Sam Cowart was drafted No. 39 overall by the Buffalo Bills in the 1998 NFL Draft out of Florida State. 100 regular-season games · 6 seasons as a starter · 44 career approximate value
- Overall pick
- #39
- Round
- 2
- Draft class
- 1998
- NFL games
- 100
- Years as starter
- 6
- Career AV
- 4432nd at Florida State
- Pro Bowls
- 1
The pick
How Sam Cowart came off the board in 1998.
- Position
- Linebacker LB
- College
-
Florida State
ACC at the draft
- Side of the ball
- Defense
NFL career
100 regular-season games · 6 seasons as a starter · 44 career approximate value
- Games played
- 100
- Seasons as a starter
- 6
- Career approximate value
- 4432nd among Florida State picks
- AV with the drafting club
- 2557% of career value
- Final season
- 20057 years after the draft
- Accolades
- 1× Pro Bowl
Around pick 39
Who came off the board on either side of Sam Cowart.
Illinois College
Michigan State · 5× Pro Bowl
Washington
Arizona State
Florida State in the 1998 draft
Teammates who went in the same class.
Florida State
#11
Tra Thomas
T · PHI
Florida State · 3× Pro Bowl
#46
Samari Rolle
DB · TEN
Florida State · 1× All-Pro · 1× Pro Bowl
#71
E.G. Green
WR · IND
Florida State
#83
Greg Spires
DE · NE
Florida State
#99
Julian Pittman
DE · NO
Florida State
#184
Shevin Smith
DB · TB
Florida State
#229
Kevin Long
C · TEN
Florida State
Other LB picks from Florida State
The program's most accomplished players at the same spot.
Florida State · Hall of Fame · 5× All-Pro · 11× Pro Bowl
#4
Peter Boulware
LB · BAL · 1997
Florida State · 4× Pro Bowl
#15
Lawrence Timmons
LB · PIT · 2007
Florida State · 1× Pro Bowl
#144
Telvin Smith
LB · JAX · 2014
Florida State · 1× Pro Bowl
#26
Jermaine Johnson II
LB · NYJ · 2022
Florida State · 1× Pro Bowl
#4
Marvin Jones
LB · NYJ · 1993
Florida State
About this draft profile
Last updated Aug 24, 2026
Sam Cowart in the 1998 NFL Draft
Sam Cowart is a Linebacker out of Florida State selected No. 39 overall by the Buffalo Bills in the 1998 NFL Draft. 100 regular-season games · 6 seasons as a starter · 44 career approximate value Florida State has produced 227 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 Sam Cowart drafted?
Sam Cowart was selected No. 39 overall by the Buffalo Bills in the 1998 NFL Draft (Rd 2). Full pick detail at https://fantasyhq.co/cfb-hq/draft-history/players/1998/sam-cowart.
What college did Sam Cowart play for?
Sam Cowart played college football at Florida State in the ACC. See every Florida State draft pick at https://fantasyhq.co/cfb-hq/draft-history/schools/florida-state-seminoles.
How did Sam Cowart's NFL career turn out?
100 regular-season games · 6 seasons as a starter · 44 career approximate value Accolades: 1× Pro Bowl. Career outcome data at https://fantasyhq.co/cfb-hq/draft-history/players/1998/sam-cowart.