Former Arkansas center Travis Swanson was the first Razorback selected in the NFL Draft Friday night. Swanson was chosen in the third round by the Detroit Lions with the 76th overall pick.
The selection makes Swanson the highest drafted center in Arkansas history.
Swanson is expected to spend one season as a depth player for Detroit, then succeed Dominic Raiola as the team’s starting center in 2015.
Raiola, who has spent the past 13 seasons with the club, is playing under a one-year contract.
Swanson was ranked the No. 3 center in the country by CBSSports.com. He was the third center off the board, following Colorado State’s Weston Richburg and USC’s Marcus Martin.
