CHICAGO – Quarterback Jared Goff's No. 1 overall selection led the way for four former Cal players selected in the 2016 NFL Draft that concluded Saturday at Selection Square in Grant Park. The four Cal players selected in the 2016 NFL Draft are the most since four Golden Bears were also chosen in 2013.

Goff became the second player in school history to be selected No. 1 overall when he was chosen by the Los Angeles Rams on the opening of the draft Thursday at the Auditorium Theatre. Wide receiver/kick returner Trevor Davis (Green Bay Packers, fifth round, No. 163 overall), running back Daniel Lasco (New Orleans Saints, seventh round, No. 237 overall) and wide receiver Kenny Lawler (Seattle Seahawks, seventh round, No. 243 overall) were chosen during Saturday's final day.

All four players were key contributors to Cal's 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.

“It was good to see all of those guys get drafted,” Cal head coach Sonny Dykes said. “The players were all fortunate to go to good organizations and places that they fit well and will utilize their skills. It was a good day for the Cal players.”

“It shows we're getting better as a program and building depth,” Dykes added of the drafted players and expected upcoming free agent signings. “There are a couple of other guys that potentially could have been drafted that should sign free agent deals and will have a great opportunity to make an NFL team. I think when it's all said and done when the dust settles, we'll have more than four guys next fall that are playing on Sundays. It shows that we're starting to build depth, that we've got some good players and that they have developed in our program.”

Goff started all 37 games possible during his three seasons at Cal from 2013-15 and finished his career with 26 school records including all-time marks for passing yards (12,220), touchdown passes (96), total offense (12,086) and completions (977). He was also second on the school's career list for passing efficiency (143.95) behind only Aaron Rodgers. In addition, Goff is third in Pac-12 history in passing yards and fourth in passing touchdowns, while he is 26th all-time nationally in passing yards and 27th in passing touchdowns. Goff broke a pair of Pac-12 single-season records in his final campaign at Cal as a 2015 junior when he passed for 4,719 yards and 43 touchdowns.

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 followed a breakthrough 2014 junior campaign when he 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.

Davis played in 23 games with 11 starts in two campaigns at Cal after sitting out a 2013 redshirt season due to NCAA rules following his transfer from Hawai'i. He finished his Cal career with 2,300 all-purpose yards including 1,071 yards receiving and seven touchdown catches on 64 receptions while he had 1,110 yards on 45 kick returns including two for touchdowns to tie a school record with his 24.7 kick return average fifth in school history. Davis had both of the kick return touchdowns on back-to-back third-quarter returns to equal NCAA and Pac-12 single-game records during a monster game as a 2014 junior at Washington State in which he also had two touchdown receptions and totaled a career-high and team season-high 280 all-purpose yards.

Lawler finished his collegiate career tied for second on Cal's all-time list for touchdown receptions and tied for 12th on the Pac-12's career touchdown catches list with 27 scoring grabs among 143 catches for 1,706 yards receiving over 35 games and 19 starts. Lawler led Cal in both touchdown receptions and overall catches in both his sophomore and junior seasons in 2014 and 2015 while also pacing the club in yards receiving as a junior after co-leading the squad in touchdown receptions as a 2013 redshirt freshman. Lawler is the only Cal player to have a school-record-tying three touchdown catches in a game four times

Goff, Davis, Lasco and Lawler are four of five former Cal players along with wide receiver Stephen Anderson 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.

Quotes – Drafted Players And Sonny Dykes On Each Player

Trevor Davis
"It's amazing. This is something I've dreamt about since I was real young. I'm at a loss for words right now. This is a dream come true."

Sonny Dykes On Trevor Davis
"Trevor makes a lot of big plays and is a very versatile. He's a pretty complete football player. He made a lot of big plays for us. He can use his speed and is a good runner after the catch.”

Jared Goff
“It's an unbelievable moment, a once in a lifetime experience. It was worth the wait. I can't put it into words right now. I'm very excited, very honored.”

Sonny Dykes On Jared Goff
"I couldn't be more excited for him and proud of him for how he handled failure early in his career and the success he's had later in his career. The Rams are getting a heck of a player, a guy who has been through a lot and has a bright future. He's nowhere near his ceiling as a football player, so they're getting a good one.”

Daniel Lasco
“Growing up I've always loved the Saints, but I didn't want to tell any of the coaches that going through the process. I didn't want them thinking I was leaning one way or another. I've always been a Saints fan. It's crazy. It still hasn't hit me that I'm a part of the organization. I know there's a lot of work to do and there's a lot of things I need to do to make sure my name is on a locker in the locker room. I'm ready for this opportunity and I'm ready to go to work. I'm glad they took me in the seventh round. It didn't matter when. Even in free agency, this would have been the team I would have wanted to go to regardless. I'm just blessed to say that I got picked up."

Sonny Dykes On Daniel Lasco
"Daniel probably went a little longer than people thought. I think there might have been a little bit of injury concerns, but I'll tell you this, the Saints are getting a good player. They are getting a guy that can do a lot of different things and is going to be an elite special teams player. He can run the football, runs tough, and finishes runs well. He has a great work ethic, great toughness, a fantastic attitude and is real mature. He's a guy that's definitely got a chance to be a contributor for many years. They're getting a good one.”

Kenny Lawler
"I just needed the opportunity, and I knew that opportunity would present itself whether it be Day 2, Day 3 or in free agency. My decision to leave Cal early, I felt like I accomplished a lot there and I was ready to take that next step. I'm happy the Seahawks got me."

Sonny Dykes On Kenny Lawler
"Kenny has been incredibly productive, probably as productive as anybody. He's made a lot of big players, particularly in the red zone. He really knows how to go get the football. As his body continues to develop his best football is going to be in front of him. He's still a young guy who is going to get bigger and stronger. He probably has as good of ball skills and range as anybody.”

Cal Football NFL Draft Notes

• Jared Goff became the second player in Cal history to be selected No. 1 overall in the NFL Draft following quarterback Steve Bartkowski, who was taken by the Atlanta Falcons with the first overall pick in 1975.
• The four Cal players selected in the 2016 NFL Draft are the most since four Golden Bears were also chosen in 2013.
• Cal's six quarterbacks taken in the first round of the NFL 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).
• The selections of Trevor Davis and Kenny Lawler in the 2016 NFL Draft mark only the second time in school history that two Cal wide receivers have been selected in the same NFL Draft with the only other occasion in 2008 when DeSean Jackson and Lavelle Hawkins were taken in the second and fourth rounds by the Philadelphia Eagles and Tennessee Titans, respectively.
• Cal has had 27 first-round NFL Draft picks and 231 selections overall since the draft began in 1936.
• Prior to Jared Goff's 2016 selection the most recent first-round NFL 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 NFL 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 NFL 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.