Portland State has produced 12 NFL draft picks since 1981 — 146th all-time among college programs.
Big Sky · NFL draft picks 1981–2014 · 146th nationally
Portland State College Draft History
Portland State has produced 12 NFL draft picks since 1981 — 146th all-time among college programs.
- Total picks
- 12
- First-rounders
- 0
- No. 1 overall
- 0
- Pro Bowlers
- 217% of picks
- Pro Bowl nods
- 4
- Hall of Famers
- 0
Notable Portland State draft picks
Ranked by Hall of Fame status, Pro Bowls, and career value.
Neil Lomax
St. Louis Cardinals
2× Pro Bowl
108 games · 7 yrs as starter
Julius Thomas
Denver Broncos
2× Pro Bowl
71 games · 5 yrs as starter
Clint Didier
Washington Commanders
105 games · 3 yrs as starter
Darick Holmes
Buffalo Bills
60 games
Adam Hayward
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
118 games · 1 yrs as starter
Ted Popson
New York Giants
68 games · 1 yrs as starter
Tracey Eaton
Houston Oilers
60 games
James Fuller
San Diego Chargers
23 games
Portland State draft trends
Picks by class year, position group, and the NFL clubs that shop here most.
Picks by draft class
Positions produced
- TE 3
- DB 3
- LB 2
- WR 1
- QB 1
- OL 1
- RB 1
NFL clubs that draft here
- LAC San Diego Chargers 3
- LAR St. Louis Rams 2
- DEN Denver Broncos 1
- NYG New York Giants 1
- TB Tampa Bay Buccaneers 1
- TEN Houston Oilers 1
- ARI St. Louis Cardinals 1
- WAS Washington Commanders 1
Every Portland State draft pick
12 selections, newest class first.
| Pick | Player | Pos | NFL team | Career |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 |
Mitchell Van Dyk
|
OL | LAR St. Louis Rams | No regular-season snaps |
| 2011 |
Julius Thomas
2× Pro Bowl
|
TE | DEN Denver Broncos | 71 games · 5 yrs as starter 21 career AV |
| 2007 |
Adam Hayward
|
LB | TB Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 118 games · 1 yrs as starter 11 career AV |
| 2002 | Terry Charles | WR | LAC San Diego Chargers | No regular-season snaps |
| 1997 | Paul Bradford | DB | LAC San Diego Chargers | 15 games 2 career AV |
| 1995 | Darick Holmes | RB | BUF Buffalo Bills | 60 games 16 career AV |
| 1992 | James Fuller | DB | LAC San Diego Chargers | 23 games 3 career AV |
| 1991 | Ted Popson | TE | NYG New York Giants | 68 games · 1 yrs as starter 9 career AV |
| 1988 | Tracey Eaton | DB | TEN Houston Oilers | 60 games 4 career AV |
| 1981 | Neil Lomax 2× Pro Bowl | QB | ARI St. Louis Cardinals | 108 games · 7 yrs as starter 70 career AV |
| 1981 | Ron Seawell | LB | LAR Los Angeles Rams | No regular-season snaps |
| 1981 | Clint Didier | TE | WAS Washington Commanders | 105 games · 3 yrs as starter 18 career AV |
Big Sky programs by draft picks
How Portland State compares with the rest of the league.
About this program's draft record
Last updated Aug 24, 2026
Portland State in the NFL draft
Portland State has produced 12 NFL draft picks between 1981 and 2014, including 0 first-round selections. 2 of those picks (17%) went on to make a Pro Bowl.
Portland State ranks among college football’s most productive NFL pipelines. FantasyHQ lists every Portland State draft pick from 1981 through 2014 — 12 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 Portland State produced?
Portland State has 12 NFL draft picks in FantasyHQ’s archive (1981–2014), including 0 first-rounders. See the full list at https://fantasyhq.co/cfb-hq/draft-history/schools/portland-state-vikings.
Who are the most accomplished NFL players from Portland State?
Notable Portland State draftees include Neil Lomax, Julius Thomas, Clint Didier, Darick Holmes. Browse career outcomes at https://fantasyhq.co/cfb-hq/draft-history/schools/portland-state-vikings.
When was Portland State’s most recent NFL draft pick?
Portland State’s most recent pick in the archive is from the 2014 NFL Draft. See year-by-year totals at https://fantasyhq.co/cfb-hq/draft-history/schools/portland-state-vikings.