Tennessee State has produced 34 NFL draft picks since 1981, including 1 first-rounders — 89th all-time among college programs.
OVC-Big South · NFL draft picks 1981–2020 · 89th nationally
Tennessee State College Draft History
Tennessee State has produced 34 NFL draft picks since 1981, including 1 first-rounders — 89th all-time among college programs.
- Total picks
- 34
- First-rounders
- 1
- No. 1 overall
- 0
- Pro Bowlers
- 26% of picks
- Pro Bowl nods
- 6
- Hall of Famers
- 1
Notable Tennessee State draft picks
Ranked by Hall of Fame status, Pro Bowls, and career value.
Richard Dent
Chicago Bears
Hall of Fame 1× All-Pro 4× Pro Bowl
203 games · 10 yrs as starter
Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie
Arizona Cardinals
2× Pro Bowl
162 games · 7 yrs as starter
Anthony Pleasant
Cleveland Browns
202 games · 11 yrs as starter
Larry Kinnebrew
Cincinnati Bengals
88 games · 4 yrs as starter
Mike Jones
Minnesota Vikings
79 games · 3 yrs as starter
Larry Tharpe
Detroit Lions
76 games · 3 yrs as starter
Tony Stargell
New York Jets
94 games · 1 yrs as starter
Steve Moore
New England Patriots
52 games · 2 yrs as starter
Tennessee 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
- WR 8
- DB 7
- T 4
- DE 4
- OL 3
- RB 3
- G 2
- QB 1
- LB 1
- C 1
NFL clubs that draft here
- MIN Minnesota Vikings 3
- SF San Francisco 49ers 2
- ARI Arizona Cardinals 2
- CHI Chicago Bears 2
- NYJ New York Jets 2
- PHI Philadelphia Eagles 2
- KC Kansas City Chiefs 2
- TB Tampa Bay Buccaneers 2
Every Tennessee State draft pick
34 selections, newest class first.
| Pick | Player | Pos | NFL team | Career |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 |
Lachavious Simmons
Selma, AL
|
G | CHI Chicago Bears | 2 games |
| 2015 |
Robert Myers
|
G | BAL Baltimore Ravens | No regular-season snaps |
| 2015 |
Anthony Morris
|
OL | LV Oakland Raiders | No regular-season snaps |
| 2014 |
Kadeem Edwards
|
OL | TB Tampa Bay Buccaneers | No regular-season snaps |
| 2014 |
Demetrius Rhaney
|
OL | LAR St. Louis Rams | 33 games 2 career AV |
| 2009 |
Javarris Williams
|
RB | KC Kansas City Chiefs | 4 games |
| 2008 |
Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie
2× Pro Bowl
|
DB | ARI Arizona Cardinals | 162 games · 7 yrs as starter 53 career AV |
| 2000 | Michael Thompson | T | ATL Atlanta Falcons | 12 games 3 career AV |
| 2000 | Avion Black | WR | BUF Buffalo Bills | 27 games 2 career AV |
| 1996 | Clarence Jones | WR | JAX Jacksonville Jaguars | No regular-season snaps |
| 1996 | Darrell Williams | DB | KC Kansas City Chiefs | No regular-season snaps |
| 1995 | Cedric Davis | DB | ARI Arizona Cardinals | No regular-season snaps |
| 1994 | Randy Fuller | DB | DEN Denver Broncos | 64 games 6 career AV |
| 1993 | Patrick Robinson | WR | TEN Houston Oilers | 30 games 1 career AV |
| 1992 | Larry Tharpe | T | DET Detroit Lions | 76 games · 3 yrs as starter 21 career AV |
| 1992 | Marcus Dowdell | WR | NO New Orleans Saints | 41 games 4 career AV |
| 1990 | Tony Stargell | DB | NYJ New York Jets | 94 games · 1 yrs as starter 16 career AV |
| 1990 | Anthony Pleasant | DE | CLE Cleveland Browns | 202 games · 11 yrs as starter 59 career AV |
| 1990 | Anthony Shelton | DB | SF San Francisco 49ers | 25 games 3 career AV |
| 1990 | Tyrone Watson | WR | PHI Philadelphia Eagles | No regular-season snaps |
| 1988 | Frank Pillow | WR | TB Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 34 games 3 career AV |
| 1987 | Onzy Elam | LB | NYJ New York Jets | 10 games |
| 1987 | Charles Buchanan | DE | PIT Pittsburgh Steelers | 9 games 1 career AV |
| 1985 | Herman Hunter | RB | PHI Philadelphia Eagles | 35 games 10 career AV |
| 1984 | Golden Tate | WR | IND Indianapolis Colts | No regular-season snaps |
| 1983 | Steve Moore | T | NE New England Patriots | 52 games · 2 yrs as starter 14 career AV |
| 1983 | Mike Jones | WR | MIN Minnesota Vikings | 79 games · 3 yrs as starter 22 career AV |
| 1983 | Larry Kinnebrew | RB | CIN Cincinnati Bengals | 88 games · 4 yrs as starter 24 career AV |
| 1983 | Richard Dent HOF 1× All-Pro 4× Pro Bowl | DE | CHI Chicago Bears | 203 games · 10 yrs as starter 98 career AV |
| 1983 | Walter Tate | C | MIN Minnesota Vikings | No regular-season snaps |
| 1982 | Malcolm Taylor | DE | TEN Houston Oilers | 68 games 7 career AV |
| 1982 | Bryan Howard | DB | MIN Minnesota Vikings | 2 games |
| 1982 | Don Laster | T | WAS Washington Commanders | 22 games · 1 yrs as starter 5 career AV |
| 1981 | Joe Adams | QB | SF San Francisco 49ers | No regular-season snaps |
OVC-Big South programs by draft picks
How Tennessee State compares with the rest of the league.
About this program's draft record
Last updated Aug 24, 2026
Tennessee State in the NFL draft
Tennessee State has produced 34 NFL draft picks between 1981 and 2020, including 1 first-round selections. 2 of those picks (6%) went on to make a Pro Bowl.
Tennessee State ranks among college football’s most productive NFL pipelines. FantasyHQ lists every Tennessee State draft pick from 1981 through 2020 — 34 selections, 1 first-rounders, 2 Pro Bowl alumni, and 1 Hall of Famers. Current conference: OVC-Big South.
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 Tennessee State produced?
Tennessee State has 34 NFL draft picks in FantasyHQ’s archive (1981–2020), including 1 first-rounders. See the full list at https://fantasyhq.co/cfb-hq/draft-history/schools/tennessee-state-tigers.
Who are the most accomplished NFL players from Tennessee State?
Notable Tennessee State draftees include Richard Dent, Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, Anthony Pleasant, Larry Kinnebrew. Browse career outcomes at https://fantasyhq.co/cfb-hq/draft-history/schools/tennessee-state-tigers.
When was Tennessee State’s most recent NFL draft pick?
Tennessee State’s most recent pick in the archive is from the 2020 NFL Draft. See year-by-year totals at https://fantasyhq.co/cfb-hq/draft-history/schools/tennessee-state-tigers.