UCLA Bruins' highest NFL draft picks since 1970

While most colleges and universities field a football team as part of its general athletics program, there are some for which football is more than merely a sport—it's akin almost to a religion. Devotion to the team and its colors is as important to that school's culture as a religious icon is to a believer. These programs actively scout and recruit notable high school players, and are in turn rigorously applied to by matriculating seniors eager to make a name for themselves at the collegiate level.

Among the most notable college football empires are Notre Dame, the universities of Alabama, Michigan, Texas, Nebraska, and Oklahoma, Penn State, Ohio State—the list goes on and on.

But for every touchstone football school, there is an outlier that has produced some of the most successful and cherished players in the game. Think Jackson State, which gave us "Sweetness" himself, Hall of Fame running back Walter Payton. Or Mississippi Valley State, which yielded 3-time Super Bowl champion and #1 Player in NFL History, as voted by the NFL Network, '49ers wide receiver Jerry Rice.

Each year, the college draft serves as a source of renewal to professional football and a testament to the quality of college programs nationwide. With the 2022 NFL draft set to take place April 28-30 in Las Vegas, Stacker compiled a list of the highest NFL draft picks from the UCLA Bruins using data from Pro Football Reference. Ties were broken by the most recent year drafted.

#20. Shaun Williams (DB)
- Draft pick: Round 1, #24 overall in 1998
- Drafted by: NY Giants
- Years as a starter in NFL: 5 (0 Pro Bowls)

#19. Jerry Robinson (LB)
- Draft pick: Round 1, #21 overall in 1979
- Drafted by: Philadelphia Eagles
- Years as a starter in NFL: 10 (1 Pro Bowls)

#18. Don Rogers (DB)
- Draft pick: Round 1, #18 overall in 1984
- Drafted by: Cleveland Browns
- Years as a starter in NFL: 2 (0 Pro Bowls)

#17. Manu Tuiasosopo (DT)
- Draft pick: Round 1, #18 overall in 1979
- Drafted by: Seattle Seahawks
- Years as a starter in NFL: 5 (0 Pro Bowls)

#16. Mike Sherrard (WR)
- Draft pick: Round 1, #18 overall in 1986
- Drafted by: Dallas Cowboys
- Years as a starter in NFL: 2 (0 Pro Bowls)

#15. Fred McNeill (LB)
- Draft pick: Round 1, #17 overall in 1974
- Drafted by: Minnesota Vikings
- Years as a starter in NFL: 8 (0 Pro Bowls)

#14. Luis Sharpe (T)
- Draft pick: Round 1, #16 overall in 1982
- Drafted by: St. Louis Rams
- Years as a starter in NFL: 13 (3 Pro Bowls)

#13. Kolton Miller (T)
- Draft pick: Round 1, #15 overall in 2018
- Drafted by: Oakland Raiders
- Years as a starter in NFL: 4 (0 Pro Bowls)

#12. Gaston Green (RB)
- Draft pick: Round 1, #14 overall in 1988
- Drafted by: Los Angeles Rams
- Years as a starter in NFL: 2 (1 Pro Bowls)

#11. Cade McNown (QB)
- Draft pick: Round 1, #12 overall in 1999
- Drafted by: Chicago Bears
- Years as a starter in NFL: 1 (0 Pro Bowls)

#10. J.J. Stokes (WR)
- Draft pick: Round 1, #10 overall in 1995
- Drafted by: San Francisco 49ers
- Years as a starter in NFL: 3 (0 Pro Bowls)

#9. Josh Rosen (QB)
- Draft pick: Round 1, #10 overall in 2018
- Drafted by: Arizona Cardinals
- Years as a starter in NFL: 1 (0 Pro Bowls)

#8. Jamir Miller (LB)
- Draft pick: Round 1, #10 overall in 1994
- Drafted by: Arizona Cardinals
- Years as a starter in NFL: 7 (1 Pro Bowls)

#7. Bill Sandifer (DT)
- Draft pick: Round 1, #10 overall in 1974
- Drafted by: San Francisco 49ers
- Years as a starter in NFL: 2 (0 Pro Bowls)

#6. Anthony Barr (LB)
- Draft pick: Round 1, #9 overall in 2014
- Drafted by: Minnesota Vikings
- Years as a starter in NFL: 6 (4 Pro Bowls)

#5. Jonathan Ogden (T)
- Draft pick: Round 1, #4 overall in 1996
- Drafted by: Baltimore Ravens
- Years as a starter in NFL: 12 (11 Pro Bowls)

#4. Kenny Easley (DB)
- Draft pick: Round 1, #4 overall in 1981
- Drafted by: Seattle Seahawks
- Years as a starter in NFL: 7 (5 Pro Bowls)

#3. Freeman McNeil (RB)
- Draft pick: Round 1, #3 overall in 1981
- Drafted by: NY Jets
- Years as a starter in NFL: 8 (3 Pro Bowls)

#2. Eric Turner (DB)
- Draft pick: Round 1, #2 overall in 1991
- Drafted by: Cleveland Browns
- Years as a starter in NFL: 7 (2 Pro Bowls)

#1. Troy Aikman (QB)
- Draft pick: Round 1, #1 overall in 1989
- Drafted by: Dallas Cowboys
- Years as a starter in NFL: 12 (6 Pro Bowls)