Washington Huskies DE Zach Durfee taken by Jaguars in NFL draft

A decade ago, Dwayne Washington got the call.

The UW running back was drafted in the seventh round of the 2016 NFL draft by the Detroit Lions, who selected him with the No. 236 pick despite the Southern California native not being invited to the NFL combine.

For a decade, Washington remained the most recent UW player drafted without attending the combine. Defensive tackle Anterio Thompson ended the streak when he was selected by the Atlanta Falcons in the sixth round of the 2026 NFL draft. Thompson, however, held the title for just about an hour until he forfeited it to his teammate on the Husky defensive line.

Zach Durfee, a 6-foot-4, 247-pound defensive end, became the seventh Husky selected in the 2026 draft on Saturday when the Jacksonville Jaguars chose him with the No. 233 pick in the seventh round. Durfee, who was not invited to the combine like Thompson, is the fourth UW player drafted by the Jaguars since 2001, and the first since offensive lineman Khalif Barnes in 2005.

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It's the second time during the past three drafts that UW has seen seven Huskies or more drafted, but only the fourth time since 1998. Durfee rounds out a group that includes wide receiver Denzel Boston (Cleveland Browns), cornerback Tacario Davis (Cincinnati Bengals), running back Jonah Coleman (Denver Broncos), offensive lineman Carver Willis (San Francisco 49ers, cornerback Ephesians Prysock (San Francisco) and Thompson (Atlanta).

Durfee's journey to become an NFL draft pick was unexpected and often told. Originally a standout basketball player at Dawson-Boyd High in Dawson, Minn., Durfee originally attended North Dakota State, though not as a student-athlete.

After deciding to pursue college football, he transferred to Division II Sioux Falls, redshirting his first season before registering 11 sacks and 13.5 tackles for a loss in his first season of competitive football. Durfee entered the transfer portal before 2023 and committed to Washington, coached at the time by former Sioux Falls coach Kalen DeBoer.

But Durfee wasn't allowed to participate in UW's historic 2023 season. While the Huskies made their run to the College Football Playoff championship game, Durfee was sidelined by NCAA transfer rules that were struck down months after the season ended.

DeBoer departed UW in 2024, but Durfee - finally allowed to return to the field - chose to stay and play for incoming coach Jedd Fisch. He earned a starting role under Fisch and defensive line coach Jason Kaufusi, but his 2024 campaign was disrupted by turf toe injuries on both feet. He made just six appearances, including three starts, and registered 16 tackles, 3.5 tackles for a loss, 2.5 sacks and a pass deflection.

Durfee returned from injury in 2025. He played the most complete season of his FBS career. The Dawson, Minn., native, who was also named a team captain for his final year, played in 11 games, made 37 tackles, had five tackles for a loss and four sacks. He also batted down two passes and forced a fumble. Durfee won the team's perseverance award at its postseason banquet.

He'll have his work cut out to see the field in Jacksonville. The Jaguars already have two dynamic starting edge rushers in Josh Hines-Allen, who totaled eight sacks in 2025, and Travon Walker, the former No. 1 pick who signed an extension in April after totaling 24 sacks during the past three seasons.

And the Jaguars used some of their draft capital to reinforce their defensive line. They picked Texas A&M defensive tackle Albert Regis in the third round, then selected edge rusher Wesley Williams out of Duke in the fourth.

But Durfee overcame plenty of obstacles in Seattle - a late start to football, NCAA restrictions, a rash of injuries and a combine snub - to hear his name called at the NFL draft. Making the Jaguars roster is just his next step.

Extra points

* Tight end and Kenmore native Quentin Moore announced he signed with the Washington Commanders as an undrafted free agent. Moore, listed 6-5, 260 pounds, spent five years at UW after starting his college football journey at Independence Community College.

* Wide receiver Omari Evans signed with the Kansas City Chiefs as an undrafted free agent, UW football announced on its social media accounts. Evans spent one year at Washington after playing three seasons at Penn State.

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This story was originally published April 25, 2026 at 5:01 PM.