All University of South Dakota and South Dakota State University Players That Have Been Drafted into the NFL

With Pierre Strong Jr. and Chris Oladokun hearing their names called in the 2022 NFL Draft, it piqued my interest as to how many and where former Jackrabbits and Coyotes have been drafted in the past.

In recent history, the Jackrabbits have been the more successful program on the field, and in terms of landing players at the next level.

In total, 23 Jackrabbits have been drafted into the NFL, and Strong Jr. and Oladokun were the first to be drafted in the same year since 1976.

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Here is the complete list of South Dakota State Jackrabbits drafted into the NFL per The Football Database:

SDSU has had a very nice run of late, with a total of 4 players drafted since 2018. Dallas Goedert is the second-highest Jackrabbit draft pick of all time, falling just behind Lynn Boden, who went 13th overall to Detroit in 1975.

As for the Coyotes, here is their list:

It's been a bit of a break since the last Coyote heard their name called on draft day. Tyler Starr was a 7th rounder for the Falcons in 2014, and the highest draft pick in USD history came as their first-ever selected player, John Kohler in 1970. Kohler was the 63rd pick of the 3rd round and landed with the Denver Broncos.

Although undrafted this season, USD's Jack Cochrane and Elijah Reed hope to catch on via undrafted free agency. Cochrane signed as a UDFA with the Kansas City Chiefs, while Reed will get his chance with the Jets as a rookie minicamp tryout player.

Source: The Football Database