Five programs with surprising NFL Draft success

Mark Pszonak contributed to this report.

With the NFL Draft on Thursday, it’s always fun to look back in recent history to see trends. In our NFL Draft series, we’ll look at a few different aspects of the first round and today we look at some surprise schools that have produced recent first-rounders. Since 2011, these might not be the programs you expect to have so many in round one.

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Along with USC, Washington has become the most consistent producer of first-round talent from the Pac-12 since 2011. And with the success the Huskies had on the field in 2016, that is unlikely to change in the coming years. The Huskies’ highest pick during this time was also the most disappointing, Jake Locker, who was selected at No. 8 in 2011 but has already retired. On the positive side, Marcus Peters was named the NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year in 2015, while Danny Shelton and Shaq Thompson continue to improve and are already important parts of the Cleveland and Carolina defensive units. Most importantly, the Huskies currently have plenty of talent in the pipeline, which should make the NFL Draft a very important event in Seattle for years to come.

Farrell’s take: If I’m the Washington staff, I’m using this in every marketing piece I sent to recruits because this continues to be a bit of a surprise. Peters having such a great year really helps, and landing Thompson in 2012, the highest-rated recruit for Washington in Rivals history, still pays dividends. This year, John Ross has made a name for himself and should clearly be a first-rounder and Kevin King has a chance as well. This should continue to be a boost for recruiting for sure.

Until Ohio State’s barrage of first-round picks in 2016, it was the Badgers that produced more first-round picks than any other Big Ten program since 2011. Wisconsin has become one of the more consistent programs in the country over the last two decades, so this shouldn’t come as a huge surprise, but their level of success in the first round was still somewhat unexpected. And while JJ Watt is the name that will always come up first for the Badgers, and rightfully so, it is the offensive line that is truly Wisconsin’s bread and butter. The Badgers have produced three first-round offensive linemen over the last six years, as their rushing attack is always considered one of the best in the nation. Their work also helped Melvin Gordon become a first-round pick in 2015.

Farrell’s take: Over the last 20 years, it’s hard to argue with Wisconsin when it comes to producing offensive line talent. Having the NFL’s best defensive player can’t hurt recruiting and I’ve seen a step up in recruiting skill talent since Paul Chryst has taken over. The Badgers have two potential first-rounders this year in offensive lineman Ryan Ramczyk and linebacker T.J. Watt.

While North Carolina’s level of success on the field has been rather inconsistent, it continues to produce first-round talent on a regular basis. Even with no Tar Heels being selected in the first round last year, the program has sent Robert Quinn, who at No. 14 is the highest selected player since 2011, Sylvester Williams and Eric Ebron into the league. Quinn dealt with injuries in 2016, but overall has established himself as a top pass rusher, while Williams is a key piece of Denver’s defensive line and Ebron had a solid season for the Lions last fall.

Farrell’s take: UNC isn’t known as a football powerhouse, but a season ago they came within a game of making the playoffs and this year they were known for Mitch Trubisky, perhaps the top quarterback to come off the board Thursday. Whether its guys that Butch Davis recruited or recent Larry Fedora recruits, UNC always has talent. This is a tremendous recruiting tool for the Heels and should help them continue to land top players. I would expect the skill positions to be even more represented in future years.

For one reason or another, some programs develop a reputation for producing elite talent at a specific position. For the Tigers that is definitely the defensive line. While it is easy to point at Blaine Gabbert’s disappointing performance in the NFL to this point, it is trio of Aldon Smith, who despite off-the-field issues still possesses and immense amount of natural ability, Sheldon Richardson and Shane Ray that has NFL scouts returning to Columbia in search of the next defensive line star. And scouts may not have to wait too long as Charles Harris is likely to be drafted in the first round.

Farrell’s take: Missouri produces first-round defensive linemen as well as any other program in the country and it’s shown in the draft. Harris should be the next to land in round one and Terry Beckner Jr. has immense potential as well. Missouri needs to use this success to recruit more in the Southeast and lure players away from the traditional powers as their geographical disadvantage remains a big deal in the SEC.

The Mountaineers have earned everyone’s respect on the field, and in turn they’re also earning the respect of NFL scouts. With Karl Joseph being picked with the No. 14 pick in 2016, he became the fourth first-rounder for the Mountaineers since 2011. Prior to him, Bruce Irvin was selected with the No. 15 pick in 2012, Tavon Austin was selected with the No. 8 pick in 2013 and Kevin White was selected with the No. 7 pick in 2015. After missing his rookie season due to an injury in 2015 and then only grabbing 19 receptions in 2016, White has yet to meet expectations, but Joseph, Austin and Irvin are all key contributors for their teams.

Farrell’s take: The Mountaineers, more than anyone else on this list, have a recruiting disadvantage being in a state that produces little talent and being geographically outside of the Big 12 landscape. But yet they continue to produce top talent for the NFL and utilize the JUCOs as well as anyone. They don’t have any first-rounders on the radar this year.