Delaware has produced 15 NFL draft picks since 1980, including 1 first-rounders — 134th all-time among college programs.
Conference USA · NFL draft picks 1980–2019 · 134th nationally
Delaware College Draft History
Delaware has produced 15 NFL draft picks since 1980, including 1 first-rounders — 134th all-time among college programs.
- Total picks
- 15
- First-rounders
- 1
- No. 1 overall
- 0
- Pro Bowlers
- 213% of picks
- Pro Bowl nods
- 5
- Hall of Famers
- 0
Notable Delaware draft picks
Ranked by Hall of Fame status, Pro Bowls, and career value.
Rich Gannon
New England Patriots
2× All-Pro 4× Pro Bowl
157 games · 8 yrs as starter
Joe Flacco
Baltimore Ravens
1× Pro Bowl
209 games · 12 yrs as starter
Bilal Nichols
Chicago Bears
104 games · 5 yrs as starter
Scott Brunner
New York Giants
73 games · 2 yrs as starter
Nasir Adderley
Los Angeles Chargers
50 games · 3 yrs as starter
Gino Gradkowski
Baltimore Ravens
60 games · 1 yrs as starter
Nick Boyle
Baltimore Ravens
90 games · 4 yrs as starter
Ben Patrick
Arizona Cardinals
42 games · 2 yrs as starter
Delaware draft trends
Picks by class year, position group, and the NFL clubs that shop here most.
Picks by draft class
Positions produced
- QB 4
- TE 3
- DT 1
- G 1
- NT 1
- RB 1
- S 1
- DB 1
- WR 1
- DE 1
NFL clubs that draft here
- LV Oakland Raiders 3
- BAL Baltimore Ravens 3
- CHI Chicago Bears 2
- ARI St. Louis Cardinals 2
- NYG New York Giants 1
- PHI Philadelphia Eagles 1
- BUF Buffalo Bills 1
- LAC Los Angeles Chargers 1
Every Delaware draft pick
15 selections, newest class first.
| Pick | Player | Pos | NFL team | Career |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 |
Nasir Adderley
Leander, TX
|
S | LAC Los Angeles Chargers | 50 games · 3 yrs as starter 13 career AV |
| 2018 |
Bilal Nichols
Andrews, TX
|
DT | CHI Chicago Bears | 104 games · 5 yrs as starter 37 career AV |
| 2015 |
Nick Boyle
|
TE | BAL Baltimore Ravens | 90 games · 4 yrs as starter 9 career AV |
| 2012 |
Gino Gradkowski
|
G | BAL Baltimore Ravens | 60 games · 1 yrs as starter 11 career AV |
| 2008 |
Joe Flacco
1× Pro Bowl
|
QB | BAL Baltimore Ravens | 209 games · 12 yrs as starter 97 career AV |
| 2007 |
Ben Patrick
|
TE | ARI Arizona Cardinals | 42 games · 2 yrs as starter 4 career AV |
| 2004 | Shawn Johnson | DE | LV Oakland Raiders | No regular-season snaps |
| 2004 | Andy Hall | QB | PHI Philadelphia Eagles | No regular-season snaps |
| 2002 | Jamin Elliott | WR | CHI Chicago Bears | 3 games |
| 1987 | Rich Gannon 2× All-Pro 4× Pro Bowl | QB | NE New England Patriots | 157 games · 8 yrs as starter 97 career AV |
| 1987 | Joe McGrail | NT | BUF Buffalo Bills | 2 games |
| 1985 | Dan Reeder | RB | LV Los Angeles Raiders | 13 games |
| 1983 | George Schmitt | DB | ARI St. Louis Cardinals | 16 games 1 career AV |
| 1981 | Phil Nelson | TE | LV Oakland Raiders | No regular-season snaps |
| 1980 | Scott Brunner | QB | NYG New York Giants | 73 games · 2 yrs as starter 17 career AV |
Conference USA programs by draft picks
How Delaware compares with the rest of the league.
About this program's draft record
Last updated Aug 24, 2026
Delaware in the NFL draft
Delaware has produced 15 NFL draft picks between 1980 and 2019, including 1 first-round selections. 2 of those picks (13%) went on to make a Pro Bowl.
Delaware ranks among college football’s most productive NFL pipelines. FantasyHQ lists every Delaware draft pick from 1980 through 2019 — 15 selections, 1 first-rounders, 2 Pro Bowl alumni. Current conference: Conference USA.
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 Delaware produced?
Delaware has 15 NFL draft picks in FantasyHQ’s archive (1980–2019), including 1 first-rounders. See the full list at https://fantasyhq.co/cfb-hq/draft-history/schools/delaware-blue-hens.
Who are the most accomplished NFL players from Delaware?
Notable Delaware draftees include Rich Gannon, Joe Flacco, Bilal Nichols, Scott Brunner. Browse career outcomes at https://fantasyhq.co/cfb-hq/draft-history/schools/delaware-blue-hens.
When was Delaware’s most recent NFL draft pick?
Delaware’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/delaware-blue-hens.