With the NFL Draft kicking off on Thursday, April 24th, we’re going to take a look back on the history of former BYU Cougars and the draft. Today we’re going to highlight the 10 former Cougars who went on to be first-round picks.
Zach Wilson, QB, No. 2 pick (2021). Zach’s early NFL career was derailed by being drafted by the New York Jets, the franchise where quarterbacks go to die. In three up-and-down seasons he went 12-21 as a starter and threw for 6,293 yards with 23 touchdowns and 25 interceptions. He spent last season as the backup for the Denver Broncos then signed a one-year deal in 2025 with the Miami Dolphins.
Jim McMahon, QB, No. 5 pick (1982). One of the most colorful and successful NFL players to come from BYU, McMahon had a glorious 15-year NFL career. He threw for over 18,000 yards with 100 touchdowns, going 67-30 as a starter. He won a Super Bowl with the legendary 1985 Chicago Bears and made the Pro Bowl that year. McMahon trails only Steve Young in career passing yards by a former BYU player.
Ezekiel “Ziggy” Ansah, DE, No. 5 pick (2013). Ziggy racked up eight sacks as a rookie, 7.5 in his second year, then a career-high 14.5 in his third NFL campaign, making the Pro Bowl and All-Pro Second Team that year. His 50.5 career sacks were the most ever by a former BYU player until Kyle Van Noy surpassed him in 2024.
Shawn Knight, DE, No. 11 pick (1987). Despite the high draft pedigree, Knight’s NFL career lasted just 31 games with one start over three seasons with three different teams.
John Tait, OT, No. 14 pick (1999). Throughout his 10-year NFL career, John Tait was the model of solid consistency. He started 139 of 148 career games for the Kansas City Chiefs and Chicago Bears. While he never made a Pro Bowl, he was a solid, above-average player at a key position for a full decade.
Marc Wilson, QB, No. 15 pick (1980). Wilson saw action in 10 NFL seasons, starting 60 of his 126 career games. He threw for 14,391 yards and 86 touchdowns in his career. He spent his first eight seasons with the Raiders and flourished there, winning 31 of his 50 starts with the Silver and Black. He ranks third on the all-time passing list for BYU quarterbacks.
Jason Buck, DL, No. 17 pick (1987). In seven NFL seasons Jason Buck started 31 of 97 games and racked up 19 career sacks, including six sacks each in 1988 and 1989. He was a member of the 1992 Super Bowl Champions Washington Redskins (now Commanders), starting five of 13 games that year with three sacks.
Todd Shell, LB, No. 24 pick (1984). Shell’s NFL career lasted just four years in which he started 15 of 38 career games. His pro career got off to a great start with three interceptions and two sacks as a rookie, and he followed that up with four sacks in his second NFL season. But those were the highlights of his relatively brief NFL career.
Trevor Matich, OL/LS, No. 28 pick (1985). After helping BYU win the 1984 national championship, Matich was a first-round pick by the New England Patriots. Over the course of his 12-year NFL career he appeared in 148 games with many of those appearances over the last six years of his career coming as a long snapper.
Rob Morris, LB, No. 28 pick (2000). The hard-hitting linebacker’s career got off to a fast start. After being limited to just seven games as a rookie, in 2001 he had a career-high 114 tackles with 100 more in 2002. In all, Morris started 67 of 99 games over his eight-year career. His 489 career tackles ranks fourth all-time among former BYU players.
*Note: Steve Young (No. 1 overall) and Gordon Hudson (No. 22) were first round picks in the 1984 Supplemental Draft for players departing the USFL or Canadian Football League.