BYU Football: NFL Draft Milestones to Watch
When the NFL Draft kicks off this week, the BYU football program will likely reach a few different draft milestones that have either never been attained, or have not been reached since BYU went independent in 2011. Here are some NFL Draft milestones to watch.
Note: These milestones exclude the supplemental draft.
Multiple NFL Draft Picks
- If two BYU players are selected in the NFL Draft, it would be the first time two BYU players were selected in the same draft since Austin Collie and Fui Vakapuna were selected in the 2009 NFL Draft.
- If three BYU players are selected, it will be the most since 2005 when Brady Poppinga, Scott Young, and Shaun Nua were drafted.
- If four or five BYU players are selected, it would be the most since Doug Jolley, Ryan Denney, Brandon Doman, Luke Staley, and Brett Keisel were drafted in the 2002 NFL Draft.
- If six BYU players are selected, it would be the most (in the first seven rounds) in program history. Seven BYU players were selected in both the 1981 and 1986 NFL Drafts, but the draft featured more than seven rounds in those years. BYU had five players selected in the first seven rounds of the 1981 draft, and two players selected in the first seven rounds of the 1986 draft.
Number of BYU football draft picks per year since 1990.
Zach Wilson
- All signs point towards Zach Wilson being the second overall pick to the New York Jets. If Wilson is selected before the fifth overall pick, he will be the highest NFL Draft pick in BYU history.
- Wilson will be the first BYU player drafted since Sione Takitaki was drafted by the Cleveland Browns in 2019.
- Wilson will be the first BYU quarterback selected in the NFL Draft since John Beck was picked by the Miami Dolphins in the second round of the 2007 NFL Draft.
- Wilson will be the first BYU quarterback selected in the first round of the NFL Draft since Jim McMahon in 1982.
Brady Christensen
- If he is drafted, Brady Christensen would be the first offensive lineman drafted out of BYU since Scott Young was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in 2005.
Dax Milne
- If Milne is drafted, he would be the first wide receiver drafted out of BYU since Austin Collie in 2009. He would be only the third BYU wide receiver drafted since 1988 - Todd Watkins was drafted by the Arizona Cardinals in 2006.
Khyiris Tonga
- If he is drafted, Khyiris Tonga would be the first defensive tackle drafted out of BYU since Daren Yancey in 1999. Since 1999, six defensive ends (Bronson Kaufusi, Ezekial Ansah, Shaun Nua, Ryan Denney, Brett Keisel, Byron Frisch) have been drafted out of BYU, but no defensive tackles.
Matt Bushman
- Matt Bushman would be the first tight end drafted out of BYU since Dennis Pitta in 2010 if he is drafted this weekend.
Chris Wilcox
- If he is drafted, Chris Wilcox would be the first BYU defensive back taken in the NFL Draft since Derwin Gray was selected by the Indianapolis Colts in 1993.
Chandon Herring & Tristen Hoge
- If either Chandon Herring or Tristen Hoge sneaks into the draft, and Brady Christensen is also drafted, it would be the first time multiple BYU offensive lineman were selected in the same draft since Evan Pilgrim and Tim Hanshaw were both selected in the 1995 NFL Draft.
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