NFL Draft: Longest 1st-Round Draft Droughts for Power 5 Programs

North Carolina State had three players selected in the first round of the 2006 NFL Draft, the third-most of any school that year (Ohio State, four; Florida State, five). But not since Mario Williams, Manny Lawson and John McCargo were chosen first, 22nd and 26th, respectively, have the Wolfpack had a first-round pick.

Bradley Chubb will end that drought.

Twenty-five North Carolina State alums have been drafted since 2007, though only safeties David Amerson and Josh Jones were selected earlier than the third round. Neither were even top-50 picks, with Amerson going 51st in 2013 to the Washington Redskins and Jones 61st last year to the Green Bay Packers. 

Chubb, a 6-foot-4, 275-pound defensive end, is projected as a top-10 pick in the 2018 NFL Draft after racking up 20.5 sacks and 28 tackles for the loss the last two years. He could be the first defender selected in April and, barring a shocking turn of events, will be the Wolfpack’s first first-round selection in 12 years.

North Carolina State is tied with Minnesota for the fourth-longest first-round draft droughts among Power Five programs. The Gophers’ last first-round pick was running back Laurence Maroney. One year behind sits Northwestern, who hasn’t even had a player selected before the fourth round since first-round pick Luis Castillo in 2005.

Now we get into the weeds.

Indiana’s last first-round selection was receiver Thomas Lewis in 1994, and Iowa State’s last first-rounder was — wait for it — 1973! Since running back George Amundson was selected 14th by the Houston Oilers 45 years ago, the Cyclones have not had a first-round pick. And they’ve only had three second-round picks over that time.

Here’s the full list of most recent first-round pick for each Power Five program: