Southern Illinois safety Jeremy Chinn was selected by the Carolina Panthers with the 64th pick of the 2020 NFL Draft on Thursday night, becoming the fourth-highest draft pick in school history.
A consensus All-American at SIU in 2019, Chinn is the 28th Saluki player all-time selected in the draft and the highest pick since cornerback Terry Taylor was taken No. 22 by the Seattle Seahawks in 1984.
The Indianapolis native was also the first FCS player selected in the 2020 draft.
Chinn finished his storied SIU career with 243 tackles, 13 interceptions, 31 passes defended, and 6 forced fumbles. After the 2019 season, he participated in the prestigious Senior Bowl and was invited to the NFL Scouting Combine, where he was among the top performers at his position, posting a 4.46 40-yard dash and 11′ 6″ high jump.
Chinn also reportedly impressed NFL teams during the interview process and recorded the highest Wonderlic intellgence score among safeties in the draft. The combination of his on-field performance, athletic testing and high character vaulted Chinn to elite status among potential first-day picks.
