North Dakota State has produced 27 NFL draft picks since 1981, including 3 first-rounders — 102nd all-time among college programs.
MVFC · NFL draft picks 1981–2026 · 102nd nationally
North Dakota State College Draft History
North Dakota State has produced 27 NFL draft picks since 1981, including 3 first-rounders — 102nd all-time among college programs.
- Total picks
- 27
- First-rounders
- 3
- No. 1 overall
- 0
- Pro Bowlers
- 27% of picks
- Pro Bowl nods
- 2
- Hall of Famers
- 0
Notable North Dakota State draft picks
Ranked by Hall of Fame status, Pro Bowls, and career value.
Carson Wentz
Philadelphia Eagles
1× Pro Bowl
103 games · 6 yrs as starter
Tyrone Braxton
Denver Broncos
1× Pro Bowl
181 games · 8 yrs as starter
Phil Hansen
Buffalo Bills
156 games · 11 yrs as starter
Billy Turner
Miami Dolphins
105 games · 5 yrs as starter
Christian Watson
Green Bay Packers
48 games · 4 yrs as starter
Cordell Volson
Cincinnati Bengals
50 games · 3 yrs as starter
Joe Haeg
Indianapolis Colts
80 games · 2 yrs as starter
Joe Mays
Philadelphia Eagles
78 games · 2 yrs as starter
North Dakota 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
- T 6
- QB 5
- RB 3
- WR 3
- DB 3
- LB 2
- OLB 1
- DE 1
- G 1
- C 1
- OT 1
NFL clubs that draft here
- PHI Philadelphia Eagles 3
- TEN Tennessee Titans 2
- LAC San Diego Chargers 2
- LV Los Angeles Raiders 2
- DEN Denver Broncos 2
- NYG New York Giants 2
- IND Indianapolis Colts 2
- GB Green Bay Packers 1
Every North Dakota State draft pick
27 selections, newest class first.
| Pick | Player | Pos | NFL team | Career |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 |
Bryce Lance
Marshall, MN
|
WR | NO New Orleans Saints | Awaiting debut |
| 2026 |
Cole Payton
Omaha, NE
|
QB | PHI Philadelphia Eagles | Awaiting debut |
| 2025 |
Grey Zabel
Pierre, SD
|
OT | SEA Seattle Seahawks | 17 games · 1 yrs as starter 7 career AV |
| 2025 |
Cam Miller
Solon, IA
|
QB | LV Las Vegas Raiders | Awaiting debut |
| 2023 |
Cody Mauch
Hankinson, ND
|
T | TB Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 36 games · 2 yrs as starter 16 career AV |
| 2022 |
Christian Watson
Tampa, FL
|
WR | GB Green Bay Packers | 48 games · 4 yrs as starter 22 career AV |
| 2022 |
Cordell Volson
Balfour, ND
|
T | CIN Cincinnati Bengals | 50 games · 3 yrs as starter 22 career AV |
| 2021 |
Trey Lance
|
QB | SF San Francisco 49ers | 16 games 6 career AV |
| 2021 |
Dillon Radunz
Becker, MN
|
T | TEN Tennessee Titans | 69 games · 3 yrs as starter 14 career AV |
| 2020 |
Derrek Tuszka
Warner, SD
|
LB | DEN Denver Broncos | 39 games 3 career AV |
| 2019 |
Easton Stick
Dallas, TX
|
QB | LAC Los Angeles Chargers | 6 games 4 career AV |
| 2016 |
Carson Wentz
1× Pro Bowl
|
QB | PHI Philadelphia Eagles | 103 games · 6 yrs as starter 63 career AV |
| 2016 |
Joe Haeg
|
T | IND Indianapolis Colts | 80 games · 2 yrs as starter 22 career AV |
| 2015 |
Kyle Emanuel
|
OLB | LAC San Diego Chargers | 71 games · 2 yrs as starter 16 career AV |
| 2014 |
Billy Turner
|
T | MIA Miami Dolphins | 105 games · 5 yrs as starter 35 career AV |
| 2009 |
Nick Schommer
|
DB | TEN Tennessee Titans | 13 games 1 career AV |
| 2008 |
Joe Mays
|
LB | PHI Philadelphia Eagles | 78 games · 2 yrs as starter 18 career AV |
| 2005 | Robert Hunt | C | IND Indianapolis Colts | No regular-season snaps |
| 2002 | Lamar Gordon | RB | LAR St. Louis Rams | 41 games 9 career AV |
| 2002 | Pete Campion | G | CAR Carolina Panthers | No regular-season snaps |
| 1991 | Phil Hansen | DE | BUF Buffalo Bills | 156 games · 11 yrs as starter 65 career AV |
| 1989 | Doug Lloyd | RB | LV Los Angeles Raiders | 1 games |
| 1987 | Chad Stark | RB | NYG New York Giants | 2 games |
| 1987 | Tyrone Braxton 1× Pro Bowl | DB | DEN Denver Broncos | 181 games · 8 yrs as starter 56 career AV |
| 1985 | Stacy Robinson | WR | NYG New York Giants | 43 games · 1 yrs as starter 6 career AV |
| 1984 | Dave Piepkorn | T | CLE Cleveland Browns | No regular-season snaps |
| 1981 | Kevin Donnalley | DB | ARI St. Louis Cardinals | 1 games |
MVFC programs by draft picks
How North Dakota State compares with the rest of the league.
About this program's draft record
Last updated Aug 24, 2026
North Dakota State in the NFL draft
North Dakota State has produced 27 NFL draft picks between 1981 and 2026, including 3 first-round selections. 2 of those picks (7%) went on to make a Pro Bowl.
North Dakota State ranks among college football’s most productive NFL pipelines. FantasyHQ lists every North Dakota State draft pick from 1981 through 2026 — 27 selections, 3 first-rounders, 2 Pro Bowl alumni. Current conference: MVFC.
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 North Dakota State produced?
North Dakota State has 27 NFL draft picks in FantasyHQ’s archive (1981–2026), including 3 first-rounders. See the full list at https://fantasyhq.co/cfb-hq/draft-history/schools/north-dakota-state-bison.
Who are the most accomplished NFL players from North Dakota State?
Notable North Dakota State draftees include Carson Wentz, Tyrone Braxton, Phil Hansen, Billy Turner. Browse career outcomes at https://fantasyhq.co/cfb-hq/draft-history/schools/north-dakota-state-bison.
When was North Dakota State’s most recent NFL draft pick?
North Dakota State’s most recent pick in the archive is from the 2026 NFL Draft. See year-by-year totals at https://fantasyhq.co/cfb-hq/draft-history/schools/north-dakota-state-bison.