For Navy fans, the highlight of this year’s NFL Draft was watching as Rayuan Lane III had his name called by the Jacksonville Jaguars in the sixth round. Lane became the first Navy player drafted since quarterback Malcolm Perry went to the Miami Dolphins in 2020. His NFL potential has been a frequent topic of discussion among Navy supporters for the last two years, so it was validating to see that recognition materialize.

The other draft storyline from a Navy perspective was how few former opponents were selected. Just 15 players who faced Navy during their college careers were picked this year, down sharply from 32 in the 2021 draft. The most obvious reason: conference realignment. In 2021, AAC teams accounted for 19 draft picks. This year? Just six, although there are still a few players from SMU, UCF, and Cincinnati on this year's list.

NIL and the transfer portal have also played a role, siphoning off NFL-level talent from mid-major programs before they reach teams like Navy. Of this year’s 259 draft picks, 223 came from Power Four conferences. In 2021, 24 players were taken in the draft who had transferred at some point during their college career. This year, there were 93.

One final contributor is Navy’s bowl drought. From 2020 through 2023, the Mids didn’t play in a postseason game. That meant no matchups against programs like Virginia or Kansas State that regularly send players to the draft. The only bowl opponent in that span was Oklahoma, and both of their eventual draft picks opted out of the Navy game, so I didn't include them.

Anyway, on to the list:

*Injured for Navy game