atlanta Falcons with the first overall pick in 1975. Trevor Davis was the second former Cal player selected when he was taken by the Green Bay Packers in the fifth round with the 163rd overall pick.
• Cal's six quarterbacks taken in the first round of the draft is tied for the third-most by any college football program behind only Notre Dame (9) and USC (8) while equaling Stanford (6). Cal's list includes Craig Morton (1965 – No. 6, Dallas Cowboys), Bartkowski (1975 – No. 1, Atlanta Falcons), Rich Campbell (1981 – No. 6, Green Bay Packers), Kyle Boller (2003 – No. 19, Baltimore Ravens), Aaron Rodgers (2005 – No. 24, Green Bay Packers) and Goff (2016 – No. 1, Los Angeles Rams).
• Cal has had 27 first-round picks and 230 selections overall since the draft began in 1936.
• Prior to Goff's 2016 selection the most recent first-round draft pick from Cal was Cameron Jordan when he was taken in the first round with No. 24 overall selection by the New Orleans Saints.
• Cal had four first-round draft picks from 2009-11 with Jordan preceded by Alex Mack (2009 – No. 21, Cleveland Browns), Tyson Alualu (2010 – No. 10, Jacksonville Jaguars) and Jahvid Best (2010 – No. 30, Detroit Lions).
• Cal had strings of at least one player selected in the draft for 28 consecutive years (1987-2014), one in the top three rounds for eight years (2007-14) and two in the first four rounds for five years (2010-14) before those streaks were snapped when no Cal player was selected in 2015.
• The most Cal players selected in a single draft were the 10 chosen in 1952, while Cal's six players picked in the 1977, 2008 and 2012 NFL Drafts tie for the second-most in school history.