Oklahoma’s Latest NFL Draft Streak Ends After 22 Years

For the first time in more than two decades, only two Oklahoma Sooners were selected in the NFL Draft.

Linebacker Danny Stutsman and safety Billy Bowman Jr. were both fourth-round picks on Saturday, but no other Sooners from the 2024 squad got picked after them.

It’s the first time since 2002 that only two OU players were selected. Safety Roy Williams and linebacker Rocky Calmus were the only Sooner draftees that year.

Now that the draft has ended, teams will begin signing a flurry of free agents, and several former Sooners can expect their phones to ring.

New Orleans Saints Draft Oklahoma LB Danny Stutsman
Atlanta Falcons Draft Oklahoma DB Billy Bowman Jr.

Defensive end Ethan Downs was projected to be a Day 3 pick by NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein but went undrafted. While Zierlein admitted to worrying about Downs’ ability to shed blocks, he praised the defensive end’s toughness.

“Downs looks physically outmatched before the snap, but once the leverage and play strength kick in, perceptions change,” Zierlein said. “He plays with a strong base and is tougher than leather at the point of attack, but he lacks length and has a hard time getting off of blocks.”

Defensive tackle Da’Jon Terry, listed at 6-foot and 317 pounds, played almost 1,500 career snaps between stints at OU, Tennessee and Kansas. But Terry didn’t impress at the NFL Combine, running a 5.56-second 40-yard dash and logging just 17 reps on the bench press.

At defensive end, Trace Ford shined at OU Pro Day, recording a 36-inch vertical jump and 21 reps on the bench press. But perhaps NFL teams shied away from him considering his injury history — two knee surgeries during his time at Oklahoma State.

And cornerback Woodi Washington played nearly 3,000 snaps for the Crimson and Cream, but in the 2024 season, Washington saw reduced playing time.

Just a year ago, the Sooners’ 16-year streak of having four or more draftees was broken, as Tyler Guyton, Walter Rouse and Jonah Laulu were the only three OU players from the 2023 roster picked. It was the longest such streak among all college football programs nationally.

The year before that, five Sooners — offensive tackle Anton Harrison, wide receiver Marvin Mims Jr., offensive tackle Wanya Morris, running back Eric Gray and tight end Brayden Willis — were selected.

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