Texas born, bred and educated players are once again a steady presence in the NFL Draft.

DALLAS — It is NFL Draft time again, and that means one thing — a lot of Texas football players are having their dreams come true.

For both the grinders who’ve come out of nowhere and the blue chip, five-star recruits since grade school, this is a chance to revel in years of work and express thanks for those who’ve stood by them and pushed them to this point of accomplishment.

In this year’s draft we can expect a bit of a shift from what is typical regarding Lone Star State representation. In most given years, Longhorns from the University of Texas lead the way — history proves as such, with UT having a total of 406 players been drafted across the years, according to Pro Football Reference. Texas Tech has had a mere 179 drafted in its history, but it has several high-profile players who could be selected soon, including likely top five pick, edge rusher David Bailey, and defensive tackle Lee Hunter.

A few Gig’ Em alumni will be securing gigs as well, as we’ll keep an eye on the eventual landing places of prospects such as highly ranked wide receiver KC Concepcion and edge rusher Cashius Howell (this draft is DEEP with edge rushers). 

But of course, we do have a Longhorn to watch out for early in this draft, and more than that he’s a local. Linebacker Anthony Hill Jr, a grad of Denton Ryan High School and product of UT, stands as a potential 2nd or 3rd round pick according to NFL.com.

If one wants to wager on the first North Texas native to be selected in the draft, one could do worse than singling out Jordyn Tyson, who attended schools in Frisco before graduating from Allen High School. Tyson is in the running for being the first wide receiver selected overall in the draft after a star-making run at Arizona State. No less a receiving expert than Dez Bryant has Tyson as his top overall wideout in this year’s draft.

Here’s a look at where the players with Texas ties ended up: 

David Bailey, edge rusher at Texas TechCashius Howell, edge rusher at Texas A&MKC Concepcion, wide receiver at Texas A&MAnthony Hill Jr., attended Ryan High School in Denton, linebacker at TexasLee Hunter, defensive tackle at Texas TechJacob Rodriguez, attended S.H. Rider High School in Wichita Falls, linebacker at Texas TechJermod McCoy, attended Whitehouse High School, cornerback at Tennessee