Yahoo Sports Big 12 shut out of the first round of the NFL draft for the first time ever
No Big 12 players were taken in the first round of the 2021 NFL draft.
It's the first time in the conference's history that the school didn't have a player chosen in the first 32 picks and a stark contrast from the 2010 draft dominated by Big 12 talent.
Five of the first six players selected in the 2010 draft were Big 12 players. Oklahoma had three players selected in the top four with QB Sam Bradford, DT Gerald McCoy and OT Trent Williams and Nebraska's Ndamukong Suh went at No. 2 right behind Bradford. Oklahoma State OT Russell Okung was the sixth pick.
Nine Big 12 players were taken in the first round of that draft after seven Big 12 players were chosen in the first round of the 2009 draft. In 2011, eight Big 12 players were taken in the first 32 picks.
That's 24 players over three seasons. In the nine drafts since, just 25 Big 12 players have been taken in the first round of the draft.
Five of those 25 players were selected in 2020, though no Big 12 player was taken in the top 15 picks. Oklahoma WR CeeDee Lamb was the first Big 12 player off the board at No. 17 to the Dallas Cowboys.
It's a foregone conclusion that numerous Big 12 players will be taken in the second and third rounds on Friday night. Players like Oklahoma State OT Teven Jenkins, Oklahoma C Creed Humphrey and Texas teammates Sam Cosmi and Joseph Ossai should be chosen early in the second round.
But the Big 12's shutout is also the stark continuation of an even more recent and rapid shrinking trend. The conference has had two or fewer first-round picks in five of the last eight drafts. Alabama has had 21 first-round picks in the last five drafts. The Big 12 has had 10. That may be a big reason why Oklahoma has been the only team to make the College Football Playoff and hasn't made the title game in the playoff's existence.
Here are all 89 of the Big 12 players who have been selected in the first round of the 24 NFL drafts since the conference's inception in 1996.
1997
5. Bryant Westbrook, DB, Texas
10. Chris Naeole, OL, Colorado
11. Michael Booker, DB, Nebraska
27. Rae Carruth, WR, Colorado
29. Chris Canty, DB, Kansas State
1998
6. Grant Wistrom, DE, Nebraska
14. Jason Peter, DE, Nebraska
28. R.W. McQuarters, DB, Oklahoma STate
1999
5. Ricky Williams, RB, Texas
2000
20. Stockar McDougle, OT, Oklahoma
2001
2. Leonard Davis, OT, Texas
4. Justin Smith, DE, Missouri
19. Casey Hampton, DT, Texas
2002
4. Mike Williams, OT, Texas
5. Quentin Jammer, DB, Texas
8. Roy Williams, DB, Oklahjoma
21. Daniel Graham, TE, Colorado
2003
5. Terence Newman, DB, Kansas State
9. Kevin Williams, DT, Oklahoma State
13. Ty Warren, DE, Texas A&M
28. Andre Woolfolk, DB, Oklahoma
30. Sammy Davis, DB, Texas A&M
32. Tyler Brayton, DE, Colorado
2004
7. Roy Williams, WR, Texas
14. Tommie Harris, DT, Oklahoma
23. Marcus Tubbs, DT, Texas
31. Rashaun Woods, WR, Oklahoma State
2005
4. Cedric Benson, RB, Texas
13. Jammal Brown, OT, Oklahoma
15. Derrick Johnson, LB, Texas
22. Mark Clayton, WR, Baltimore
23. Fabian Washington, DB, Nebraska
2006
3. Vince Young, QB, Texas
7. Michael Huff, DB, Texas
23. Davin Joseph, OG, Oklahoma
2007
7. Adrian Peterson, RB, Oklahoma
13. Adam Carriker, DE, Nebraska
19. Michael Griffin, DB, Texas
20. Aaron Ross, DB, Texas
2008
20. Aqib Talib, DB, Kansas
2009
2. Jason Smith, OT, Baylor
10. Michael Crabtree, WR, Texas Tech
13. Brian Orakpo, LB, Texas
17. Josh Freeman, QB, Kansas State
19. Jeremy Maclin, WR, Missouri
20. Brandon Pettigrew, TE, Oklahoma State
32. Ziggy Hood, DT, Missouri
2010
1. Sam Bradford, QB, Oklahoma
2. Ndamukong Suh, DT, Nebraska
3. Gerald McCoy, DT, Oklahoma
4. Trent Williams, OT, Oklahoma
6. Russell Okung, OT, Oklahoma State
14. Earl Thomas, DB, Texas
19. Sean Weatherspoon, LB, Missouri
21. Jermaine Gresham, TE, Oklahoma
24. Dez Bryant, WR, Oklahoma State
2011
2. Von Miller, LB, Texas A&M
7. Aldon Smith, DE, Missouri
10. Blaine Gabbert, QB, Missouri
17. Nate Solder, OT, Colorado
19. Prince Amukamara, DB, Nebraska
21. Phil Taylor, DT, Baylor
23. Danny Watkins, OG, Baylor
27. Jimmy Smith, DB, Colorado
2012
2. Robert Griffin III, QB, Baylor
5. Justin Blackmon, WR, Oklahoma State
8. Ryan Tannehill, QB, Texas A&M
20. Kendall Wright, WR, Baylor
22. Brandon Weeden, QB, Oklahoma State
2013
4. Lane Johnson, OT, Oklahoma
8. Tavon Austin, WR, West Virginia
15. Kenny Vaccaro, DB, Texas
2014
8. Justin Gilbert, DB, Oklahoma State
25. Jason Verrett, DB, TCU
2015
7. Kevin White, WR, West Virginia
32. Malcolm Brown, DT, Texas
2016
14. Karl Joseph, DB, West Virginia
15. Corey Coleman, WR, Baylor
22. Josh Doctson, WR, TCU
2017
10. Patrick Mahomes, QB, Texas Tech
2018
1. Baker Mayfield, QB, Oklahoma
2019
1. Kyler Murray, QB, Oklahoma
25. Marquise Brown, WR, Oklahoma
29. L.J. Collier, DE, TCU
2020
17. CeeDee Lamb, WR, Oklahoma
21. Jalen Reagor, WR, TCU
23. Kenneth Murray, LB, Oklahoma
27. Jordyn Brooks, LB, Texas Tech
31. Jeff Gladney, CB, TCU
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