Northern Iowa has produced 18 NFL draft picks since 1982, including 1 first-rounders — 121st all-time among college programs.
MVFC · NFL draft picks 1982–2024 · 121st nationally
Northern Iowa College Draft History
Northern Iowa has produced 18 NFL draft picks since 1982, including 1 first-rounders — 121st all-time among college programs.
- Total picks
- 18
- First-rounders
- 1
- No. 1 overall
- 0
- Pro Bowlers
- 211% of picks
- Pro Bowl nods
- 5
- Hall of Famers
- 0
Notable Northern Iowa draft picks
Ranked by Hall of Fame status, Pro Bowls, and career value.
Bryce Paup
Green Bay Packers
1× All-Pro 4× Pro Bowl
148 games · 7 yrs as starter
David Johnson
Arizona Cardinals
1× All-Pro 1× Pro Bowl
92 games · 3 yrs as starter
Brad Meester
Jacksonville Jaguars
209 games · 14 yrs as starter
James Jones
Cleveland Browns
160 games · 9 yrs as starter
Spencer Brown
Buffalo Bills
73 games · 4 yrs as starter
Chad Rinehart
Washington Commanders
58 games · 1 yrs as starter
Dedric Ward
New York Jets
103 games · 1 yrs as starter
Trevor Penning
New Orleans Saints
53 games · 1 yrs as starter
Northern Iowa draft trends
Picks by class year, position group, and the NFL clubs that shop here most.
Picks by draft class
Positions produced
- WR 4
- T 3
- DL 2
- DT 1
- LB 1
- C 1
- QB 1
- RB 1
- TE 1
- OL 1
- CB 1
- DB 1
NFL clubs that draft here
- NO New Orleans Saints 2
- NYJ New York Jets 2
- ARI Arizona Cardinals 2
- CLE Cleveland Browns 1
- DET Detroit Lions 1
- GB Green Bay Packers 1
- IND Indianapolis Colts 1
- JAX Jacksonville Jaguars 1
Every Northern Iowa draft pick
18 selections, newest class first.
| Pick | Player | Pos | NFL team | Career |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 |
Khristian Boyd
Blue Springs, MO
|
DL | NO New Orleans Saints | 10 games |
| 2022 |
Trevor Penning
Clear Lake, IA
|
T | NO New Orleans Saints | 53 games · 1 yrs as starter 15 career AV |
| 2021 |
Spencer Brown
Lenox, IA
|
OL | BUF Buffalo Bills | 73 games · 4 yrs as starter 38 career AV |
| 2021 |
Elerson Smith
Minneapolis, MN
|
DL | NYG New York Giants | 15 games 1 career AV |
| 2018 |
Daurice Fountain
Lubbock, TX
|
WR | IND Indianapolis Colts | 8 games |
| 2016 |
Deiondre' Hall
|
CB | CHI Chicago Bears | 23 games 2 career AV |
| 2015 |
David Johnson
1× All-Pro
1× Pro Bowl
|
RB | ARI Arizona Cardinals | 92 games · 3 yrs as starter 42 career AV |
| 2008 |
Chad Rinehart
|
T | WAS Washington Commanders | 58 games · 1 yrs as starter 23 career AV |
| 2008 | Brandon Keith | T | ARI Arizona Cardinals | 26 games · 2 yrs as starter 8 career AV |
| 2002 | Ryan Hannam | TE | SEA Seattle Seahawks | 54 games 2 career AV |
| 2001 | Eddie Berlin | WR | TEN Tennessee Titans | 62 games 3 career AV |
| 2000 | Brad Meester | C | JAX Jacksonville Jaguars | 209 games · 14 yrs as starter 74 career AV |
| 1999 | Tyree Talton | DB | DET Detroit Lions | 12 games 1 career AV |
| 1997 | Dedric Ward | WR | NYJ New York Jets | 103 games · 1 yrs as starter 20 career AV |
| 1993 | Kenny Shedd | WR | NYJ New York Jets | 60 games 2 career AV |
| 1991 | James Jones | DT | CLE Cleveland Browns | 160 games · 9 yrs as starter 56 career AV |
| 1990 | Bryce Paup 1× All-Pro 4× Pro Bowl | LB | GB Green Bay Packers | 148 games · 7 yrs as starter 67 career AV |
| 1982 | Steve Sandon | QB | NE New England Patriots | No regular-season snaps |
MVFC programs by draft picks
How Northern Iowa compares with the rest of the league.
About this program's draft record
Last updated Aug 24, 2026
Northern Iowa in the NFL draft
Northern Iowa has produced 18 NFL draft picks between 1982 and 2024, including 1 first-round selections. 2 of those picks (11%) went on to make a Pro Bowl.
Northern Iowa ranks among college football’s most productive NFL pipelines. FantasyHQ lists every Northern Iowa draft pick from 1982 through 2024 — 18 selections, 1 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 Northern Iowa produced?
Northern Iowa has 18 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/northern-iowa-panthers.
Who are the most accomplished NFL players from Northern Iowa?
Notable Northern Iowa draftees include Bryce Paup, David Johnson, Brad Meester, James Jones. Browse career outcomes at https://fantasyhq.co/cfb-hq/draft-history/schools/northern-iowa-panthers.
When was Northern Iowa’s most recent NFL draft pick?
Northern Iowa’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/northern-iowa-panthers.