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College Football

1990 NFL Draft · Rd 7 · #171 overall

Donnie Gardner Kentucky Draft

Donnie Gardner was drafted No. 171 overall by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the 1990 NFL Draft out of Kentucky. 10 regular-season games · 1 career approximate value

Overall pick
#171
Round
7
Draft class
1990
NFL games
10
Career AV
161st at Kentucky

The pick

How Donnie Gardner came off the board in 1990.

Drafted by

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Rd 7 · #171 overall · NFC South

Full 1990 draft class (331 picks)
Position
Defensive end DE
College
Kentucky SEC at the draft
Side of the ball
Defense

NFL career

10 regular-season games · 1 career approximate value

Games played
10
Career approximate value
161st among Kentucky picks
Final season
19911 years after the draft

Around pick 171

Who came off the board on either side of Donnie Gardner.

#169 Johnny Johnson RB · ARI San José State · 1× Pro Bowl #170 Brent Collins LB · BUF Carson Newman #172 Jeff Novak G · LAC Texas State #173 Garry Lewis DB · LV Alcorn State

Kentucky in the 1990 draft

Teammates who went in the same class.

#55 Oliver Barnett DE · ATL Kentucky #184 Andy Murray RB · TEN Kentucky

Other DE picks from Kentucky

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

#122 Za'Darius Smith DE · BAL · 2015 Kentucky · 3× Pro Bowl #55 Oliver Barnett DE · ATL Kentucky #46 Josh Paschal DE · DET · 2022 Kentucky #98 Dennis Johnson DE · ARI · 2002 Kentucky #128 Jerry Reese DE · PIT · 1988 Kentucky #253 Jon Dumbauld DE · NO · 1986 Kentucky

About this draft profile

Last updated Aug 24, 2026

Donnie Gardner in the 1990 NFL Draft

Donnie Gardner is a Defensive end out of Kentucky selected No. 171 overall by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the 1990 NFL Draft. 10 regular-season games · 1 career approximate value Kentucky has produced 99 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 Donnie Gardner drafted?

Donnie Gardner was selected No. 171 overall by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the 1990 NFL Draft (Rd 7). Full pick detail at https://fantasyhq.co/cfb-hq/draft-history/players/1990/donnie-gardner.

What college did Donnie Gardner play for?

Donnie Gardner played college football at Kentucky in the SEC. See every Kentucky draft pick at https://fantasyhq.co/cfb-hq/draft-history/schools/kentucky-wildcats.

How did Donnie Gardner's NFL career turn out?

10 regular-season games · 1 career approximate value Career outcome data at https://fantasyhq.co/cfb-hq/draft-history/players/1990/donnie-gardner.