Here’s A Pretty Damn Convincing Stat Showing Why Detroit Lions Shouldn’t Draft Running Back Bijan Robinson In First Round
Teams have devalued the running back position in the opening round of the NFL draft lately. Only 11 backs have been drafted in the first round over the last 10 years, down 62 percent from the prior 10 drafts where 29 were selected within the first 32 picks.
There are plenty of reasons why that's happened.
For one, running backs have relatively short careers. The average NFL player's career is 3.3 years, but for running backs that number shrinks to 2.57. Quarterbacks have nearly double the NFL lifespan at 4.4 years. Offensive linemen are considerably more durable than backs, too, averaging 3.63 years of NFL service.
Another reason the league has shifted away from drafting running backs in the first round is the second contract they can command. Saquon Barkley — the last back taken with a top 10 pick — serves as a cautionary tale here. The New York Giants drafted him No. 2 overall in 2018. Now, Barkley, who already has a substantial track record of injuries, wants a long-term deal reportedly north of $12 million per year. The Giants, of course, don't want to make that kind of commitment to a player who's 26 years old and already has five NFL seasons of wear and tear on his body. So they franchise-tagged him for the 2023 season. Now Barkley is threatening to sit out until or unless the Giants meet his contract demands.
Another reason NFL teams aren't prioritizing backs in the first round anymore — the receipts. Last season, half of the league's top 10 rushing-yardage leaders were drafted in the second round or later.
That's an overwhelmingly convincing set of data as to why no NFL team should use its precious first-round draft capital on a running back. And if we in the media are aware of these stats and trends, you can bet your ass the front offices of all 32 NFL franchises are aware, too.
Those numbers should be more than enough to dissuade the Detroit Lions from using their No. 18 pick in the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft on Texas running back Bijan Robinson, as they are reportedly considering. But just in case the ghosts of virtually every other front office in the team's history are attempting to possess Brad Holmes and Co. on Thursday night, here's one more stat that should serve as a final nail in the coffin.
Translation — A first-round back just barely outperforms the league average at his position, and by a measly 0.06 yards (or, in more relatable terms, 2 ¹/⁶ inch) per carry. That's a negligible, practically nonexistent difference. It certainly doesn't validate a first-round selection. Hell, it may not even validate a third-round selection — especially when you add the context of last year's Super Bowl-winning running back, Isiah Pacheco, who was drafted by the Chiefs in the seventh round!
This isn't a needs-based assessment, either. The case against the Lions drafting Robinson, or any other back, in the first round is an obvious, data-backed conclusion even without considering Detroit's relative needs.
In fact, the numbers here suggest that no NFL team should draft a back in the first round. Period.
The game has changed. The days of a Walter Payton, Earl Campbell, Barry Sanders, or even an Adrian Peterson leading your offense as a bell-cow back are simply over. That's not an opinion — it's an observable, demonstrable fact.
Just like it's an observable, demonstrable fact that the Lions taking Robinson at 18 overall would be an irresponsible, reckless waste of a first-round pick.
NFL Franchises Who Have Drafted The Most Michigan State Players, Ranked Least To Most
We've ranked all the NFL franchises based on the number of Michigan State players they've drafted throughout the history of the league.
Teams are grouped by franchise. For example, the Arizona, Chicago, Phoenix, and St. Louis Cardinals all count as the Cardinals. Only one now-defunct franchise is on the list.
Last: Baltimore Ravens, 0 Spartans Drafted
The Baltimore Ravens have never drafted a Michigan State player in their 27 years of existence.
28th-Tied: Texans, 2 Spartans Drafted
Player Name | Position | Year | Round | Pick | Overall |
Keshawn Martin | WR | 2012 | 4 | 26 | 121 |
Keith Mumphery | WR | 2015 | 5 | 39 | 175 |
28th-Tied: Saints, 2 Spartans Drafted
Player Name | Position | Year | Round | Pick | Overall |
Tanya Webb | DE | 1980 | 10 | 13 | 262 |
Morten Anderson | K | 1982 | 4 | 3 | 86 |
28th-Tied: Panthers, 2 Spartans Drafted
Player Name | Position | Year | Round | Pick | Overall |
Muhsin Muhammad | WR | 1996 | 2 | 13 | 43 |
Scott Greene | RB | 1996 | 6 | 26 | 193 |
28th-Tied: Jaguars, 2 Spartans Drafted
Player Name | Position | Year | Round | Pick | Overall |
Brian DeMarco | DT | 1995 | 2 | 8 | 40 |
Josiah Scott | DB | 2020 | 4 | 31 | 137 |
28th-Tied: Chiefs, 2 Spartans Drafted
Player Name | Position | Year | Round | Pick | Overall |
Scott Auer | T | 1984 | 9 | 5 | 229 |
Percy Snow | LB | 1990 | 1 | 13 | 13 |
26th-Tied: Boston Yanks, 3 Spartans Drafted
The Boston Yanks are a defunct NFL franchise. They were founded in 1944 and folded in 1952.
Player Name | Position | Year | Round | Pick | Overall |
Jack Breslin | B | 1946 | 4 | 2 | 27 |
Jim Zito | T | 1948 | 23 | 4 | 209 |
Jesse Thomas | B | 1951 | 10 | 9 | 119 |
26th-Tied: Atlanta Falcons, 3 Spartans Drafted
Player Name | Position | Year | Round | Pick | Overall |
Mitch Lyons | TE | 1993 | 6 | 11 | 151 |
TJ Duckett | RB | 2002 | 1 | 18 | 18 |
DeAndra' Cobb | RB | 2005 | 6 | 27 | 201 |
25th: Bills, 4 Spartans Drafted
Player Name | Position | Year | Round | Pick | Overall |
Joe DeLamielleure | G | 1973 | 7 | 6 | 162 |
Brian Mcconnell | LB | 1973 | 7 | 6 | 162 |
Mark Brammer | TE | 1980 | 3 | 11 | 67 |
Butch Rolle | TE | 1986 | 7 | 14 | 180 |
22nd-Tied: Patriots, 5 Spartans Drafted
This includes players drafted when the franchise was known as the Boston Patriots (1960 to 1970).
Player Name | Position | Year | Round | Pick | Overall |
Charlie Thornhill | DB | 1967 | 9 | 21 | 232 |
Smiley Creswell | DE | 1983 | 5 | 6 | 118 |
Ventson Donelson | DB | 1990 | 12 | 5 | 309 |
Greg Randall | T | 2000 | 4 | 33 | 127 |
TJ Turner | LB | 2001 | 7 | 39 | 239 |
22nd-Tied: Jets, 5 Spartans Drafted
Player Name | Position | Year | Round | Pick | Overall |
Jeff Richardson | DE | 1967 | 6 | 13 | 146 |
James Earley | RB | 1978 | 7 | 4 | 170 |
Tupe Peko | T | 2001 | 7 | 17 | 217 |
Chris Baker | TE | 2002 | 3 | 23 | 88 |
Eric Smith | DB | 2006 | 3 | 33 | 97 |
22nd-Tied: Buccaneers, 5 Spartans Drafted
Player Name | Position | Year | Round | Pick | Overall |
Tom Morris | DB | 1982 | 7 | 18 | 185 |
Hyland Hickson | RB | 1991 | 10 | 15 | 265 |
Courtney Hawkins | WR | 1992 | 2 | 16 | 44 |
Nigea Carter | WR | 1997 | 6 | 34 | 197 |
William Gholston | DE | 2013 | 4 | 29 | 126 |
20th-Tied: Raiders, 6 Spartans Drafted
This includes players drafted when the franchise was known as the Oakland Raiders (1960-1981, 1995-2019) and the Los Angeles Raiders (1982-1994).
Player Name | Position | Year | Round | Pick | Overall |
Don Highsmith | RB | 1970 | 13 | 24 | 336 |
Rob Fredrickson | LB | 1994 | 1 | 22 | 22 |
Chris Morris | C | 2006 | 7 | 6 | 214 |
Jeremy Ware | DB | 2010 | 7 | 8 | 215 |
Shilique Calhoun | DE | 2016 | 3 | 12 | 75 |
Connor Cook | QB | 2016 | 4 | 2 | 100 |
20th-Tied: Bengals, 6 Spartans Drafted
Player Name | Position | Year | Round | Pick | Overall |
Jess Phillips | DB | 1968 | 4 | 1 | 84 |
Mike Cobb | TE | 1977 | 1 | 22 | 22 |
Steve Maidlow | LB | 1983 | 4 | 25 | 109 |
Matthias Askew | DT | 2004 | 4 | 18 | 114 |
Domata Peko | DT | 2006 | 4 | 26 | 123 |
Darqueze Dennard | DB | 2014 | 1 | 24 | 24 |
19th: Broncos, 7 Spartans Drafted
Player Name | Position | Year | Round | Pick | Overall |
James Summers | DB | 1967 | 9 | 6 | 217 |
Drake Garrett | DB | 1968 | 4 | 19 | 102 |
Harold Phillips | DB | 1971 | 6 | 9 | 139 |
Tom Beard | C | 1971 | 8 | 5 | 187 |
James Szymanski | DE | 1990 | 10 | 11 | 259 |
Jim Johnson | T | 1992 | 7 | 13 | 181 |
Herb Haygood | WR | 2002 | 5 | 9 | 144 |
17th-Tied: Seahawks, 8 Spartans Drafted
Player Name | Position | Year | Round | Pick | Overall |
Jim Hinesly | G | 1979 | 11 | 18 | 293 |
Daryl Turner | WR | 1984 | 2 | 21 | 49 |
Mark Napolitan | C | 1985 | 5 | 11 | 123 |
Bob Kula | T | 1990 | 7 | 10 | 175 |
John MacNeill | DE | 1992 | 12 | 12 | 320 |
Craig Jarrett | P | 2002 | 6 | 22 | 194 |
Malik McDowell | DT | 2017 | 2 | 3 | 35 |
Kenneth Walker III | RB | 2022 | 2 | 9 | 41 |
17th-Tied: Chargers, 8 Spartans Drafted
Player Name | Position | Year | Round | Pick | Overall |
Gary Nowak | TE | 1971 | 10 | 13 | 247 |
Marvin Roberts | C | 1973 | 6 | 5 | 135 |
Ralf Mojsiejenko | K | 1985 | 4 | 12 | 96 |
Terry Lewis | DB | 1985 | 6 | 10 | 150 |
Eric Moten | G | 1991 | 2 | 20 | 47 |
Duane Young | TE | 1991 | 5 | 12 | 123 |
Edwin Baker | RB | 2012 | 7 | 43 | 250 |
Donavon Clark | G | 2016 | 7 | 3 | 224 |
15th-Tied: Vikings, 9 Spartans Drafted
Player Name | Position | Year | Round | Pick | Overall |
Clint Jones | RB | 1967 | 1 | 2 | 2 |
Gene Washington | WR | 1967 | 1 | 8 | 8 |
Mike Hurd | WR | 1975 | 13 | 24 | 336 |
Tom Hannon | DB | 1977 | 3 | 27 | 83 |
Carlos Jenkins | LB | 1991 | 3 | 10 | 65 |
Dimitrius Underwood | DE | 1999 | 1 | 29 | 29 |
Trae Waynes | DB | 2015 | 1 | 11 | 11 |
Kenny Willekes | DE | 2020 | 7 | 11 | 225 |
Jalen Nailor | WR | 2022 | 6 | 11 | 191 |
15th-Tied: Dolphins, 9 Spartans Drafted
Player Name | Position | Year | Round | Pick | Overall |
Mel Land | LB | 1979 | 3 | 7 | 63 |
Jerome Stanton | DB | 1979 | 10 | 10 | 258 |
Eugene Byrd | WR | 1980 | 6 | 20 | 158 |
Soctt Shaw | G | 1998 | 5 | 20 | 143 |
Kevin Vickerson | DT | 2005 | 7 | 2 | 216 |
Brandon Fields | P | 2007 | 7 | 15 | 225 |
BJ Cunningham | WR | 2012 | 6 | 13 | 183 |
Dion Simms | TE | 2013 | 4 | 9 | 106 |
Tony Lippett | WR | 2015 | 5 | 20 | 156 |
14th: 49ers, 10 Spartans Drafted
Player Name | Position | Year | Round | Pick | Overall |
Bill Carey | E | 1952 | 18 | 9 | 214 |
Earl Morrall | QB | 1956 | 1 | 2 | 2 |
Hal Dukes | E | 1958 | 13 | 10 | 155 |
Dwight Lee | RB | 1968 | 5 | 14 | 125 |
Bryan Clark | QB | 1982 | 9 | 28 | 251 |
Cliff Confer | DE | 1991 | 12 | 26 | 332 |
Julian Peterson | LB | 2000 | 1 | 16 | 16 |
Josh Shaw | DT | 2002 | 5 | 37 | 172 |
Trenton Robinson | DB | 2012 | 6 | 10 | 180 |
Aaron Burbridge | WR | 2016 | 6 | 38 | 213 |
12th-Tied: Titans, 11 Spartans Drafted
This includes players drafted when the franchise was known as the Houston Oilers (1960-1996) and the Tennessee Oilers (1997-1998).
Player Name | Position | Year | Round | Pick | Overall |
George Webster | LB | 1967 | 1 | 5 | 5 |
Ron Saul | G | 1970 | 5 | 6 | 110 |
Calvin Fox | LB | 1971 | 17 | 5 | 421 |
Angelo Fields | T | 1980 | 2 | 19 | 38 |
Lorenzo White | RB | 1988 | 1 | 22 | 22 |
Greg Montgomery | P | 1988 | 3 | 17 | 72 |
Derrick Mason | WR | 1997 | 4 | 2 | 98 |
Aric Morris | DB | 2000 | 5 | 6 | 135 |
Robaire Smith | DE | 2000 | 6 | 31 | 197 |
Javon Ringer | RB | 2009 | 5 | 37 | 173 |
Jack Conklin | T | 2016 | 1 | 8 | 8 |
12th-Tied: Cowboys, 11 Spartans Drafted
Player Name | Position | Year | Round | Pick | Overall |
Larry Hudas | E | 1962 | 11 | 4 | 144 |
Billy Joe DuPree | TE | 1973 | 1 | 20 | 20 |
Dan Werner | QB | 1973 | 8 | 22 | 204 |
Raymond Nester | LB | 1974 | 7 | 20 | 176 |
Mike Holt | DB | 1974 | 8 | 23 | 205 |
Greg Schaum | DT | 1976 | 7 | 4 | 186 |
Larry Bethea | DE | 1978 | 1 | 28 | 28 |
Larry Savage | LB | 1980 | 8 | 23 | 216 |
Dixon Edwards | LB | 1991 | 2 | 10 | 37 |
Shane Hannah | G | 1995 | 2 | 31 | 63 |
Flozell Adams | T | 1998 | 2 | 8 | 38 |
11th: Cardinals, 13 Spartans Drafted
This includes players drafted when the franchise was known as the Chicago Cardinals (1920-1943, 1945-1959), St. Louis Cardinals (1960-1987), and Phoenix Cardinals (1988-1993).
Player Name | Position | Year | Round | Pick | Overall |
Ed Bagdon | G | 1950 | 7 | 8 | 87 |
Don Coleman | G | 1952 | 8 | 3 | 88 |
Don Dohoney | E | 1954 | 5 | 1 | 50 |
Norm Masters | T | 1956 | 2 | 5 | 18 |
Fred Arbanas | E | 1961 | 2 | 8 | 22 |
Harold Lucas | T | 1966 | 2 | 7 | 23 |
Greg Brewton | DT | 1976 | 13 | 22 | 369 |
Kirk Gibson | WR | 1979 | 7 | 8 | 173 |
Lonnie Young | DB | 1985 | 12 | 17 | 325 |
Anthony Bell | LB | 1986 | 1 | 5 | 5 |
Tim Moore | LB | 1988 | 8 | 13 | 206 |
Travis Davis | DT | 1990 | 4 | 4 | 85 |
Renaldo Hill | DB | 2001 | 7 | 2 | 202 |
9th-Tied: Packers, 15 Spartans Drafted
Player Name | Position | Year | Round | Pick | Overall |
Gordon Dahlgren | G | 1937 | 9 | 9 | 89 |
Ken Balge | E | 1948 | 18 | 6 | 161 |
Frank Waters | B | 1950 | 25 | 3 | 316 |
Jack Morgan | T | 1952 | 14 | 2 | 159 |
Frank Kaptral | G | 1952 | 23 | 3 | 268 |
Evan Slonac | B | 1954 | 28 | 2 | 327 |
Hank Bullough | G | 1955 | 5 | 4 | 53 |
Dan Currie | C | 1958 | 1 | 3 | 3 |
Herb Adderley | DB | 1961 | 1 | 12 | 12 |
Bob Apisa | RB | 1968 | 9 | 26 | 245 |
Frank Foreman | WR | 1970 | 12 | 15 | 301 |
Ray Stachowicz | Position | 1981 | 3 | 6 | 62 |
Tony Mandarich | T | 1989 | 1 | 2 | 2 |
Will Whiticker | G | 2005 | 7 | 32 | 246 |
Jerel Worthy | DT | 2012 | 2 | 19 | 51 |
9th-Tied: Eagles, 15 Spartans Drafted
Player Name | Position | Year | Round | Pick | Overall |
Warren Huey | E | 1949 | 6 | 7 | 58 |
Vic Postula | B | 1955 | 24 | 9 | 286 |
Clarence Peaks | B | 1957 | 1 | 7 | 7 |
Tom Saidock | T | 1957 | 7 | 1 | 74 |
Walkt KLowalczyk | B | 1958 | 1 | 6 | 6 |
Wayne Fontes | RB | 1961 | 9 | 14 | 126 |
Ed Budde | T | 1963 | 1 | 4 | 4 |
Dick Kenney | K | 1967 | 14 | 17 | 358 |
Joe Przbycki | G | 1968 | 7 | 13 | 178 |
Gary Van Elst | DT | 1973 | 11 | 3 | 263 |
Steve Bogdalek | G | 1986 | 11 | 11 | 288 |
Bobby Morse | RB | 1987 | 12 | 9 | 316 |
Chuck Bullough | LB | 1992 | 8 | 18 | 214 |
Ike Reese | LB | 1998 | 5 | 19 | 142 |
Gari Scott | WR | 2000 | 4 | 5 | 99 |
7th-Tied: Washington, 17 Spartans Drafted
Player Name | Position | Year | Round | Pick | Overall |
Stan McRae | E | 1941 | 17 | 10 | 160 |
Frank Brogger | E | 1945 | 19 | 7 | 94 |
Al Dorow | QB | 1952 | 3 | 6 | 31 |
Orlando Mazza | E | 1952 | 11 | 6 | 127 |
Paul Dekker | E | 1953 | 3 | 2 | 27 |
Ed Timmerman | B | 1953 | 14 | 3 | 160 |
Billy Wells | B | 1954 | 5 | 7 | 56 |
Gary Lowe | B | 1956 | 5 | 10 | 59 |
Jerry Planutis | B | 1956 | 12 | 8 | 141 |
Buck Nystrom | G | 1956 | 30 | 8 | 357 |
Ron Hatcher | RB | 1962 | 8 | 1 | 99 |
Carl Charon | B | 1962 | 18 | 1 | 239 |
Lonnie Sanders | DB | 1963 | 2 | 8 | 22 |
Bobby Wilson | DT | 1991 | 1 | 17 | 17 |
Devin Thomas | WR | 2008 | 2 | 3 | 34 |
Kirk Cousins | QB | 2012 | 4 | 7 | 102 |
Montae Nicholson | DB | 2017 | 4 | 16 | 123 |
7th-Tied: Bears, 17 Spartans Drafted
Player Name | Position | Year | Round | Pick | Overall |
Bob Allman | E | 1936 | 4 | 5 | 32 |
Russ Reader | B | 1947 | 21 | 10 | 195 |
Vic Zucco | B | 1957 | 5 | 11 | 60 |
Bob Jewett | E | 1958 | 5 | 4 | 53 |
Les Rutledge | T | 1958 | 20 | 4 | 233 |
Ed Ryan | B | 1961 | 8 | 5 | 104 |
Jason Harness | E | 1961 | 10 | 5 | 132 |
Dave Behrman | C | 1963 | 1 | 11 | 11 |
Dick Gordon | RB | 1965 | 7 | 4 | 88 |
Lou Bobich | K | 1965 | 19 | 4 | 256 |
Cliff Hardy | DB | 1971 | 11 | 10 | 270 |
Jim Morrissey | LB | 1985 | 11 | 22 | 302 |
Brent White | DE | 1990 | 11 | 8 | 284 |
Paul Edinger | K | 2000 | 6 | 8 | 174 |
Kellen Davis | TE | 2008 | 5 | 23 | 158 |
ERvin Baldwin | DE | 2008 | 7 | 1 | 208 |
Jeremy Langford | RB | 2015 | 4 | 7 | 106 |
5th-Tied: Lions, 19 Spartans Drafted
Player Name | Position | Year | Round | Pick | Overall |
Sid Wagner | G | 1936 | 1 | 8 | 8 |
John Pingel | B | 1939 | 1 | 7 | 7 |
Tony Arena | C | 1942 | 13 | 5 | 115 |
Jack Fenton | B | 1943 | 10 | 1 | 81 |
Walt Vezmar | G | 1947 | 13 | 1 | 106 |
Bob McCurry | C | 1948 | 30 | 2 | 277 |
Gene Glick | B | 1950 | 25 | 4 | 317 |
Dorne Dibble | E | 1951 | 3 | 7 | 33 |
Jim Neaql | C | 1954 | 2 | 12 | 25 |
Bert Zagers | B | 1955 | 7 | 11 | 84 |
Dean Look | QB | 1960 | 20 | 3 | 231 |
Ernie Clark | LB | 1963 | 13 | 12 | 180 |
Matt Snorton | E | 1964 | 2 | 6 | 20 |
Jerry Rush | T | 1965 | 2 | 11 | 25 |
Tom Kutchinski | DB | 1971 | 16 | 21 | 411 |
Ty Hallock | LB | 1993 | 7 | 6 | 174 |
Sedrick Irvin | RB | 1999 | 4 | 8 | 103 |
Charles Rogers | WR | 2003 | 1 | 2 | 2 |
Drew Stanton | QB | 2007 | 2 | 11 | 43 |
5th-Tied: Colts, 19 Spartans Drafted
This includes players drafted when the franchise was known as the Baltimore Colts (1953-1983).
Player Name | Position | Year | Round | Pick | Overall |
John Lewis | E | 1956 | 9 | 6 | 103 |
Archie Matsos | G | 1958 | 16 | 8 | 189 |
Palmer Pyle | T | 1959 | 6 | 12 | 72 |
Ike Grimsley | RB | 1961 | 7 | 7 | 91 |
Ed Lothamer | T | 1964 | 5 | 8 | 64 |
Roger Lopes | RB | 1964 | 16 | 8 | 218 |
Bubba Smith | DT | 1967 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
Gordon Bowdell | WR | 1971 | 7 | 26 | 182 |
Bill Triplett | WR | 1971 | 12 | 26 | 312 |
Mike Hogan | LB | 1971 | 15 | 26 | 390 |
Eric Allen | WR | 1972 | 4 | 26 | 104 |
Herb Washington | WR | 1972 | 13 | 22 | 334 |
Jim Burroughs | DB | 1982 | 3 | 2 | 57 |
Andre Rison | WR | 1989 | 1 | 22 | 22 |
Kurt Larson | LB | 1989 | 8 | 17 | 212 |
James Bradley | WR | 1991 | 7 | 14 | 181 |
Dave Rayner | K | 2005 | 6 | 28 | 202 |
Chris Rucker | DB | 2011 | 6 | 23 | 188 |
Khari Willis | DB | 2019 | 4 | 7 | 109 |
3rd-Tied: Giants, 20 Spartans Drafted
Player Name | Position | Year | Round | Pick | Overall |
Howard Beyer | C | 1944 | 24 | 5 | 246 |
Vincent Mroz | E | 1945 | 24 | 10 | 251 |
Don McAuliffe | B | 1950 | 28 | 6 | 358 |
Sonny Grandelius | B | 1951 | 3 | 11 | 37 |
Dick Kuh | G | 1951 | 24 | 11 | 290 |
Jim Creamer | C | 1952 | 21 | 10 | 251 |
Rex Corless | B | 1954 | 21 | 3 | 244 |
Dennis Mendyk | B | 1957 | 3 | 10 | 35 |
Pat Burke | G | 1957 | 11 | 12 | 133 |
Ellison Kelly | G | 1959 | 5 | 11 | 59 |
Bob Bercich | B | 1959 | 15 | 11 | 179 |
Dave Herman | G | 1963 | 8 | 12 | 110 |
Al Brenner | DB | 1969 | 7 | 14 | 170 |
Brad Van Pelt | LB | 1973 | 2 | 14 | 40 |
Terry McClowry | LB | 1975 | 10 | 1 | 235 |
Jeff Wiska | G | 1982 | 7 | 19 | 186 |
Carl Banks | LB | 1984 | 1 | 3 | 3 |
Mark Ingram Sr. | WR | 1987 | 1 | 28 | 28 |
David Houle | G | 1988 | 6 | 8 | 145 |
Greg Jones | LB | 2011 | 6 | 20 | 185 |
3rd-Tied: Browns, 20 Spartans Drafted
Player Name | Position | Year | Round | Pick | Overall |
Bill Hughes | C | 1952 | 2 | 11 | 24 |
Dick Tamburo | C | 1953 | 4 | 10 | 47 |
Jim Ellis | B | 1955 | 25 | 10 | 299 |
Leroy Bolden | B | 1955 | 6 | 12 | 73 |
John Matsock | B | 1956 | 24 | 12 | 289 |
Bill Quinlan | E | 1957 | 3 | 12 | 37 |
Dave Kaiser | E | 1958 | 15 | 6 | 175 |
Jim Ninowski | QB | 1958 | 4 | 12 | 49 |
Jim Wulff | B | 1968 | 6 | 11 | 72 |
Bill Boykin | T | 1958 | 28 | 11 | 336 |
Fran O'Brien | T | 1969 | 3 | 11 | 35 |
Jim Kanicki | T | 1963 | 2 | 9 | 23 |
Jim Bobbit | G | 1963 | 10 | 9 | 135 |
Sherman Lewis | RB | 1964 | 18 | 12 | 250 |
Craig Wycinsky | G | 1970 | 7 | 21 | 177 |
Robert McClowry | C | 1973 | 17 | 21 | 437 |
Al Pitts | C | 1978 | 6 | 11 | 149 |
Howard McAdoo | LB | 1983 | 11 | 26 | 305 |
Harlon Barnett | DB | 1990 | 4 | 20 | 101 |
Bill Johnson | DT | 1992 | 3 | 9 | 65 |
1st-Tied: Steelers, 22 Spartans Drafted
Player Name | Position | Year | Round | Pick | Overall |
Ole Nelson | E | 1939 | 8 | 1 | 61 |
Hugh Davis | B | 1944 | 17 | 9 | 173 |
Paul Carter | T | 1944 | 23 | 9 | 239 |
Lynn Chandnois | B | 1950 | 1 | 8 | 8 |
Hank Minarik | E | 1951 | 8 | 6 | 92 |
Marv McFadden | T | 1952 | 12 | 5 | 138 |
Tom Yewcic | QB | 1954 | 27 | 6 | 319 |
Ellis Duckett | B | 1955 | 15 | 5 | 174 |
Jim Hinesley | E | 1957 | 25 | 4 | 293 |
Gary Ballman | B | 1962 | 8 | 6 | 104 |
Ron Curl | T | 1972 | 12 | 12 | 298 |
Gail Clark | LB | 1973 | 4 | 24 | 102 |
Tom Graves | LB | 1979 | 8 | 28 | 220 |
Mark Nichols | DT | 1988 | 8 | 16 | 209 |
Alan Haller | DB | 1992 | 5 | 11 | 123 |
Myron Bell | DB | 1994 | 5 | 9 | 140 |
Jim Miller | QB | 1994 | 6 | 17 | 178 |
Brice Abrams | RB | 1994 | 7 | 15 | 209 |
Paxico Burress | WR | 2000 | 1 | 8 | 8 |
Le'Veon Bell | RB | 2013 | 2 | 16 | 48 |
Justin Layne | DB | 2019 | 3 | 19 | 83 |
Connor Heyward | FB | 2019 | 6 | 29 | 208 |
1st-Tied: Rams, 22 Spartans Drafted
This includes players drafted when the franchise was known as the Cleveland Rams (1936-1942, 1944-1945), Los Angeles Rams (1946-1994, 2016-present), and St. Louis Rams (1995-2015).
Player Name | Position | Year | Round | Pick | Overall |
Dean Thomas | T | 1951 | 23 | 9 | 276 |
Bob Carey | E | 1952 | 1 | 13 | 13 |
Sam Williams | DE | 1956 | 24 | 11 | 288 |
Tony Kolodziej | E | 1958 | 13 | 7 | 152 |
Larry Harding | E | 1958 | 24 | 6 | 283 |
Blanche Martin | B | 1959 | 4 | 7 | 43 |
Larry Cundiff | T | 1959 | 9 | 8 | 104 |
George Saimes | DB | 1963 | 6 | 1 | 71 |
Bill Zorn | T | 1963 | 7 | 1 | 85 |
Herman Johnson | B | 1964 | 6 | 7 | 77 |
Jimmy Raye II | QB | 1968 | 16 | 23 | 431 |
Rich Saul | LB | 1970 | 8 | 22 | 204 |
Jim Nicholson | T | 1973 | 9 | 11 | 219 |
Bill Simpson | DB | 1974 | 2 | 24 | 50 |
Otis Grant | WR | 1983 | 5 | 22 | 134 |
Kevin Robbins | T | 1989 | 3 | 19 | 75 |
Tony Banks | QB | 1996 | 2 | 12 | 42 |
Jeff Smoker | QB | 2004 | 6 | 36 | 201 |
Clifton Ryan | DT | 2006 | 5 | 17 | 154 |
Brian Allen | C | 2018 | 4 | 11 | 111 |
AJ Arcuri | OT | 2022 | 7 | 40 | 261 |