Which NFL teams have drafted the fewest UGA players? Hint: it’s not the Falcons
“Be curious. Not judgmental.”
The famous line from the show “Ted Lasso” seems like the proper phrasing to keep in mind when considering which NFL teams have drafted Georgia Bulldogs over the years.
With that topic, most who reside in the Peach State would bring up the belief that the Atlanta Falcons avoid the Bulldogs. However, the numbers say that’s far too judgmental. There are actually 18 franchises that have drafted fewer Georgia Bulldogs than Atlanta has over the years.
The local perception is one thing, but the reality is the Dallas Cowboys, Las Vegas Raiders and Kansas City Chiefs have ignored Dawgs at much higher rates.
The Falcons have drafted 13 Bulldogs over the years, including four since 2022. There’s actually a much deeper vein for local sports talk radio to discuss there.
That factoid lends itself to a much better argument about the Falcons selecting in-state college players. Arthur Blank’s franchise has only drafted six players from Georgia Tech in its history, too.
The Raiders have selected just five UGA players over the years. That’s substantial to consider, given the franchise has been part of the NFL since 1970. The then-Oakland Raiders didn’t take their first Bulldog until 1999 with the selection of Matt Stinchcomb.
When the Raiders selected Brock Bowers with the 13th pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, it was actually a much bigger deal than anyone would have thought at the time.
It seems like the long-standing AFC West and its most tenured members had a hard time getting to Clarke County to scout the Bulldogs. The Kansas City Chiefs have taken just six Bulldogs over the years. The now-Los Angeles Chargers have only eight UGA draft picks.
Yet perception does equal reality when it comes to the Philadelphia Eagles and drafting Bulldogs. No NFL franchise has selected more Georgia Bulldogs (27) than the Eagles. The New England Patriots are the only other team that has stocked up as many (five) Bulldog first-round picks.
The Eagles have actually taken six Bulldogs off the board since the 2022 NFL Draft. That’s more than the Raiders have in their history. That ties the all-time Kansas City total.
While Kirby Smart has stocked Georgia with elite talent over the last decade, a few teams have still drafted elsewhere.
The Dallas Cowboys, Indianapolis Colts, New Orleans Saints, and Washington Commanders have yet to draft a player developed by Smart. The all-time numbers indicate that the Cowboys have also shown a particular disinterest in Bulldogs.
That franchise hasn’t taken a UGA player since 2011, the longest current drought in the league. Dallas has also never taken a Bulldog in the first round. The highest UGA pick in Cowboys history came when Randall Godfrey was taken No. 49 overall in 1996.
Baltimore, Houston and Jacksonville have only taken 11 combined Bulldogs over the years, but that’s to be expected given the much shorter histories of each of those franchises.
The quick-hit list of things to know about the Dawgs and the NFL Draft will reveal several unique trends:
- Teams selecting a UGA player No. 1 overall: Arizona, Detroit, Jacksonville and San Francisco (4)
- Most UGA first-round picks: New England and Philadelphia (5)
- Most overall UGA draft picks: Philadelphia (27)
- Least overall UGA draft picks: Oakland/Los Angeles/Las Vegas Raiders (5)
- NFL franchises that have drafted at least 20 Bulldogs: 5 (Arizona, Chicago, Green Bay, Pittsburgh, Philadelphia)
- Most draft picks from Kirby Smart’s UGA teams: Philadelphia (6)
- Teams that have never taken a Bulldog in the first round: 11
- Teams that have never taken a Bulldog among the first 50 picks: 4 (Kansas City, New York Jets, Seattle and Tampa Bay)
| Team | UGA draft picks | Last UGA pick | Kirby Smart era picks |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arizona Cardinals | 20 | 2019 | 1 |
| Atlanta Falcons | 13 | 2025 | 4 |
| Baltimore Ravens | 4 | 2025 | 2 |
| Buffalo Bills | 9 | 2024 | 3 |
| Carolina Panthers | 7 | 2025 | 2 |
| Chicago Bears | 21 | 2019 | 3 |
| Cincinnati Bengals | 16 | 2025 | 3 |
| Cleveland Browns | 13 | 2021 | 2 |
| Dallas Cowboys | 10 | 2011 | 0 |
| Denver Broncos | 13 | 2017 | 1 |
| Detroit Lions | 18 | 2025 | 5 |
| Green Bay Packers | 21 | 2025 | 5 |
| Houston Texans | 2 | 2024 | 1 |
| Indianapolis Colts | 12 | 2015 | 0 |
| Jacksonville Jaguars | 5 | 2022 | 2 |
| Kansas City Chiefs | 6 | 2019 | 1 |
| Los Angeles Rams | 18 | 2023 | 3 |
| Los Angeles Chargers | 8 | 2024 | 4 |
| Las Vegas Raiders | 5 | 2024 | 1 |
| Miami Dolphins | 10 | 2022 | 2 |
| Minnesota Vikings | 7 | 2025 | 2 |
| New England Patriots | 12 | 2025 | 3 |
| New Orleans Saints | 10 | 2015 | 0 |
| New York Giants | 15 | 2021 | 5 |
| New York Jets | 11 | 2025 | 1 |
| Philadelphia Eagles | 27 | 2025 | 6 |
| Pittsburgh Steelers | 20 | 2023 | 3 |
| San Francisco 49ers | 17 | 2025 | 3 |
| Seattle Seahawks | 10 | 2023 | 1 |
| Tampa Bay Bucs | 8 | 2024 | 2 |
| Tennessee Titans | 7 | 2021 | 3 |
| Washington Commanders | 16 | 2016 | 0 |
| Team | UGA first-rounders | Highest |
|---|---|---|
| Arizona Cardinals | 2 | HB Charley Trippi (No. 1 overall) |
| Atlanta Falcons | 1 | LB Jalon Walker (No. 15) |
| Baltimore Ravens | 1 | S Malaki Starks (No. 27) |
| Buffalo Bills | 0 | OT Cordy Glenn (No. 41) |
| Carolina Panthers | 1 | LB Thomas Davis (No. 14) |
| Chicago Bears | 2 | LB Roquan Smith (No. 8) |
| Cincinnati Bengals | 3 | WR AJ Green (No. 4) |
| Cleveland Browns | 0 | RB Nick Chubb (No. 35) |
| Dallas Cowboys | 0 | LB Randall Godfrey (No. 49) |
| Denver Broncos | 3 | RB Knowshon Moreno (No. 12) |
| Detroit Lions | 3 | QB Matthew Stafford and RB Frank Sinkwich (No. 1) |
| Green Bay Packers | 3 | LB Quay Walker (No. 22) |
| Houston Texans | 0 | CB Kamari Lassiter (No. 42) |
| Indianapolis Colts | 0 | C Ray Donaldson (No. 32) |
| Jacksonville Jaguars | 2 | DE Travon Walker (No. 1) |
| Kansas City Chiefs | 0 | WR Mecole Hardman (No. 56) |
| Los Angeles Rams | 2 | RB Todd Gurley (No. 10) |
| Los Angeles Chargers | 0 | WR Ladd McConkey (No. 34) |
| Las Vegas Raiders | 2 | TE Brock Bowers (No. 13) |
| Miami Dolphins | 1 | DE Bill Stanfill (No. 11) |
| Minnesota Vikings | 1 | S Lewis Cine (No. 32) |
| New England Patriots | 5 | RB Robert Edwards (No. 18) |
| New Orleans Saints | 3 | DT Jonathan Sullivan (No. 6) |
| New York Giants | 3 | OT Andrew Thomas (No. 4) |
| New York Jets | 0 | LB Mo Lewis (No. 63) |
| Philadelphia Eagles | 5 | DT Jalen Carter (No. 9) |
| Pittsburgh Steelers | 4 | RB Tim Worley (No. 7) |
| San Francisco 49ers | 2 | E Harry Babcock (No. 1) |
| Seattle Seahawks | 0 | QB David Greene (No. 85) |
| Tampa Bay Bucs | 0 | RB Lars Tate (No. 53) |
| Tennessee Titans | 0 | OT Isaiah Wilson (No. 29) |
| Washington Commanders | 1 | CB Champ Bailey (No. 7) |
NOTE: The data compiled in the above tables represent the total NFL draft picks across the many variants of each franchise. The Washington Commanders entry reflects the “Football Team” and “Redskins” incarnations of that team. The same goes for the Los Angeles Chargers, Las Vegas Raiders and Tennessee Titans.
About the Author
Jeff Sentell covers UGA football and recruiting. He is a graduate of UGA's Henry W. Grady College of Journalism and has been a staff writer at news outlets in Alabama, Georgia and Virginia. Prior to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, he was at The Birmingham News and AL.com. He was named the 2005 Georgia Press Association Sportswriter of the Year.
