The NFL draft was held in Detroit Michigan from April 25 to April 27. Eleven Longhorns were drafted into the NFL this week after the Texas Longhorns’ magical 12-2 season, which included a College Football Playoff Finish. Eleven players drafted is the most in program history during the seven round draft era and the first time multiple Longhorns were selected in the first round since the 2007 NFL draft. Additionally, all eleven Longhorns who were invited to the NFL Combine got drafted.
This number is higher than the five drafted players from last season and a huge improvement from 2021, when no players from the Longhorns were selected at all.
The amount of players taken in this year’s NFL draft is a testament to just how much the program has changed under the leadership of Head Coach Steve Sarkisian. Although he started his career with a 5-7 2021 campaign, 2022 saw great improvement as the Longhorns went 8-5 and made an appearance in the Alamo Bowl. In Sarkisian’s third year, the Longhorns shattered expectations as they cruised to a 12-2 record, a Big 12 title, and a College Football Playoff appearance.
It is no surprise that the Longhorns had the second most players of any college program selected in this year’s draft, just shy of the 13 players drafted from the national champions, the Michigan Wolverines. The Horns had more players drafted than Alabama, Florida State, Washington, and Georgia.
Below are the players from the Texas Longhorns who got drafted into the NFL.
DL Byron Murphy II (Seattle Seahawks – 16th Overall Pick – Round 1)
Byron Murphy II was named the Big 12 Defensive Lineman of the year due to his 5 sacks and 29 tackles. He even scored a receiving touchdown against Wyoming.
Murphy will line up along Seahawks’ pass rushers, Jarran Reed and Boye Mafe. The Seahawks’ defense generally ranked very poorly statistically, ranking 29th in the league for yards allowed and 24th for points allowed out of 32 teams. So, it will be interesting to see whether Murphy’s presence improved the Seahawks’ defense.
WR Xavier Worthy (Kansas City Chiefs – 28th Overall Pick – Round 1)
Xavier Worthy had a stellar freshman season, catching 62 passes for 981 yards, and scoring 12 touchdowns. Although he had a down year in 2022 partly due to a broken hand, in 2023 he rebounded with a career high of 75 receptions for 1,014 yards and five touchdowns. Worthy also made headlines when he broke the NFL combine record for the 40 yard dash time, running it in an astonishing 4.21 seconds.
Xavier Worthy is perhaps the most interesting prospect as he goes to the defending back-to-back Super Bowl Champion Kansas City Chiefs, who had an abysmal receiving core in 2023. He will join one of the best quarterbacks in NFL history, Patrick Mahomes. He will also line up beside all-time postseason receptions leader tight end Travis Kelce and fellow wide receivers Rashee Rice, and free-agency addition Hollywood Brown. The Chiefs have revamped their offensive weapons after last season’s struggles, meaning Worthy has arguably fallen into the best situation of any Longhorn.
DL T’Vondre Sweat (Tennessee Titans – 38th Overall Pick – Round 2)
T’Vondre Sweat, a fan favorite, won the Outland Trophy for being the nation’s top defensive lineman in 2023 and was a unanimous all-American. He recorded 45 tackles, two sacks, and one touchdown reception.
Despite being charged with a DWI on April 7, a charge many thought would cause Sweat to fall to later rounds, the Tennessee Titans believed his mistake should not define the Big12 defensive player of the year. So, they took him early in the second round.
The Titans finished last season with a 6-11 record, the worst in the AFC South. The Titans had a slightly above average pass rush last season, but adding such a versatile and devastating player such as Sweat is sure to elevate their defensive line.
RB Jonathon Brooks (Carolina Panthers – 46th Overall Pick – Round 2)
Jonathon Brooks had a stellar sophomore season in 2023, rushing for 1,139 yards on 187 carries. This translated to a 6.1 yard per carry average and 10 touchdowns. He was a Doak Walker Award semifinalist, the award for the nation’s top collegiate running back. Brooks was also the first running back drafted in the 2024 NFL draft despite tearing his ACL against TCU during the 2023 season.
The Carolina Panthers were the worst team in the NFL last season, finishing with an abysmal 2-15 record. Brooks will compete against Chuba Hubbard for the starting spot, who had 238 rushes for 902 yards. Due to Brooks’s success and dominance at Texas, it would not be shocking if he took the starting role, as the Panther’s rushing attack ranked below average in terms of yards per game.
WR Adonai Mitchell (Indianapolis Colts – 52nd Overall Pick – Round 2)
Adonai Mitchell was the Big 12 Newcomer of the Year in 2023, after transferring to Texas from Georgia. He had 55 receptions for 845 yards and 11 touchdowns. Mitchell ran a 4.35 second 40 yard dash time, one of the fastest at the combine.
He was mocked by many to be drafted in the first round, but surprisingly fell to the middle of the second round, becoming the 11th wide receiver taken. Mitchell stated that he was “kind of pissed” in his first interview as a Colt, likely because of his late draft position.
Mitchell will join Colts’ Receiver Michael Pittman, who will be coming off a career year last season with 109 receptions for 1,152 yards. If Running Back Jonathan Taylor can stay healthy and replicate his 2021 numbers, pairing him with wide receivers Mitchell and Pittman could be deadly for opposing defenses.
TE Ja’Tavion Sanders (Carolina Panthers – 101st Overall Pick – Round 4)
Ja’Tavion Sanders leads all Texas tight ends in career receptions at 99. In 2023, he had 45 receptions for 682 yards. If he was fully healthy, he may have been a higher draft pick. But unfortunately, a lower leg injury may have pushed his draft position to day three.
The Panthers ranked dead last in both yards per game and passing yards per game. Sanders will catch passes from sophomore quarterback Bruce Young, and will be a much needed receiving option.
OT Christian Jones (Arizona Cardinals – 162nd Overall Pick – Round 5)
Christian Jones was an offensive tackle for the Horns and played in 61 games. He was a Joe Moore award semi-finalist, and largely contributed to the success of Jonathon Brooks, Bijan Robinson, and quarterback Quinn Ewers.
The addition of Jones comes with the free-agency additions of offensive linemen Evan Brown and Jonah Williams. With this pick, Arizona has shown further that they are seeking to revamp their offensive line after a horrific 4-13 record season.
RB Keilan Robinson (Miami Dolphins – 167th Overall Pick – Round 5)
Keilan Robinson averaged 24.2 yards per return and had 897 return yards during his career at UT, the eighth highest in program history. In 2021, he won an honorable mention for the Big12 newcomer of the year award.
The Miami Dolphins ranked first in both yards per game and in receiving yards per game, but ranked sixth in rushing yards per game. The late round selection of Robinson, their already top ranking rushing attack, and their average special teams suggests that the Dolphins intend to upgrade their special teams by using Robinson for his kick-return abilities.
LB Jaylan Ford (New Orleans Saints – 175th Overall Pick – Round 5)
Jaylan Ford was a first-team all Big 12 player in 2023 and a Butkus Award semifinalist. He totaled 101 tackles, one sack, two interceptions, one forced fumble, and one fumble recovery in 2023. He was the first Texas linebacker to have back-to-back 100 plus tackle seasons in more than 10 years.
The Saints were below average last season in both rushing defense and sacks. Drafting a linebacker such as Ford makes sense as the Saints hope to improve their linebacking core.
DB Ryan Watts (Pittsburgh Steelers – 195th Overall Pick – Round 6)
Ryan Watts recorded 38 tackles in 2023 and earned an honorable mention All-Big 12 Defensive Newcomer Player of the Year. In 2022, he had 51 tackles and one fumble and one interception.
The Steelers had an average defense last year and very below average offense. The Steelers used most of their picks on offensive players this draft to help rebuild their offense as a result. Watts was likely picked due to his physical traits and his potential to be molded into a defensive weapon
WR Jordan Whittington (Los Angeles Rams – 213th Overall Pick – Round 6)
Jordan Whittington played 41 games for the Horns, where he racked up 141 career receptions at Texas, 12th all-time. He also has 1,757 total yards at Texas, placing him 14th all-time. Notably, he had 10 receptions for a career high of 115 receiving yards versus Oklahoma in 2023.
The Rams had a seventh ranked passing attack last season headlined by rookie Puka Nacua and Super Bowl LVI MVP Cooper Kupp. Whittington will complement Los Angeles’ strong passing attack, as he has the potential to be a strong wide receiver three or four, just like for the Horns.
We are wishing the best to all of our players who were selected in this year’s draft. No matter what team they play for, we will always root for our Texas Longhorns. Hook ‘em.
