Saturday showed that there are no guarantees in the NFL.

Cornerback Kevin Toliver and offensive tackle Toby Weathersby, two LSU juniors who gave up their final season of eligibility, were not drafted. Toliver signed a free agent contract with the Chicago Bears, while Weathersby did the same with the Philadelphia Eagles.

Center Will Clapp, who was expected to go in the middle rounds, was not chosen until nearly the end of the draft. At least Clapp, another junior who bypassed his last season, was picked by his hometown team – the New Orleans Saints in the seventh round.

Seniors KJ Malone, Darrel Williams, Greg Gilmore, Christian LaCouture and Frank Herron did not get selected by a NFL team. So, these individuals must also go the undrafted free-agent route.

But, two Tigers seniors did get drafted Saturday. Wide receiver Russell Gage, who played sparingly until this year, was picked in the sixth round by the Atlanta Falcons. Meanwhile, quarterback Danny Etling was chosen in the seventh round by the New England Patriots.

Gage was a defensive back for two years at LSU before he was moved to offense. Gage caught just five passes – all in the Texas A&M game – in his junior year. Gage ended up being the No. 2 receiver last season – behind DJ Chark, a second-round pick of the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Without a doubt, Gage’s work on special teams caught the eye of Falcons’ personnel people. Gage was the Tigers’ leading tackler on special teams.

Etling, who was criticized quite often by LSU fans, had been a target of the Patriots for a few months. New England has only one quarterback behind Tom Brady – Brian Hoyer.

“We have spent some time with Danny,” New England Director of Player Personnel Nick Caserio said. “The thing about Danny is that he played for (offensive coordinator) Cam Cameron at LSU in a pro-style system.

“Another thing about him is that he doesn’t turn the ball over. Danny had two interceptions this past year. He is smart and a pretty accurate thrower. He has some skills we can develop.”

The fact that Clapp, who played at New Orleans Brother Martin High School, was selected by the Saints eased the disappointment of lasting until the seventh round. Clapp was the first Tigers player drafted by New Orleans since Al Woods in 2010.

“I knew the Saints were a very good situation for me,” Clapp said. “The Saints were in the back of my mind the whole time I was watching the picks roll by.”

Clapp was a guard for the Tigers in 2015-16 and a center in 2017. That versatility can help Clapp earn a roster spot.

“Center is the clearer view for (Clapp),” Saints coach Sean Payton said. “He’s played guard, but we’ll start him off at center. We are hopeful that he has that position versatility.”

LSU had a total of seven players drafted – cornerback Donte Jackson, running back Derrius Guice, Chark, defensive end Arden Key, Gage, Etling and Clapp. The seven players are the second most Tigers players picked in the past four drafts. Eight LSU players were drafted in 2017.