Akron has produced 12 NFL draft picks since 1987 — 146th all-time among college programs.
MAC · NFL draft picks 1987–2019 · 146th nationally
Akron College Draft History
Akron has produced 12 NFL draft picks since 1987 — 146th all-time among college programs.
- Total picks
- 12
- First-rounders
- 0
- No. 1 overall
- 0
- Pro Bowlers
- 18% of picks
- Pro Bowl nods
- 6
- Hall of Famers
- 1
Notable Akron draft picks
Ranked by Hall of Fame status, Pro Bowls, and career value.
Jason Taylor
Miami Dolphins
Hall of Fame 3× All-Pro 6× Pro Bowl
233 games · 12 yrs as starter
Dwight Smith
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
117 games · 5 yrs as starter
Domenik Hixon
Denver Broncos
76 games
Jatavis Brown
San Diego Chargers
56 games · 2 yrs as starter
Charlie Frye
Cleveland Browns
26 games · 1 yrs as starter
Reggie Corner
Buffalo Bills
55 games
Andy Alleman
New Orleans Saints
24 games
Ulysees Gilbert
Pittsburgh Steelers
31 games
Akron draft trends
Picks by class year, position group, and the NFL clubs that shop here most.
Picks by draft class
Positions produced
- DB 2
- WR 2
- G 1
- K 1
- LB 1
- OLB 1
- QB 1
- T 1
- TE 1
- DE 1
NFL clubs that draft here
- PIT Pittsburgh Steelers 2
- TB Tampa Bay Buccaneers 2
- CLE Cleveland Browns 2
- MIA Miami Dolphins 1
- NO New Orleans Saints 1
- BUF Buffalo Bills 1
- TEN Tennessee Titans 1
- DEN Denver Broncos 1
Every Akron draft pick
12 selections, newest class first.
| Pick | Player | Pos | NFL team | Career |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 |
Ulysees Gilbert
Ocala, FL
|
LB | PIT Pittsburgh Steelers | 31 games 2 career AV |
| 2016 |
Jatavis Brown
Belle Glade, FL
|
OLB | LAC San Diego Chargers | 56 games · 2 yrs as starter 14 career AV |
| 2008 |
Reggie Corner
|
DB | BUF Buffalo Bills | 55 games 8 career AV |
| 2007 | Andy Alleman | G | NO New Orleans Saints | 24 games 5 career AV |
| 2006 |
Domenik Hixon
|
WR | DEN Denver Broncos | 76 games 17 career AV |
| 2005 |
Charlie Frye
|
QB | CLE Cleveland Browns | 26 games · 1 yrs as starter 8 career AV |
| 2002 | Jake Schifino | WR | TEN Tennessee Titans | 14 games |
| 2001 | Dwight Smith | DB | TB Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 117 games · 5 yrs as starter 34 career AV |
| 1997 | Jason Taylor HOF 3× All-Pro 6× Pro Bowl | DE | MIA Miami Dolphins | 233 games · 12 yrs as starter 118 career AV |
| 1993 | Daron Alcorn | K | TB Tampa Bay Buccaneers | No regular-season snaps |
| 1989 | John Buddenberg | T | CLE Cleveland Browns | No regular-season snaps |
| 1987 | Chris Kelley | TE | PIT Pittsburgh Steelers | 2 games |
MAC programs by draft picks
How Akron compares with the rest of the league.
About this program's draft record
Last updated Aug 24, 2026
Akron in the NFL draft
Akron has produced 12 NFL draft picks between 1987 and 2019, including 0 first-round selections. 1 of those picks (8%) went on to make a Pro Bowl.
Akron ranks among college football’s most productive NFL pipelines. FantasyHQ lists every Akron draft pick from 1987 through 2019 — 12 selections, 0 first-rounders, 1 Pro Bowl alumni, and 1 Hall of Famers. Current conference: MAC.
How to use this page
- Scan the notable alumni for the program's highest-impact NFL careers.
- Read the class-by-class bars to spot the peak recruiting-to-draft cycles.
- Open a draft year to see the full class, or a conference peer to compare pipelines.
Frequently asked questions
How many NFL draft picks has Akron produced?
Akron has 12 NFL draft picks in FantasyHQ’s archive (1987–2019), including 0 first-rounders. See the full list at https://fantasyhq.co/cfb-hq/draft-history/schools/akron-zips.
Who are the most accomplished NFL players from Akron?
Notable Akron draftees include Jason Taylor, Dwight Smith, Domenik Hixon, Jatavis Brown. Browse career outcomes at https://fantasyhq.co/cfb-hq/draft-history/schools/akron-zips.
When was Akron’s most recent NFL draft pick?
Akron’s most recent pick in the archive is from the 2019 NFL Draft. See year-by-year totals at https://fantasyhq.co/cfb-hq/draft-history/schools/akron-zips.