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A look at the Longhorn linebackers that have been taken in the NFL Draft

Steve Habelby:Steve Habel04/25/23

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Tommy Nobis (Photo by Sporting News via Getty Images)

The selection of University of Texas linebackers in the NFL Draft has been a constant presence over the past 85 years, with many of those men who wore the burnt orange and white for the Longhorns continuing on to make huge impacts at the highest level of the sport.

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The Longhorns’ DeMarvion Overshown is set to be next in the line of linebackers to be selected in the draft, likely on the third day. When Overshown is drafted he will be the first Texas linebacker to be picked since Malik Jefferson in 2018.

Overshown, a 6-foot-4, 225-pounder, played in 50 career games in five seasons on the 40 Acres and made 33 starts. As a super senior in 2022, he established career highs with 96 tackles (49 solo), 10 tackles for loss and four sacks and added two quarterback hurries and five pass breakups. 

That production was enough for Overshown to be named first-team All-Big 12 at linebacker by conference coaches and the Associated Press in 2022 after being a 2022 Butkus Award semifinalist.

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With this year’s NFL Draft beginning on Thursday, we decided to take a look at the list of linebackers that have been selected to play on Sundays through the years.

The list includes Butkus Award and Nagurski Trophy winner Derrick Johnson (both in 2004) and Outland Award winner Tommy Nobis (1965).

In all, 29 Longhorns linebackers have been selected in the draft, with 23 of those since 1961. Three of linebackers have been taken in the first round, and one – Nobis – was the first player taken in the draft, in 1966.

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Player-Year-Round-Pick-Overall-Team

Tom Stolhandske-1953-1-10-10-San Francisco 49ers

Tommy Nobis-1966-1-1-1-Atlanta Falcons

Bill Zapalac-1971-4-6-84-New York Jets

Randy Braband-1973-17-1-417-Houston Oilers

Glen Gaspard-1974-10-10-244-San Francisco 49ers

Rick Fenlaw-1977-12-21-328-St. Louis Cardinals

Robin Sendlein-1981-2-17-45-Minnesota Vikings

Bruce Scholtz-1982-2-6-33-Seattle Seahawks

Kiki DeAyala-1983-6-12-152-Cincinnati Bengals

Ed Williams-1984-2-15-43-New England Patriots

Player-Year-Round-Pick-Overall-Team

Jeff Leiding-1984-5-17-129-St. Louis Cardinals

Mark Lang-1984-12-6-314-Kansas City Chiefs

June James-1985-9-6-230-Detroit Lions

Ty Allert-1986-4-13-95-San Diego Chargers

Chris Duliban-1986-12-2-307-Dallas Cowboys

Britt Hager-1989-3-25-81-Philadelphia Eagles

Brian Jones-1991-8-18-213-Los Angeles Raiders

Boone Powell-1992-9-28-252-Washington Redskins

Winfred Tubbs-1994-3-14-79-New Orleans Saints

Derrick Johnson-2005-1-15-15-Kansas City Chiefs

Player-Year-Round-Pick-Overall-Team

Sergio Kindle-2010-2-11-43-Baltimore Ravens

Lamarr Houston-2010-2-12-44-Oakland Raiders

Roddrick Muckelroy-2010-4-33-131-Cincinnati Bengals

Sam Acho-2011-4-6-103-Arizona Cardinals

Keenan Robinson-2012-4-24-119-Washington Redskins

Emmanuel Acho-2012-6-34-204-Cleveland Browns

Alex Okafor-2013-4-6-103-Arizona Cardinals

Jordan Hicks-2015-3-20-84-Philadelphia Eagles

Malik Jefferson-2018-3-13-78-Cincinnati Bengals

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