Jackson State has produced 41 NFL draft picks since 1980, including 3 first-rounders — 80th all-time among college programs.
SWAC · NFL draft picks 1980–2023 · 80th nationally
Jackson State College Draft History
Jackson State has produced 41 NFL draft picks since 1980, including 3 first-rounders — 80th all-time among college programs.
- Total picks
- 41
- First-rounders
- 3
- No. 1 overall
- 0
- Pro Bowlers
- 12% of picks
- Pro Bowl nods
- 5
- Hall of Famers
- 0
Notable Jackson State draft picks
Ranked by Hall of Fame status, Pro Bowls, and career value.
Jimmy Smith
Dallas Cowboys
5× Pro Bowl
178 games · 10 yrs as starter
Lester Holmes
Philadelphia Eagles
102 games · 6 yrs as starter
Houston Hoover
Atlanta Falcons
98 games · 6 yrs as starter
Chris Burkett
Buffalo Bills
131 games · 3 yrs as starter
Darion Conner
Atlanta Falcons
114 games · 6 yrs as starter
Corey Bradford
Green Bay Packers
114 games · 2 yrs as starter
Leon Seals
Buffalo Bills
82 games · 2 yrs as starter
Fernando Smith
Minnesota Vikings
80 games · 2 yrs as starter
Jackson State draft trends
Picks by class year, position group, and the NFL clubs that shop here most.
Picks by draft class
Earlier classes
Positions produced
- WR 12
- LB 6
- DE 5
- DB 4
- RB 4
- DT 3
- G 3
- TE 2
- CB 1
- T 1
NFL clubs that draft here
- BUF Buffalo Bills 6
- DEN Denver Broncos 4
- PHI Philadelphia Eagles 3
- ATL Atlanta Falcons 3
- LV Los Angeles Raiders 2
- CLE Cleveland Browns 2
- GB Green Bay Packers 2
- KC Kansas City Chiefs 2
Every Jackson State draft pick
41 selections, newest class first.
| Pick | Player | Pos | NFL team | Career |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 |
Isaiah Bolden
Tampa, FL
|
CB | NE New England Patriots | 14 games 1 career AV |
| 2022 |
James Houston
Fort Lauderdale, FL
|
LB | DET Detroit Lions | 37 games 4 career AV |
| 2008 |
Jaymar Johnson
|
WR | MIN Minnesota Vikings | 7 games |
| 2000 | Sylvester Morris | WR | KC Kansas City Chiefs | 15 games · 1 yrs as starter 6 career AV |
| 2000 | Rashard Anderson | DB | CAR Carolina Panthers | 27 games · 1 yrs as starter 6 career AV |
| 2000 | Eric Chandler | DE | CLE Cleveland Browns | No regular-season snaps |
| 2000 | Leroy Fields | WR | DEN Denver Broncos | No regular-season snaps |
| 1998 | Toby Myles | T | NYG New York Giants | 11 games 1 career AV |
| 1998 | Corey Bradford | WR | GB Green Bay Packers | 114 games · 2 yrs as starter 27 career AV |
| 1997 | Sean Woodson | DB | BUF Buffalo Bills | No regular-season snaps |
| 1996 | Eric Austin | DB | TB Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 2 games |
| 1996 | Gregory Spann | WR | JAX Jacksonville Jaguars | No regular-season snaps |
| 1994 | Fernando Smith | DE | MIN Minnesota Vikings | 80 games · 2 yrs as starter 21 career AV |
| 1994 | Marlo Perry | LB | BUF Buffalo Bills | 76 games · 1 yrs as starter 12 career AV |
| 1993 | Lester Holmes | G | PHI Philadelphia Eagles | 102 games · 6 yrs as starter 38 career AV |
| 1993 | Tony Kimbrough | WR | DEN Denver Broncos | 27 games 1 career AV |
| 1992 | Jimmy Smith 5× Pro Bowl | WR | DAL Dallas Cowboys | 178 games · 10 yrs as starter 94 career AV |
| 1992 | Dietrich Lockridge | G | DEN Denver Broncos | No regular-season snaps |
| 1991 | Tim Barnett | WR | KC Kansas City Chiefs | 44 games · 1 yrs as starter 13 career AV |
| 1990 | Darion Conner | LB | ATL Atlanta Falcons | 114 games · 6 yrs as starter 30 career AV |
| 1990 | Michael Wallace | DB | CLE Cleveland Browns | No regular-season snaps |
| 1990 | Ron Lewis | WR | LV Los Angeles Raiders | No regular-season snaps |
| 1989 | Lewis Tillman | RB | NYG New York Giants | 109 games · 1 yrs as starter 17 career AV |
| 1989 | Charles Jackson | DT | LV Los Angeles Raiders | No regular-season snaps |
| 1988 | Houston Hoover | G | ATL Atlanta Falcons | 98 games · 6 yrs as starter 35 career AV |
| 1988 | Deatrich Wise | DT | SEA Seattle Seahawks | No regular-season snaps |
| 1988 | Albert Goss | DT | NYJ New York Jets | No regular-season snaps |
| 1987 | Leon Seals | DE | BUF Buffalo Bills | 82 games · 2 yrs as starter 23 career AV |
| 1986 | Jackie Walker | LB | TB Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 57 games · 1 yrs as starter 6 career AV |
| 1986 | Victor Hall | TE | DEN Denver Broncos | No regular-season snaps |
| 1985 | Chris Burkett | WR | BUF Buffalo Bills | 131 games · 3 yrs as starter 32 career AV |
| 1984 | Dave Windham | LB | NE New England Patriots | 3 games |
| 1984 | Tommy Norman | WR | ATL Atlanta Falcons | No regular-season snaps |
| 1983 | Otis Brown | RB | ARI St. Louis Cardinals | No regular-season snaps |
| 1983 | Thomas Strauthers | DE | PHI Philadelphia Eagles | 97 games 10 career AV |
| 1983 | Larry White | DE | BUF Buffalo Bills | No regular-season snaps |
| 1982 | Carl Powell | WR | WAS Washington Commanders | No regular-season snaps |
| 1982 | Larry Cowan | RB | MIA Miami Dolphins | 8 games |
| 1981 | Larry Werts | LB | GB Green Bay Packers | No regular-season snaps |
| 1981 | Buster Barnett | TE | BUF Buffalo Bills | 56 games 2 career AV |
| 1980 | Perry Harrington | RB | PHI Philadelphia Eagles | 59 games · 1 yrs as starter 9 career AV |
SWAC programs by draft picks
How Jackson State compares with the rest of the league.
About this program's draft record
Last updated Aug 24, 2026
Jackson State in the NFL draft
Jackson State has produced 41 NFL draft picks between 1980 and 2023, including 3 first-round selections. 1 of those picks (2%) went on to make a Pro Bowl.
Jackson State ranks among college football’s most productive NFL pipelines. FantasyHQ lists every Jackson State draft pick from 1980 through 2023 — 41 selections, 3 first-rounders, 1 Pro Bowl alumni. Current conference: SWAC.
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 Jackson State produced?
Jackson State has 41 NFL draft picks in FantasyHQ’s archive (1980–2023), including 3 first-rounders. See the full list at https://fantasyhq.co/cfb-hq/draft-history/schools/jackson-state-tigers.
Who are the most accomplished NFL players from Jackson State?
Notable Jackson State draftees include Jimmy Smith, Lester Holmes, Houston Hoover, Chris Burkett. Browse career outcomes at https://fantasyhq.co/cfb-hq/draft-history/schools/jackson-state-tigers.
When was Jackson State’s most recent NFL draft pick?
Jackson 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/jackson-state-tigers.