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College Football

1985 NFL Draft · Rd 2 · #44 overall

Jesse Penn Virginia Tech Draft

Jesse Penn was drafted No. 44 overall by the Dallas Cowboys in the 1985 NFL Draft out of Virginia Tech. 42 regular-season games · 6 career approximate value

Overall pick
#44
Round
2
Draft class
1985
NFL games
42
Career AV
651st at Virginia Tech

The pick

How Jesse Penn came off the board in 1985.

Drafted by

Dallas Cowboys

Rd 2 · #44 overall · NFC East

Full 1985 draft class (336 picks)
Position
Linebacker LB
College
Virginia Tech ACC at the draft
Side of the ball
Defense

NFL career

42 regular-season games · 6 career approximate value

Games played
42
Career approximate value
651st among Virginia Tech picks
AV with the drafting club
6100% of career value
Final season
19872 years after the draft

Around pick 44

Who came off the board on either side of Jesse Penn.

#42 Chris Burkett WR · BUF Jackson State #43 Carl Zander LB · CIN Tennessee #45 Mike Gann DE · ATL Notre Dame #46 Stacy Robinson WR · NYG North Dakota State

Virginia Tech in the 1985 draft

Teammates who went in the same class.

#1 Bruce Smith DE · BUF Virginia Tech · Hall of Fame · 8× All-Pro · 11× Pro Bowl #201 Ashley Lee DB · ATL Virginia Tech #270 Joe Jones TE · DAL Virginia Tech #299 Allen Young DB · NYG Virginia Tech

Other LB picks from Virginia Tech

The program's most accomplished players at the same spot.

#88 James Anderson LB · CAR · 2006 Virginia Tech #194 Cornell Brown LB · BAL · 1997 Virginia Tech #111 Ben Taylor LB · CLE · 2002 Virginia Tech #310 Victor Jones LB · TB · 1988 Virginia Tech #212 Jock Jones LB · CLE · 1990 Virginia Tech #118 Xavier Adibi LB · HOU · 2008 Virginia Tech

About this draft profile

Last updated Aug 24, 2026

Jesse Penn in the 1985 NFL Draft

Jesse Penn is a Linebacker out of Virginia Tech selected No. 44 overall by the Dallas Cowboys in the 1985 NFL Draft. 42 regular-season games · 6 career approximate value Virginia Tech has produced 129 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.

Keep exploring

Frequently asked questions

Where was Jesse Penn drafted?

Jesse Penn was selected No. 44 overall by the Dallas Cowboys in the 1985 NFL Draft (Rd 2). Full pick detail at https://fantasyhq.co/cfb-hq/draft-history/players/1985/jesse-penn.

What college did Jesse Penn play for?

Jesse Penn played college football at Virginia Tech in the ACC. See every Virginia Tech draft pick at https://fantasyhq.co/cfb-hq/draft-history/schools/virginia-tech-hokies.

How did Jesse Penn's NFL career turn out?

42 regular-season games · 6 career approximate value Career outcome data at https://fantasyhq.co/cfb-hq/draft-history/players/1985/jesse-penn.