Eastern Illinois has produced 10 NFL draft picks since 1980 — 164th all-time among college programs.
OVC-Big South · NFL draft picks 1980–2016 · 164th nationally
Eastern Illinois College Draft History
Eastern Illinois has produced 10 NFL draft picks since 1980 — 164th all-time among college programs.
- Total picks
- 10
- First-rounders
- 0
- No. 1 overall
- 0
- Pro Bowlers
- 00% of picks
- Pro Bowl nods
- 0
- Hall of Famers
- 0
Notable Eastern Illinois draft picks
Ranked by Hall of Fame status, Pro Bowls, and career value.
Jimmy Garoppolo
New England Patriots
85 games · 3 yrs as starter
Kamu Grugier-Hill
New England Patriots
132 games · 3 yrs as starter
Chris Watson
Denver Broncos
58 games
Ray McElroy
Indianapolis Colts
81 games
Jeff Christensen
Cincinnati Bengals
4 games
Roy Banks
Indianapolis Colts
15 games
Brad Fichtel
Los Angeles Rams
2 games
Otis Hudson
Cincinnati Bengals
No regular-season snaps
Eastern Illinois draft trends
Picks by class year, position group, and the NFL clubs that shop here most.
Picks by draft class
Positions produced
- T 3
- DB 2
- QB 2
- C 1
- OLB 1
- WR 1
NFL clubs that draft here
- CIN Cincinnati Bengals 2
- IND Indianapolis Colts 2
- LAR Los Angeles Rams 2
- NE New England Patriots 2
- DEN Denver Broncos 1
- NYG New York Giants 1
Every Eastern Illinois draft pick
10 selections, newest class first.
| Pick | Player | Pos | NFL team | Career |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 |
Kamu Grugier-Hill
|
OLB | NE New England Patriots | 132 games · 3 yrs as starter 24 career AV |
| 2014 |
Jimmy Garoppolo
|
QB | NE New England Patriots | 85 games · 3 yrs as starter 47 career AV |
| 2010 | Otis Hudson | T | CIN Cincinnati Bengals | No regular-season snaps |
| 1999 | Chris Watson | DB | DEN Denver Broncos | 58 games 9 career AV |
| 1995 | Ray McElroy | DB | IND Indianapolis Colts | 81 games 7 career AV |
| 1993 | Brad Fichtel | C | LAR Los Angeles Rams | 2 games |
| 1989 | Dave Popp | T | NYG New York Giants | No regular-season snaps |
| 1987 | Roy Banks | WR | IND Indianapolis Colts | 15 games |
| 1983 | Jeff Christensen | QB | CIN Cincinnati Bengals | 4 games 2 career AV |
| 1980 | Tom Pettigrew | T | LAR Los Angeles Rams | No regular-season snaps |
OVC-Big South programs by draft picks
How Eastern Illinois compares with the rest of the league.
About this program's draft record
Last updated Aug 24, 2026
Eastern Illinois in the NFL draft
Eastern Illinois has produced 10 NFL draft picks between 1980 and 2016, including 0 first-round selections. 0 of those picks (0%) went on to make a Pro Bowl.
Eastern Illinois ranks among college football’s most productive NFL pipelines. FantasyHQ lists every Eastern Illinois draft pick from 1980 through 2016 — 10 selections, 0 first-rounders, 0 Pro Bowl alumni. Current conference: OVC-Big South.
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 Eastern Illinois produced?
Eastern Illinois has 10 NFL draft picks in FantasyHQ’s archive (1980–2016), including 0 first-rounders. See the full list at https://fantasyhq.co/cfb-hq/draft-history/schools/eastern-illinois-panthers.
Who are the most accomplished NFL players from Eastern Illinois?
Notable Eastern Illinois draftees include Jimmy Garoppolo, Kamu Grugier-Hill, Chris Watson, Ray McElroy. Browse career outcomes at https://fantasyhq.co/cfb-hq/draft-history/schools/eastern-illinois-panthers.
When was Eastern Illinois’s most recent NFL draft pick?
Eastern Illinois’s most recent pick in the archive is from the 2016 NFL Draft. See year-by-year totals at https://fantasyhq.co/cfb-hq/draft-history/schools/eastern-illinois-panthers.