By Kansas State University Athletics
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (kstatesports.com)- Several former Kansas State players will take the next step in their football careers as they hear their name called this weekend during the 2023 NFL Draft outside Union Station in Downtown Kansas City.
The newly drafted Wildcats will join a list of 149 former K-State players that have been selected by current NFL organizations.
DRAFTED WILDCATS
| Player | Pos. | Team | Round | Pick | Overall |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Felix Anudike-Uzomah | DE | Kansas City Chiefs | 1 | 31 | 31 |
| Julius Brents | CB | Indianapolis Colts | 2 | 13 | 44 |
| Josh Hayes | DB | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 6 | 4 | 181 |
| Deuce Vaughn | RB | Dallas Cowboys | 6 | 35 | 212 |
- Anudike-Uzomah Selected in First Round by Kansas City
- Brents Selected by Colts on Day Two of NFL Draft
K-STATE’S DRAFT NOTES
- K-State has had a player drafted in 27 of the last 28 years, including a streak of 26-straight years from 1993 to 2019, which was the longest active streak in the Big 12 Conference and tied for the 11th-longest streak in the nation at the time.
- Since the formation of the Big 12 in 1996, 55 different Wildcats have heard their names called on draft day, ranking K-State among the Big 12 leaders in number of players taken in the NFL Draft.
- K-State’s largest draft class was in 1974 when seven different players were selected. The Wildcats’ largest draft class in the Big 12 era is six, which occurred in 1999, 2001 and 2002.
- The Wildcats’ 2023 draft class is hoping to see at least three players selected for the first time since 2013 and at least four selected for the first time since 2003.
- Kansas State has had five first-round picks in its history with the highest-selected player being the late Veryl Switzer, who was selected with the fourth overall pick in the 1954 NFL Draft by Green Bay.
- K-State’s last first-round selection was quarterback Josh Freeman, who was taken with the 17th overall pick in the 2009 NFL Draft by Tampa Bay.
- The Wildcats have had 13 players selected in the second round, the latest being Dalton Risner by Denver in 2019.
- The organization with the most drafted Wildcats is Philadelphia with 11, followed by Arizona and Chicago with 10 apiece.
- Current NFL teams that have never selected a K-State player include the Jacksonville Jaguars and Las Vegas Raiders.
