By Stephen Vilardo, SuperWest Sports
In anticipation of the 2025 NFL Draft, which begins on Thursday, here are our history summary capsules for the top college football programs in the West.
The tables below include the number of players drafted all-time, each program’s highest-ever pick, their most recent and all-time First-Rounders, and the number of players taken in 2024.
Among college programs in the West, USC leads all schools with 532 draft picks, with 88 of them taken in the First Round.
Amazingly, the Trojans have had at least one player drafted every year since 1938, and at least two players taken in all but four of those years (1936, 1937, 1938, and 1998).
On the other end of the spectrum, only 10 Air Force players have been selected in its history, none of them First-Rounders.
Over the past two weeks, I have previewed the top 2020 NFL draft prospects by position, including QBs and RBs, WRs and TEs, OL, DL, LBs, and DBs.
We have also published lists of All-Time First-Round NFL Draft Picks by Schools in the West and Overall No. 1 NFL Draft Picks for Programs from the West.
The 90th NFL draft runs from Thursday, April 24th, through Saturday, April 26th, in Green Bay, Wisconsin, which is hosting the event for the first time.
The TV times and networks appear below.
How to Watch the 2025 NFL Draft
NFL Draft Day 1 (Round 1)
Thursday, April 24th, 5:00 p.m. PT
TV: ESPN, ABC, NFL Network
NFL Draft Day 2 (Rounds 2-3)
Friday, April 25th, 4:00 p.m. PT
TV: ESPN, ABC, NFL Network
NFL Draft Day 3 (Rounds 4-7)
Saturday, April 26th, 9:00 a.m. PT
TV: ESPN, ABC, NFL Network
2025 NFL Draft History Capsules
Air Force Falcons
| Players Drafted All-Time | 10 |
| Highest Pick | Daniel Palmer 178th overall 1997 Chargers |
| Most Recent 1st Rounder | N/A |
| All-time 1st Rounders | 0 |
| Drafted in 2024 | 1 |
Three of the 10 Falcons drafted have been special teamers—Austin Cutting as a Long Snapper and Joe Wood and Dave Lawson as Kickers
Arizona Wildcats
| Players Drafted All-Time | 187 |
| Highest Pick | Ricky Huntly 7th overall 1984 Bengals |
| Most Recent 1st Rounder | Jordan Morgan 25th overall 2024 Packers |
| All-time First Rounders | 11 |
| Drafted 2024 | 3 |
Before Jordan Morgan in 2024, the last Arizona player selected in the First Round was Antoine Cason in 2008.
Arizona State Sun Devils
| Players Drafted All-Time | 255 |
| Highest Pick | Charley Taylor 3rd Overall 1964 Washington |
| Most Recent 1st Rounder | Brandon Aiyuk 25th Overall 2020 49ers |
| All-Time First Rounders | 26 |
| Drafted 2024 | 0 |
Until 2024, Arizona State had at least one player selected in every draft since 2014.
Boise State Broncos
| Players Drafted All-Time | 74 |
| Highest Pick | Ryan Clady 12th overall 2008 Broncos |
| Most Recent 1st Rounder | Leighton Vander Esch 19th overall 2018 Cowboys |
| All-time 1st Rounders | 5 |
| Drafted in 2024 | 0 |
Prior to 2024, Boise State had at least one player selected in every draft since 2010. Boise State has had 31 total players taken in the last 15 drafts, with 20 of the 74 selected going in the opening three rounds.
BYU Cougars
| Players Drafted All-Time | 153 |
| Highest Pick | Steve Young 1st overall (supplemental draft) 1984 Buccaneers |
| Most Recent 1st Rounder | Zach Wilson 2nd overall 2021 Jets |
| All-time 1st Rounders | 12 |
| Drafted in 2024 | 1 |
BYU has had 13 quarterbacks drafted all-time, and four of them have been First-Rounders, with three going in the top five picks. Since 2016, a Cougar has been selected in every draft except for 2020.
California Golden Bears
| Players Drafted All-Time | 245 |
| Highest Pick | Steve Bartkowski 1st Overall 1975 to Falcons & Jared Goff 1st Overall 2016 to Rams |
| Most Recent 1st Rounder | Jared Goff, 1st Overall in 2016 |
| All-Time First Rounders | 27 |
| Drafted 2024 | 1 |
The last 10 players drafted from Cal have all played on the defensive side of the ball. This, after all seven of the Bears’ draftees were offensive players in 2016 and 2017.
Colorado Buffaloes
| Players Drafted All-Time | 276 |
| Highest Pick | Bo Matthews 2nd Overall 1974 Chargers |
| Most Recent 1st Rounder | Nate Solder 17th overall to Patriots & Jimmy Smith 27th overall to Ravens, both in 2011 |
| All-Time First Rounders | 24 |
| Drafted 2024 | 0 |
The Buffs have had 10 players selected since 2017. Colorado has produced four Second-Rounders and two Third-Rounders since 2014.
Colorado State Rams
| Players Drafted All-Time | 106 |
| Highest Pick | Gary Glick 1st overall 1956 Steelers |
| Most Recent 1st Rounder | Kelly Stouffer 6th overall 1987 Cardinals |
| All-time 1st Rounders | 5 |
| Drafted in 2024 | 1 |
Since 2005 the Rams have had 15 players selected in the draft, 13 of those 15 players have been on the offensive side of the ball.
Fresno State Bulldogs
| Players Drafted All-Time | 111 |
| Highest Pick | David Carr 1st overall 2002 to Texans |
| Most Recent 1st Rounder | Ryan Matthews 12th overall 2010 to Chargers |
| Drafted in 2024 | 4 |
| All-time 1st Rounders | 5 |
Since 2015, Fresno State has had two skill players drafted. Overall, the Bulldogs have had nine quarterbacks drafted. The Bulldogs have had 27 DBs drafted all-time, and two QBs in the First round.
Hawaii Rainbows
| Players Drafted All-Time | 73 |
| Highest Pick | Ashley Lelie 19th overall 2002 Broncos |
| Most Recent 1st Rounder | Ashley Lelie 19th overall 2002 Broncos |
| All-time 1st Rounders | 1 |
| Drafted in 2024 | 0 |
Hawaii has had 10 players selected in the first two rounds of the draft all-time. Eight of those 10 have been since 2000. The most drafted position for the Rainbow Warriors has been wide receivers, amounting to 11 of their 72 draftees.
Nevada Wolfpack
| Players Drafted All-Time | 61 |
| Highest Pick | Stan Heath 5th overall 1949 Packers |
| Most Recent 1st Rounder | Al Williams to Lions & Tony Zendejas to Washington, both in 1984 |
| All-time 1st Rounders | 3 (2 of them supplemental) |
| Drafted in 2024 | 0 |
Nevada has had 13 players taken in the NFL Draft since 2011.
New Mexico Lobos
| Players Drafted All-Time | 66 |
| Highest Pick | Brian Urlacher 9th overall in 2000 to Bears |
| Most Recent 1st Rounder | Brian Urlacher |
| All-time 1st Rounders | 2 |
| Drafted in 2024 | 0 |
Jerrick Reed, taken in the Sixth Round by Seattle in 2023, was the first Lobo drafted since 2018. UNM has only had three players selected in the first two rounds.
Oregon Ducks
| Players Drafted All-Time | 244 |
| Highest Pick | George Shaw 1st Overall 1955 Baltimore Colts |
| Most Recent 1st Rounder | Bo Nix 12th overall 2024 Broncos |
| All-Time First Rounders | 23 (1 supplemental) |
| Drafted 2024 | 8 |
The Ducks have produced a Draft choice every year except 2017 since 1985. In the last five years, Oregon has had 24 players selected, with 14 on the defensive side of the ball. A total of 13 of UO’s 22 non-supplemental First-Round picks have come since 2002.
Oregon State Beavers
| Players Drafted All-Time | 173 |
| Highest Pick | Terry Baker 1st Overall 1963 Rams |
| Most Recent 1st Rounder | Taliese Fuaga 14th overall 2024 Saints |
| All-Time First Rounders | 7 |
| Drafted 2024 | 3 |
OSU has had 11 players selected in the last five seasons. Eight of the last 11 Beavers selected have been offensive players. Since 2009, only five Beavers have been selected in the opening two rounds of the draft.
San Diego State Aztecs
| Players Drafted All-Time | 163 |
| Highest Pick | Marshall Faulk 2nd overall 1994 Colts |
| Most Recent 1st Rounder | Rashaad Penny 27th overall 2018 Seahawks |
| All-time 1st Rounders | 9 |
| Drafted in 2024 | 0 |
The four Aztecs selected in the 2022 Draft were the most since they had four drafted in 2008. The 2023 draft was the first time since 2017 that San Diego State did not have at least one player taken.
San Jose State Spartans
| Players Drafted All-Time | 108 |
| Highest Pick | Mark Nichols 16th overall 1981 Lions |
| Most Recent 1st Rounder | Gill Byrd 22nd overall 1983 Chargers |
| All-time 1st Rounders | 6 |
| Drafted in 2024 | 0 |
Viliami Fehoko, taken in the Fourth Round in 2023 by Dallas, was the first Spartan drafted since 2019 when Josh Oliver went in the Third Round to the Jaguars.
Stanford Cardinal
| Players Drafted All-Time | 279 |
| Highest Pick | Bobby Garrett 1954, Browns; Jim Plunkett 1971, Patriots; John Elway 1983, Baltimore Colts; Andrew Luck 2012, Colts — All first overall |
| Most Recent 1st Rounder | Solomon Thomas 3rd Overall 2017 49ers & Christian McCaffrey 8th Overall 2017 Panthers |
| All-Time First Rounders | 25 |
| Drafted 2024 | 1 |
The 2024 Draft was only the second time since 2010 that Stanford has not had at least two players selected.
UCLA Bruins
| Players Drafted All-Time | 339 |
| Highest Pick | Troy Aikman 1st Overall 1989 Cowboys |
| Most Recent 1st Rounder | Laiatu Latu 15th overall 2024 Colts |
| All-Time First Rounders | 38 (1 supplemental) |
| Drafted 2024 | 2 |
Except for 2012 and 2009, UCLA has had at least one player drafted every year since 1998.
UNLV Rebels
| Players Drafted All-Time | 45 |
| Highest Pick | Ickey Woods 31st overall 1988 Bengals |
| Most Recent 1st Rounder | 0 |
| All-time 1st Rounders | 0 |
| Drafted in 2024 | 0 |
The last Rebel to get drafted was Joe Hawley in 2010 when he went in the Fourth Round to Atlanta.
USC Trojans
| Players Drafted All-Time | 532 |
| Highest Pick | Ron Yary 1968, Vikings OJ Simpson 1969, Bills Ricky Bell 1977, Buccaneers Keyshawn Johnson 1996, Jets Carson Palmer 2003, Bengals, Caleb Williams 2024, Bears, All first overall |
| Most Recent 1st Rounder | Caleb Williams 1st overall 2024 Bears |
| All-Time First Rounders | 87 |
| Drafted 2024 | 7 |
The last time USC did not have a player selected was in 1938. The only drafts in which USC failed to have at least two players selected were in 1936, 1937, 1938, and 1998.
Utah Utes
| Players Drafted All-Time | 177 |
| Highest Pick | Alex Smith 1st Overall 2005 49ers |
| Most Recent 1st Rounder | Dalton Kincaid 25th overall in 2023 to the Bills |
| All-Time First Rounders | 10 |
| Drafted 2024 | 5 |
A total of 30 Utes have been selected in the last eight NFL Drafts. Seventeen of the last 41 Utah players taken have gone in the first three rounds of the Draft. The last time Utah did not have a player selected was in 2008.
Utah State Aggies
| Players Drafted All-Time | 116 |
| Highest Pick | Merlin Olsen 3rd overall 1962 Rams |
| Most Recent 1st Rounder | Jordan Love 26th overall 2020 Packers |
| All-time 1st Rounders | 5 |
| Drafted in 2024 | 0 |
Jordan Love and Bobby Wagner (Second Round in 2012) are the only Aggies to be selected in the first two rounds since 1980.
Washington Huskies
| Players Drafted All-Time | 325 |
| Highest Pick | Steve Emtman 1st Overall 1992 Colts |
| Most Recent 1st Rounder | Michael Penix Jr. 8th overall, Falcons Rome Odunze 9th overall, Bears Troy Fautanu 20th overall, Steelers All 2024 |
| All-Time First Rounders | 31 |
| Drafted 2024 | 10 |
The 2023 Draft marked the first time since 2010 that the Huskies did not have a player selected. Prior to that year, Washington had at least two players drafted in each of the previous nine drafts.
Washington State Cougars
| Players Drafted All-Time | 201 |
| Highest Pick | Drew Bledsoe 1st overall 1993 Patriots |
| Most Recent 1st Rounder | Andre Dillard 22nd Overall 2019 Eagles |
| All-Time First Rounders | 14 (1 of them supplemental) |
| Drafted 2024 | 3 |
With the exception of 2021, Washington State has had at least one player drafted every year since 2013. Since the 1995 draft, WSU has had a player selected in every draft except for 2010, 2012, and 2021.
Wyoming Cowboys
| Players Drafted All-Time | 87 |
| Highest Pick | Josh Allen 7th overall 2018 Bills |
| Most Recent 1st Rounder | Josh Allen |
| All-time 1st Rounders | 4 |
| Drafted in 2024 | 0 |
Each of the last three Cowboys selected in the draft has been a linebacker. The defense has produced the last four Wyoming players to get drafted, with Josh Allen the last offensive player taken.
writes about various topics for SuperWest sports, including stats and records, college sports, and motorsports. He also founded and runs the Sports and Entertainment Research Center (SERC).
2025-nfl-draft-history-capsules-for-schools-in-the-west
Leave a Reply