Mark May was drafted No. 20 overall by the Washington Commanders in the 1981 NFL Draft out of Pittsburgh. 159 regular-season games · 10 seasons as a starter · 64 career approximate value
- Overall pick
- #20
- Round
- 1
- Draft class
- 1981
- NFL games
- 159
- Years as starter
- 10
- Career AV
- 6414th at Pittsburgh
- Pro Bowls
- 1
The pick
How Mark May came off the board in 1981.
- Position
- Guard G
- College
-
Pittsburgh
ACC at the draft
- Side of the ball
- Offense
NFL career
159 regular-season games · 10 seasons as a starter · 64 career approximate value
- Games played
- 159
- Seasons as a starter
- 10
- Career approximate value
- 6414th among Pittsburgh picks
- AV with the drafting club
- 5586% of career value
- Final season
- 199312 years after the draft
- Accolades
- 1× Pro Bowl
Around pick 20
Who came off the board on either side of Mark May.
North Carolina
Stanford · 3× Pro Bowl
Texas Tech
Pittsburgh in the 1981 draft
Teammates who went in the same class.
Pittsburgh · 2× Pro Bowl
#12
Randy McMillan
RB · IND
Pittsburgh
#51
Rickey Jackson
LB · NO
Pittsburgh · Hall of Fame · 6× Pro Bowl
#63
Greg Meisner
NT · LAR
Pittsburgh
#65
Carlton Williamson
DB · SF
Pittsburgh · 2× Pro Bowl
#69
Russ Grimm
G · WAS
Pittsburgh · Hall of Fame · 3× All-Pro · 4× Pro Bowl
#115
Bill Neill
NT · NYG
Pittsburgh
#120
Benjie Pryor
TE · CIN
Pittsburgh
#121
Lynn Thomas
DB · SF
Pittsburgh
#128
Jerry Boyarsky
NT · NO
Pittsburgh
#292
Rick Trocano
QB · PIT
Pittsburgh
Other G picks from Pittsburgh
The program's most accomplished players at the same spot.
Pittsburgh · Hall of Fame · 3× All-Pro · 4× Pro Bowl
#14
Ruben Brown
G · BUF · 1995
Pittsburgh · 9× Pro Bowl
#2
Bill Fralic
G · ATL · 1985
Pittsburgh · 2× All-Pro · 4× Pro Bowl
#85
Randy Dixon
G · IND · 1987
Pittsburgh
#24
Tom Ricketts
G · PIT · 1989
Pittsburgh
#230
Rob Fada
G · CHI · 1983
Pittsburgh
About this draft profile
Last updated Aug 24, 2026
Mark May in the 1981 NFL Draft
Mark May is a Guard out of Pittsburgh selected No. 20 overall by the Washington Commanders in the 1981 NFL Draft. 159 regular-season games · 10 seasons as a starter · 64 career approximate value Pittsburgh has produced 151 NFL draft picks since 1980.
Where this data comes from
Pick order and career outcomes come from the nflverse draft archive; position, measurables, and conference at the time of the draft come from the college feed. Career columns stay empty until a player logs regular-season snaps.
Frequently asked questions
Where was Mark May drafted?
Mark May was selected No. 20 overall by the Washington Commanders in the 1981 NFL Draft (Rd 1). Full pick detail at https://fantasyhq.co/cfb-hq/draft-history/players/1981/mark-may.
What college did Mark May play for?
Mark May played college football at Pittsburgh in the ACC. See every Pittsburgh draft pick at https://fantasyhq.co/cfb-hq/draft-history/schools/pittsburgh-panthers.
How did Mark May's NFL career turn out?
159 regular-season games · 10 seasons as a starter · 64 career approximate value Accolades: 1× Pro Bowl. Career outcome data at https://fantasyhq.co/cfb-hq/draft-history/players/1981/mark-may.