Two hundred fifty-four young men heard their names called in the 2019 NFL Draft, and a week later the NFL has finished compiling and cross-checking the data to determine the ultimate question: Which states produce the most NFL talent?
Thirty-eight states produced at least one draft pick, plus Washington, D.C. and a foreign country. Eight produced at least 10.
States With Most 2019 Draft Picks
1. Florida -- 34
2. Texas -- 27
3. California -- 22
4. Georgia -- 13
4. Ohio -- 13
6. North Carolina -- 10
6. Mississippi -- 10
6. Louisiana -- 10
* For accounting purposes, the NFL counts IMG Academy graduates toward Florida's total. IMG produced two picks -- Georgia tight end Isaac Nauta, from Buford, Ga., and Arkansas offensive lineman Hjalte Froholdt, from Sevendborg, Denmark. I debated whether or not to credit Florida with those players and ultimately decided to do so, your milage may vary.
Florida led the nation with five first-round selections, followed by North Carolina and Texas with three apiece.
With 252 American selections against a population of 308,745,538, as of the 2010 census -- the US Census Bureau lists the current population at 328 million and change, but we'll go with the NFL's figure -- that equates to a per capita rate of one (1) 2019 NFL Draft pick for every 1.22 million people.
With that said, here are the states with the most 2019 draft picks when adjusting for population.
States With Most 2019 Draft Picks Per Capita
1. Mississippi -- 1 for every 296,730 people
2. Louisiana -- 1 for every 453,337 people
3. Utah -- 1 for every 552,777 people
4. Florida -- 1 for every 552,980 people
5. District of Columbia -- 1 for every 601,723 people
The following states did not produce a 2019 draft picks: Alaska, Hawaii, Idaho, Maine, Montana, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Vermont, and Wyoming.
All of those states lose bragging rights not only to the other 38 states (plus the District of Columbia... and Australia) but to a handful of high schools as well.
Three Players Selected
Allen (Texas) -- Kyler Murray, Greg Little, Bobby Evans
Cocoa (Florida) -- Jawaan Taylor, Jamel Dean, Chauncey Gardner-Johnson
Two Players Selected
Tulsa Booker T. Washington (Okla.) -- Justice Hill, Jordan Bailford
Salt Lake City Brighton (Utah) -- Cody Barton, Jackson Barton
Eden Prairie (Minn.) -- Ryan Connelly, Blake Cashman
IMG Academy (Bradenton, Fla.) -- Hjalte Froholdt, Isaac Nauta
Miami Killian (Fla.) -- Sheldrick Redwine, Jaquan Johnson
Phoenix Paradise Valley (Ariz.) -- Ryan Finley, Jordan Brown
Fort Lauderdale Saint Thomas Aquinas (Fla.) -- Nick Bosa, Jordan Scarlett
Wake Forest (N.C.) -- Dexter Lawrence, Bryce Love
Birmingham Wenonah (Ala.) -- Quinnen Williams, Quincy Williams
Cincinnati Winton Woods (Ohio) -- Mike Edwards, David Long
