Zimmer: A look at South Dakota’s long history in the NFL Draft

GREEN BAY — The last time there wasn’t a single NFL Draft pick from South Dakota was in 2016.

That year’s South Dakota State Jackrabbits team had a handful of players who would eventually make their way to the doorstep of the NFL (some of whom are still playing today), but they were underclassmen. The development of NFL talent within South Dakota’s high school and college programs was just beginning.

Then in 2017, former Sioux Falls Washington star Nate Gerry was drafted in the fifth round by the Philadelphia Eagles, and someone from South Dakota has been drafted every year since:

2017
Nate Gerry, LB/S, Sioux Falls Washington (Nebraska), 5th round, Philadelphia

2018
Dallas Goedert, TE, Britton-Hecla, SDSU, 2nd round, Philadelphia

2019
Trey Pipkins, OL, USF, 3rd round, LA Chargers
Jordan Brown, CB, SDSU, 7th round, Cincinnati

2020
Derrek Tuszka, DE/LB, Warner (NDSU), 7th round, Denver

2021
Matt Farniok, OL, SF Washington (Nebraska), 7th round, Dallas

2022
Pierre Strong, RB, SDSU, 4th round, New England
Chris Oladokun, QB, SDSU, 7th round, Pittsburgh

2023
Tucker Kraft, TE, Timber Lake, SDSU, 3rd round, Green Bay

2024
Mason McCormick, OL, SF Roosevelt, SDSU, 4th round, Pittsburgh
Isaiah Davis, RB, SDSU, 5th round, NY Jets
Myles Harden, CB, USD, 7th round, Cleveland

Pierre’s Grey Zabel is projected by many outlets to be a first round pick this year. If that happens he’d be the 8th South Dakotan to get taken in the first round.

Here are the others:
Urban Odson, Clark, 1942. 9th overall to Green Bay.
Larry Jacobson, SF O’Gorman, 1972. 24th overall to NY Giants.
George Amundson, Aberdeen, 1973. 14th overall to Houston.
John Dutton, Rapid City, 1974. 5th overall to Baltimore.
Lynn Boden, SDSU, 1975. 13th overall to Detroit.
Chad Greenway, Mount Vernon, 2006. 17th overall to Minnesota.
Riley Reiff, Parkston, 2012. 23rd overall to Detroit.

As for the area colleges, South Dakota State currently has a three-year streak of beging represented in the draft, a streak that seems a longshot to reach four this weekend in Green Bay. While there are a handful of Jackrabbits on the NFL radar this year, many of whom will end up in a camp, there hasn’t been much buzz around them in mock drafts.

Same goes for USD, who ended a 10-year drought of draft picks last year when corner Myles Harden went in the seventh round to the Browns.

Here’s a look at the draft history of South Dakota’s college programs:

SDSU
Total Picks: 34
Highest pick: Lynn Boden, 1st round, 1975
Most recent: McCormick, Davis, 2024

USD
Total picks: 18
Highest pick: John Kohler, 3rd round, 1970
Most recent pick: Harden, 2024

Augustana
Picks: 3
Highest pick: Bryan Schwartz, 2nd round, 1995
Most recent: Schwartz

USF
Total picks: 2
Highest pick: Pipkins, 3rd round, 2019
Most recent pick: Pipkins

Others
Yankton Colleg
Lyle Alzado, 4th round, 1971

Black Hills State
Mike Savoy, 9th round, 1971

South Dakota Tech
Maher Barakat, 15th round, 1970
Lars Ditlev, 13th round, 1974

The NFL Draft is this weekend in Green Bay. It will be televised on ABC, ESPN and NFL Network, and can be streamed on various platforms including ESPN+ and YouTubeTV.
The first round is set for Thursday at 7 p.m.
Rounds 2-3 are Friday, starting at 5 p.m.
Rounds 4-7 are Saturday starting at 11 a.m.

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