Updated September 4, 2026, following the 2026 NFL Draft and preseason roster cuts.
Nebraska has had roughly 370 players drafted into the NFL, 14th most of any program, including 34 first round picks and two players taken first overall: fullback Sam Francis in 1937 and receiver Irving Fryar in 1984. The pipeline that once put a Cornhusker in every Super Bowl from 1993 to 2019 has thinned with the program’s decline; Nebraska has not produced a first round pick since Prince Amukamara in 2011, and its only 2026 selection was running back Emmett Johnson in the fifth round.
The 2026 Draft
Emmett Johnson, the 2025 Big Ten Running Back of the Year and a first team All American who ran for 1,451 yards and led the nation in yards per game, went to the Kansas City Chiefs in the fifth round, 161st overall, after Kansas City traded up with Pittsburgh to get him. He was the first Nebraska running back drafted since fullback Andy Janovich in 2016 and the 41st Husker back taken in the common draft era, tied for second most of any school. Eight other Huskers signed undrafted free agent deals. Nate Boerkircher, who began as a Nebraska walk on before finishing at Texas A&M, went in the second round to Jacksonville.
First Overall Picks
| Year | Player | Position | Team |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1937 | Sam Francis | FB | Philadelphia Eagles |
| 1984 | Irving Fryar | WR | New England Patriots |
Francis, an Olympic shot putter, was the top pick of the second draft ever held. Fryar was the first wide receiver taken No. 1 overall and played 17 seasons. Nebraska also produced a Mr. Irrelevant, Stan Hegener, the last pick of the 1971 draft.
Notable Early Picks
| Year | Pick | Player | Pos. | Team |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | 19 | Prince Amukamara | CB | N.Y. Giants |
| 2010 | 2 | Ndamukong Suh | DT | Detroit |
| 1998 | 6 | Grant Wistrom | DE | St. Louis |
| 1998 | 14 | Jason Peter | DT | Carolina |
| 1994 | 5 | Trev Alberts | LB | Indianapolis |
| 1984 | 1 | Irving Fryar | WR | New England |
| 1984 | 2 | Dean Steinkuhler | OG | Houston |
| 1983 | 25 | Dave Rimington | C | Cincinnati |
| 1983 | 49 | Roger Craig | RB | San Francisco, 2nd round |
| 1973 | 25 | Johnny Rodgers | WR | San Diego |
| 1964 | 2 | Bob Brown | OT | Philadelphia |
Two of Nebraska’s best pros were not first rounders at all. Roger Craig went in the second round in 1983, became the first player to score three touchdowns in a Super Bowl and the first with 1,000 rushing and 1,000 receiving yards in a season, and was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2026. Will Shields went in the third round in 1993 and made 12 Pro Bowls with the Chiefs. Mike Rozier, the 1983 Heisman winner, went to the USFL before the Houston Oilers took him in the 1984 supplemental draft.
Pro Football Hall of Famers
| Player | Position | Nebraska years | Inducted |
|---|---|---|---|
| Link Lyman | OT | 1918-19, 1921 | 1964 |
| Guy Chamberlin | E | 1913-15 | 1965 |
| Bob Brown | OT | 1961-63 | 2004 |
| Will Shields | OG | 1989-92 | 2015 |
| Mick Tingelhoff | C | 1959-61 | 2015 |
| Roger Craig | RB | 1979-82 | 2026 |
Chamberlin scored the winning touchdown in the 1921 Staley Swindle game for the Chicago Staleys, won four more championships as a player and coach, and still has the highest winning percentage of any NFL coach with 50 or more wins. Tingelhoff went undrafted in 1962 and started 240 straight games for the Vikings.
Huskers in the NFL, 2026
Twenty six former Cornhuskers opened the 2026 season on NFL rosters, along with three coaches. The veterans are linebacker Lavonte David, entering his 15th season in Tampa Bay, defensive lineman Maliek Collins in Cleveland, running back Ameer Abdullah in San Francisco and cornerback Lamar Jackson in Atlanta. The Eagles have center Cam Jurgens, defensive lineman Ty Robinson and linebacker Ochaun Mathis; the Buccaneers have David, Nash Hutmacher, John Bullock, Ben Scott and Trey Palmer. Others: Jahmal Banks (Baltimore), Dicaprio Bootle (Detroit), Omar Brown (Green Bay), Thomas Fidone (N.Y. Giants), Isaac Gifford (Carolina), Luke Gifford and Isaiah Neyor (San Francisco), Brenden Jaimes (Tennessee), Garrett Nelson and Quinton Newsome (Denver), Ben Stille (Miami), Jack Stoll (New Orleans), Cam Taylor-Britt (Cincinnati), Samori Toure (Chicago) and Travis Vokolek (Arizona).
The coaches are Zac Taylor, the former Nebraska quarterback who has led the Cincinnati Bengals since 2019 and took them to Super Bowl LVI, Daniel Bullocks (49ers defensive backs) and Carlos Polk (Cowboys assistant special teams).
The Super Bowl Streak
Nebraska had at least one player on a Super Bowl roster every year from Super Bowl XXVII in January 1993 through Super Bowl LIII in February 2019, 27 straight, the longest active streak of any school when it ended. Roger Craig and fullback Tom Rathman won three Super Bowls together with the 49ers. Vince Ferragamo is the only former Husker to start a Super Bowl at quarterback, for the Rams in Super Bowl XIV.
Related Reading
Retired numbers and greatest players covers the college careers of most of the names above. NIL vs. NFL rookie salary explains what a fifth round pick like Johnson earns. Compare with Oklahoma and Penn State.