3 NFL teams that love drafting Texas football players
Texas football had two first-round NFL Draft picks on Day 1 in 2024 for the first time in nearly two decades. The first Texas Ex off the board on Day 1 of the 2024 draft was defensive tackle Byron Murphy II, who was selected by the Seattle Seahawks 16th overall in the first round.
Over 350 Texas football players have been selected all-time in the NFL Draft
The second former Longhorns player off the board on Day 1 of the 2024 draft was wide receiver Xavier Worthy, selected by the Kansas City Chiefs 28th overall. The Chiefs nabbed the speedster Worthy after trading up four spots late in the first round with the AFC rival Buffalo Bills.
The last time the Longhorns had two players drafted in the first round was in 2007.
In total, the Longhorns have now had 359 players selected in the NFL Draft (if you include the two 2024 first-round picks). That is tied for 13th most of any college football program in NFL Draft history.
Here's a look at the three teams that most frequently select Longhorns players in the history of the NFL Draft.
Honorable Mentions
Detroit Lions (15)
The Detroit Lions are tied for the seventh-most Longhorns drafted in the NFL all-time. Since the Lions moved to Detroit in 1934, the franchise has drafted 15 former Longhorns players, including three in the first round.
Most recently, the Lions selected cornerback Quandre Diggs in the sixth round of the 2015 NFL Draft. The Lions most recent first-round pick from Texas is wide receiver Roy Williams, with the seventh overall pick in 2004.
Washington Commanders (17)
Two teams are tied for the fifth-most Longhorns players drafted all-time. The Washington Commanders have selected four Longhorns players this century, including one in the first round.
Washington also was the first NFL team to ever draft a Texas alum in the first round. Tailback Spec Sanders was picked sixth overall by Washington in the 1942 draft.
LA Rams (17)
The Los Angeles Rams was another early franchise that drafted plenty of former Longhorns players. Between 1940 and 1985, the Rams picked 17 former Longhorns in the NFL Draft.
The Rams were also the first franchise to pick a Longhorn in the 1940s, selecting offensive tackle Park Myers with the 35th pick in the fifth round.
Houston Texans (20)
If you include the days of the AFL, the Houston Texans are one of just four franchises to select at least 20 Longhorns in the draft. Since the merger, Houston has picked up 11 former Longhorns in the NFL Draft.