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Colorado State football in the NFL draft: All-time picks from CSU

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8 months ago

April 21, 2025

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Colorado State football in the NFL draft: All-time picks from CSU

Colorado State University has a long history of players being selected in the NFL draft, dating back to 1943.
Over 100 CSU Rams have been drafted, with selections ranging from the first overall pick to the 451st.
The article provides a year-by-year list of CSU players selected in the NFL draft, including their round, pick number and team.

Colorado State’s history in the NFL draft dates back to 1943.

The CSU football team has had players selected in the NFL draft from as high as No. 1 overall to as low as the No. 451 pick. More than 100 different former CSU players have been selected in the NFL draft.

Here’s a year-by-year look at selections of Colorado State football players in the NFL draft.

2024 NFL draft

Defensive end Mohamed Kamara: Selected Round 5, pick No. 158 overall by Miami Dolphins.

2022 NFL draft

Tight end Trey McBride: Selected Round No. 2, pick No. 55 overall by Arizona Cardinals.

2019 NFL draft

Receiver Olabisi Johnson: Selected round No. 7, pick No. 247 overall by Minnesota Vikings.

2018 NFL draft

Receiver Michael Gallup: Selected round No. 3, pick No. 81 overall by Dallas Cowboys.

2016 NFL draft

Receiver Rashard Higgins: Selected round No. 5, pick No. 172 overall by Cleveland Browns.
Linebacker Cory James: Selected round No. 6, pick No. 194 overall by Oakland Raiders.

2015 NFL draft

Offensive lineman Ty Sambrailo: Selected round No. 2, pick No. 59 overall by Denver Broncos.
Quarterback Garrett Grayson: Selected round No. 3, pick No. 75 overall by New Orleans Saints.

2014 NFL draft

Offensive lineman Weston Richburg: Selected round No. 2, pick No. 43 overall by New York Giants.
Tight end Crockett Gillmore: Selected round No. 3, pick No. 99 overall by Baltimore Ravens.

2010 NFL draft

Offensive lineman Shelley Smith: Selected round No. 6, pick No. 187 overall by Houston Texans.

2009 NFL draft

Running back Gartrell Johnson: Selected round No. 4, pick No. 134 overall by San Diego Chargers.

2007 NFL draft

Offensive lineman Clint Oldenburg: Selected round No. 5, pick No. 171 overall by New England Patriots.

2006 NFL draft

Receiver David Anderson: Selected round No. 7, pick No. 251 overall by Houston Texans.

2005 NFL draft

Tight end Joel Dreessen: Selected round No. 6, pick No. 198 overall by New York Jets.

2004 NFL draft

Defensive back/returner Dexter Wynn: Selected round No. 6, pick No. 192 overall by Philadelphia Eagles.
Quarterback Bradlee Van Pelt: Selected round No. 7, pick No. 250 overall by Denver Broncos.
Linebacker Andre Sommersell: Selected round No. 7, pick No. 255 overall by Oakland Raiders.

2001 NFL draft

Defensive back John Howell: Selected round No. 4, pick No. 117 overall by Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Linebacker Rick Crowell: Selected round No. 6, pick No. 188 overall by Miami Dolphins.

2000 NFL draft

Linebacker Clark Haggans: Selected round No. 5, pick No. 137 overall by Pittsburgh Steelers.
Defensive back Erik Olson: Selected round No. 7, pick No. 236 overall by Jacksonville Jaguars.

1999 NFL draft

Linebacker Joey Porter: Selected round No. 3, pick No. 73 overall by Pittsburgh Steelers.
Offensive lineman Anthony Cesario: Selected round No. 8, pick No. 88 overall by Jacksonville Jaguars.
Defensive back Jason Craft: Selected round No. 5, pick No. 160 overall by Jacksonville Jaguars.
Receiver Darran Hall: Selected round No. 6, pick No. 186 overall by Tennessee Titans.

1998 NFL draft

Quarterback Moses Moreno: Selected round No. 7, pick No. 232 overall by Chicago Bears.

1997 NFL draft

Defensive back Calvin Branch: Selected round No. 6, pick No. 172 overall by Oakland Raiders.

1996 NFL draft

Defensive end Brady Smith: Selected round No. 3, pick No. 70 overall by New Orleans Saints.
Linebacker Sean Moran: Selected round No. 4, pick No. 120 overall by Buffalo Bills.
Defensive back Greg Myers: Selected round No. 5, pick No. 144 overall by Cincinnati Bengals.
Defensive back Raymond Jackson: Selected round No. 5, pick No. 156 overall by Buffalo Bills.

1992 NFL draft

Defensive back Selwyn Jones: Selected round No. 7, pick No. 177 overall by Cleveland Browns.

1987 NFL draft

Quarterback Kelly Stouffer: Selected round No. 1, pick No. 6 overall by St. Louis Cardinals.
Running back Steve Bartalo: Selected round No. 6, No. 143 overall by Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Kicker Steve DeLine: Selected round No. 7, pick No. 189 overall by San Francisco 49ers.

1986 NFL draft

Defensive lineman Terry Unrein: Selected round No. 3, pick No. 66 overall by San Diego Chargers.

1985 NFL draft

Tight end Keli McGregor: Selected round No. 4, pick No. 110 overall by Denver Broncos.
Tight end Harper LeBel: Selected round No. 12, pick No. 321 overall by Kansas City Chiefs.

1984 NFL draft

Offensive lineman Kevin Call: Selected round No. 5, pick No. 130 overall by Indianapolis Colts.
Quarterback Terry Nugent: Selected round No. 6, pick No. 158 overall by Cleveland Browns.

1981 NFL draft

Running back Alvin Lewis: Selected round No. 6, pick No. 151 overall by Denver Broncos.
Running back Larry Jones: Selected round No. 10, pick No. 270 overall by Houston Oilers.

1980 NFL draft

Defensive back Keith Lee: Selected round No. 5, pick No. 129 overall by Buffalo Bills.
Defensive back Dupree Branch: Selected round No. 8, pick No. 198 overall by St. Louis Cardinals.

1979 NFL draft

Defensive end Mike Bell: Selected round No. 1, pick No. 2 overall by Kansas City Chiefs.
Defensive end Mark E. Bell: Selected round No. 4, pick No. 102 overall by Seattle Seahawks.
Receiver Mark R. Bell: Selected round No. 5, pick No. 130 overall by St. Louis Cardinals.
Offensive lineman Bill Leer: Selected round No. 11, pick No. 292 overall by Atlanta Falcons.

1978 NFL draft

Defensive end Al “Bubba” Baker: Selected round No. 2, pick No. 40 overall by Detroit Lions.
Defensive back Cliff Featherstone: Selected round No. 7, pick No. 180 overall by San Diego Chargers.
Linebacker Mark R. Nichols: Selected round No. 8, pick No. 207 overall by Oakland Raiders.
Punter Mike Deutsch: Selected round No. 9, pick No. 240 overall by Minnesota Vikings.
Running back Ron Harris: Selected round No. 11, pick No. 299 overall by Minnesota Vikings.

1977 NFL draft

Linebacker Keith King: Selected round No. 3, pick No. 77 overall by San Diego Chargers.

1976 NFL draft

Linebacker Kevin McLain: Selected round No. 1, pick No. 26 overall by Los Angeles Rams.
Defensive back Jerome Dove: Selected round No. 8, pick No. 220 overall by Oakland Raiders.
Defensive back Melvin Washington: Selected round No. 11, pick No. 292 overall by Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Defensive end Gary Paulson: Selected round No. 13, pick No. 372 overall by Minnesota Vikings.
Quarterback Mark Driscoll: Selected round No. 13, pick No. 374 overall by Dallas Cowboys.

1975 NFL draft

Defensive end Mark Mullaney: Selected round No. 1, pick No. 25 overall by Minnesota Vikings.
Offensive lineman Al Simpson: Selected round No. 2, pick No. 27 overall by New York Giants.
Running back Kim Jones: Selected round No. 7, pick No. 157 overall by Baltimore Colts.
Receiver Willie Miller: Selected round No. 12, pick No. 302 by Houston Oilers.
Quarterback Jack Graham: Selected round No. 14, pick No. 361 overall by Miami Dolphins.
Tight end Pete Clark: Selected round No. 16, pick No. 407 overall by Dallas Cowboys.

1974 NFL draft

Tight end Jimmie Kennedy: Selected round No. 9, pick No. 233 overall by Washington.
Defensive back Greg Battle: Selected round No. 11, pick No. 269 overall by San Francisco 49ers.

1973 NFL draft

Defensive back Perry Smith: Selected round No. 4, pick No. 92 overall by Oakland Raiders.
Offensive lineman Gerald Caswell: Selected round No. 11, pick No. 282 overall by Dallas Cowboys.

1972 NFL draft

Running back Lawrence McCutcheon: Selected round No. 3, pick No. 70 overall by Los Angeles Rams.
Defensive end Jim White: Selected round No. 3, pick No. 73 overall by New England Patriots.

1971 NFL draft

Defensive back Phil Webb: Selected round No. 11, pick No. 281 overall by Detroit Lions.

1970 NFL draft

Defensive back Earlie Thomas: Selected round No. 11, pick No. 280 overall by New York Jets.

1969 NFL draft

Defensive back Bill Kishman: Selected round No. 5, pick No. 114 overall by Washington.
Receiver Terry Swarn: Selected round No. 6, pick No. 147 overall by San Diego Chargers.
Defensive back Floyd Kerr: Selected round No. 16, pick No. 414 overall by Dallas Cowboys.

1968 NFL draft

Receiver Jon Henderson: Selected round No. 3, pick No. 61 overall by Pittsburgh Steelers.
Running back Oscar Reed: Selected round No. 7, pick No. 167 overall by Minnesota Vikings.
Defensive back Al Lavan: Selected round No. 8, pick No. 204 overall by Philadelphia Eagles.
Defensive lineman Mike Tomasini: Selected round No. 10, pick No. 248 overall by Atlanta Falcons.
Running back Jim Oliver: Selected round No. 15, pick No. 391 overall by Detroit Lions.
Defensive lineman Gene Layton: Selected round No. 17, pick No. 451 overall by Chicago Bears.

1964 NFL draft

Offensive lineman Dick Evers: Selected round No. 15, pick No. 199 overall by Washington (Evers was also selected round No. 22, pick No. 170 overall by Kansas City Chiefs in the 1964 AFL draft).

1961 NFL draft

Receiver Kay McFarland: Selected round No. 18, pick No. 248 overall by San Francisco 49ers.
Offensive lineman Leo Reed: Selected round No. 20, pick No. 274 overall by St. Louis Cardinals.
Note: Halfback Myron Pearson was selected round No. 19, pick No. 152 overall by Houston Oilers in 1961 AFL draft. Offensive lineman Wayne Lee was selected round No. 28, pick No. 217 overall by Denver Broncos in 1961 AFL draft.

1960 NFL draft

Linebacker Jim Eifrid: Selected round No. 11, pick No. 124 by Washington.
Defensive back Brady Keys: Selected round No. 14, pick No. 162 overall by Pittsburgh Steelers.

1959 NFL draft

Offensive lineman Ron Stehouwer: Selected round No. 12, pick No. 136 overall by Detroit Lions.
Defensive back Fred Glick: Selected round No. 23, pick No. 266 overall by Chicago Cardinals.

1956 NFL draft

Defensive back Gary Glick: Selected round No. 1, pick No. 1 overall by Pittsburgh Steelers.
Fullback Larry Barnes: Selected round No. 7, pick No. 75 overall by San Francisco 49ers.
Back Jerry Zaleski: Selected round No. 10, pick No. 112 overall by San Francisco 49ers.

1955 NFL draft

Back Jerry Callahan: Selected round No. 23, pick No. 272 overall by New York Giants.

1954 NFL draft

End Kirk Hinderlider: Selected round No. 15, pick No. 181 overall by Detroit Lions.
Back Alex Burl: Selected round No. 30, pick No. 350 overall by Chicago Cardinals.

1953 NFL draft

Tackle Harvey Achziger: Selected round No. 26, pick No. 308 overall by Philadelphia Eagles.

1952 NFL draft

Defensive back Jim David: Selected round No. 22, pick No. 261 overall by Detroit Lions.

1952 NFL draft

Guard Dale Dodrill: Selected round No. 6, pick No. 67 overall by Pittsburgh Steelers.
Defensive back Jack Christiansen: Selected round No. 6, pick No. 69 overall by Detroit Lions.

1950 NFL draft

Defensive tackle Thurman “Fum” McGraw: Selected round No. 2, pick No. 27 overall by Detroit Lions.

1949 NFL draft

Back Bob Hainlen: Selected round No. 19, pick No. 188 overall by Washington.

1944 NFL draft

Back Roy Clay: Selected round No. 8, pick No. 70 overall by New York Giants.

1943 NFL draft

Back Chet Maeda: Selected round No. 18, pick No. 161 by the Detroit Lions.
Back Lou “Dude” Dent: Selected round No. 24, pick No. 223 by the Brooklyn Dodgers.

Follow sports reporter Kevin Lytle on X and Instagram @Kevin_Lytle.

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Colorado

Where did Colorado’s wolves spend time in December?

Published

8 hours ago

December 23, 2025

Press Room

Where did Colorado’s wolves spend time in December?

While some of the wolves are part of Colorado’s four packs establishing territories in Pitkin, Jackson, Routt and Rio Blanco counties, others continue to search the landscape for mates and suitable food sources and habitat.

Largely, however, wolf exploration of Colorado remains within similar northern counties in December, according to the latest wolf activity map shared by Colorado Parks and Wildlife on Dec. 23.

The map — which shows the watersheds where the state’s collared gray wolves were located between Nov. 25 and Dec. 19 — shows that wolves continue to be most active in the northwest, while also pushing into watersheds to the south and east.

While the map continues to show activity in some Front Range area watersheds within Larimer, Denver, Boulder and Jefferson counties, the agency reported that “no wolves have crossed I-25 or spent time near urban centers.”

If a watershed is highlighted, it means that at least one GPS point from one wolf was recorded in that watershed during the 30 days. GPS points are recorded every four hours or so. The latest map also shows activity in Routt, Rio Blanco, Eagle, Jackson, Larimer, Grand, Summit, Gilpin, Clear Creek, Park, Lake, Chaffee, Gunnison, Garfield, Saguache, Rio Grande and Conejos counties.

While wolves have been exploring southern watersheds for months, Colorado saw its first wolf enter New Mexico and be returned by the southwestern state’s wildlife agency in December. Colorado has an agreement with Utah, New Mexico and Arizona in which any gray wolves from Colorado that enter these three states can be captured and returned to Parks and Wildlife.

According to Parks and Wildlife, the male gray wolf was among those born to the Copper Creek pack in 2024 and dispersed from the pack in the fall. Dispersal is common for young wolves as they leave their birth pack, attempt to make it on their own and search for a mate. The animal was released in Grand County — a decision that sparked concerns from state and local elected officials as well as some wildlife advocates — in a location reportedly distanced from livestock and near to an unpaired female wolf as well as prey populations.

The watershed map shows that there was wolf activity in Conejos County along the New Mexico state border. It also shows wolf activity brushing up against the Wyoming border. Parks and Wildlife does not have an agreement with its northern neighbor. Instead, wolves that enter Wyoming lose their protections as an endangered species and can be hunted in the vast majority of the state. Three of Colorado’s reintroduced wolves have died after going north.

Colorado is nearly two years into its reintroduction of gray wolves, releasing a total of 25 wolves. Four packs had pups this year, but Parks and Wildlife has not released minimum counts of new wolf pups for all the packs. It says it will release the count in its annual wolf report, released each spring. Eleven wolf deaths have been confirmed.
While the agency was looking to conduct its third year of wolf releases in the southwest this winter, Parks and Wildlife has yet to secure a source of wolves. The agency had planned to return to British Columbia; however, the federal government, under a new director, said it could no longer import the wolves from outside the country.

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Opinion: Colorado must invest in evidence-based policies to prevent harm from substances, not costly criminalization

Published

20 hours ago

December 23, 2025

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Opinion: Colorado must invest in evidence-based policies to prevent harm from substances, not costly criminalization

Across the nation, the opioid epidemic has wreaked havoc on the health and lives of far too many, and Colorado is no exception. According to Mental Health America, Colorado ranks fourth and seventh in the country for adults and youth with substance use disorders, respectively. That means thousands of our friends, neighbors and loved ones are living with addiction and can’t get the help they need. Overdose deaths in Colorado have risen sharply since 2019, largely due to the proliferation of fentanyl, with 1,603 deaths in 2024 alone, according to the state.

It’s a public health crisis, and one we’re now at risk of making even worse. Last month, supporters turned in signatures to send Initiative #85 to the 2026 ballot, a measure that would increase criminal penalties for fentanyl crimes. We feel this threatens to drag us backward toward the failed policies and practices of the past rather than working toward a healthier future.

At the same time, state and federal funding for treatment and prevention is drying up. The recently passed federal spending bill HR1 will mean devastating changes to Medicaid, gutting the single most important source of funding for substance use treatment in the country. For the past several years, as more states have expanded Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act, Medicaid has emerged as the leading source of coverage for addiction treatment in the nation.

A recent Brookings study found that nearly 90% of treatment for opioid addiction is paid for, at least in part, by Medicaid. These cuts will leave our already strained systems unable to meet the growing demand, particularly for low-income and disabled individuals who will have fewer treatment options and more barriers to care.

Meanwhile, Colorado faced a $1.2 billion budget shortfall this year, and even more deficits are on the horizon for 2026. The state is stuck in a cycle of annual budget shortfalls of roughly $1 billion, making it increasingly difficult to cover existing programs and skyrocketing Medicaid costs. That means fewer resources to fill in federal funding gaps, a fraying behavioral health safety net, and an increasingly stressed population that is highly vulnerable to substance use and harm.

Given this grim picture, it’s never been more critical to prioritize smart, effective policy to combat the overdose crisis. We should be focusing our scarce funding on evidence-based substance use prevention, treatment and recovery support, not costly, ineffective drug war criminalization policies that are historically discriminatory in their implementation and proven to fail.

Mitigating and reversing the drug addiction crisis in Colorado and across the nation is complex and has to involve multiple strategies working in tandem to decrease supply and demand. While increasing criminal penalties related to drug addiction among individuals may seem like a tough-on-crime approach, it has not and will not resolve the drug addiction crisis nor dissolve the supply or the demand for illicit drugs.

Decades of data show that criminalizing substance users doesn’t reduce addiction or overdose. Recently, researchers at the University of Colorado Anschutz found the following: “Intensified drug enforcement laws have little deterrent effect on substance use and may worsen health outcomes. Fear of being arrested fosters riskier substance use behaviors and increased overdose risk. Incarceration and the subsequent stigma experienced by people with substance use disorder work in tandem to create barriers for treatment access and worsen mental health, creating a structurally reinforced cycle of isolation.”

The research is clear. Harsh penalties haven’t protected our communities from the dangers of fentanyl. They have only compounded harm and pushed people deeper into the shadows, making it harder to seek help, and saddling individuals with felony records that create lifelong barriers to employment, housing, and recovery.

Policies like the proposed 2026 ballot measure to increase felony charges for drug possession are not just misguided — they cost taxpayer dollars. They further overburden law enforcement agencies, flood jails, courtrooms and prisons that are already beyond their capacity, and ultimately do nothing to address the core of the opioid epidemic.

Instead of doubling down on punishing people who use substances, we need to expand what works: prevention programs in schools and communities, access to harm reduction tools like naloxone, and a robust continuum of care that includes outpatient and residential treatment. We need more support for peer recovery professionals, more public education and more investment in what keeps people healthy, which includes housing, food security and opportunities for connection. We need to act together, with assertive intelligence, to disrupt the black market drug trafficking that is the enemy of the people.

The opioid crisis is a public health crisis and demands a public health response. Colorado has the knowledge, data and tools to build a more effective and compassionate system. But we cannot do it if we are bleeding out resources to punitive policies that fail the people they claim to help.

Let’s not go backward. Let’s invest in health and safety and give Coloradans a real chance at recovery.

Vincent Atchity, of Denver, is the president and CEO of Mental Health Colorado.

José Esquibel, of Jefferson County, is the former vice chair of the Colorado Substance Abuse Trend and Response Task Force.

The Colorado Sun is a nonpartisan news organization, and the opinions of columnists and editorial writers do not reflect the opinions of the newsroom. Read our ethics policy for more on The Sun’s opinion policy. Learn how to submit a column. Reach the opinion editor at opinion@coloradosun.com.

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Bright Leaf helps grandparents raising grandkids in Colorado as they face holiday hardships

Published

1 day ago

December 22, 2025

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Bright Leaf helps grandparents raising grandkids in Colorado as they face holiday hardships

At a kitchen table in Arvada, backpacks and homework papers take over. It’s a common sight for Carla Aguilar, but one she never expected to repeat.

“I thought I was all done raising kids, you know?” Aguilar said.

Carla Aguilar and her 8-year-old granddaughter, Athena.

CBS

For more than a decade, Aguilar has been raising her two granddaughters, Ava and Athena. Ava, 12, was too shy to appear on camera, but 8-year-old Athena proudly showed how her grandmother helps her learn.

“She helps me read,” Athena said. “She taught me how to write correctly.”

Aguilar, 55, is disabled and lives on a fixed income. She says every day is a balancing act, and this time of year is challenging.

“Holidays are hard, so we’re kind of dealing with that right now,” she said.

Aguilar’s story is far from unique. According to the latest data from the American Society on Aging and the U.S. Census Bureau, more than 2 million grandparents nationwide are primary caregivers for their grandchildren. In Colorado, more than 36,000 families face the same reality, often with limited financial resources and little support.

“Most of these seniors are on fixed income, social security, disability, and you can’t really stretch that too far in Colorado these days,” said Steve Olguin, executive director of Bright Leaf, a nonprofit that helps older adults across the state.

Bright Leaf started as a small community group and now provides free home repairs, food assistance, and other essentials to seniors statewide. Its newest initiative, GrandCare Alliance, focuses on grandparents raising grandkids — offering help with school costs, activity fees, and holiday wish lists.

“We’re just trying to help out so it’s not as rough for them,” Olguin said.

For Aguilar, that support is a lifeline. She says her granddaughters are her world, and she’ll never stop fighting for them.

“They’re my heart, my soul, everything,” Aguilar said. “I will take care of them until my last breath.”

Steve Olguin, executive director of Bright Leaf.

CBS
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Bright Leaf is asking for the community’s help in supporting the GrandCare Alliance and its other services. Those who want more information on how to volunteer and donate can visit their website.

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