SAN DIEGO – San Diego State center Keith Ismael, who earned all-Mountain West accolades all three seasons he competed for the Aztecs, was selected in the fifth round of the 2020 NFL Draft by the Washington Redskins on Saturday. Ismael, an Oakland, Calif., native, was chosen with the 11th pick of the fifth round (156th overall).
Ismael is the seventh SDSU player selected in the last four NFL Drafts and gives San Diego State 19 NFL Draft selections in the last 10 seasons (since 2011). He's the first Aztec center to be drafted since Mike Malano went to the Minnesota Vikings in the seventh round of the 2000 draft. Ismael is the first SDSU offensive lineman drafted since Nico Siragusa in 2017 (fourth round to the Baltimore Ravens) and third since 2015.
Ismael is the first San Diego State player drafted to the Redskins since wide receiver DeAndre Maxwell was picked in the seventh round in 1996.
Ismael, who started all 38 games he appeared in over his career with the Aztecs, earned third-team All-America honors from Pro Football Focus last year, while receiving all-Mountain West accolades for a third straight season (first team in 2018-19, second team in 2017). Ismael became just the second SDSU offensive lineman to make a pair of MW first teams (also Nico Siragusa, 2015-16) and the only one to make three first or second teams.
Ismael was also on the Outland Trophy Watch List (top interior lineman) and Rimington Trophy Watch List (nation's outstanding center), while being named the team's offensive lineman of the year for the second straight season in 2019. He was San Diego State's co-outstanding freshman of the year in 2017.
The Aztecs are coming off a 10-3 season in 2019, capped by a 48-11 win over Central Michigan in the New Mexico Bowl. SDSU which lost its three games by a combined 13 points, is one of 10 schools to win at least 10 games in at least four of the last five years.
Keith Ismael Picked by Washington in 2020 NFL Draft
