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An All Division 2 Alumni NFL Starting Roster is Worth Over $100 Million in 2017

HERO Sports by HERO Sports
August 9, 2017
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An All Division 2 Alumni NFL Starting Roster is Worth Over $100 Million in 2017

The Division 2 level of college football has produced its fair share of talented NFL players, and many of those players are well-compensated for their efforts at the professional level.

Unlike the MLB Draft where talent can be taken from any level of play whether it be prep or low-level collegiate ball, the NFL holds fast to the belief that D1 products are the best talent and therefore worth the most money.

RELATED: Every D2 Football Player on NFL Training Camp Rosters
MORE: West Alabama, Grand Valley State, Cal (PA) Lead D2 Schools with Most NFL Players

But just because players are not drafted does not mean they don't eventually cash in on their value and become great contributors. 

Taking a look at a 25-man roster (11 offense, 11 defense, 3 specialists) built of just D2 football alumni, we actually arrive to see that there are plenty of players who do earn lofty contracts and make a name for themselves in the league.

The money may not be as large as some of the top FBS programs, but it proves that D2 football players definitely have a shot to make it long-term in the NFL, just as these 25 players have.

*All salary data reflects 2017 cash payout value, courtesy of Over The Cap.

[divider]

Offense: $38,933,000

Pos. Player NFL Team College Team 2017 Cash Payout Value
QB Dustin Vaughan Baltimore West Texas A&M $540,000
RB Danny Woodhead Baltimore Chadron State $3,250,000
WR Adam Thielen Minnesota Minnesota State $6,746,000
WR Andre Holmes Buffalo Hillsdale $2,500,000
WR John Brown Arizona Pittsburg State $1,797,000
TE Delanie Walker Tennessee Central Missouri $4,500,000
OL Ryan Schraeder Atlanta Valdosta State $7,000,000
OL Jahri Evans Green Bay Bloomsburg $2,250,000
OL Jared Veldheer Arizona Hillsdale $7,000,000
OL Joe Berger Minnesota Michigan Tech $1,300,000
OL Allen Barbre Denver Missouri Southern $2,050,000

[divider]

Defense: $61,557,000

Pos. Player NFL Team College Team 2017 Cash Payout Value
DL William Hayes Miami Winston-Salem $4,750,000
DL Brandon Williams Baltimore Missouri Southern $16,000,000
DL Cedric Thornton Dallas Southern Arkansas $3,000,000
LB Junior Galette Washington Stillman​ $800,000
LB Michael Wilhoite Seattle Washburn $1,550,000
LB Ethan Westbrooks Los Angeles Rams West Texas A&M $1,797,000
DB Brandon Carr Baltimore Grand Valley State $6,000,000
DB Brent Grimes Tampa Bay Shippensburg $6,500,000
DB Malcolm Butler New England West Alabama $3,910,000
DB Ron Parker Kansas City Newberry $4,250,000
DB Janoris Jenkins New York Giants North Alabama $13,000,000

[divider]

Specialists: $5,193,760

Pos. Player NFL Team College Team 2017 Cash Payout Value
K Greg Zuerlein Los Angeles Rams Missouri Western $2,125,000
P Marquette King Oakland Fort Valley State $2,500,000
Ret. Tyreek Hill Kansas City West Alabama $568,760

[divider]

Looking at the rosters above, it's easy to see that defense clearly rules the day when it comes to total cash payout in the 2017 season. The two main contributors to that effort are Janoris Jenkins and Brandon Williams, two Pro Bowlers who have received big contracts within the last two offseasons.

The offense suffers from the lack of an established quarterback, and Vaughan is actually the only former D2 signal-caller currently in the NFL. Other quarterbacks have made it on pre-season and practice rosters, but have switched positions — like Jason Van Der Laan from Ferris, who moved to tight end with the Jets.

This lineup built of entirely D2 alum makes a combined $105,683,760 in 2017 across all position groups, which averages out to $4,227,350 per player. While the level as a whole is still behind FBS programs like Alabama and LSU in terms of the money former players are hauling in, it's still impressive how much money former Division 2 players are making in the NFL today.

The best part is, there's room for future stars to make that $105 million figure even bigger in years to come.

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