Southern has produced 23 NFL draft picks since 1980 — 107th all-time among college programs.
SWAC · NFL draft picks 1980–2022 · 107th nationally
Southern College Draft History
Southern has produced 23 NFL draft picks since 1980 — 107th all-time among college programs.
- Total picks
- 23
- First-rounders
- 0
- No. 1 overall
- 0
- Pro Bowlers
- 14% of picks
- Pro Bowl nods
- 8
- Hall of Famers
- 1
Notable Southern draft picks
Ranked by Hall of Fame status, Pro Bowls, and career value.
Aeneas Williams
Phoenix Cardinals
Hall of Fame 3× All-Pro 8× Pro Bowl
211 games · 13 yrs as starter
Maurice Hurst
New England Patriots
105 games · 7 yrs as starter
Gerald Perry
Denver Broncos
97 games · 6 yrs as starter
Robert Harris
Minnesota Vikings
97 games · 4 yrs as starter
Jerry Wilson
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
120 games · 2 yrs as starter
Michael Ball
Indianapolis Colts
84 games · 2 yrs as starter
George Farmer
Los Angeles Rams
39 games · 1 yrs as starter
James Davis
Oakland Raiders
83 games
Southern draft trends
Picks by class year, position group, and the NFL clubs that shop here most.
Picks by draft class
Positions produced
- DB 8
- WR 4
- TE 3
- DE 2
- NT 1
- OL 1
- DT 1
- T 1
- RB 1
- LB 1
NFL clubs that draft here
- SF San Francisco 49ers 2
- CAR Carolina Panthers 2
- LAR Los Angeles Rams 2
- MIN Minnesota Vikings 2
- IND Indianapolis Colts 2
- TB Tampa Bay Buccaneers 2
- JAX Jacksonville Jaguars 1
- CHI Chicago Bears 1
Every Southern draft pick
23 selections, newest class first.
| Pick | Player | Pos | NFL team | Career |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 |
Ja'Tyre Carter
|
OL | CHI Chicago Bears | 13 games 2 career AV |
| 2004 |
Lenny Williams
|
DB | TB Tampa Bay Buccaneers | No regular-season snaps |
| 2000 | Gillis Wilson | DE | CAR Carolina Panthers | 5 games 1 career AV |
| 1999 | Chris White | DE | JAX Jacksonville Jaguars | 5 games |
| 1998 | Lawrence Hart | TE | NYJ New York Jets | 1 games |
| 1996 | Donnell Baker | WR | CAR Carolina Panthers | No regular-season snaps |
| 1995 | Jerry Wilson | DB | TB Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 120 games · 2 yrs as starter 19 career AV |
| 1992 | Robert Harris | DT | MIN Minnesota Vikings | 97 games · 4 yrs as starter 34 career AV |
| 1992 | Thomas McLemore | TE | DET Detroit Lions | 18 games |
| 1992 | Brian Thomas | WR | LAR Los Angeles Rams | No regular-season snaps |
| 1991 | Aeneas Williams HOF 3× All-Pro 8× Pro Bowl | DB | ARI Phoenix Cardinals | 211 games · 13 yrs as starter 110 career AV |
| 1990 | Harvey Wilson | DB | IND Indianapolis Colts | No regular-season snaps |
| 1990 | Elliott Searcy | WR | LAC San Diego Chargers | No regular-season snaps |
| 1989 | Maurice Hurst | DB | NE New England Patriots | 105 games · 7 yrs as starter 39 career AV |
| 1988 | Gerald Perry | T | DEN Denver Broncos | 97 games · 6 yrs as starter 36 career AV |
| 1988 | Michael Ball | DB | IND Indianapolis Colts | 84 games · 2 yrs as starter 13 career AV |
| 1988 | Vincent Fizer | LB | NO New Orleans Saints | No regular-season snaps |
| 1987 | James Evans | RB | KC Kansas City Chiefs | 2 games |
| 1981 | James Davis | DB | LV Oakland Raiders | 83 games 8 career AV |
| 1981 | Brian Williams | TE | MIN Minnesota Vikings | 1 games |
| 1980 | Ken Times | NT | SF San Francisco 49ers | 5 games |
| 1980 | Herb Williams | DB | SF San Francisco 49ers | 19 games 2 career AV |
| 1980 | George Farmer | WR | LAR Los Angeles Rams | 39 games · 1 yrs as starter 12 career AV |
SWAC programs by draft picks
How Southern compares with the rest of the league.
About this program's draft record
Last updated Aug 24, 2026
Southern in the NFL draft
Southern has produced 23 NFL draft picks between 1980 and 2022, including 0 first-round selections. 1 of those picks (4%) went on to make a Pro Bowl.
Southern ranks among college football’s most productive NFL pipelines. FantasyHQ lists every Southern draft pick from 1980 through 2022 — 23 selections, 0 first-rounders, 1 Pro Bowl alumni, and 1 Hall of Famers. 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 Southern produced?
Southern has 23 NFL draft picks in FantasyHQ’s archive (1980–2022), including 0 first-rounders. See the full list at https://fantasyhq.co/cfb-hq/draft-history/schools/southern-jaguars.
Who are the most accomplished NFL players from Southern?
Notable Southern draftees include Aeneas Williams, Maurice Hurst, Gerald Perry, Robert Harris. Browse career outcomes at https://fantasyhq.co/cfb-hq/draft-history/schools/southern-jaguars.
When was Southern’s most recent NFL draft pick?
Southern’s most recent pick in the archive is from the 2022 NFL Draft. See year-by-year totals at https://fantasyhq.co/cfb-hq/draft-history/schools/southern-jaguars.