South Carolina All-Time First-Round NFL Draft Picks

South Carolina football has produced 220 NFL draft picks, all the way from Ed Cleary in 1939 to Nick Gargiulo in 2024.

The Gamecocks, historically speaking, haven’t had much success on an SEC-wide level. However, as a testament to just how dominant the conference is in college football, South Carolina still ranks within the top 40 in most overall NFL Draft selections.

Of those 220, only 16 were selected in the first round. Twelve of South Carolina’s 16 first-round draft picks came while the Gamecocks were members of the SEC (starting in 1992). Interestingly, 5 of those 16 first rounders were defensive backs.

Here’s a look at all 16 first-round picks:

South Carolina No. 1 Overall Draft Picks

Of the Gamecocks’ 220 NFL draftees, 2 were selected first overall – George Rogers and Jadeveon Clowney. Here’s a deeper look at the Gamecocks’ NFL Draft royalty.

George Rogers, RB — No. 1 Overall Pick, 1981 NFL Draft (New Orleans Saints)

Rogers is considered by many to be the best NFL player to ever come out of South Carolina and is one of the greatest Gamecocks in history. He was taken by the Saints No. 1 overall in the 1981 NFL Draft and played for 7 seasons – 4 with New Orleans and 3 with Washington.

Life as a running back at that time was even worse than it is now, though the position did see more of the glory. Injuries ultimately cut Rogers’ NFL career short, but he was well on his way to being known as one of the all-time greats in the game of football.

At South Carolina, Rogers put together 3-straight 1,000-yard seasons, including a particularly spectacular 1980 season when he rushed for 1,781 yards and 14 touchdowns. He finished as the winner of the Heisman Trophy.

Rogers went on to win NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year with the Saints, rushing for 1,674 yards with 13 touchdowns. He was the NFL rushing yards and touchdowns leader as a rookie and named an All-Pro with a trip to the Pro Bowl.

Rogers won Super Bowl XXII with the Washington Redskins in 1988 (1987 season), his final year in football. He rushed for 613 yards with 6 touchdowns that season through just 11 games. The year prior, Rogers had rattled off 1,203 yards with a career-high 18 touchdowns.

Jadeveon Clowney, DE — No. 1 Overall Pick, 2014 NFL Draft (Houston Texans)

Question for the reader of this page. Is there a better instance of “Ball Don’t Lie” than the below sequence in the 2013 Outback Bowl between South Carolina and Michigan?

It’s one of the most memorable moments in South Carolina football history. Clowney delivered one of the most devastating hits we’ve ever seen on a football field at a key moment in the game. The Gamecocks went on to win, 33-28. Clowney, meanwhile, went on to be selected No. 1 overall by the Houston Texans in the 2014 NFL Draft.

And it’s a pick that paid off for the Texans. Clowney, though he’s regressed some as his career has worn on, had an excellent 5-year stint in Houston that resulted in 3 Pro Bowl appearances. He’s bounced around the NFL some since, seeing stints with the Seattle Seahawks, Tennessee Titans, Cleveland Browns and Baltimore Ravens.

Other Notable South Carolina Selections

Sterling Sharpe, WR — No. 7 Overall Pick, 1988 NFL Draft (Green Bay Packers)

Sterling Sharpe is a member of the College Football Hall of Fame and one of the best offensive players the Gamecocks have ever produced, right next to Rogers.

Sharpe spent 4 years in Columbia and totaled 2,444 receiving yards with 17 touchdowns, a record at the time. His number was retired by South Carolina in 1987 and Sharpe went on to be selected No. 7 overall by the Green Bay Packers.

He had a spectacular NFL career, too. Sharpe appeared in 5 Pro Bowls when it was all said and done, spending his entire career in Green Bay with the Packers. He was named a 3-time All-Pro and finished his career with 595 receptions for 8,134 yards and 65 touchdowns.

Sharpe’s version of a down year consisted of 55 receptions for 791 yards and 1 touchdown his rookie season with the Packers. He went on to surpass 1,000 yards 5 times, including his next-level 1992 season where he finished with 108 receptions for 1,461 yards and 13 touchdowns.

John Abraham, DE — No. 13 Overall Pick, 2000 NFL Draft (New York Jets)

John Abraham played a lot of football across his career, folks.

Abraham, the No. 13 overall pick in the 2000 NFL Draft to the New York Jets, spent 4 years at South Carolina from 1996-1999. The Timmonsville, South Carolina, native amassed 23.5 sacks in his time in Columbia and was instrumental for the Gamecocks despite being undervalued as a recruit in high school.

Abraham put together a 15-year NFL career following his time in college, first with New York before landing in Atlanta with the Falcons and finishing his career with the Cardinals. Across his time in the NFL Abraham totaled 5 Pro Bowl appearances and 2 All-Pro selections.

He finished his career with 133.5 sacks, an average of just under 9 per season.

Stephon Gilmore, DB — No. 10 Overall Pick, 2012 NFL Draft (Buffalo Bills)

Stephon Gilmore led the defense of one of the best squads South Carolina has ever put together in 2011. He went on to put together a Hall of Fame-level career in the NFL with the New England Patriots.

But before he ended up with the Patriots, Gilmore was selected No. 10 overall by the Buffalo Bills in 2012. Gilmore was a strong player in Buffalo but achieved recognition with the Patriots, his best year coming in 2019 when he was named the AP Defensive Player of the Year.

Gilmore helped New England win Super Bowl LIII in 2019 at the end of the 2018 season, locking down a the Los Angeles Rams, a high-powered offense the Patriots held to just 3 points. He went on to see time with the Panthers, Cowboys and Colts and is a free agent entering the 2024 season.

Ethan Stone

Ethan Stone was an editor for his student newspaper at the University of Tennessee and is now a News Manager for Saturday Down South.