(Stacker) – Since the first draft was held in 1936, the National Football League (NFL) has used its annual culling of the top college talent in the country to grow its ranks, renew the popularity of the sport, and to increase competitive parity among all football teams. Though the draft process has undergone several iterations since that first draft took place, it remains true to its original design as an equalizer. In its current arrangement, the draft consists of seven rounds, whereby each of the 32 NFL teams receives one pick per round. The order of selection takes place in reverse order of how each team finished the previous season—in other words, barring any trades between teams, each round starts with the team that had the worst overall record and ends with the Super Bowl champions.
With the 2022 draft slated to be held April 28-30 in Las Vegas, Stacker compiled a list of the highest NFL draft picks born in West Virginia since 1970 using data from Pro Football Reference. Ties were broken by the most recent year drafted.
5. John Holland (WR)
- Born: Beckley, West Virginia
- Draft pick: Round 2, #29 overall in 1974
- Drafted by: Minnesota Vikings
- University: Tennessee St.
- Years as a starter in NFL: 1 (0 Pro Bowls)
4. Randy Moss (WR)
- Born: Rand, West Virginia
- Draft pick: Round 1, #21 overall in 1998
- Drafted by: Minnesota Vikings
- University: Marshall
- Years as a starter in NFL: 12 (6 Pro Bowls)
3. Dennis Harrah (G)
- Born: Charleston, West Virginia
- Draft pick: Round 1, #11 overall in 1975
- Drafted by: Los Angeles Rams
- University: Miami (FL)
- Years as a starter in NFL: 11 (6 Pro Bowls)
2. Gary Jeter (DE)
- Born: Weirton, West Virginia
- Draft pick: Round 1, #5 overall in 1977
- Drafted by: NY Giants
- University: USC
- Years as a starter in NFL: 3 (0 Pro Bowls)
1. Curt Warner (RB)
- Born: Wyoming, West Virginia
- Draft pick: Round 1, #3 overall in 1983
- Drafted by: Seattle Seahawks
- University: Penn St.
- Years as a starter in NFL: 6 (3 Pro Bowls)
