Ball State has produced 15 NFL draft picks since 1980 — 134th all-time among college programs.
MAC · NFL draft picks 1980–2023 · 134th nationally
Ball State College Draft History
Ball State has produced 15 NFL draft picks since 1980 — 134th all-time among college programs.
- Total picks
- 15
- First-rounders
- 0
- No. 1 overall
- 0
- Pro Bowlers
- 17% of picks
- Pro Bowl nods
- 4
- Hall of Famers
- 0
Notable Ball State draft picks
Ranked by Hall of Fame status, Pro Bowls, and career value.
Blaine Bishop
Houston Oilers
4× Pro Bowl
138 games · 8 yrs as starter
Brad Maynard
New York Giants
238 games
Keith McKenzie
Green Bay Packers
95 games · 2 yrs as starter
Rush Brown
St. Louis Cardinals
47 games · 3 yrs as starter
Danny Pinter
Indianapolis Colts
77 games
Reggie Hodges
St. Louis Rams
64 games
Jonathan Newsome
Indianapolis Colts
30 games
Nic Jones
Kansas City Chiefs
23 games
Ball State draft trends
Picks by class year, position group, and the NFL clubs that shop here most.
Picks by draft class
Positions produced
- QB 3
- DB 3
- P 2
- G 1
- LB 1
- T 1
- CB 1
- WR 1
- DE 1
- DT 1
NFL clubs that draft here
- IND Indianapolis Colts 2
- DAL Dallas Cowboys 2
- LAR St. Louis Rams 2
- DEN Denver Broncos 1
- GB Green Bay Packers 1
- KC Kansas City Chiefs 1
- NYG New York Giants 1
- SF San Francisco 49ers 1
Every Ball State draft pick
15 selections, newest class first.
| Pick | Player | Pos | NFL team | Career |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 |
Nic Jones
Detroit, MI
|
CB | KC Kansas City Chiefs | 23 games 2 career AV |
| 2020 |
Danny Pinter
South Bend, IN
|
G | IND Indianapolis Colts | 77 games 7 career AV |
| 2014 |
Jonathan Newsome
Cleveland, OH
|
LB | IND Indianapolis Colts | 30 games 4 career AV |
| 2014 |
Keith Wenning
Coldwater, OH
|
QB | BAL Baltimore Ravens | No regular-season snaps |
| 2009 |
Robert Brewster
|
T | DAL Dallas Cowboys | 1 games |
| 2009 |
Nate Davis
|
QB | SF San Francisco 49ers | No regular-season snaps |
| 2005 |
Dante Ridgeway
|
WR | LAR St. Louis Rams | 8 games |
| 2005 |
Justin Beriault
|
DB | DAL Dallas Cowboys | No regular-season snaps |
| 2005 | Reggie Hodges | P | LAR St. Louis Rams | 64 games 5 career AV |
| 1997 | Brad Maynard | P | NYG New York Giants | 238 games 20 career AV |
| 1997 | Cory Gilliard | DB | DEN Denver Broncos | 1 games |
| 1996 | Keith McKenzie | DE | GB Green Bay Packers | 95 games · 2 yrs as starter 20 career AV |
| 1993 | Blaine Bishop 4× Pro Bowl | DB | TEN Houston Oilers | 138 games · 8 yrs as starter 57 career AV |
| 1981 | Mark O'Connell | QB | CIN Cincinnati Bengals | No regular-season snaps |
| 1980 | Rush Brown | DT | ARI St. Louis Cardinals | 47 games · 3 yrs as starter 19 career AV |
MAC programs by draft picks
How Ball State compares with the rest of the league.
About this program's draft record
Last updated Aug 24, 2026
Ball State in the NFL draft
Ball State has produced 15 NFL draft picks between 1980 and 2023, including 0 first-round selections. 1 of those picks (7%) went on to make a Pro Bowl.
Ball State ranks among college football’s most productive NFL pipelines. FantasyHQ lists every Ball State draft pick from 1980 through 2023 — 15 selections, 0 first-rounders, 1 Pro Bowl alumni. 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 Ball State produced?
Ball State has 15 NFL draft picks in FantasyHQ’s archive (1980–2023), including 0 first-rounders. See the full list at https://fantasyhq.co/cfb-hq/draft-history/schools/ball-state-cardinals.
Who are the most accomplished NFL players from Ball State?
Notable Ball State draftees include Blaine Bishop, Brad Maynard, Keith McKenzie, Rush Brown. Browse career outcomes at https://fantasyhq.co/cfb-hq/draft-history/schools/ball-state-cardinals.
When was Ball State’s most recent NFL draft pick?
Ball State’s most recent pick in the archive is from the 2023 NFL Draft. See year-by-year totals at https://fantasyhq.co/cfb-hq/draft-history/schools/ball-state-cardinals.