After rarely having players drafted into the NFL, the Kentucky football program is now an NFL Draft training ground under head coach Mark Stoops.
The 2021 draft success began with Jamin Davis going 19th overall to the Washington Football Team. It was the program’s second first-round pick in three years and the third of the Stoops era. Davis joined Josh Allen (2019 Jacksonville Jaguars) and Bud Dupree (2015 Pittsburgh Steelers) as Kentucky first-round picks under Stoops.
Not long after, cornerback Kelvin Joseph was drafted 44th overall by the Dallas Cowboys. It marked the first time Kentucky has had two top-50 picks since 1977 when Warren Bryant (6th to Atlanta Falcons) and Randy Burke (26th to Baltimore Colts) were selected in Round 1.
Then on Day 3, Kentucky had four players drafted, including Quinton Bohanna (192nd to Dallas Cowboys), Brandin Echols (200th to New York Jets), Landon Young (206th to New Orleans Saints), Phil Hoskins (232nd Carolina Panthers),
Not long after the draft ended, Drake Jackson (Detroit Lions), Jamar “Boogie Watson (Pittsburgh Steelers) and Asim “AJ” Rose (Minnesota Vikings) quickly agreed to undrafted free agent contracts.
Be sure to follow this stream for all your Kentucky-related NFL Draft and UDFA news!