From prospects to pros
The NFL Draft is behind us, and while more Missouri players may have expected to hear their names called, the Tigers did have two players selected in quarterback Drew Lock and defensive tackle Terry Beckner Jr. It just so happens that Lock and Beckner are also the highest and third-highest rated recruits to sign with Missouri in the past four years according to the Rivals recruiting rankings (running back Nate Strong, who played just one season before leaving the team, was second). So we decided to take a deeper look at every Missouri player that has been drafted in the past 10 years, since 2010, to see how often the best high school talent that comes to Missouri makes it to the pros, and how often unheralded high school prospects have emerged as pro talents during their college careers.
Of the 23 Missouri products who have been picked since 2010, five were given a four-star rating as recruits, and one, Blaine Gabbert, earned a five-star rating. Considering Missouri landed 26 four-star or better players among the 210 total players it signed between 2007 and 2015 — the recruiting classes that make up this group — it's clear that there is some relationship between high recruiting rankings and playing in the pros. (It's also worth pointing out that another of of those highly-rated players, Dorial Green-Beckham, made it to the NFL, but he is not included here because he was dismissed from Missouri's team and transferred to Oklahoma.)
But it's also clear that a low recruiting ranking far from disqualifies a player from some day being drafted, and even potentially being drafted high. In fact, Missouri has had more players with a Rivals Rating of 5.5 or lower drafted in the past 10 years (seven) than players rated 5.8 or higher. Two of the seven first-round draft picks to come out of Missouri in the past 10 years, Charles Harris and Sean Weatherspoon, were rated two-star players out of high school.
All that said, here is a list of every Missouri player to be drafted in the past decade along with his recruiting profile and a brief synopsis of his college and pro careers.
Player: Drew Lock
Position: QB
Draft: Round 2; No. 42 overall
Landing Lock was a major recruiting victory for the Tigers, as he drew interest from the likes of Michigan, Ohio State and Texas. His struggles as a freshman and sophomore have been well-documented, but as a whole he performed even better than advertised, leaving Missouri second in both passing yardage and passing touchdowns in school history. Just because he was a high-profile recruit, however, don’t think he didn’t develop while in college. Following the 2017 season, he was told he would be unlikely to be drafted in the first two rounds, and after spending last season learning more pro-style skills from new offensive coordinator Derek Dooley, he emerged as a first-round talent.
Player: Terry Beckner Jr.
Position: DT
Draft: Round 7; No. 215 overall
Beckner’s commitment to Missouri made national headlines in 2014, and there’s little doubt that, at the time, most would have pegged him as a future first- or second-round draft pick. Two torn ACLs and inconsistent play over the past two seasons caused Beckner to slide a bit, but his blend of size and talent assured that he would be selected at some point.
Player: J'Mon Moore
Position: WR
Draft: Round 4; No. 133 overall
Moore doesn't qualify as an under-the-radar prospect, as he drew offers from Miami, Michigan State, Oklahoma State and Nebraska, among other schools. He developed relatively quickly into Missouri's most productive receiver during the 2016 and 2017 seasons. He likely could have been drafted higher had it not been for some struggles hanging on to the football.
Player: Charles Harris
Position: DE
Draft: Round 1; No. 22 overall
Harris is perhaps the ultimate diamond in the rough find for Missouri's coaching staff in the past decade. Missouri was the only Power Five school to offer the high school basketball player, but Harris wasted little time in turning into one of the most feared pass rushers in the SEC. He had seven sacks as a sophomore in 2015 and nine in 2016 before going pro. Harris is the most recent of a long line of pass-rushers who benefitted from Missouri's defensive scheme and turned themselves into high draft picks.
Player: Evan Boehm
Position: C
Draft: Round 4; pick 128
Boehm was a solid score for Missouri out of its own state, and he more than lived up to the hype, starting for all four years of his college career. He started out at guard as a freshman but then shifted to center, where he played the final three years of his college career and continues to play professionally. Boehm has bounced around a bit in the NFL but recently signed a new contract with the Indianapolis Colts.
Player: Connor McGovern
Position: OL
Draft: Round 5; No. 144 overall
McGovern was another under-the-radar find on the recruiting trail. Despite having no Power Five scholarship offers aside from Missouri, McGovern started every game for his final three collegiate seasons at either tackle or guard. Since landing in the NFL, he has worked his way up to a starting position for the Broncos at both center and guard. He is expected to start at center next season.
Player: Kentrell Brothers
Position: LB
Draft: Round 5; No. 160 overall
Brothers was far from unheard-of as a recruit, but he didn't attract offers from his home-state schools of Oklahoma and Oklahoma State. Missouri is thankful he didn't, as switched to middle linebacker in college and finished his career as one of the most productive defensive players in school history. Brothers led the NCAA in tackles as a senior, making a whopping 152 total stops in 12 games. He has made the Minnesota Vikings roster each of the past three seasons but has played almost exclusively on special teams as a pro.
Player: Shane Ray
Position: DE
Draft: Round 1; No. 23 overall
Despite his three-star rating, Ray drew attention from some big-time college programs as a high school player, landing an offer from Notre Dame and eliciting interest from Clemson. Even by those standards, however, he exceeded the hype while at Missouri. As a junior, he set a school record with 14.5 sacks in a season, earned consensus All-America honors and was named the SEC Defensive Player of the Year. At one point leading up to the 2015 NFL Draft, Ray was thought to be a possible top-five pick, but an arrest for marijuana possession and a lingering foot injury dropped him down draft boards a bit. His professional career hasn't quite lived up to expectations, as he recorded one sack each of the past two seasons and is currently a free agent.
Player: Mitch Morse
Position: OL
Draft: Round 2; No. 49 overall
Morse wasn't an especially hot commodity on the recruiting trail, but he eventually emerged as another piece of Missouri's star-studded offensive line in 2013. He played primarily tackle in college but has transitioned to center as an NFL player, to great success. Morse signed a contract with the Buffalo Bills earlier this season worth $44.5 million over four seasons, which made him the highest-paid center in league history at the time.
Player: Markus Golden
Position: DE
Draft: Round 2, No. 58 overall
Golden wasn't an especially highly-rated recruit, but he made enough of an impression on the Missouri staff that they stuck with him after he went to junior college for a year following his high school career. He then had to work his way up the ranks of the Tigers' talented group of pass-rushers once he got to campus. As a senior, he finally became a full-time starter and recorded 19.5 tackles for loss plus eight sacks. He has performed well in the NFL, and after four seasons with the Arizona Cardinals, he just signed a free agent contract with the New York Giants this offseason.
Player: Bud Sasser
Position: WR
Draft: Round 6; No. 201 overall
Sasser's college offer list was about fitting of a three-star prospect, with Missouri having to beat out the likes of Nebraska, Purdue and Texas Tech to land him. Sasser was never the most athletic receiver, but he steadily climbed the depth chart in college until, as a senior, he served as the go-to guy in the pass-catching corps. In 2014, Sasser finished the season with 77 catches for just over 1,000 yards. Due to a heart condition, however, he never got a chance to play in the NFL.
Player: Marcus Murphy
Position: RB
Draft: Round 7; No. 230 overall
Murphy has always possessed blazing speed, but his size as a recruit likely limited his options. However, he was able to carve out an important role at Missouri as both a change-of-pace running back and a dangerous return man. As a senior, Murphy rushed for 924 yards and caught 28 passes for an additional 212 yards. Plus, he returned three kickoffs and four punts for touchdowns during his college career. Despite being a late-round draft pick, Murphy appears to have found a similar role for the Buffalo Bills in the NFL.
Player: Kony Ealy
Position: DE
Draft: Round 2; No. 60 overall
Ealy was a prized high school prospect in the class of 2010, and Missouri beat out Arkansas and Mississippi to keep him in his home state. Ealy saw the field immediately as a true freshman, and his numbers increased each of the next two seasons until he burst onto the national scene as a senior. Ealy racked up nine sacks and 15 tackles for loss plus returned an interception for a touchdown in 2013. He left school early for the NFL Draft and was thought to be a borderline first-round talent, but he has not had the professional career many envisioned, never landing on a team last season.
Player: Justin Britt
Position: OL
Draft: Round 2; No. 64 overall
Britt, the final piece to Missouri's dominant offensive line in the 2013 season, was another in-state product. Unlike Ealy, however, he was not particularly highly-regarded as a recruit. Britt earned the starting left tackle spot as a sophomore and largely kept it through his senior year, with the exception of a stretch when he was injured during his junior season. Britt was the first of the recent run of Missouri linemen to transition to center once he got to the NFL, and he has had a very successful career there, starting 78 of the past 79 games for the Seattle Seahawks.
Player: E.J. Gaines
Position: CB
Draft: Round 6; No. 188
Landing Gaines didn't make a huge splash on the recruiting trail, but it didn't take long for him to make an impact at Missouri. Gaines saw the field as a true freshman and won a starting spot at cornerback by his sophomore year. They only defensive back to be drafted from Missouri in the past decade, Gaines earned first-team all-Big 12 honors as a sophomore and first-team all-SEC honors as a senior. Entering his sixth year in the NFL, Gaines has found steady work pros even though he has bounced around a bit from team to team.
Player: Michael Sam
Position: DE
Draft: Round 7; No. 249
(No profile available)
A lightly-recruited two-star prospect, Sam qualifies as another diamond-in-the-rough find for the Tiger coaching staff. Sam took a little while to develop into his role at Missouri, redshirting his first year on campus and playing sparingly the next. He finally earned a starting spot as a junior and then broke through with a huge senior campaign, when he totaled 10 sacks and 18 tackles for loss. He was named the SEC Defensive Player of the Year as a result. Sam never wound up playing a down in an NFL game, and whether that is due to a lack of talent or the fact that he became the first openly gay NFL player when he was drafted is still unclear.
Player: Sheldon Richardson
Position: DT
Draft: Round 1; No. 13 overall
It was apparent long before Richardson went to junior college or signed with Missouri that he had the athletic traits of a first-round draft pick. The Tiger coaching staff had to beat out Miami, USC and Auburn to land him as a recruit, and he immediately became a contributor on the defensive line. Richardson had 37 total tackles, including eight for loss, as a sophomore, then 75 tackles, including 10.5 for loss, as a junior. Richardson has bounced around a bit in recent NFL seasons, but he just signed a three-year contract with the Cleveland Browns earlier this offseason worth $36 million.
Player: Zaviar Gooden
Position: LB
Draft: Round 3; No. 97 overall
Gooden landed offers from seven Power Five schools as a high school prospect, when he played primarily safety. He switched to outside linebacker at Missouri and thrived, starting his final three seasons on campus. Gooden topped 80 tackles on the season as both a sophomore and a junior. He never found secure footing in the NFL, however, playing for three different teams across his three seasons.
Player: Michael Egnew
Position: TE
Draft: Round 3; No. 78 overall
Egnew will go down as one of the best under-the-radar finds by the Missouri coaching staff, as he had no Power Five offers as a wide receiver prospect in Texas. At Missouri, he promptly switched to tight end and wasted little time in making an impact. Egnew played as a true freshman in 2008, though he didn't play a huge role in the passing game because of the presence of Martin Rucker and Chase Coffman on the roster. As a junior, however, he exploded onto the national scene, catching a whopping 90 passes for 762 yards and five touchdowns. The performance earned him first-team All-America honors. Egnew was named to the first-team all-Big 12 as both a junior and a senior. Egnew didn't stick in the NFL, playing just 18 career games across two seasons and catching seven passes.
Player: Aldon Smith
Position: DE
Draft: Round 1; No. 7 overall
The Kansas City native never quite made it to blue-chip status, but Missouri had to beat the likes of Nebraska, Iowa and Kansas State to land him. Smith redshirted his first year on campus, but once he saw the field, he terrorized opposing quarterbacks. Smith set what was then a school record with 11.5 sacks as a redshirt freshman, and he also added 19 tackles for loss. He missed five games the following season with a broken leg, but was still productive enough to leave school and earn a top-10 selection in the NFL Draft. Like at Missouri, Smith made a quick impact in the pros, racking up 14 sacks as a rookie and following it up with 19.5 sacks in 2012, which ranked second in the NFL. Smith was selected to the Pro Bowl each of his first two seasons and a first-team all-Pro in 2012. His promising career was derailed by off-field issues, however. Smith hasn't played a game since 2015.
Player: Blaine Gabbert
Position: QB
Draft: Round 1; No. 10 overall
The highest-rated recruit to sign with Missouri in the past 10 years, Gabbert was viewed as a can't-miss talent coming out of Parkway West high school. Rivals rated Gabbert the best quarterback prospect in the country, and he had his choice of virtually any school in the country, including Alabama, so the Tigers' keeping him in his home state was much celebrated. Gabbert sat behind quarterback Chase Daniel as a freshman, but started his entire sophomore and junior campaigns. Gabbert topped 3,000 yards in each and led Missouri to 18 wins over that span. He was the third quarterback taken in the 2011 NFL Draft and emerged as the Jaguars' starter by the third week of his rookie year, but due to a combination of injuries and inaccuracy, he struggled. He's spent the majority of the past five seasons as a backup, though he has started 21 games in that span.
Player: Andrew Gachkar
Position: LB
Draft: Round 7; No. 234 overall
Profile not available
Gachkar was evaluated as a 5.4 two-star recruit coming out of Overland Park, Kansas, but he saw the field in his first season with Missouri. By his junior year, he had worked his way into a starting role, and as a senior in 2010, he racked up 84 tackles, second only to Gooden's 85. Despite being a late draft pick, Gachkar found a role for himself in the NFL, making most of his contributions on special teams. Gachkar missed just one game during his first six years in the league, but he only played six games in 2017 and didn't make a roster last season.
Player: Sean Weatherspoon
Position: LB
Draft: Round 1; No. 19 overall
Profile not available
Weatherspoon has become synonymous with "diamond in the rough" among Tiger fans. The Texas native had only two scholarship offers, from Houston and Missouri, at the start of his senior season of high school. But once he got to Missouri, Weatherspoon quickly showed he belonged at the major conference level. He played in all 13 games, mostly on special teams, as a true freshman. By his sophomore season, he was starting at weakside linebacker. He led Missouri in tackles as a sophomore, junior and senior. In 2008, his junior season, Weatherspoon racked up a ridiculous 155 total stops. He eventually became a first-round draft pick and had a solid three-and-a-half year run with the Atlanta Falcons until an injury forced him to miss most of the 2013 season and all of the following year. Weatherspoon has started just three games across three season since.