Rebuilding Cowboy Football Means Boosting NFL Draft Fortunes

The Oklahoma State football team is rebuilding under coach Eric Morris and improving the program’s NFL Draft fortunes can be a by-product of that improvement.

Oklahoma State coach Eric Morris. | BRYAN TERRY/THE OKLAHOMAN / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

For the second time in three years, the Oklahoma State Cowboys football team didn’t have a player selected in the NFL Draft.

It doesn’t mean the Cowboys won’t have rookies in NFL mini-camps and training camps later this year. But it means the work of head coach Eric Morris and his staff to improve the roster this offseason, along with player development, is the hope to get the Cowboys back in the NFL Draft in 2027.

Oklahoma State had four selections in 2025, led by third-round pick and linebacker Nick Martin. After a one-year break from a selection in 2024, the Cowboys had two picks in 2023, led by defensive end Tyler Lacy, a fourth-round pick.

Before that, the Cowboys had a long streak of draft selections from 2009-19, with a break in 2020. OSU picked the streak back up in 2021 for three seasons.

Which Cowboys are Heading to NFL Camps?

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— OSU Cowboy Football (@CowboyFB) April 27, 2026

After the NFL draft ended on Saturday, OSU announced at least eight players had signed undrafted free-agent contracts.

Punter Wes Pahl, Cleveland Browns

Safety Parker Robertson, Denver Broncos

Running back Trent Howland, Denver Broncos

Cornerback Cam Smith, Baltimore Ravens

Wide receiver Terrill Davis, Baltimore Ravens

Defensive back Kenneth Harris, New England Patriots

Offensive lineman Bob Schick, New Orleans Saints

Wide receiver Sam Jackson V, New York Jets

Each will be trying to make an NFL team the hard way. Few undrafted free agents make an NFL roster as a rookie for opening weekend. But, with larger practice squads, there are chances for these Cowboys to land somewhere even if they don’t make a team out of camp.

The last time the Cowboys had a first-round pick was in 2014, as defensive back Justin Gilbert was selected No. 8 overall by the Cleveland Browns. That was the program’s sixth first-round pick in a six-year span that included tight end Brandon Pettigrew (2009, Detroit Lions), wide receiver Dez Bryant (Dallas Cowboys, 2010), offensive tackle Russell Okung (2010, Seattle Seahawks), quarterback Brandon Weeden (Cleveland Browns, 2012) and wide receiver Justin Blackmon (2012, Jacksonville Jaguars).

While Martin was the Cowboys’ last second-day selection (rounds two and three), the last second-round pick out of the program was offensive lineman Teven Jenkins in 2021, who was selected by the Chicago Bears.

Morris and the Cowboys will open the regular season on Sept. 5 at Tulsa, which beat OSU last season and was the program’s last game under former head coach Mike Gundy. Oklahoma State makes its home debut on Sept. 12 against Oregon.