Riki Ellison was drafted No. 117 overall by the San Francisco 49ers in the 1983 NFL Draft out of USC. 124 regular-season games · 8 seasons as a starter · 49 career approximate value
- Overall pick
- #117
- Round
- 5
- Draft class
- 1983
- NFL games
- 124
- Years as starter
- 8
- Career AV
- 4934th at USC
The pick
How Riki Ellison came off the board in 1983.
- Position
- Linebacker LB
- College
-
USC
Big Ten at the draft
- Side of the ball
- Defense
NFL career
124 regular-season games · 8 seasons as a starter · 49 career approximate value
- Games played
- 124
- Seasons as a starter
- 8
- Career approximate value
- 4934th among USC picks
- AV with the drafting club
- 3163% of career value
- Final season
- 19929 years after the draft
Around pick 117
Who came off the board on either side of Riki Ellison.
Missouri
Houston
Michigan State
Vanderbilt · 1× All-Pro · 2× Pro Bowl
USC in the 1983 draft
Teammates who went in the same class.
USC · Hall of Fame · 7× All-Pro · 14× Pro Bowl
#19
Joey Browner
DB · MIN
USC · 3× All-Pro · 6× Pro Bowl
#26
Don Mosebar
C · LV
USC · 3× Pro Bowl
#57
George Achica
DT · IND
USC
#94
August Curley
LB · DET
USC
#99
Kelly Thomas
T · TB
USC
#120
Byron Darby
DE · PHI
USC
#171
Jeff Simmons
WR · LAR
USC
#200
Troy West
DB · LAR
USC
#327
John Harvey
DT · GB
USC
Other LB picks from USC
The program's most accomplished players at the same spot.
USC · Hall of Fame · 6× All-Pro · 12× Pro Bowl
#26
Clay Matthews
LB · GB · 2009
USC · 1× All-Pro · 6× Pro Bowl
#3
Chip Banks
LB · CLE · 1982
USC · 1× All-Pro · 4× Pro Bowl
#45
Lofa Tatupu
LB · SEA · 2005
USC · 1× All-Pro · 3× Pro Bowl
#5
Duane Bickett
LB · IND · 1985
USC · 1× Pro Bowl
#68
Jack Del Rio
LB · NO · 1985
USC · 1× Pro Bowl
About this draft profile
Last updated Aug 24, 2026
Riki Ellison in the 1983 NFL Draft
Riki Ellison is a Linebacker out of USC selected No. 117 overall by the San Francisco 49ers in the 1983 NFL Draft. 124 regular-season games · 8 seasons as a starter · 49 career approximate value USC has produced 252 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 Riki Ellison drafted?
Riki Ellison was selected No. 117 overall by the San Francisco 49ers in the 1983 NFL Draft (Rd 5). Full pick detail at https://fantasyhq.co/cfb-hq/draft-history/players/1983/riki-ellison.
What college did Riki Ellison play for?
Riki Ellison played college football at USC in the Big Ten. See every USC draft pick at https://fantasyhq.co/cfb-hq/draft-history/schools/usc-trojans.
How did Riki Ellison's NFL career turn out?
124 regular-season games · 8 seasons as a starter · 49 career approximate value Career outcome data at https://fantasyhq.co/cfb-hq/draft-history/players/1983/riki-ellison.