When Was the Last Time Purdue Didn't Have a Player Selected in the NFL Draft?
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There's a possibility that Purdue's six-year run of producing an NFL Draft pick ends this week in Pittsburgh. If the Boilermakers do not have a player selected, it will be the first time since 2019 that the program has not had at least one player picked.
Multiple networks have prepared complete mock seven-round mock drafts in preparation for this year's NFL Draft in Pittsburgh. Mocks from ESPN, NFL.com and CBS Sports do not include a player from Purdue.
If nobody is selected, it would also be just the second time since 1998 that a player from Purdue hasn't been picked in the NFL Draft. At least one Boilermaker was taken in every draft from 1998 through 2018.
Since 2020, Purdue has had 15 players taken in the NFL Draft. The best year in that span was 2023, the draft following the program's run to the Big Ten Championship Game. Five Boilermakers were taken in that draft, including wide receiver Charlie Jones (Cincinnati Bengals), quarterback Aidan O'Connell (Las Vegas Raiders), tight end Payne Durham (Tampa Bay Buccaneers), defensive back Cory Trice (Pittsburgh Steelers), and linebacker Jalen Graham (San Francisco 49ers).
The first round of the 2026 NFL Draft is scheduled for Thursday, April 23.
Purdue's draft history since 2020
Over the last six years, Purdue has produced 15 NFL Draft picks. That's a pretty solid number, especially considering the program's struggles over the last three seasons. But the Boilers' streak could come to an end this weekend.
Since the last time Purdue did not have a draft pick (2019), seven Boilermakers have been selected in the fourth round or higher. Defensive end George Karlaftis is the only first-round pick in that span, going No. 30 overall to the Kansas City Chiefs in 2022.
Wide receiver Rondale Moore was a second-round pick by the Arizona Cardinals in the 2021 NFL Draft. Another receiver, David Bell, was chosen by the Cleveland Browns in the third round in 2022.
Here's a rundown of the 15 Purdue players who have been selected in the NFL Draft since 2020:
Player | Position | Draft year | Team (round) |
|---|---|---|---|
Brycen Hopkins | TE | 2020 | Rams (4th) |
Markus Bailey | LB | 2020 | Bengals (7th) |
Rondale Moore | WR | 2021 | Cardinals (2nd) |
Derrick Barnes | LB | 2021 | Lions (4th) |
George Karlaftis | DE | 2022 | Chiefs (1st) |
David Bell | WR | 2022 | Browns (3rd) |
Zander Horvath | RB/FB | 2022 | Chargers (7th) |
Charlie Jones | WR | 2023 | Bengals (4th) |
Aidan O'Connell | QB | 2023 | Raiders (4th) |
Payne Durham | TE | 2023 | Buccaneers (5th) |
Cory Trice | DB | 2023 | Steelers (7th) |
Jalen Graham | LB | 2023 | 49ers (7th) |
Tyrone Tracy Jr. | RB | 2024 | Giants (5th) |
Sanoussi Kane | DB | 2024 | Ravens (7th) |
Marcus Mbow | OL | 2025 | Giants (5th) |
In its history, Purdue has produced nearly 300 NFL Draft picks. A total of 22 of those have been first-round selections. Will a Boilermaker be selected at some point this weekend? Or will the program's six-year run of producing a draft pick come to an end?
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Dustin Schutte is the publisher of Purdue Boilermakers on SI and has spent more than a decade working in sports journalism. His career began in 2013, when he covered Big Ten football. He remained in that role for eight years before working at On SI to cover the Boilermakers. Dustin graduated from Manchester University in Indiana in 2010, where he played for the men's tennis team.
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