Every Wake Forest First-Round Pick in NFL Draft History
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The NFL Draft kicks off tonight in Pittsburgh, with some of the brightest stars in all of college football expected to hear their names called by Commissioner Roger Goodell. It’s always an honor to be picked in the first round of the draft, and a select number of young men will earn that esteem tonight.
Unless a miracle occurs, no Wake Forest Demon Deacons will gain that distinction tonight. While this is unfortunate, it’s not necessarily the most surprising thing in the world. Only five Wake Forest football players have ever been picked in the first round of the NFL Draft, and it hasn’t happened in 11 years. That lamentable fact is something that head coach Jake Dickert and his staff are actively trying to change via player development and recruiting, though those rewards aren’t going to be reaped tonight in the Steel City.
While we can’t look ahead to a future Demon Deacon who’ll be picked in the first round, we can go back and look at the lucky five who have the honor of being the only Wake Forest players in history to be among the first to have their names called at the draft.
A Historic First Selection
The day was April 8, 1945. The United States was on the brink of victory in World War II. President Franklin D. Roosevelt had four more days to live. The NFL, which was still somewhat in its infancy (at least relatively), was holding its annual draft. A lot was going on, to say the least.
Nine picks came and went before the New York Giants got their chance to make a selection. With it, the Giants went with Wake Forest blocking back/linebacker Elmer Barbour. Now a Wake Forest Sports Hall of Famer, Barbour was known for his excellent leadership and defensive abilities throughout his four years at Wake Forest. Unfortunately, that production didn’t translate to the professional ranks, as he appeared in only three games for the Giants in 1945 and didn’t play in the NFL again.
Norm Snead’s Lasting Impact
It wasn’t until 1961 that the Demon Deacons would have another player picked in the first round. Norm Snead, one of the best signal-callers in Wake Forest history — he was named first-team All-ACC twice and led the NCAA in passing yards in 1960 — was taken second overall by the Washington Redskins. It was in Washington that he bloomed into a commendable NFL player, accumulating 4,353 passing yards over the course of a 15-year career that saw him play for the Redskins, Philadelphia Eagles, Minnesota Vikings, New York Giants, and San Francisco 49ers.
Modern-Era First-Rounders
Three Wake Forest players have been picked in the first round of the NFL Draft during the 21st century: Calvin Pace (2003), Aaron Curry (2009), and Kevin Johnson (2015). All three had respectable professional careers, but Pace’s blows Curry and Johnson’s out of the water.
Over the course of a 13-year career that saw him spend time with the Arizona Cardinals and New York Jets, Pace appeared in 187 games — 153 of which were starts — and racked up 60 sacks and 621 total tackles. He was often considered one of the better linebackers in the NFL, and it had to give Wake Forest fans pride that he was one of their own.
There isn’t going to be a Calvin Pace, Elmer Barbour, or Norm Snead in this year’s draft for Wake Forest. This fact we know for certain. But that doesn’t mean that there can’t be a respectable, or even great, Demon Deacon selected this year. Just because a player isn’t picked in the first round doesn’t mean they don’t have the potential to be amazing. Perhaps one of the Demon Deacons waiting to hear their names called can do just that.
The official 2026 NFL Draft Tracker, featuring for the first time ever, an epic collaboration between Sports Illustrated , FanSided, and On SI is now live! From Thursday through Saturday, readers can follow every single draft pick as it happens live, track player availability, read editorial insight, expert analysis, videos, and more, all in one place
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Seth Dowdle is a 2024 graduate of TCU, where he earned a degree in sports broadcasting with a minor in journalism. He currently hosts a TCU-focused show on the Bleav Network and has been active in sports media since 2019, beginning with high school sports coverage in the DFW area. Seth is also the owner and editor of SethStack, his personal hub for in-depth takes on everything from college football to hockey. His past experience includes working in the broadcast department for the Cleburne Railroaders and at 88.7 KTCU, TCU's radio station.
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