We are days away from the 2024 NFL Draft, with several Ole Miss players hoping to hear their names called over the three days. Will their names be alongside some of the best Rebel players to be drafted?
Ole Miss has seen some of their best players selected as high draft picks in the history of the NFL Draft. Below are seven players who have been the highest draft picks out of Ole Miss since the 2000 NFL Draft.
7. Deuce McAllister, RB - Pick 23 in the 2001 NFL Draft
Seven is a strange number for a ranking article. However, Ole Miss has had four players picked at the 23 spot since the 2000 NFL Draft.
In 2021, New Orleans selected running back Deuce McAllister as the second RB in the draft, with LaDainian Tomlinson out of TCU chosen at No.5. McAllister rushed for over 1,000 yards in his first three seasons, the first time a Saints player had done so.
McAllister spent nine seasons with the Saints, winning a SuperBowl in his final season with the team, despite not featuring in the game. The Mississippi native was inducted into the New Orleans Hall of Fame in 2012.
6. Michael Oher, OT - Pick 23 in the 2009 NFL Draft
Baltimore selected Offensive tackle Michael Oher with the 23rd pick of the 2009 draft, one pick in front of Ole Miss teammate Peria Jerry. Oher spent five seasons with the Ravens, winning a Super Bowl as the starting right tackle.
Oher, who won plenty of honours in college with Ole Miss, went on to play at Tennessee and Carolina. His story was adapted into books and films, with the famous movie The Blind Side telling his story during college and into the NFL.
5. Laquon Treadwell, WR - Pick 23 in the 2016 NFL Draft
Minnesota Vikings selected Ole Miss wide receiver Laquon Treadwell with the 23rd pick of the 2016 draft. After three good seasons with the Rebels, the Vikings thought they were getting a WR1 of the future. However, Treadwell struggled in his four seasons, with Minnesota declining to pick up his fifth-year option.
Since then, Treadwell has bounced around teams such as Atlanta and Seattle. He spent the last season at Baltimore, on and off the practice squad.
4. Evan Engram, TE - Pick 23 in the 2017 NFL Draft
The New York Giants selected Ole Miss first-team All-American in 2016, tight end Evan Engram with the 23rd pick in the 2017 NFL Draft. The Giants picked up his fifth-year option at the start of 2020 after liking what they saw in his first three seasons on the team.
After his fifth season, Engram became a free agent, eventually signing a one-year deal with Jacksonville. After an excellent first season, with 73 receptions for 766 yards and 4 touchdowns, Engram signed a three-year contract with the Jaguars.