Louisiana recruits and recent NFL Draft history

Louisiana is one of the most talent-rich football states in the country, and it’s proven each spring during the annual NFL Draft.

Ahead of the 2023 NFL Draft, Louisiana led the way among the 50 states in draft talent ratio (374%), an On3 formula that measures the ratio of draft blue chip players to the population share. The draft blue chip players are the percentage of drafted blue chips owned by states, while the population share is measured by the percent of the population the state owns out of the entire United States.

Louisiana had 56 prospects drafted across that stretch (2018-2022). Across the past five NFL Drafts (2019-2023), Louisiana has had 54 prospects drafted (10.8 per year). The high mark came with 13 Louisiana recruits drafted in 2021, while the low mark was this year’s crop of nine players drafted.

Where are Louisiana’s top prospects coming from? Here’s a closer look at the prospects drafted in the past five years.

Note: the list includes players who graduated from high school in Louisiana and does not include Louisiana natives who moved out-of-state before playing high school football.

2023 NFL Draft: (9)

OL O’Cyrus Torrence: Round 2 (St. Helena – Greensburg) Louisiana-Lafayette, Florida

RB Tyjae Spears: Round 3 (Ponchatoula – Ponchatoula) Tulane

WR Derius Davis: Round 4 (West Feliciana – St. Francisville) TCU

DL Jaquelin Roy: Round 5 (U-High – Baton Rouge) LSU

WR Dontayvion Wicks: Round 5 (Plaquemine – Plaquemine) Virginia

WR Kayshon Boutte: Round 6 (Westgate – New Iberia) LSU

WR Trey Palmer: Round 6 (Kentwood – Kentwood) LSU, Nebraska

CB Jarrick Bernard-Converse: Round 6 (Evangel – Shreveport) Oklahoma State, LSU

EDGE Andre Jones: Round 7 (Varnado – Angie) Louisiana-Lafayette

2022 NFL Draft: (10)

CB Derek Stingley: Round 1 (Dunham – Baton Rouge) LSU

DL Phidarian Mathis: Round 2 (Neville – Monroe) Alabama

LB Christian Harris: Round 3 (U-High – Baton Rouge) Alabama

RB Tyrion Davis-Price: Round 3 (Southern Lab – Baton Rouge) LSU

OL Max Mitchell: Round 4 (Neville – Monroe) Louisiana-Lafayette

S Percy Butler: Round 4 (Plaquemine – Plaquemine) Louisiana-Lafayette

OL Zach Tom: Round 4 (Catholic – Prairieville) Wake Forest

LB Damone Clark: Round 5 (Southern Lab – Baton Rouge) LSU

OL Ja’Tyre Carter: Round 7 (White Castle – White Castle) Southern

DE Andre Anthony: Round 7 (Edna Karr – New Orleans) LSU

2021 NFL Draft: (13)

WR Ja’Marr Chase: Round 1 (Rummel – Metairie) LSU

WR Devonta Smith: Round 1 (Amite – Amite) Alabama

RB Travis Etienne: Round 1 (Jennings – Jennings) Clemson

CB Kelvin Joseph: Round 2 (Scotlandville – Baton Rouge) LSU, Kentucky

WR Terrace Marshall Jr.: Round 2 (Parkway – Bossier City) LSU

DL Tyler Shelvin: Round 4 (Notre Dame – Crowley) LSU

CB Robert Rochell: Round 4 (Fair Park – Shreveport) Central Arkansas

LB Garrett Wallow: Round 5 (John Curtis – River Ridge) TCU

RB Elijah Mitchell: Round 6 (Erath – Erath) Louisiana-Lafayette

CB Rodarius Williams: Round 6 (Calvary Baptist – Shreveport) Oklahoma State

WR Marquez Stevenson: Round 6 (Northwood – Shreveport) Houston

WR Racey McMath: Round 6 (Edna Karr – New Orleans) LSU

CB Israel Mukuama: Round 6 (Parkway – Bossier City) South Carolina

2020 NFL Draft: (12)

WR Justin Jefferson: Round 1 (Destrehan – Destrehan) LSU

LB Patrick Queen: Round 1 (Livonia – Livonia) LSU

RB Clyde Edwards-Helaire: Round 1 (Catholic – Baton Rouge) LSU

CB Kristian Fulton: Round 2 (Rummel – Metairie) LSU

OL Lloyd Cushenberry: Round 3 (Dutchtown – Geismar) LSU

CB Cam Dantzler: Round 3 (St. Thomas Aquinas – Hammond) Mississippi State

DL Rashard Lawrence: Round 4 (Neville – Monroe) LSU

OL Kevin Dotson: Round 4 (Plaquemine – Plaquemine) Louisiana-Lafayette

ATH L’Jarius Sneed: Round 4 (Minden – Mooringsport) Louisiana Tech

CB Amik Robertson: Round 4 (Thibodaux – Thibodaux) Louisiana Tech

RB Raymond Calais: Round 7 (Cecilia – Carencro) Louisiana-Lafayette

TE Stephen Sullivan: Round 7 (Donaldsonville – Donaldsonville) LSU

2019 NFL Draft: (10)

LB Devin White: Round 1, Pick No. 5 (North Webster – Springhill) LSU

DL Jerry Tillery: Round 1, Pick No. 28 (Evangel – Shreveport) Notre Dame

OL Cody Ford: Round 2 (Pineville – Pineville) Oklahoma

CB Greedy Williams: Round 2 (Calvary Baptist – Shreveport) LSU

TE Irv Smith: Round 2 (Brother Martin – New Orleans) Alabama

EDGE Jaylon Ferguson: Round 3 (West Feliciana – St. Francisville) Louisiana Tech

TE Foster Moreau: Round 4 (Jesuit – New Orleans) LSU

DL Isaiah Buggs: Round 6 (Ruston – Ruston) Mississippi Gulf Coast CC, Alabama

S Donovan Wilson: Round 6 (Woodlawn – Shreveport) Texas A&M

CB Donnie Lewis Jr.: Round 7 (Central – Baton Rouge) Tulane

Louisiana Draft Picks by College (2019-2023)

43% of the Louisiana prospects who were selected in the past five NFL Drafts spent time at LSU. 

Four of the 54 drafted players spent time at multiple FBS schools. Kelvin Joseph and Trey Palmer began their careers at LSU before transferring to Kentucky and Nebraska, respectively. Jarrick Bernard-Converse spent four seasons at Oklahoma State before transferring to LSU in 2022, while O’Cyrus Torrence played at Louisiana-Lafayette before following head coach Billy Napier to Florida.

Thanks to Napier’s time in Lafayette, the Ragin’ Cajuns have the second-most players drafted across the past five years. Alabama is next up with five Louisiana prospects drafted, while Louisiana Tech was next up on the list with three. Tulane, TCU and Oklahoma State each signed two Louisiana prospects that were drafted over the past five years. 14 schools had one Louisiana prospect drafted in the past five years.

LSU: 23

Louisiana-Lafayette: 7

Alabama: 5

Louisiana Tech: 3

Tulane: 2

TCU: 2

Oklahoma State: 2

Southern: 1

Clemson: 1

Virginia: 1

Nebraska: 1

Wake Forest: 1

Kentucky: 1

Florida: 1

South Carolina: 1

Mississipi State: 1

Texas A&M: 1

Notre Dame: 1

Oklahoma: 1

Central Arkansas: 1

Houston: 1

More Louisiana NFL Draft notes to know

*** The New Orleans area led the way with the most prospects drafted over the past five years, but the Shreveport made a major splash with nine high school football players from the area becoming draft picks from 2019-23.

*** Neville High and Plaquemine High led the way with three draft picks each over the past five years. It’s an impressive feat by Plaquemine, a high school program that has now had a former player drafted in three of the past four years.

*** The position with the most Louisiana players drafted over the past five years is cornerback with 12, while the safety position had just two players drafted from 2019-23. The positions with at least five Louisiana players across the past five drafts include cornerback (12), wide receiver (10), defensive line/edge (8), offensive line (7) and running back (6).