The NFL draft draws players from all over the country, and increasingly from other countries, into the selection process. There are obviously population differences between the states, but this year’s draft was notable for clustering the prospects from a select few states.
According to the NFL’s data, 77 of the 257 players drafted in 2024 played their high school football in just three states. That’s just under a third of all players from those three states. Florida led the way with 30—nearly a full round of prospects—followed by Texas (24) and Georgia (23).
The Florida number is a bit stilted; Top-10 picks JC Latham and J.J. McCarthy are each from different states (Wisconsin and Illinois, respectively) but finished their high school careers at IMG Academy in Bradenton.
Interestingly, six players were drafted who played their high school ball outside the United States: four Canadians, one Australian and one from England.