Meet the 20 highest NFL Draft picks who played football in the Gem State
The first round of the 2019 NFL Draft will be televised on ABC, ESPN and the NFL Network beginning at 6 p.m. MT on Thursday from Nashville, Tennessee.
Coverage continues at 5 p.m. Friday with rounds 2-3 on ABC, ESPN, ESPN2 and the NFL Network, and concludes with rounds 4-7 starting at 10 a.m. Saturday on ABC, ESPN and the NFL Network.
Experts predict Boise State quarterback Brett Rypien and running back Alexander Mattison likely will hear their names called on Saturday. And Idaho linebacker Kaden Elliss impressed scouts at pro day workouts in Moscow and at the University of Utah earlier this month.
All three players would need to greatly exceed expectations just to crack the list of the top 20 draft picks in Gem State history.
Here are those players listed in order by overall pick:
Overall: 8 (first round)
Gem State tie: Fruitland High
NFL team: Carolina Panthers
Year: 2003
The offensive tackle played all of his 11 seasons as a pro with the Panthers and was selected for the Pro Bowl in 2008, 2010 and 2013. He did not miss a single start over 167 games.
Overall: 8 (first round)
Gem State tie: Caldwell High
NFL team: Brooklyn Dodgers
Year: 1941
Listed as a tailback, this Idaho native did a little bit of everything in the NFL, including rushing, passing, receiving, kicking, punting and some defense. McAdams appeared in 30 games over three seasons with 11 starts.
Overall: 12 (first round)
Gem State tie: Boise State
NFL team: Denver Broncos
Year: 2008
The tackle from Rialto, California, is the highest draft pick in Boise State history. He played seven seasons with the Broncos and was on injured reserve when they won the Super Bowl in 2015.
Overall: 13 (first round)
Gem State tie: Idaho
NFL team: Washington Redskins
Year: 1967
He played in 13 games for the Redskins over two seasons, totaling 223 rushing yards and four touchdowns and 10 receptions for 60 yards.
Overall: 17 (first round)
Gem State tie: Idaho
NFL team: San Francisco 49ers
Year: 2010
The offensive guard will begin his 10th season in the NFL with the Seattle Seahawks. He previously played five seasons with the 49ers (2010-14) and four with the Arizona Cardinals (2015-18).
Overall: 17 (first round)
Gem State tie: South Fremont High
NFL team: Cincinnati Bengals
Year: 1987
The defensive lineman born in Moses Lake, Washington, played in 97 games over a seven-year career with the Bengals (four seasons) and Redskins (three seasons).
Overall: 19 (first round)
Gem State tie: Marsing High/Boise State
NFL team: Chicago Bears
Year: 2012
Concussions shortened the outside linebacker’s career, but not before he won a Super Bowl ring with the New England Patriots in 2017. McClellin had 200 tackles and 8.5 sacks in 66 NFL games.
Overall: 19 (first round)
Gem State tie: Salmon River High/Boise State
NFL team: Dallas Cowboys
Year: 2018
The former eight-man standout made the Pro Bowl as a rookie linebacker after racking up 140 tackles and two interceptions in 16 games.
Overall: 27 (fourth round)
Gem State tie: Sandpoint High
NFL team: Philadelphia Eagles/Pittsburgh Steelers (Steagles)
Year: 1943
During the 1940s, many NFL players were fighting in World War II, which forced teams like Philadelphia and Pittsburgh to combine rosters in order to field a team. Kennedy played his first professional game at running back in 1946 for the New York Yankees of the All-America Football Conference and played in 58 games over five seasons.
Overall: 28 (first round)
Gem State tie: Nampa High
NFL team: Indianapolis Colts
Year: 2000
He played eight seasons with Indianapolis, winning Super Bowl XLI. At linebacker, Morris collected 482 total tackles and started 67 of the 99 games he played.
Overall: 29 (first round)
Gem State tie: Boise State
NFL team: New York Jets
Year: 2010
He played the majority of his career with the Jets and still owns two of the top 10 longest punt returns in Boise State history. At cornerback, he totaled 186 tackles and four interceptions in six seasons as a pro.
Overall: 30 (second round)
Gem State tie: Boise State
NFL team: Washington Redskins
Year: 1986
Born in Niedermarsberg, Germany, Koch was inducted into the Boise State Hall of Fame in 1993. He won a Super Bowl ring in 1988.
Overall: 31 (first round)
Gem State tie: Boise State
NFL team: Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Year: 2012
Martin ranks among the top 10 in Boise State history for single-season and career rushing yards. The two-time Pro Bowler played six seasons with the Bucs and was on Oakland’s roster in 2018. He is currently an unrestricted free agent.
Overall: 31 (second round)
Gem State tie: Boise State
NFL team: Seattle Seahawks
Year: 1981
The running back was inducted into the Boise State Hall of Fame in 1988. Hughes played five seasons with the Seahawks and one with the Pittsburgh Steelers, finishing his career with 1,041 rushing yards and two touchdowns, plus 864 receiving yards and five more scores.
Overall: 33 (fourth round)
Gem State tie: Lewiston High
NFL team: Chicago Cardinals
Year: 1936
His career lasted two seasons between the Cardinals and Pittsburgh Pirates as he totaled 15 receptions for 274 yards and one touchdown.
Overall: 34 (second round)
Gem State tie: Boise State
NFL team: Dallas Cowboys
Year: 2014
The defensive end recently inked a five-year deal worth $105 million, making him the third-highest-paid defensive player in the NFL. He ranks among the top 10 in Boise State history in single-season and career sacks.
Overall: 34 (fourth round)
Gem State tie: Idaho
NFL team: Green Bay Packers
Year: 1936
Ward was the first Vandal drafted to play professionally, and his 80-yard run against Montana in 1936 is tied for the 11th longest in program history. He never played in the NFL, opting instead to begin law school.
Overall: 39 (fourth round)
Gem State tie: Sandpoint High/Idaho
NFL team: Green Bay Packers
Year: 1958
He played 11 seasons at right guard for the Packers, winning the first two Super Bowls in league history. Kramer was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2018.
Overall: 42 (second round)
Gem State tie: Capital High
NFL team: Arizona Cardinals
Year: 1997
Nicknamed “Jake the Snake,” Plummer played 10 seasons at quarterback in the NFL between the Cardinals (1997 to 2002) and Denver Broncos (2003-06). He amassed 29,253 passing yards and 161 TDs during his pro career.
Overall: 42 (second round)
Gem State tie: Boise State
NFL team: Baltimore Ravens
Year: 2016
He still ranks among the top 10 in Boise State history in single-season and career sacks.
Notes: This list does not include Idaho-born players who attended high school outside the Gem State. … The highest draft pick at Idaho State was Rick Scribner, who was chosen with the 74th overall pick in the third round of the 1977 draft by the Green Bay Packers. … College of Idaho has five players in the program’s history taken in the draft. The Yotes’ top pick was R.C. Owens, who was the 160th overall pick in the 14th round of the 1956 draft by the San Francisco 49ers. ... Draft information was gathered using ProFootballReference.com. ... Did we miss someone who should be on this list? Email rroberts@idahostatesman.com.
This story was originally published April 22, 2019 at 11:44 PM.
