What the NFL Draft says about Mizzou ... and the state of college football

Once again, Mizzou had a handful of former players hear their names called in the NFL Draft.

Six former Tigers were selected this past week, tying a program record in the seven-round era (since 1994). Mizzou also had six selections in 2009 and 2024.

Several more either signed as undrafted free agents or were invited to rookie minicamps, which are essentially multi-day tryouts where players try to eventually sign as undrafted free agents.

Defensive backs Dreyden Norwood, Stephen Hall and Daylan Carnell signed UDFA contracts with the Los Angeles Rams, Houston Texans and Pittsburgh Steelers, respectively.

Center Connor Tollison and defensive tackle Sterling Webb received minicamp invites from the San Francisco 49ers and Buffalo Bills, respectively, while linebacker Triston Newson was invited to minicamps with the Kansas City Chiefs and Atlanta Falcons.

There are some lessons to be learned from the Tigers who are now in the pros, mostly in regard to how they got to Mizzou in the first place. Here's what this year's draft said about MU and the state of college football at large:

Mizzou remains elite at producing NFL talent

Mizzou has experienced a ton of success on the gridiron in recent years. Since 2023, MU's 29 wins are tied for the ninth-most among Power 4 schools and the fifth-most among Southeastern Conference teams.

But the Tigers are also succeeding at developing NFL talent. This year, Mizzou tied with Michigan, Notre Dame and Texas for the sixth-most draft picks among FBS teams, and since 2024, MU is tied for the sixth-most draft picks among SEC teams while ranking No. 13 nationally in the category.

A new age of college sports affects the draft

In the past few years, sweeping changes have reshaped college athletics. This year's NFL Draft was hit the hardest by the ripple effects of these changes.

The elimination of transfer portal restrictions made switching schools much easier for athletes, and Mizzou has been one of many benefactors, as each of its six draft picks arrived at MU via the transfer portal.

Edge rusher Zion Young started at Michigan State, and linebacker Josiah Trotter started at West Virginia. Defensive tackle Chris McClellan came from Florida, while offensive lineman Keagen Trost spent time at Morgan State, Indiana State and Wake Forest.

Receiver Kevin Coleman Jr. spent one season apiece at Jackson State, Louisville and Mississippi State, and cornerback Toriano Pride Jr. started at Clemson.

Plus, four of MU's six players who either signed a UDFA contract or received a minicamp invite came to Mizzou from other schools. That would be Norwood (Texas A&M), Hall (Washington State), Newson (Northeast Mississippi CC) and Webb (New Mexico State).

This represents a wider, more national trend in college football. Per ESPN's Max Olson, a record 48% of this year's NFL Draft picks transferred at least once during their college career, a massive jump from last year's mark of 31.9%.

Tangentially, the San Francisco 49ers made eight picks in this year's draft. All but one transferred in college.

Along with the transfer portal, more power has gone to bigger programs because of Name, Image and Likeness as well as revenue sharing, both of which allow NCAA athletes to make money in college. Professional-level talent is being usurped by the sport's top conferences, whose programs have the most money to spend.

Out of this year's 257 draft picks, 239 were from Power 4 schools. That's about 93% of picks coming from just 49% of FBS teams — that ratio is way higher compared to years past. Never have so many top prospects come from such a small percentage of schools.

Going forward, these trends will likely continue. Mizzou could have two more first-round picks next season in running back Ahmad Hardy, who finished second in total rushing yards among FBS running backs this past season, and left tackle Cayden Green, who projects as one of the top offensive tackles in college football this fall.

Both players began their college careers elsewhere, with Hardy playing one season at Louisiana Monroe and Green playing one season at Oklahoma.

The Tigers also have draft-eligible players for 2027 who are expected to lead a strong defense this fall. Some of those players include edge rusher Darris Smith, linebacker Robert Woodyard Jr. and a pair of defensive backs in Chris Graves Jr. and Santana Banner. They all transferred to Mizzou from another school, with Graves Jr. having played at two schools (Miami and Ole Miss) before arriving at Mizzou.

On a national level, next year's draft could feature plenty of transfers once again. Oregon quarterback Dante Moore transferred from UCLA after the 2023 season. Mizzou fans might recognize edge rusher Damon Wilson II, who transferred to Miami in January after stints with Georgia and MU. He could be a first or second-round pick as well.

There's also a solid chance that most prospects (especially at the top of the draft) are from a Power 4 school. Out of Pro Football Focus' Top 100 prospects for the 2027 NFL Draft, only 10 aren't from a Power 4 school. That list will likely look different come next April, but the chances of them featuring a wealth of Group of 5 and FCS talent are slim.

Finally, even more ripple effects could impact the NFL Draft going forward. On Monday, the NCAA moved forward with a concept that would give student-athletes up to five seasons of eligibility "beginning the regular academic year after they turn 19 or graduate from high school, whichever happens earlier."

Should student-athletes receive an extra season of eligibility, future NFL Draft pools might feature more older prospects because they could make more money in college than they would early in their NFL career.

Several Tigers are set to be instant contributors

Almost every former Mizzou player was drafted by a team that could give them playing time early.

Young seems like a nearly ideal fit with the Ravens. Baltimore's 30 sacks in 2025 were their fewest in a season since 2010, and while that was partially due to losing Pro Bowl defensive tackle Nnamdi Madubuike to a neck injury early in the season, the Ravens need more production out of their defensive line.

The Ravens initially traded for former Las Vegas Raiders star edge rusher Maxx Crosby in March, but it was scuttled after Crosby failed a physical. Soon after, Baltimore signed former Cincinnati Bengals edge rusher Trey Hendrickson to a four-year, $112 million deal with $60 million guaranteed. Despite missing the latter chunk of this past season with a hip/pelvis injury, Hendrickson has 39 sacks since 2023, the third-most in the NFL.

Baltimore's initial intention was to acquire both Crosby and Hendrickson. Young, who had a Top 30 visit with the Ravens, should play immediately.

In Tampa Bay, longtime starting linebacker Lavonte David announced his retirement in March after 14 seasons with the Buccaneers. The team signed former Detroit Lions linebacker Alex Anzalone in free agency, but they could use more depth at that position. Mike Biehl, Tampa Bay's Vice President of Player Personnel, said in a press conference that he believes Trotter is capable of becoming a three-down linebacker.

In Green Bay, McClellan could help remedy what was a major problem area for the Packers last season along their interior defensive line. That position group was already thinned after the team sent Pro Bowl defensive tackle Kenny Clark to the Dallas Cowboys as part of a trade for star linebacker Micah Parsons in August.

But Green Bay's defensive-tackle depth was further depleted when starter Devonte Wyatt suffered a season-ending ankle injury on Nov. 27. The Packers allowed 388 yards per game in their final six contests following Wyatt's injury. For context, the Washington Commanders allowed a league-worst 384 yards per game over the whole season.

Trost may not play right away in Los Angeles, but uncertainty is swirling around the Rams' offensive line, as numerous starters are set to enter free agency next offseason.

Whether Trost remains at right tackle remains to be seen. He said at the Combine that teams liked his positional versatility, even though he took almost all of his college snaps at right tackle, including this past season at Mizzou.

In Miami, Coleman Jr. went to an extremely favorable situation compared to most fifth-round picks.

"I ran out of room adding needs to my list," ESPN NFL Draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr. said of the Dolphins in a post-draft article. "This roster needed everything. Everything."

Wide receiver was an especially prevalent need after Miami released star wideout Tyreek Hill in February and traded fellow star wideout Jaylen Waddle to the Denver Broncos in March. The Dolphins responded accordingly in the draft, as they were one of just two teams to use three picks on wide receivers, along with the New Orleans Saints.

Pride Jr. likely won't play much immediately in Buffalo, but the Bills clearly wanted to beef up their defense in the draft. They used six draft picks on that side of the ball, their second-most in the seven-round era.

Copyright 2026 Columbia Missourian

This story was originally published April 29, 2026 at 6:00 AM with the headline "What the NFL Draft says about Mizzou ... and the state of college football."