Tillman Scholar to announce 226th pick in 2026 NFL draft

Wednesday (April 22) was the 24th anniversary of the day former Arizona Cardinals safety Pat Tillman lost his life because of friendly fire in the mountains of Afghanistan.

Saturday, near the end of the NFL draft in Pittsburgh, the NFL will continue a recent tradition of honoring the spot where Tillman was selected in the 1998 draft: 226 overall in the seventh round.

Margo Darragh, who became a Tillman Scholar in 2022, will announce the player the Cincinnati Bengals pick with that choice.

Darragh is a Pittsburgh-area native and graduated from the Naval Academy in 2016. She served in the Marine Corps as a Combat Engineer Officer for six years, deploying to Southeast Asia as a platoon commander. Her leadership and expertise were further demonstrated as a tactics instructor for new Marine Corps officers at Quantico, where she shaped the next generation of leaders.

She is currently in her third year at Yale Law School, where she continues to build on her commitment to public service. She has gained valuable experience through internships at the United States Attorney’s Office in Philadelphia and Rathod Mohamedbhai LLC, a prominent civil rights firm in Denver.

In addition to the pick announcement, local artist Cody Sabol will paint a portrait of Tillman live on stage. It will be auctioned off later this year to support the foundation.

Also, through the generous support of Amazon Global Military Affairs, they have also agreed to match any gift to the Foundation this week. To donate and learn more about the Foundation, visit its website.

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