ARLINGTON, Tex. – Inside linebacker Devante Downs and defensive end James Looney were both selected in seventh round of the 2018 NFL Draft that concluded Saturday at AT&T Stadium. Downs was taken by the Minnesota Vikings with the 225th pick overall while Looney was picked by the Green Bay Packers with the 232nd pick overall. The selections of Downs and Looney give Cal at least one player taken in the NFL Draft for 31 of the last 32 years.

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 who finished their collegiate eligibility with the Golden Bears who are selected in the 2018 NFL Draft or sign undrafted free agent contracts following the draft will be provided via Cal Athletics online and social media outlets listed below.

CAL FOOTBALL 2018 NFL DRAFT COVERAGE

• Web: CalBears.com
• Twitter: @CalFootball, @CalAthletics, @CalRecruiting
• Instagram: Cal_Football, CalAthletics
• Facebook: CalAthletics
• Hashtags: #GoBears, #CalFamily, #NFLDraft
 
Below are notes on Downs and Looney with full bios available by clicking on their name.

Devante Downs, ILB, 6-3, 245, Mountlake Terrace, WA (Mountlake Terrace HS)
Cal Career (2014-17)

• Played in 40 games with 20 starts and finished with career totals of 212 tackles, 14.5 tackles for loss (-64 yards), 8.0 sacks (-40 yards), five interceptions that he returned for 59 yards and one touchdown, three pass breakups, three forced fumbles, three fumble recoveries, four quarterback hurries and two kick returns for eight yards
• Despite missing five-plus games earned Cal's Bear Backers Defensive MVP honors and honorable mention All-Pac-12 honors
• Finished his senior campaign second on the team with 65 tackles while adding a career-high 5.5 tackles for loss (career-high -29 yards), career-high-tying 3.0 sacks (career-high-tying -14 yards), a career-high-tying and team-high-tying two interceptions that he returned for a career-high 39 yards, a career-high and team-high four quarterback hurries, a career-high and team-high-tying two fumble recoveries that he returned for a career-high four yards and a career-high and team-high-tying two forced fumbles
• Was making a strong case for National and Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year honors through the first half of his 2017 senior campaign before suffering an injury against Washington State in the seventh contest of the season that ended his collegiate career
• Was on watch lists for the Chuck Bednarik Award and the Lott IMPACT Trophy both honoring the nation's top defensive player as well as The Butkus Award given annually to the nation's best linebacker.\ 
• Was involved in 10 turnovers including a career-high six during his 2017 senior campaign
• Posted career highs of 5.5 tackles for loss (career-high -29 yards) and 39 interception return yards as a senior, while his 3.0 sacks, 14 sack yards and two interceptions equaled single-season career bests
• Posted a career high and team-high of 84 tackles as a junior
• Equaled a career-best two interceptions as a sophomore and 3.0 sacks as a 2014 freshman
• Had his lone career interception return for a touchdown when he brought back a pick eight yards for a score to also record a career-best six points in the season-opener of his 2015 sophomore campaign against Grambling State
• Had his two career kick returns and eight kick return yards, as well as a career-long return of six yards came as a freshman vs. BYU
• Led or co-led Cal in tackles eight times including on four occasions as a senior, three times as a junior and once as a sophomore

Other 

• Full name is Devante Johnston Downs
• Born October 18, 1995
• Son of John Downs and Rosa Cham-Sanchez
• Graduated from Cal in December of 2017 with a bachelor's degree in legal studies

James Looney, DE, 6-3, 280, Lake Worth, FL (Cal/Wake Forest/Lake Worth HS)
After Cal

• The lone defensive lineman ranked in the top-10 among the 40 in his position group at the 2018 NFL Combine in each of the six measurable skills – 20-yard shuttle (4.37, 2nd), vertical jump (35.5, 3rd), 3-cone drill (7.32, 7th), broad jump (9'5", T8th), 40-yard dash (4.89, 10th) and bench press (28 reps of 225 pounds, T10th)
• Participated in the East-West Shrine Game following his 2017 senior season at Cal and contributed three tackles, 1.0 tackle for loss and one pass defended late in the contest that helped secure a victory for the winning West squad

Cal Career (2014-17)

• Played in 36 or 37 possible career games with his 35 starts over his three seasons on the field from 2015-17 leading all Cal players during the period
• Two-time honorable mention All-Pac-12 selection in each of his final two collegiate seasons as a 2016 junior and 2017 senior
• Redshirted his first season at Cal in 2014 due to NCAA transfer rules following his transfer from Wake Forest
• Registered Cal career totals of 130 tackles, 20.5 tackles for loss (-91 yards), 8.0 sacks (-48 yards), one pass breakup, two forced fumbles, four fumble recoveries and five quarterback hurries
• Recorded a career-high 9.5 tackles for loss (career-high -42 yards), two fumble recoveries and three pass breakups as a senior
• Registered single-season career highs as a 2016 with 54 tackles, while equaling career-highs with 3.5 sacks (-22 yards) and

Collegiate Career (Wake Forest 2013, Cal 2014-17)

• Combined to register collegiate career totals of 133 tackles, 21.0 tackles for loss (-93 yards), 8.5 sacks (-34 yards), five fumble recoveries including one he returned for 25 yards, five quarterback hurries and one pass breakup over 42 games and 35 starts during his four collegiate campaigns on the field at Cal (2015-17) and Wake Forest (2013) with a redshirt campaign during 2014
• All of his career totals have come at Cal other than the six games off the bench, three tackles, 0.5 sacks (-2 yards), 0.5 tackles for loss (-2 yards) and one fumble recovery he recorded during his single season on the field at Wake Forest as a true freshman in 2013
 

Other 

• Full name is James Thomas Looney
• Born May 15, 1995
• Son of James and Marilyn Looney
• Brother, Joe Looney, is an offensive lineman for the Dallas Cowboys who was selected by the San Francisco 49ers in the fourth round of the 2012 NFL Draft and has played with the 49ers and Tennessee Titans after being a second-team All-ACC pick as a 2011 senior at Wake Forest
• Graduated from Cal in December of 2015 with a bachelor's degree in American studies
 
Cal Football NFL Draft Notes
 

• Cal has had 237 players selected in the NFL Draft since the event began in 1936 including 27 first-round selections and two overall No. 1 picks in quarterbacks Jared Goff (Los Angeles Rams, 2016) and Steve Bartkowski (Atlanta Falcons, 1975).
• Cal has had at least one player selected in the NFL Draft for 31 of the last 32 years. Cal had at least one player selected in the NFL Draft for 28 consecutive years (1987-2014), one in the top three rounds for eight (2007-14) and two in the first four rounds for five (2010-14) before those streaks were all snapped when no Cal player was taken in the 2015 NFL Draft.