NFL

Big Sky Conference, FCS standouts highlight NFL Draft

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The NFL Draft played out in Las Vegas, Nevada April 28 through April 30. A total of 24 players from the FCS, including five who played in the Big Sky Conference, were drafted.

A total of 10 more former Big Sky stars are headed to the NFL as undrafted free agents. And five more have chances to earn training camp spots with rookie mini-camp tryouts.

The Big Sky Conference saw three players drafted, while two more – former Sac State cornerback Daron Bland who ended his career at Fresno State and former Montana wide receiver Samori Toure who ended his career at Nebraska – were also picked.

Big Sky Defensive Player of the Year Troy Andersen, the 2021 FCS Defensive MVP out of Montana State after a completely unique career in which he was an All-American on both sides of the ball, was the top player drafted out of the Big Sky. The Dillon product went in the second round, No. 58 overall, to the Atlanta Falcons.

Later in the seventh round, MSU All-American defensive end Daniel Hardy went to the Los Angeles Rams. Montana State, North Dakota State and South Dakota State each had two players selected in the 2021 NFL Draft.

Andersen became the highest drafted native Montanan who also chose to stay in the Treasure State for school in the Big Sky era dating back to 1963. Andersen is the highest picked player in the draft out of the Big Sky in the 21st century and the highest pick from the league since 2022 Super Bowl MVP Cooper Kupp went No. 69 to the Los Angeles Rams in the 2017 NFL Draft.

The Class A product is the highest drafted player from either Montana since former Montana defensive end Tyrone Holmes went in the 6th round to the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2016. That same year, MSU tight end Beau Sandland was the last player from MSU drafted until the Falcons picked Andersen midway through the second round. The linebacker is the highest pick out of Montana State since Joey Thomas went in the third round of the 2004 NFL Draft to the Green Bay Packers.

Andersen and Hardy being picked means MSU had two NFL draft picks for the first time since 1976. And Andersen is the second-highest selection out of Montana State ever. Bill Kollar, who is now the defensive line coach for the Denver Broncos, was the No. 23 overall pick in the first round to the Cincinnati Bengals in the 1974 draft.

Here is a look at the former Big Sky and FCS standouts heading to the NFL.

Big Sky & FCS to the NFL




NameSchoolPositionNFL Team
Troy Andersen Montana StateLBAtlanta Falcons – 2nd Round, No. 58 overall
Daron BlandSac State/Fresno StateDBDallas Cowboys – 5th Round, No. 167 overall
Braxton JonesSouthern UtahOTChicago Bears – 5th Round, No. 158 overall
Daniel HardyMontana StateDELos Angeles Rams – 7th Round, No. 235 overall
Samori ToureMontana/NebraskaWRGreen Bay Packers, 7th round, No. 258 overall
Undrafted Free Agents
Tristen TaylorEastern WashingtonOTChicago Bears
Talolo Limu-JonesEastern Washington WRCarolina Panthers
Noah EllissIdahoDTPhiladelphia Eagles
Tre WalkerIdahoLBWashington Commanders
Tanner ConnerIdaho State WR/TE Miami Dolphins
Dylan CookMontanaOL Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Seth VernonPortland State PAtlanta Falcons
Bryce RodgersUC DavisDTAtlanta Falcons
Daniel Whelan UC DavisPNew Orleans Saints
Rasheed ShahidWeber StateWR/KRNew Orleans Saints
Lewis KiddMontana State OLNew Orleans Saints
Rookie Mini-Camp Invite
Eric BarriereEastern WashingtonQBDenver Broncos
Lance McCutcheonMontana StateWRLos Angeles Rams
Tre WebbMontana State SSAtlanta Falcons
Other notable draft picks – FCS
Trevor PfenningNorthern IowaOL New Orleans Saints – First Round, No. 19
Cole StrangeChattanoogaOL New England Patriots – First Round, No. 29
Christian WatsonNorth Dakota StateWRGreen Bay Packers – Second Round, No. 34
Pierre StrongSouth Dakota StateRBNew England Patriots – 4th Round, No. 127
Cordell VolsonNorth Dakota StateOTCincinnati Bengals – 4th Round, No. 136
Matt Waletzko North DakotaOLDallas Cowboys – 5th Round, No. 155
Zyon McCollumSam Houston StateDBTampa Bay Buccaneers – 5th Round, No. 157
Chris OladokunSouth Dakota StateQBPittsburgh Steelers – 7th round, No. 241



  • Eastern Washington senior quarterback Eric Barriere, pictured here during the 2018 national title game in Frisco, Texas/ by Brooks Nuanez
  • Montana State linebacker Troy Andersen (15) in 2021/by Jason Bacaj-Skyline Sports
  • Montana State offensive lineman Lewis Kidd (76) and Taylor Tuiasosopo (51) carry the Great Divide Trophy/by Brooks Nuanez
  • Montana State fifth-year senior offensive lineman Lewis Kidd/ by Brooks Nuanez
  • North Dakota State senior offensive lineman Cordell Volson holds up the national championship trophy. The Balfour, North Dakota native is a three-time All-American and one of the best players in the country. His older brother, Tanner, who as also an All-American at NDSU, now plays for the Los Angeles Chargers/ by Jason Bacaj
  • Montana State defenders wrap up Montana wide receiver Samori Toure (8).by Brooks Nuanezz
  • North Dakota State offensive lineman Cordell Volson (67) and Zach Johnson (68)/by NDSU Athletics
  • Sacramento State cornerback Daron Bland/ by Brooks Nuanez
  • Eastern Washington quarterback Eric Barriere (3) vs Montana in 2019/by Brooks Nuanez
  • Eastern Washington quarterback Eric Barrier (3) in 2018/by Brooks Nuanez

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About Colter Nuanez

Colter Nuanez is the co-founder and senior writer for Skyline Sports. After spending six years in the newspaper industry with stops at the Missoulian, the Ellensburg Daily Record and the Bozeman Daily Chronicle, the former Washington Newspaper Association Sportswriter of the Year and University of Montana Journalism School graduate ('09) has cultivated a deep passion for sports journalism during his 13-year career covering the Big Sky Conference. In August of 2014, Colter and brother Brooks merged their passions of writing and art to found Skyline Sports.

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