BOZEMAN — With all eyes on Dillon native Troy Andersen in the course of the NFL Draft beginning Thursday in Las Vegas, a couple of questions are begged:

What number of native Montanans have been chosen, what number of within the first two rounds, and is the Montana State All-American destined to be the primary — and thus highest — from Dillon?

Query No. 1: A bunch.

Query No. 2: 10.

Query No. 3: Nope and unlikely.

For the report, 71 native Montanans have performed within the NFL, although not all had been drafted. Thirty had been taken within the first seven rounds.

Considered by means of one other lens, 63 NFL draft picks had been both born in Montana and/or performed highschool soccer right here. 

Andersen is extensively anticipated to be taken within the second or third spherical Friday, which might make him the second native of Dillon chosen — and but nonetheless the second highest to be drafted.

Ever heard of Ed Barker? You are not alone if you have not, even in the event you hail from Beaverhead County. And though he was a first-round choice.

Barker was born in Dillon in 1931, however he attended elementary faculty in Aberdeen, Washington, and performed his highschool soccer on the east facet of the Cascade Vary in Zillah. He starred at Washington State earlier than the Los Angeles Rams made him the twelfth general choose in 1953.

Barker, who usually returned to his native Montana to hunt, performed in 18 video games over two seasons within the NFL after which grew to become a profession officer within the U.S. Air Power. He set faculty and NCAA data as a receiver for WSC and was inducted into the college’s Athletics Corridor of Fame in 2011, a 12 months earlier than he died at age 81.

Given his restricted time in Dillon, one could be inclined to affix an asterisk by Barker’s identify as a local Montanan drafted into the NFL. Maybe, however value noting: Jordan unequivocally claims Jerry Kramer as its personal, though the Inexperienced Bay Packers Corridor of Famer lived in The Large Dry for merely his first 4 years earlier than shifting to Idaho for many of his youth and faculty.

On the flip facet, limiting the checklist of NFL Draft picks to natives essentially omits some heady names that Montanans are fast to say as our personal though they weren’t born right here: Brock Osweiler (Coeur d’Alene, Idaho), Corey Widmer (Alexandria, Virginia), Mitch Donahue (Los Angeles), Dylan Donahue (Palo Alto, California) and Kerry Porter (Vicenza, Italy), to call a couple of. 

Beneath are the 30 Montana natives who had been taken within the first seven rounds of the NFL Draft — quickly to be 31 and doubling the variety of Dillon natives who’ve heard their identify referred to as early.

First Spherical

Ed Barker, Dillon, Washington State, Los Angeles Rams, 1953

Ryan Leaf, Nice Falls, Washington State, San Diego Chargers, 1998

Milt Popovich, Butte, Montana, Chicago Cardinals, 1938

Second Spherical

Shane Collins, Roundup, Arizona State, Washington Redskins, 1992

Dwan Edwards, Columbus, Oregon State, Baltimore Ravens, 2004

Wayne Hawkins, Jordan, Pacific, Oakland Raiders, 1960

Milan Lazetich, Anaconda, Michigan, Cleveland Rams, 1945

Pete Lazetich, Billings, Stanford, San Diego Chargers, 1972

Vic Lindskog, Roundup, Stanford, Philadelphia Eagles, 1942

Laurie Niemi, Crimson Lodge, Washington State, Washington Redskins, 1949

Third Spherical

Mike Friede, Havre, Indiana, Detroit Lions, 1980

Fourth Spherical

Will Dissly, Bozeman, Washington, Seattle Seahawks, 2018

Pat Donovan, Helena, Stanford, Dallas Cowboys, 1975

Travis Dorsch, Bozeman, Purdue, Cincinnati Bengals, 2002

Jerry Kramer, Jordan, Idaho, Inexperienced Bay Packers, 1958

Donald Schwartz, Billings, Washington State, New Orleans Saints, 1978

Fifth Spherical

Kroy Biermann, Hardin, Montana, Atlanta Falcons, 2008

Ken Snelling, Musselshell, UCLA, Inexperienced Bay Packers, 1943

Jordan Tripp, Missoula, Montana, Miami Dolphins, 2014

Sixth Spherical

Scott Curry, Conrad, Montana, Inexperienced Bay Packers, 1999

John Friesz, Missoula, Idaho, San Diego Chargers, 1990

Don Heater, Helena, Montana Tech, St. Louis Cardinals, 1972

Lex Hilliard, Kalispell, Montana, Miami Dolphins, 2008

Len Noyes, Butte, Montana, Brooklyn Dodgers, 1938

Shann Schillinger, Baker, Montana, Atlanta Falcons, 2010

Seventh Spherical

Mark Fellows, Choteau, Montana State, San Diego Chargers, 1985

Marc Mariani, Havre, Montana, Tennessee Titans, 2010

Dylan McFarland, Kalispell, Montana, Buffalo Payments, 2004

Mike Particular person, Glendive, Montana State, San Francisco 49ers, 2011

Kevin Sweeney, Bozeman, Fresno State, Dallas Cowboys, 1987