BATON ROUGE, La. – Several programs across the nation stake a claim to the title of “Defensive Back University,” including Ohio State, Florida and LSU among a slew of others.

In a record-setting draft, which saw 32 corners and 24 safeties taken, defensive backs made history in the depth of the 2017 draft class.

Despite the Buckeyes edging the Tigers with one more overall first-round pick in 2017, LSU’s elite duo –safety Jamal Adams and cornerback Tre’Davious White – made program history becoming the first pair of Tiger DBs to go in the first round of the same NFL Draft.

Let’s take a look back at a few stats that sum up the elite nature of the Tigers’ secondary in the past decade.

15: LSU secondary players drafted since 2007. Ohio State and Florida have excelled in producing top defensive backs and safeties, but LSU topped both programs’ tallies with 15 secondary players taken in the NFL Draft since 2007.

In the past 10 years, the Tigers have produced at least one defensive back in nine drafts. Comparatively, the Buckeyes and Gators have posted three years and four years, respectively, without a defensive back being selected.

Beyond the Tigers’ six first-round picks, LSU’s defensive back depth is displayed by the success of later draft selections, particularly Tyrann Mathieu, a third-round pick in 2013.

Despite his 5-foot-9-inch frame, Mathieu’s dynamic ball-hawking style of play successfully translated into the NFL as a free safety. The New Orleans native has recorded 9 interceptions, 34 passes defended and 213 tackles in his four seasons with the Arizona Cardinals.

6: LaRon Landry (2007) and Jamal Adams (2017) become highest safeties drafted in program history at No. 6 overall. Although a decade separates their stints in Baton Rouge, Adams and LaRon Landry embody the toughness and dynamic playmaking ability characterizes elite safety play in Baton Rouge.

Landry’s big hits made him a fan favorite at LSU. On hits like this one on Alabama quarterback Brodie Croyle, Landry’s skill-set forced opponents to respect the blitz. Landry earned All-American honors twice as a Tiger.

At the next level, Landry’s presence made wide receivers think twice about making catches across the middle.The Ama, La., native finished his NFL career with 41 passes defended, 6 interceptions and 10 forced fumbles in eight seasons.

Since his freshman season in Baton Rouge, Adams thrived close to the line of scrimmage with his knack for creating chaos, producing 17.5 tackles for loss and tallying 209 tackles during his LSU career.

Despite mirroring Landry’s physicality at LSU, Adams made a point in his first New York Jets press conference to dispel rumors that he won’t be able to excel in coverage.

“There’s definitely some that say that I can’t cover as a safety, and they also say that I’m just a box safety,” Adams said. “Those things kind of bother me. But at the same time, everybody has an opinion no matter who you are. LeBron James still gets complaints, and he’s the best in the game right now. It comes with it. I’m just looking forward to it. I can just show the world come Sunday.”

4: Top-10 draft picks since 2007. While Florida and Ohio State have each tallied five first-rounders since 2007, LSU notched six defensive backs picked during the first round during the same span, including four top-10 picks compared with one each for the Gators and Buckeyes.

The Tigers’ top-10 defensive backs feature six-time Pro-Bowler Patrick Peterson, who became the highest cornerback ever drafted out of LSU when he was taken No. 5 overall by the Arizona Cardinals in 2011.

LSU First-Round DBs since 2007

  • 2017: Jamal Adams, No. 6, Safety, New York Jets
  • 2012: Morris Claiborne, No. 6, Cornerback, Dallas Cowboys
  • 2011: Patrick Peterson, No. 5,  Cornerback, Arizona Cardinals
  • 2007: LaRon Landry, No. 6, Safety, Washington Redskins

Collectively, the Tigers’ top-10 picks have notched starts in 96 percent of their games played, including perfect marks for Peterson.

The bar is set high for Adams, but his talent and dedication to learning the game should translate well to the next level.

18: White became the first Tiger since TE Richard Dixon in 2008-09 to wear the storied No. 18 jersey in consecutive seasons. For the Tigers, the No. 18 jersey represents the epitome of leadership on and off the field since quarterback Matt Mauck passed it down to Jacob Hester after winning the Tigers’ national title in 2003.

After recording 24 starts during his first two seasons, White was selected to wear the No. 18 jersey in 2015.

White excelled on the field and off as a leader and a top-notch corner back while donning No. 18. In 2016, White allowed just 41.7 percent of throws to be completed against his coverage, according to Pro Football Focus.

The Shreveport, La., native embraced the banner of the leadership from his junior season through his senior year, playing a crucial role throughout the Miles-to-Orgeron coaching transition as a cornerstone of the team.

“It means a lot to know that my peers, my coaches and everybody around the LSU community chose me out of everybody to wear that number for two years,” White said in his first interview as a Buffalo Bill. “It basically means a total leader of the team. A guy who is selfless that is going to do all little things because they make a big difference.”