Darrin Nelson was drafted No. 7 overall by the Minnesota Vikings in the 1982 NFL Draft out of Stanford. 152 regular-season games · 6 seasons as a starter · 48 career approximate value
- Overall pick
- #7
- Round
- 1
- Draft class
- 1982
- NFL games
- 152
- Years as starter
- 6
- Career AV
- 4811th at Stanford
The pick
How Darrin Nelson came off the board in 1982.
- Position
- Running back RB
- College
-
Stanford
ACC at the draft
- Side of the ball
- Offense
NFL career
152 regular-season games · 6 seasons as a starter · 48 career approximate value
- Games played
- 152
- Seasons as a starter
- 6
- Career approximate value
- 4811th among Stanford picks
- AV with the drafting club
- 4492% of career value
- Final season
- 199210 years after the draft
Around pick 7
Who came off the board on either side of Darrin Nelson.
BYU · 1× Pro Bowl
Clemson
Penn State · Hall of Fame · 2× All-Pro · 9× Pro Bowl
Arizona State · 3× Pro Bowl
Stanford in the 1982 draft
Teammates who went in the same class.
Other RB picks from Stanford
The program's most accomplished players at the same spot.
Christian McCaffrey
RB · CAR · 2017
Stanford · 3× All-Pro · 4× Pro Bowl
#43
Glyn Milburn
RB · DEN · 1993
Stanford · 1× All-Pro · 2× Pro Bowl
#23
Brad Muster
RB · CHI · 1988
Stanford
#9
Tommy Vardell
RB · CLE · 1992
Stanford
#51
Toby Gerhart
RB · MIN · 2010
Stanford
#140
Stepfan Taylor
RB · ARI · 2013
Stanford
About this draft profile
Last updated Aug 24, 2026
Darrin Nelson in the 1982 NFL Draft
Darrin Nelson is a Running back out of Stanford selected No. 7 overall by the Minnesota Vikings in the 1982 NFL Draft. 152 regular-season games · 6 seasons as a starter · 48 career approximate value Stanford has produced 149 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 Darrin Nelson drafted?
Darrin Nelson was selected No. 7 overall by the Minnesota Vikings in the 1982 NFL Draft (Rd 1). Full pick detail at https://fantasyhq.co/cfb-hq/draft-history/players/1982/darrin-nelson.
What college did Darrin Nelson play for?
Darrin Nelson played college football at Stanford in the ACC. See every Stanford draft pick at https://fantasyhq.co/cfb-hq/draft-history/schools/stanford-cardinal.
How did Darrin Nelson's NFL career turn out?
152 regular-season games · 6 seasons as a starter · 48 career approximate value Career outcome data at https://fantasyhq.co/cfb-hq/draft-history/players/1982/darrin-nelson.