The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
Seven Longhorns taken on final day of the NFL Draft
04.26.2025 | Football
Texas’ 12 NFL Draft selections this year set a new program record for a seven-round draft.
GREEN BAY, Wisc. – With seven players taken on the final day of this year's NFL Draft on Saturday, Texas Football established a new program record for a seven-round draft with 12 total Longhorns selected in 2025, besting the previous program record of 11, which was set in 2024.
The Horns had 17 picks in 1984, and 12 in 1982, but those drafts went 12 rounds. By comparison, through seven rounds in those years, UT had 10 in 1984 and nine in 1982.
Texas has now had 28 players selected in four drafts under head coach Steve Sarkisian, which surpasses the Longhorns' total of 27 for the 10 drafts prior to his arrival. Sarkisian has also doubled the total draft picks during his four years compared to the four drafts prior to his arrival in which there were 14 combined.
Texas' 23 selections over the last two years are the most of any program in the nation. The 12 selections this year were third-most nationally, and the 11 last year ranked second. The most draft picks over the last two seasons include Texas (23), Georgia (21), Michigan (20), Ohio State (18) and Oregon (18). The Longhorns are also tied for the lead with five total first-round picks over those two years along with three other schools. Additionally, the 10 combined first and second-round picks for Texas over the past two drafts are the most of any program, leading Georgia and Ohio State with nine, and Alabama and Michigan with seven.
Tight end Gunnar Helm was the first off the board on Saturday after he went in the fourth round with the 120th overall pick to the Tennessee Titans. EDGE Barryn Sorrell also was taken in the fourth round with the 124th overall selection by the Green Bay Packers, becoming the second Longhorn in this year's draft to go to Green Bay after Matthew Golden went in the first round with the 23rd overall pick.
Running back Jaydon Blue will stay in the state of Texas after the Dallas Cowboys drafted him in the fifth round with the 149th overall pick. Offensive lineman Cameron Williams went 207th overall in the sixth round to the Philadelphia Eagles, pairing up with former Texas teammate Andrew Mukuba who was chosen by the Eagles in the second round on Friday. Offensive lineman Hayden Conner was selected in the sixth round with the 211th overall pick by the Arizona Cardinals, and to round out the draft, QB Quinn Ewers was chosen in the seventh round with the 231st overall selection by the Miami Dolphins.
Making up the group chosen in the first three rounds on Thursday and Friday were OL Kelvin Banks Jr. (first round, ninth overall, New Orleans Saints), DB Jahdae Barron (first round, 20th overall, Denver Broncos), WR Matthew Golden (first round, 23rd overall, Green Bay Packers), DT Alfred Collins (second round, 43rd overall, San Francisco 49ers), DB Andrew Mukuba (second round, 64th overall, Philadelphia Eagles), and DT Vernon Broughton (third round, 71st overall, New Orleans Saints).
With Banks Jr., Williams and Conner chosen, it marks the first time three Longhorn offensive linemen have been selected in the same draft since 1982. Meanwhile, Jaydon Blue's selection by the Cowboys increases Texas' streak of running back draftees to three years, which is the longest streak in program history.
Gunnar Helm – 4th Round – 120th Overall – Tennessee Titans
With the pick, Texas has had tight ends drafted in the fourth round in back-to-back years. Helm is also the second Longhorn drafted by the Titans over the last two years after former DL T'Vondre Sweat went to Tennessee in the second round with the 38th overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.
"I'm so excited for Gunnar because he's such a great example to any player of what hard work, dedication and patience can do for you. When you talk about being a developmental program, he truly epitomizes that," Sarkisian said. "He came in thin, played minimal time as a freshman, then in year two JT (Sanders) is becoming the guy, and Gunnar's just doing the dirty work, but all the while working and developing on and off the field. Year three, he continues to grow, but he's still in that supporting role. Then JT gets banged up and Gunnar has his opportunity and responded by making some big plays. JT moved on to the NFL and we challenged (Gunnar). We said, 'You do so many things well, but you've got to get more elusive, you've got to create more explosive plays when you're getting these completions.' And he did that."
"Gunnar will continue to be a great target in the NFL because he's got length, he has really soft hands, he's very bright, and he's tough. In this day and age, the tight ends are becoming more and more valuable in the NFL, but there are so many of them coming out of college that never really played tight end, they're really slot receivers that they're trying to make into tight ends. Gunnar is a true and complete tight end. He was a key blocker for us who was blocking big-time players in the SEC and still was able to split out and have the reception numbers that he had for us this year. He's got a bright future, and the Titans got a great player and person. He's going to play a lot of years in the NFL."
Helm burst onto the national scene during the 2024 season, starting in all 16 games and earning semifinalist status for the John Mackey Award and Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Award and Second Team All-SEC recognition. During his four-year career, he appeared in 55 games with 26 starts. The Englewood, Colo., native paced UT in receptions with 60 to go along with 786 receiving yards (13.1 ypc) and seven touchdowns. In Texas' win vs. Michigan on Sept. 7, Helm led the Horns with seven receptions for 98 yards and a touchdown. He also snared six catches for 77 yards and a score in the CFP First Round vs. Clemson on Dec. 21.
Barryn Sorrell – 4th Round – 124th Overall – Green Bay Packers
"Barryn's another guy who was here when we came and immediately became a reliable part of the foundation that helped us build a championship-level program," Sarkisian said. "He's a guy who I'm really proud of the work he put in during his time here and couldn't be happier to see it paying off with."
"He really worked at his craft and continued to get better from one year to the next. Barryn had some really impactful, big plays, for us in critical moments during his time at Texas. He's a guy who played his best football in his last season and his best football is ahead of him. Green Bay got a great player and person, and I'm excited to follow his career."
Sorrell, a four-year player from New Orleans, racked up 40 starts in 49 career games. He recorded 44 tackles (16 solo), 11 tackles for loss, six sacks, one pass break-up and a team-leading 12 quarterback hurries. He went on to have a stellar Senior Bowl, being named the American Team's Top Defensive Lineman.
With his presence up front, he helped the Longhorns lead the FBS in total interceptions (22) while ranking No. 2 in turnovers gained (31) and team passing efficiency defense (104.56) in 2024. UT also ranked third in the FBS in total defense (283.4 ypg), scoring defense (15.3 ppg) and red zone defense (0.692), while also sitting seventh in the nation in passing yards allowed (173.8 ypg).
Jaydon Blue – 5th Round – 149th Overall – Dallas Cowboys
"Jaydon made a ton of big plays for us and was a huge part of our offense the past couple of years," Sarkisian said. "He's a really electric player, a very versatile back. He's a guy who can run the ball effectively as a true running back, but we were also able utilize him from a receiving skill standpoint and get him the ball out of the backfield. He has great value in the return game, too. Jaydon's a guy that comes to work every day, really loves football and will be a great teammate. The Cowboys are getting an extremely versatile player who will be a great addition to their franchise."
Blue played in 39 games with five starts during his three-year career on the Forty Acres. Prior to the 2024 season, Blue landed on the preseason watch lists for the Doak Walker and Paul Hornung Awards. In his final season, Blue proved to be one of the nation's most explosive playmakers in the backfield after tallying 134 carries for 730 yards (5.4 ypc) and eight touchdowns. He also added 42 receptions to account for 368 receiving yards and six scores, accounting for 1,098 yards of total offense. His six receiving touchdowns led all SEC running backs in 2024. He posted two 100-yard rushing efforts on the season, including a 124-yard, three-touchdown performance vs. ULM on Sept. 21 and a career-high 146-yard, two-touchdown day vs. Clemson on Dec. 21. Throughout his three seasons on the Forty Acres, Blue totaled 1,644 scrimmage yards, 11 rushing touchdowns and seven receiving touchdowns.
Cameron Williams – 6th Round – 207th Overall – Philadelphia Eagles
"Cam's a guy with all the measurables and was fortunate to be in an O-Line room with a bunch of pros that worked like pros," Sarkisian said. "He's got the size, the arm length, the athleticism. He grew a ton in his time here, and although he was only a one-year starter for us, he was trending in the right direction of becoming an All-American-type player for us. He decided to declare for the draft, and we supported him in that, but I think he's got a very bright future as a tackle in the NFL. I know Philly will be happy to have him, and I'm excited to see his growth and development at the next level."
Williams, who played in 38 games with 17 starts in three years at Texas, held down the starting right tackle spot in 2024. Part of a 2024 Joe Moore Award finalist offensive line, Williams was named Co-SEC Offensive Lineman of the Week after Texas' season opener against Colorado State. Williams started 15 games in 2024, missing the CFP Quarterfinal at the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl on Jan. 1 due to injury.
The Duncanville, Texas, product was a crucial part of a Longhorn offensive line that protected for QB Quinn Ewers, who completed 293-of-445 passes (65.8 percent) for 3,472 yards and 31 touchdowns while averaging 248.0 yards per contest in 14 starts. Ewers finished sixth in the FBS in passing touchdowns (31), 14th in passing yards (3,472), 14th in points responsible for (202), 25th in passing efficiency (149), 26th in passing yards per game (248.0), 26th in completion percentage (65.8 percent), and 27th in completions per game (20.93). Williams was a part of a balanced Longhorn offense that averaged 278.8 passing yards (14th FBS), 158.8 rushing yards and 33 points (29th FBS) per game. He blocked for running backs Jaydon Blue and Quintrevion Wisner rushing for 1,064 yards on the season.
Hayden Conner – 6th Round – 211th overall – Arizona Cardinals
"Hayden played on an offensive line filled with pros, and they all worked like pros with Coach Flood. He's a very veteran offensive lineman who has played a lot of snaps for us, so that will help his transition to the next level a ton," Sarkisian said. "He's a big, physical guy who is a reliable player you can really count on. He's got a ton of experience to lean on, but also has position flex with the ability to play center or guard. On top of that, he's a guy who just puts his head down and works. Arizona got a guy that can really help them and will be a great teammate."
Conner played four seasons for the Horns, competing in 52 games and making 44 starts. He was part of a Texas offensive line that was named a finalist for the 2024 Joe Moore Award and a semifinalist for the 2023 Joe Moore Award. He started all 16 games at left guard for the Longhorns in 2024 and was named to the Allstate AFCA Good Works Team, along with being a semifinalist for the Allstate Wuerffel Trophy.
A native of Katy, Texas, Conner was pivotal for a Texas offensive line that protected for QB Quinn Ewers, who completed 293-of-445 passes (65.8 percent) for 3,472 yards and 31 touchdowns while averaging 248.0 yards per contest in 14 starts. Ewers finished sixth in the FBS in passing touchdowns (31), 14th in passing yards (3,472), 14th in points responsible for (202), 25th in passing efficiency (149), 26th in passing yards per game (248.0), 26th in completion percentage (65.8 percent), and 27th in completions per game (20.93). Conner was a part of a balanced Longhorn offense that averaged 278.8 passing yards (14th FBS), 158.8 rushing yards and 33 points (29th FBS) per game. He blocked for running backs Jaydon Blue and Quintrevion Wisner, rushing for 1,064 yards on the season.
Quinn Ewers – 7th Round – 231st overall – Miami Dolphins
"Quinn is a great player that has a bright future in the NFL," Sarkisian said. "I felt for him last year because he had to fight through so many injuries, but I'll say this about him, we've played in a bunch of big games since he's been here, and he's always showed up and performed in those big games even when he wasn't 100 percent health-wise. No matter the challenge, he'll always compete to get out there."
"You think about the last two years, he leads us to back-to-back CFPs – we're the only team to do that the last two years – we win a Big 12 Championship, and we compete for an SEC Championship. And he was a key guy in transforming a team coming off a 5-7 season into a championship-level program. He came in when we were building this thing, made an immediate impact, and his leadership was critical to the growth and success of our program over the last three years. He's tremendous player, even better person, and a great teammate. Miami got an outstanding quarterback who will be a great addition to their team."
A second-team All-SEC performer and finalist for the Manning Award, Ewers completed 293-of-445 passes (65.8 percent) for 3,472 yards and 31 touchdowns while averaging 248.0 yards per contest in 14 starts this season. He was also a semifinalist for the Maxwell Award, Davey O'Brien Award and Walter Camp Award. Ewers finished sixth in the FBS in passing touchdowns (31), 14th in passing yards (3,472), 14th in points responsible for (202), 25th in passing efficiency (149), 26th in passing yards per game (248.0), 26th in completion percentage (65.8 percent), and 27th in completions per game (20.93). Ewers closed his time as a Longhorn on a 27-game passing touchdown streak – the longest active streak by an FBS quarterback and the second-longest streak in program history behind Colt McCoy's program-record 29 games. The Southlake, Texas, product finished third in the program's record book in both passing touchdowns (68) and passing yards (9,128), and second in most 300-yard passing games in a career (11).
QUOTES FROM STEVE SARKISIAN
"There's nothing like seeing our players achieve their lifelong dreams of being drafted to the NFL, and that goes for the ones that will sign as free agents, too. When you look at last year's draft with a school-record 11 guys, and this year breaking that with 12, that's 23 players in two years drafted off a team that in year one (in 2021) we didn't have any. That says a lot about the work these guys have poured into building our program and the trajectory of where we're headed because of these guys. This group of guys went to back-to-back college football playoff semifinals, led us to top-five rankings the last two years, won the Big 12, were in the SEC Championship game in overtime – things that hadn't been done at Texas for a long time. They set a standard and there's a lot of be proud of with this group because of what they've meant to our program. To think, when we got here there were 32 players total from Texas on rosters in the NFL and when you add this group in, we've nearly equaled that number in the last three drafts (28) – 23 in the last two alone – which is pretty incredible. I couldn't be prouder of every one of these guys and the future they have ahead of them. It's not really when you get drafted, it's what you do with the opportunity, and I'm confident all these guys – along with the ones signing as free agents –understand that and will maximize the opportunity in front of them."
"These guys are one of the groups that helped change the culture of our program. We were excited to see their names called on draft day, but more importantly, want to let the teams that picked them know that they'll not only give it their all on the field, but be great teammates, tremendous representatives of their franchises and outstanding members of the community. We are incredibly proud of each and every one of them and so happy for them and their families."
"They really put in the work, bought in, committed to being great, and it says a lot about our staff and all they poured into them, as well. Their explosiveness and power, football IQ, ability to do a great job interviewing with teams, the way they conduct themselves, those are all things we take great pride in here, and these guys are a great reflection of that. It's a great moment for them and their families, but it's also definitely motivating for the guys that are on our roster now. The message to them is if you follow the recipe for success here and focus on team success, the individual accolades, awards and honors will come. We've got a hungry group that wants to help the team be successful. It's a roster full of 'want to' guys and not 'have to' guys, and I credit a lot of the players before them for creating that 'want to' mentality that our team has right now."
WHAT THEY'RE SAYING
That life-changing call📱 @QuinnEwers x @MiamiDolphins pic.twitter.com/7YlOkR6SEY
— Texas Football (@TexasFootball) April 26, 2025
Q 🤘
— Miami Dolphins (@MiamiDolphins) April 26, 2025
With the 231st pick in the #NFLDraft, we have selected QB Quinn Ewers from @TexasFootball. pic.twitter.com/Pw4CQDQiMf
alright, alright, alright 🤘 pic.twitter.com/mf7g0v2itY
— Arizona Cardinals (@AZCardinals) April 26, 2025
Nothing like seeing your name on Draft Day@BigCamWill x @Eagles pic.twitter.com/fyaT5iRfzC
— Texas Football (@TexasFootball) April 26, 2025
Cam Williams is headed to Philly 🤘@BigCamWill x @Eagles pic.twitter.com/ZGvp3SFzDc
— Texas Football (@TexasFootball) April 26, 2025
Views from the Green Room 📱@BarrynSorrell_ x @packers
— Texas Football (@TexasFootball) April 26, 2025
📺: #NFLDraft on NFLN/ESPN/ABC pic.twitter.com/EEV0WoGgF8
TURN US UP@amfam pic.twitter.com/XucLa49W4Y
— Green Bay Packers (@packers) April 26, 2025
THERE IS LITERALLY NOTHING BETTER THAN THIS!
— Green Bay Packers (@packers) April 26, 2025
Welcome to the squad, Barryn pic.twitter.com/9284LbslEP
Cowboy Blue 🤠@Jaydonblue23 | @TexasFootball #CowboysDraft | @Fanatics pic.twitter.com/8EnrpJLCfb
— Dallas Cowboys (@dallascowboys) April 26, 2025
headed to The Star 🔜@Jaydonblue23 | @SeatGeek pic.twitter.com/qPFnGfxg6o
— Dallas Cowboys (@dallascowboys) April 26, 2025
The Blueprint 📝@Jaydonblue23 | @TexasFootball pic.twitter.com/EawGyueo5u
— Dallas Cowboys (@dallascowboys) April 26, 2025
From dreams to reality 🤘@gunnar_helm x @Titans pic.twitter.com/9GwAhIknGP
— Texas Football (@TexasFootball) April 26, 2025
.@gunnar_helm is a Tennessee Titan ☎️
— Tennessee Titans (@Titans) April 26, 2025
Draft room call presented by @Verizon pic.twitter.com/BWAEPBIWiq
Alright, alright, alright pic.twitter.com/8igwb9xC7v
— Tennessee Titans (@Titans) April 26, 2025
