Northern Colorado has produced 5 NFL draft picks since 1991 — 216th all-time among college programs.
Big Sky · NFL draft picks 1991–2006 · 216th nationally
Northern Colorado College Draft History
Northern Colorado has produced 5 NFL draft picks since 1991 — 216th all-time among college programs.
- Total picks
- 5
- First-rounders
- 0
- No. 1 overall
- 0
- Pro Bowlers
- 240% of picks
- Pro Bowl nods
- 4
- Hall of Famers
- 0
Notable Northern Colorado draft picks
Ranked by Hall of Fame status, Pro Bowls, and career value.
Northern Colorado draft trends
Picks by class year, position group, and the NFL clubs that shop here most.
Picks by draft class
Positions produced
- DB 1
- DE 1
- T 1
- TE 1
- WR 1
NFL clubs that draft here
- DET Detroit Lions 1
- LAC San Diego Chargers 1
- NO New Orleans Saints 1
- PIT Pittsburgh Steelers 1
- WAS Washington Commanders 1
Every Northern Colorado draft pick
5 selections, newest class first.
| Pick | Player | Pos | NFL team | Career |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 |
Reed Doughty
|
DB | WAS Washington Commanders | 107 games · 3 yrs as starter 20 career AV |
| 2005 | Vincent Jackson 3× Pro Bowl | WR | LAC San Diego Chargers | 155 games · 8 yrs as starter 77 career AV |
| 1999 | Aaron Smith 1× Pro Bowl | DE | PIT Pittsburgh Steelers | 160 games · 9 yrs as starter 71 career AV |
| 1997 | Tony Ramirez | T | DET Detroit Lions | 30 games 6 career AV |
| 1991 | Frank Wainright | TE | NO New Orleans Saints | 121 games 2 career AV |
Big Sky programs by draft picks
How Northern Colorado compares with the rest of the league.
About this program's draft record
Last updated Aug 24, 2026
Northern Colorado in the NFL draft
Northern Colorado has produced 5 NFL draft picks between 1991 and 2006, including 0 first-round selections. 2 of those picks (40%) went on to make a Pro Bowl.
Northern Colorado ranks among college football’s most productive NFL pipelines. FantasyHQ lists every Northern Colorado draft pick from 1991 through 2006 — 5 selections, 0 first-rounders, 2 Pro Bowl alumni. Current conference: Big Sky.
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 Northern Colorado produced?
Northern Colorado has 5 NFL draft picks in FantasyHQ’s archive (1991–2006), including 0 first-rounders. See the full list at https://fantasyhq.co/cfb-hq/draft-history/schools/northern-colorado-bears.
Who are the most accomplished NFL players from Northern Colorado?
Notable Northern Colorado draftees include Vincent Jackson, Aaron Smith, Reed Doughty, Tony Ramirez. Browse career outcomes at https://fantasyhq.co/cfb-hq/draft-history/schools/northern-colorado-bears.
When was Northern Colorado’s most recent NFL draft pick?
Northern Colorado’s most recent pick in the archive is from the 2006 NFL Draft. See year-by-year totals at https://fantasyhq.co/cfb-hq/draft-history/schools/northern-colorado-bears.