Paye Selected by Indianapolis Colts in First Round of NFL Draft
4/29/2021 10:52:00 PM | Football
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CLEVELAND, Ohio -- University of Michigan defensive end Kwity Paye was selected by the Indianapolis Colts with the 21st overall selection in the first round of the 2021 NFL on Thursday night (April 29). Paye is the third U-M defensive end chosen in the first round in the past five drafts and the sixth selected in the first round since 1980.
Paye is the 16th Michigan player drafted by the Colts, joining cornerback Marlin Jackson (2005) and halfback Jim Detwiler (1967) as first-round choices by the organization.
He was a four-year letterman who played in 38 career games and started 20 contests at defensive end. Paye accumulated 100 tackles in his career, including 23.5 TFLs, 11.5 sacks, one fumble recovery and one pass breakup. He posted a career-best 50 stops in 2019, tallying 12.5 tackles for loss, 6.5 sacks and one fumble recovery in 12 starts. During that junior campaign, Paye earned All-Big Ten second team honors and shared the Richard Katcher Award was the team's top defensive lineman with Aidan Hutchinson.
Paye was limited by injuries in 2020, playing in four of the team's six games. He earned second team All-Big Ten honors after posting 16 tackles, three tackles for loss and two sacks. In addition, Paye was named a finalist for the Senior CLASS Award and earned Academic All-Big Ten honors for the third time.
With Paye's selection by the Colts, the Michigan football program has had at least one player selected in a record 83 consecutive NFL Drafts (1939-present).
The 2021 NFL Draft continues Friday (April 30) with the second and third rounds. ABC, ESPN and NFL Network will provide television coverage starting at 7 p.m.
Notes
• Paye became the 49th Wolverine taken in the first round of the NFL Draft.
• He becomes the sixth Wolverine chosen in the first round under head coach Jim Harbaugh, and the third defensive end: Taco Charlton (Dallas Cowboys, 28th pick, 2017) and Rashan Gary (Green Bay Packers, 12th pick, 2019) are the others.
• Paye is the 32nd draft pick in Harbaugh's six years at Michigan.
• Paye also is the ninth defensive linemen drafted during Harbaugh's tenure.
• Paye became the 380th Wolverine selected in the NFL Draft, which ranks Michigan fifth all-time among college football programs.
Michigan Players Selected in the 2021Â NFL Draft (First Round)
| Name | Pos. | Rd. | Pick | Team |
| Kwity Paye | DL | 1st | 21 |  Indianapolis Colts |
