Eastern Kentucky has produced 23 NFL draft picks since 1982, including 1 first-rounders — 107th all-time among college programs.
United Athletic Conference · NFL draft picks 1982–2024 · 107th nationally
Eastern Kentucky College Draft History
Eastern Kentucky has produced 23 NFL draft picks since 1982, including 1 first-rounders — 107th all-time among college programs.
- Total picks
- 23
- First-rounders
- 1
- No. 1 overall
- 0
- Pro Bowlers
- 29% of picks
- Pro Bowl nods
- 2
- Hall of Famers
- 0
Notable Eastern Kentucky draft picks
Ranked by Hall of Fame status, Pro Bowls, and career value.
Yeremiah Bell
Miami Dolphins
1× Pro Bowl
142 games · 7 yrs as starter
Alex Bannister
Seattle Seahawks
1× Pro Bowl
59 games
John Jackson
Pittsburgh Steelers
203 games · 11 yrs as starter
Chad Bratzke
New York Giants
129 games · 7 yrs as starter
Myron Guyton
New York Giants
98 games · 6 yrs as starter
Danny Copeland
Cleveland Browns
73 games · 3 yrs as starter
Aaron Jones
Pittsburgh Steelers
112 games · 2 yrs as starter
Jessie Small
Philadelphia Eagles
53 games · 2 yrs as starter
Eastern Kentucky draft trends
Picks by class year, position group, and the NFL clubs that shop here most.
Picks by draft class
Positions produced
- DB 5
- WR 5
- DE 3
- LB 3
- RB 2
- OT 1
- G 1
- C 1
- T 1
- TE 1
NFL clubs that draft here
- ARI St. Louis Cardinals 2
- LAR St. Louis Rams 2
- NO New Orleans Saints 2
- NYG New York Giants 2
- NYJ New York Jets 2
- PHI Philadelphia Eagles 2
- PIT Pittsburgh Steelers 2
- SEA Seattle Seahawks 2
Every Eastern Kentucky draft pick
23 selections, newest class first.
| Pick | Player | Pos | NFL team | Career |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 |
Josiah Ezirim
Hilliard, OH
|
OT | NO New Orleans Saints | No regular-season snaps |
| 2016 |
Noah Spence
|
DE | TB Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 43 games 5 career AV |
| 2008 |
Antwaun Molden
|
DB | HOU Houston Texans | 51 games 4 career AV |
| 2004 | Larry Turner | C | LAR St. Louis Rams | 21 games 1 career AV |
| 2003 | Yeremiah Bell 1× Pro Bowl | DB | MIA Miami Dolphins | 142 games · 7 yrs as starter 40 career AV |
| 2001 | Alex Bannister 1× Pro Bowl | WR | SEA Seattle Seahawks | 59 games 1 career AV |
| 1999 | Tyrone Hopson | G | SF San Francisco 49ers | 23 games 3 career AV |
| 1999 | Rondel Menendez | WR | ATL Atlanta Falcons | No regular-season snaps |
| 1997 | Tony McCombs | LB | ARI Arizona Cardinals | 26 games · 1 yrs as starter 6 career AV |
| 1996 | Jason Dunn | TE | PHI Philadelphia Eagles | 160 games · 2 yrs as starter 7 career AV |
| 1994 | Chad Bratzke | DE | NYG New York Giants | 129 games · 7 yrs as starter 48 career AV |
| 1992 | Tim Lester | RB | LAR Los Angeles Rams | 93 games · 3 yrs as starter 4 career AV |
| 1989 | Jessie Small | LB | PHI Philadelphia Eagles | 53 games · 2 yrs as starter 12 career AV |
| 1989 | Elroy Harris | RB | SEA Seattle Seahawks | 14 games |
| 1989 | Myron Guyton | DB | NYG New York Giants | 98 games · 6 yrs as starter 40 career AV |
| 1989 | Mike Cadore | WR | NO New Orleans Saints | No regular-season snaps |
| 1988 | Aaron Jones | DE | PIT Pittsburgh Steelers | 112 games · 2 yrs as starter 18 career AV |
| 1988 | Danny Copeland | DB | CLE Cleveland Browns | 73 games · 3 yrs as starter 19 career AV |
| 1988 | John Jackson | T | PIT Pittsburgh Steelers | 203 games · 11 yrs as starter 58 career AV |
| 1986 | Joe Mauntel | LB | LV Los Angeles Raiders | No regular-season snaps |
| 1984 | Tron Armstrong | WR | NYJ New York Jets | No regular-season snaps |
| 1983 | Steve Bird | WR | ARI St. Louis Cardinals | 23 games |
| 1982 | George Floyd | DB | NYJ New York Jets | 15 games 2 career AV |
United Athletic Conference programs by draft picks
How Eastern Kentucky compares with the rest of the league.
About this program's draft record
Last updated Aug 24, 2026
Eastern Kentucky in the NFL draft
Eastern Kentucky has produced 23 NFL draft picks between 1982 and 2024, including 1 first-round selections. 2 of those picks (9%) went on to make a Pro Bowl.
Eastern Kentucky ranks among college football’s most productive NFL pipelines. FantasyHQ lists every Eastern Kentucky draft pick from 1982 through 2024 — 23 selections, 1 first-rounders, 2 Pro Bowl alumni. Current conference: United Athletic Conference.
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 Kentucky produced?
Eastern Kentucky has 23 NFL draft picks in FantasyHQ’s archive (1982–2024), including 1 first-rounders. See the full list at https://fantasyhq.co/cfb-hq/draft-history/schools/eastern-kentucky-colonels.
Who are the most accomplished NFL players from Eastern Kentucky?
Notable Eastern Kentucky draftees include Yeremiah Bell, Alex Bannister, John Jackson, Chad Bratzke. Browse career outcomes at https://fantasyhq.co/cfb-hq/draft-history/schools/eastern-kentucky-colonels.
When was Eastern Kentucky’s most recent NFL draft pick?
Eastern Kentucky’s most recent pick in the archive is from the 2024 NFL Draft. See year-by-year totals at https://fantasyhq.co/cfb-hq/draft-history/schools/eastern-kentucky-colonels.