Jaguars make slain Virginia football player honorary member at NFL draft

As hundreds of fans watched and waited to see the newest picks in the NFL draft on Thursday night, the Jaguars and other teams took a moment to fulfill the dreams of aspiring NFL players gone too soon.

Devin Chandler, Lavel Davis Jr., and D’Sean Perry, who were fatally shot when a former University of Virginia player opened fire on a charter bus in Nov. 2022, were honored in a tribute that included the induction of the men as honorary first players selected in the draft.

The families of Davis, Perry, and Chandler were presented jerseys with their names and the No. 23 on them before a crowd of more than 100,000 in front of Kansas City’s Union Station. Chandler’s family was presented with a Jaguars jersey.

In a tweet, the Jaguars said: “Devin Chandler’s dream of being drafted became a reality tonight.”

Perry’s family received a jersey from the Miami Dolphins, and Davis’ family received a Ravens jersey.