BTN: Ten-year NFL Draft snapshot: Minnesota

per BTN:

Minnesota has had one of the more underrated defenses in the Big Ten in recent years. And that has manifested itself in recent NFL drafts.

Since 2014, the Golden Gophers have had eight NFL draft picks. And six of those have been defensive players. The last 10 years, defensive back has been the most popular position, as four Gopher secondary players have been tabbed.

Despite the modest draft success, Minnesota hasn’t had a player picked in a draft four times in the last 10 years (2009, 2011, 2012, 2013). And it hasn’t had a first-rounder since running back Laurence Maroney went No. 21 overall to the Patriots in 2006. The Gophers also haven’t had an offensive lineman picked since center Greg Eslinger and guard Mark Setterstrom went in 2006. The last Minnesota quarterback selected? You have to go back to 1972, when Craig Curry went in the eighth round.

MINNESOTA DRAFT: 2007-2016

Highest pick: DT Ra’Shede Hageman, second round, 37th overall, 2014, Falcons
Most fertile draft: 2015, four picks
Total first-round selections: 0
Total picks: 12

http://btn.com/2017/04/17/ten-year-nfl-draft-snapshot-minnesota/

Go Gophers!!

Our highest pick in a decade is 37th?

Sheesh...

BarnBoy said:

Our highest pick in a decade is 37th?

Sheesh...

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You have to go back to 1990 to find a guy in the top 20; never had a player drafted higher than 18th.

EDIT:

All B1G schools' highest picks (since 1967); Minnesota and Rutgers are the only schools never to have a player selected in the top 10:

Illinois: Jeff George (1st overall, 1990)
Indiana: Carl Barzilauskas (6th, 1974)
Iowa: Robert Gallery (2nd, 2004)
Maryland: Randy White (2nd, 1975)
Michigan: Jake Long (1st, 2008)
Michigan State: Bubba Smith (1st, 1967)
Minnesota: Brian Williams (18th, 1989)
Nebraska: Irving Fryar (1st, 1984)
Northwestern: Chris Hinton (4th, 1983)
Ohio State: Orlando Pace (1st, 1997); Dan Wilkinson (1st, 1994); Tom Cousineau (1st, 1979)
Penn State: Ki-Jana Carter (1st, 1995); Courtney Brown (1st, 2000)
Purdue: Leroy Keyes (3rd, 1969); Mike Phipps (3rd, 1970); Jim Everett (3rd, 1986)
Rutgers: Anthony Davis (11th, 2010)
Wisconsin: Joe Thomas (3rd, 2007)

But Mel Kiper's great-grandfather had Bronco Nagurski ranked #1 in his class.

Gopher07 said:

You have to go back to 1990 to find a guy in the top 20; never had a player drafted higher than 18th.

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CB Willie Middlebrooks was drafted 24th overall in 2001...

Saluki07 said:

CB Willie Middlebrooks was drafted 24th overall in 2001...

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That's not the top 20?

We are entering our Golden Era. We are changing our best. #RTB #Ski-U-Mah

nm

It should be noted that Carl Eller was the 6th pick in 1964 in the NFL draft and Tom brown was chosen 5th in the AFL draft by the NY Titans(Jets).

Gophers7NatTitlesBadgers0 said:

It should be noted that Carl Eller was the 6th pick in 1964 in the NFL draft and Tom brown was chosen 5th in the AFL draft by the NY Titans(Jets).

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Yep. I chose 1967 as it was the first combined AFL/NFL common draft, but we did have some players drafted higher in previous years under the split system.