Eagles in the NFL
Boston College football has sent 234 players to the NFL, including 214 through the NFL Draft; of which 21 players were selected in the first round. Sundays are filled with BC Eagles on the field in nearly every league match-up as 16 former BC players, including two-time Pro Bowl lineman Chris Lindstrom and Ravens standout WR Zay Flowers.
237 NFL ALUMNI • 214 NFL DRAFT PICKS • 21 FIRST ROUND PICKS
NFL EAGLES THROUGH THE YEARS
The Eagles have sent 237 players to the NFL and featured 16 alumni on league rosters in 2024. Leading the way is the latest first round pick out of Boston College in 2024 Pro-Bowl selection Zay Flowers, who logged over 1,000 receiving yards in his sophomore campaign with the Baltimore Ravens. Quarterback Matt Ryan, who captained the Eagles in 2006 and 2007, was the third overall pick of the Atlanta Falcons in 2008 and ranks eighth all-time in league history with 59,735 career passing yards. In his 15-year career, Ryan garnered MVP honors in 2016, while earning First Team All-Pro and led Atlanta to Super Bowl LI, and Rookie of the Year recognition in 2008 before announcing his retirement in 2024. The success of BC players in the NFL goes back to the league's beginning in 1920 with at least one player active in each season of NFL history. Art Donovan was the Eagles' first star player in the NFL; starting at defensive tackle for over a decade from 1950-61 and accumulating four All-Pro selections. Luke Kuechly entered the league in 2012 as the No. 9 pick of the Carolina Panthers. Prior to retiring after the 2019 season, Kuechly earned five All-Pro and seven Pro-Bowl selections; both the most all-time among BC players. He totaled 1,092 career tackles, twice leading the league, and picked up back-to-back Defensive Player of the Year honors in 2012 and 2013.
O-LINE U
As the league moved into the Super Bowl era Boston College emerged as "O-Line U", consistently pumping NFL-ready offensive lineman into the league, including Bob Hyland, an 11-year veteran and Super Bowl I champion as the ninth overall pick of the Green Bay Packers in 1967. Ten of BC's 21 first round draft picks have been offensive linemen, including Pete Kendall, a 13-year starter at the NFL level, Damien Woody, an 11-year starter, Pro Bowler and two-time Super Bowl champion with the New England Patriots, and 10-year starting left tackle for the Indianapolis Colts Anthony Castonzo. The Eagles added another notch to their claim as "O-Line U" in 2019 when the Falcons made offensive guard Chris Lindstrom the 14th overall pick. Zion Johnson followed in 2022 as the 17th overall pick to the Los Angeles Chargers. The Eagles' legacy of offensive line production continued with Christian Mahogany, the two-time All-New England selection who was selected by the Detroit Lions in the 6th round of the 2024 NFL Draft.
SUPER BOWL SUCCESS
Boston College has been represented in 38 of 56 Super Bowls. Thirty five former Eagles have won the Super Bowl and a total of 65 players have represented BC on the NFL's biggest stage. Matt Hasselbeck (Seahawks, Super Bowl XL) and Matt Ryan (Falcons, Super Bowl LI) have each started at quarterback in the Super Bowl. A program-record six Eagles took part in Super Bowl XLVI following the 2011 season. The New York Giants (Will Blackmon, Mark Herzlich, Mathias Kiwanuka and Chris Snee) defeated the New England Patriots (Ron Brace and Dan Koppen).
In the last seven seasons, former BC players have played key roles on Super Bowl teams. Luke Kuechly captained the Panthers to Super Bowl 50 with a NFC title. A year later Matt Ryan was named NFL MVP and put the Falcons into Super Bowl LI. In Super Bowl LIII, John Johnson started at safety for the NFC champion Los Angeles Rams.
2024 SEASON RECAP
Wide receiver Zay Flowers followed up a sensational rookie season with 1,059 yards and four touchdowns on 74 receptions in 2024. He earned selection to his first career Pro-Bowl along with Atlanta Falcons guard Chris Lindstrom, who reached his third consecutive Pro-Bowl. Lindstrom ranked as the second highest paid guard in the NFL in 2024 with a five-year, $102.5 million contract.
Defensive end Zach Allen, a 2019 third-round pick, had a breakout season in his sixth year in the league and second with the Denver Broncos. He collected a career-high 8.5 sacks, 15.0 tackles for los and 61 tackles as he earned All-Pro Second Team honors.
Veteran BC alums continued to make an impact throughout the league, including the longest tenured NFL Eagle Justin Simmons, who moved to the Falcons in 2024. The two-time Pro-Bowl selection produced two interceptions and seven pass break-ups, while starting 16 games. Linebacker Matt Milano rallied from injury to play in the final four games of the regular season and was a dominant presence in the Buffalo Bills' playoff run with 17 tackles, two sacks and five quarterback hits in three postseason games. Fellow linebacker Harold Landry recorded his fourth season of nine or more sacks with a total 71 tackles for the Tennessee Titans.
Three former BC offensive linemen made their NFL debuts in 2024. Recent sixth-round draft pick Christian Mahogany was inserted into the Detroit Lions starting line at the end of the season. Undrafted free agent Kyle Hergel debuted with the New Orleans Saints and played in eight games, while Alec Lindstrom, who initially entered the league in 2022, took the field for one game with the New York Jets.
BC AND THE NFL DRAFT
A BC Eagle has been selected in each of the last nine NFL drafts and 16 of the last 17 beginning with first round pick and two-time Super Bowl champion Mathias Kiwanuka in 2006. In that 17-year span, eight Boston College players have been taken in the first round; most recently Zay Flowers in 2024. Four Eagles were selected in 2014 and 2019 during that same stretch. In the latest draft, the Eagles added two more selections, with Elijah Jones going in the third round to the Arizona Cardinals and Christian Mahogany going to the Detroit Lions in the sixth round.
Back Pete Cignetti was the Eagles' first NFL draft pick in 1940 and three years later back Mike Holovak went fifth overall to the Cleveland Rams as Boston College's first first-round draft pick. The Eagles set a program-record with eight draft picks, in a 12-round draft, in 1977 led by first-round guard Steve Schindler. In 2002 and 2008, BC boasted two first-round picks. Running back William Green, who rushed for 887 yards and helped the Browns to the playoffs as a rookie, was selected 16th overall by Cleveland and Marc Colombo was taken 29th by the Bears on his way to 95 starts in a 10-year career. Matt Ryan became the program's highest drafted player at third overall by the Falcons in 2008 and was followed by tackle Gosder Cherilus at 17 to the Lions.
Chris Lindstrom, chosen by the Falcons, led a four-player draft class in 2019 as he became the 20th first-round pick in program history and ninth offensive lineman to be selected in the first round. Teammates Zach Allen (Cardinals, third round), Will Harris (Lions, third) and Tommy Sweeney (Bills, seventh) followed. Following the Eagles' 2018 season, BC's four draft picks were part of a program-record seven players to participate in the 2019 NFL Draft Combine.
Boston College's all-time leading rusher AJ Dillon declared for the NFL Draft following his junior season in 2019. After rushing for 4,382 yards in his career and 38 touchdowns, another BC record, he was drafted by the Packers in the second round with the 62nd overall pick in 2020.
2024: FORMER EAGLES IN THE PROS
| Player | Team | Position | Drafted | At BC |
| Zach Allen | Denver Broncos | Defensive End | 2019 (3rd Round) | 2015-18 |
| AJ Dillon | Green Bay Packers | Running Back | 2020 (2nd Round) | 2017-19 |
| Zay Flowers* | Baltimore Ravens | Wide Receiver | 2023 (1st Round) | 2019-22 |
| Will Harris | New Orleans Saints | Safety | 2019 (3rd Round) | 2015-18 |
| Kyle Hergel | New Orleans Saints | Offensive Guard | Free Agent | 2023-24 |
| John Johnson | Los Angeles Rams | Safety | 2017 (3rd Round) | 2013-16 |
| Zion Johnson | Los Angeles Chargers | Offensive Guard | 2022 (1st Round) | 2019-21 |
| Elijah Jones | Arizona Cardinals | Cornerback | 2024 (3rd Round) | 2018-23 |
| Harold Landry* | Tennessee Titans | Linebacker | 2018 (2nd Round) | 2014-17 |
| Chris Lindstrom* | Atlanta Falcons | Offensive Guard | 2019 (1st Round) | 2015-18 |
| Hunter Long (pictured) | Los Angeles Rams | Tight End | 2021 (3rd Round) | 2017-20 |
| Christian Mahogany | Detroit Lions | Offensive Lineman | 2024 (6th Round) | 2019-23 |
| Isaiah McDuffie | Green Bay Packers | Linebacker | 2021 (6th Round) | 2004-07 |
| Matt Milano* | Buffalo Bills | Linebacker | 2017 (5th Round) | 2013-16 |
| Justin Simmons* | Atlanta Falcons | Safety | 2016 (3rd Round) | 2012-15 |
| Isaac Yiadom | San Francisco 49ers | Cornerback | 2018 (3rd Round) | 2014-17 |
* - Pro Bowl Experience // # - Injured Reserve // ^ - Active in Training Camp // + - Graduate transfer completed eligibility at a different university
