With The First Pick
Fansided

Building the All non-FBS NFL team of current players

By Derek Mountain

JACKSONVILLE, FLORIDA - DECEMBER 02: Darius Leonard #53 of the Indianapolis Colts warms up on the field prior to the start of their game against the Jacksonville Jaguars at TIAA Bank Field on December 02, 2018 in Jacksonville, Florida. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images)
JACKSONVILLE, FLORIDA - DECEMBER 02: Darius Leonard #53 of the Indianapolis Colts warms up on the field prior to the start of their game against the Jacksonville Jaguars at TIAA Bank Field on December 02, 2018 in Jacksonville, Florida. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images) /
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CHICAGO, IL – DECEMBER 09: Tarik Cohen #29 of the Chicago Bears runs with the football in the first quarter against the Los Angeles Rams at Soldier Field on December 9, 2018 in Chicago, Illinois. He is just one successful NFL player to come from the FCS level. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)
CHICAGO, IL – DECEMBER 09: Tarik Cohen #29 of the Chicago Bears runs with the football in the first quarter against the Los Angeles Rams at Soldier Field on December 9, 2018 in Chicago, Illinois. He is just one successful NFL player to come from the FCS level. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images) /

Most of the NFL has a solid crop of FCS talent.

The demographic of the NFL is different than any of the other major sports in the US, but the FCS level is not near the top. According to Pro Football Reference, the NFL is made up of 96.5% American born players (NHL = 26.5%, NBA = 76%, MLB = 71%), where almost all of these players are from universities and colleges around the country. According to NCAA.com, in 2019, a significant number of these players come from FBS schools, approximately 85%. However, unlike other major sports, there are still hundreds of small school guys that make up the league and contribute significantly.

Guys from the FCS, Division II, Division III, Canadian, or NAIA (National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics) levels all contribute in significant ways. Over the last 10 years, there have been an average of 17.7 FCS players, and 5.6 DII-DIII, Canadian, NAIA players selected per year. This number took a big hit this year because of the ongoing pandemic.

Over 140 pro days were cancelled this year, and as a small school player, usually it’s their one shot to impress personnel and scouts in the NFL. These scouts typically might not be as familiar with these prospects and haven’t yet made an evaluation in person, making the pro day even more crucial. Because of this, there were only 6 FCS and 3 DII/DIII selected this year.

As a homage to these small school guys, here is a roster of the league’s best non-FBS guys. These guys typically went late in the draft or didn’t get selected at all. This roster is made up of some of the league’s biggest playmakers with 35 Pro Bowl appearances, and a lot of consistent producers.

NOTE: This is not a 53-man roster, it is simply a 2-3 deep depth chart at each position

*= Formerly FCS school now turned FBS

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