North Dakota State had three players selected in the first four rounds of the 2021 NFL Draft while Northern Iowa had two players.
The Bison are the first FCS team to have multiple picks in the first two rounds since Jackson State in 2000 when defensive back Rashard Anderson and wide receiver Sylvester Morris were drafted in the first round.
Quarterback Trey Lance went No. 3 overall to San Francisco, offensive lineman Dillon Radunz was selected in the second round (No. 53 overall) by Tennessee, and linebacker Jabril Cox got picked No. 115 overall (fourth round) by Dallas.
Lance joins an elite list of FCS/Division I-AA QBs to be drafted in the top 10 since the Division I split in 1978 — Morehead State’s Phil Simms (No. 7 in 1979), Alcorn State’s Steve McNair (No. 3 in 1995), and NDSU’s Carson Wentz (No. 2 in 2016). He is the third-straight NDSU starting quarterback to get drafted with Easton Stick selected in the fifth round in 2019.
Radunz is the third NDSU offensive lineman to get drafted since 2014 — Billy Turner in the 2014 third round and Joe Haeg in the 2016 fifth round.
Cox spent his final college season at LSU after being a three-time All-American for the Bison.
NDSU now has nine NFL Draft picks since 2014.
RELATED: History Of NFL Draft Picks From NDSU
Northern Iowa offensive tackle Spencer Brown was selected in the third round (No. 93 overall) by Buffalo. Defensive end Elerson Smith was picked No. 116 overall (fourth round) by the New York Giants.
UNI now has 21 draft picks since 1966 and five since 2015 — RB David Johnson in 2015, DB Deiondre’ Hall in 2016, and WR Daurice Fountain in 2018.
RELATED: History Of NFL Draft Picks From UNI
