Oklahoma NFL Draft results: 3 Sooners drafted, 6 more sign as free agents
Three Oklahoma players were picked in the 2024 NFL Draft, while six others quickly landed opportunities as undrafted free agents. Here’s where each will start out in the NFL.
After 16 consecutive years of having at least four players drafted, the Sooners only had three players picked over the course of the league’s three-day, seven-round draft in Detroit. Offensive linemen Tyler Guyton and Walter Rouse heard their names called on the big stage, as too did defensive lineman Jonah Laulu, as the program came up just short of extending that streak — which was the longest active one in the country — to a 17th consecutive NFL Draft. The end of the streak was, in part, due to the decisions of some draft-eligible Sooners to return to OU for an additional season, with potential draftees such as All-America linebacker Danny Stutsman, All-Big 12 safety Billy Bowman Jr. and cornerback Woodi Washington among those opting to run it back for the Sooners’ inaugural season in the SEC.
Oklahoma’s three draftees this year tied for the second most among Big 12 programs; both TCU and Kansas State also had three players selected among the draft’s 257 picks across seven rounds. Texas paced the conference with 11 draft picks (second to only Michigan among all college teams this year; the national champion Wolverines had 13 players drafted across the three days). In all, the Big 12 had 31 players drafted this year, which was fifth most among FBS conferences — behind the Sooners’ soon-to-be conference, the SEC (59), the Pac-12 (43), the Big Ten (42) and the ACC (41).
Though only three Sooners got the call during the 2024 NFL Draft, several others quickly found landing spots as priority undrafted free agents, as nine Oklahoma players are set to begin their NFL careers as of Sunday morning. Below is a roundup of where each former Oklahoma player is set to begin his respective NFL journey…
Though only three Sooners got the call during the 2024 NFL Draft, several others quickly found landing spots as priority undrafted free agents, as nine Oklahoma players are set to begin their NFL careers as of Sunday morning. Below is a roundup of where each former Oklahoma player is set to begin his respective NFL journey…
OT Walter Rouse, Minnesota Vikings
After Guyton came off the board toward the end of Day 1, the Sooners had to wait until midway through Day 3 of the draft to see another player selected. When the sixth round came around Saturday afternoon, though, Walter Rouse was the first off the board. The Minnesota Vikings took Rouse with the first pick in the sixth round, selecting him 177th overall.
Rouse became the 13th Oklahoma offensive lineman to be drafted since Bill Bedenbaugh took over the position back in 2013, as the former Stanford transfer accomplished what he set out to do when he joined Oklahoma prior to his final college season. Rouse started every game for the Sooners at left tackle last season and was the team’s best all-around offensive lineman throughout the year.
