UAB has produced 16 NFL draft picks since 1998, including 2 first-rounders — 128th all-time among college programs.
American · NFL draft picks 1998–2024 · 128th nationally
UAB College Draft History
UAB has produced 16 NFL draft picks since 1998, including 2 first-rounders — 128th all-time among college programs.
- Total picks
- 16
- First-rounders
- 2
- No. 1 overall
- 0
- Pro Bowlers
- 16% of picks
- Pro Bowl nods
- 4
- Hall of Famers
- 0
Notable UAB draft picks
Ranked by Hall of Fame status, Pro Bowls, and career value.
Roddy White
Atlanta Falcons
1× All-Pro 4× Pro Bowl
171 games · 10 yrs as starter
Bryan Thomas
New York Jets
157 games · 7 yrs as starter
Izell Reese
Dallas Cowboys
93 games · 3 yrs as starter
JJ Nelson
Arizona Cardinals
58 games
Alex Wright
Cleveland Browns
51 games · 1 yrs as starter
Dainon Sidney
Tennessee Titans
50 games
Joe Webb
Minnesota Vikings
104 games
Otis Leverette
Miami Dolphins
17 games
UAB draft trends
Picks by class year, position group, and the NFL clubs that shop here most.
Picks by draft class
Positions produced
- WR 4
- DE 4
- DB 3
- OLB 1
- RB 1
- T 1
- TE 1
- DT 1
NFL clubs that draft here
- MIN Minnesota Vikings 2
- ARI Arizona Cardinals 2
- CLE Cleveland Browns 1
- DAL Dallas Cowboys 1
- GB Green Bay Packers 1
- IND Indianapolis Colts 1
- JAX Jacksonville Jaguars 1
- KC Kansas City Chiefs 1
Every UAB draft pick
16 selections, newest class first.
| Pick | Player | Pos | NFL team | Career |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 |
Tejhaun Palmer
Milwaukee, WI
|
WR | ARI Arizona Cardinals | 1 games |
| 2023 |
DeWayne McBride
Starke, FL
|
RB | MIN Minnesota Vikings | No regular-season snaps |
| 2022 |
Alex Wright
Elba, AL
|
DE | CLE Cleveland Browns | 51 games · 1 yrs as starter 11 career AV |
| 2021 |
Jordan Smith
Lithonia, GA
|
OLB | JAX Jacksonville Jaguars | 2 games |
| 2015 |
JJ Nelson
Midfield, AL
|
WR | ARI Arizona Cardinals | 58 games 12 career AV |
| 2015 |
Kennard Backman
Austell, GA
|
TE | GB Green Bay Packers | 7 games |
| 2012 |
Matt McCants
|
T | NYG New York Giants | 30 games 3 career AV |
| 2010 |
Joe Webb
Birmingham, AL
|
WR | MIN Minnesota Vikings | 104 games 4 career AV |
| 2005 |
Roddy White
1× All-Pro
4× Pro Bowl
|
WR | ATL Atlanta Falcons | 171 games · 10 yrs as starter 88 career AV |
| 2002 | Bryan Thomas | DE | NYJ New York Jets | 157 games · 7 yrs as starter 49 career AV |
| 2002 | Eddie Freeman | DE | KC Kansas City Chiefs | 20 games 1 career AV |
| 2001 | Otis Leverette | DE | MIA Miami Dolphins | 17 games 3 career AV |
| 2000 | Rodregis Brooks | DB | IND Indianapolis Colts | 5 games |
| 1999 | Pernell Davis | DT | PHI Philadelphia Eagles | 2 games |
| 1998 | Dainon Sidney | DB | TEN Tennessee Titans | 50 games 6 career AV |
| 1998 | Izell Reese | DB | DAL Dallas Cowboys | 93 games · 3 yrs as starter 20 career AV |
American programs by draft picks
How UAB compares with the rest of the league.
About this program's draft record
Last updated Aug 24, 2026
UAB in the NFL draft
UAB has produced 16 NFL draft picks between 1998 and 2024, including 2 first-round selections. 1 of those picks (6%) went on to make a Pro Bowl.
UAB ranks among college football’s most productive NFL pipelines. FantasyHQ lists every UAB draft pick from 1998 through 2024 — 16 selections, 2 first-rounders, 1 Pro Bowl alumni. Current conference: American.
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 UAB produced?
UAB has 16 NFL draft picks in FantasyHQ’s archive (1998–2024), including 2 first-rounders. See the full list at https://fantasyhq.co/cfb-hq/draft-history/schools/uab-blazers.
Who are the most accomplished NFL players from UAB?
Notable UAB draftees include Roddy White, Bryan Thomas, Izell Reese, JJ Nelson. Browse career outcomes at https://fantasyhq.co/cfb-hq/draft-history/schools/uab-blazers.
When was UAB’s most recent NFL draft pick?
UAB’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/uab-blazers.