NFL Draft by the numbers for HBCU players in the last decade

Now that the 2024 NFL Draft is ready to kick off, we’d like to take a look back at the last ten drafts and see how many HBCU players were selected in the last decade. With the exception of 2021 at least one HBCU player has been drafted every year over the last ten seasons. 2021 was an anomaly in part because all HBCU games were canceled in 2020 due to the pandemic, while the SWAC managed a limited spring season in 2021.

The highest draft pick of the last ten years was Tytus Howard from Alabama State. The former tight end turned quarterback was selected 23rd overall in the first round by the Houston Texans in 2019. Howard is still in the league and playing for the Texans. He signed a three-year, $56 million contract extension in July of 2023.

Tennessee State has had the most HBCU draft picks in the last decade with five players selected. All five selections were offensive lineman. South Carolina State has the second most with four players drafted in the last ten years.

The most HBCU picks in any NFL Draft of the last decade was four selections. Ironically it happened four different times, in 2015, 2017, 2019 and 2022.

Here’s a list of the last ten NFL Drafts and the HBCU players that were selected.

2014 NFL Draft

Kadeem Edwards, Tennessee St., OL (Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Round 5, Pick 143)

Demetrius Rhaney, Tennessee St., OL (St. Louis Rams, Round 7, Pick 250)

2015 NFL Draft

Rodney Gunter, Delaware State, DT (Arizona Cardinals, Round 4, Pick 116)

Tray Walker, Texas Southern, CB (Baltimore Ravens, Round 4, Pick 136)

Robert Myers, Tennessee St., G (Baltimore Ravens, Round 5, Pick 176)

Anthony Morris, Tennessee St., OL (Oakland Raiders, Round 7, Pick 218)

2016 NFL Draft

Javon Hargrave, South Carolina St., DT (Pittsburgh Steelers, Round 3, Pick 89)

Ryan Smith, North Carolina Central, CB (Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Round 4, Pick 108)

Temarrick Hemingway, South Carolina St., TE (Los Angeles Rams, Round 6, Pick 177)

2017

Chad Williams, Grambling St., WR (Arizona Cardinals, Round 3, Pick 98)

Tarik Cohen , North Carolina A&T, RB (Chicago Bears, Round 4, Pick 119)

Grover Stewart, Albany State, DT (Indianapolis Colts, Round 4, Pick 144)

Jylan Ware, Alabama State, T (Oakland Raiders, Round 7, Pick 231)

2018

Shaquille Leonard, South Carolina St., LB (Indianapolis Colts, Round 2, Pick 36)

Brandon Parker, North Carolina A&T, T (Oakland Raiders, Round 3, Pick 65)

Trenton Cannon, Virginia State, RB (New York Jets, Round 6, Pick 204)

2019

Tytus Howard, Alabama State, T (Houston Texans, Round 1, Pick 23)

Darryl Johnson, North Carolina A&T, DE (Buffalo Bills, Round 7, Pick 225)

Quinton Bell, Prairie View A&M, DE (Oakland Raiders, Round 7, Pick 230)

Joshua Miles, Morgan State, T (Arizona Cardinals, Round 7, Pick 248)

2020

Lachavious Simmons, Tennessee St., G (Chicago Bears, Round 7, Pick 227)

2022

Joshua Williams, Fayetteville State, DB (Kansas City Chiefs, Round 4, Pick 135)

Decobie Durant, South Carolina State, DB (Los Angeles Rams, Round 4, Pick 142)

James Houston IV, Jackson State, LB (Detroit Lions, Round 6, Pick 217)

Ja’Tyre Carter, Southern University, OT (Chicago Bears, Round 7, Pick 226)

2023

Isaiah Bolden, Jackson State, DB (New England Patriots, Round 7, Pick 245)

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