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NFL · 20 CAREERS FROM ONE PROGRAMME

Kentucky NFL player earnings

$403,769,811 earned in the NFL by 20 players from Kentucky, led by Joshua Hines-Allen on $124,674,951.

That is 34th of the 253 colleges the file names, and 35th of the 78 schools with 8 players or more on money per man. Nothing here is college money: it is what these men were paid once they reached the league, grouped by where they came from.

EARNED IN THE NFL $403.8m
PER PLAYER $20.2m
PLAYERS 20
IN THE LEAGUE NOW 8
FIRST ROUND PICKS 3

The richest Kentucky careers in the NFL

Money paid across a whole career

Joshua Hines-Allen $124.7m

Joshua Hines-Allen $125m Za'Darius Smith $101m Bud Dupree $80m Jamin Davis $14m Mike Edwards $11m Will Levis $9.5m Lonnie Johnson $8.9m Wan'dale Robinson $8.2m Josh Paschal $7.7m Luke Fortner $6.3m Andru Phillips $4.4m Trevin Wallace $4.4m Carrington Valentine $3.9m Landon Young $3.6m Ray Davis $3.5m Brandin Echols $3.5m Darian Kinnard $3.3m Jeremy Flax $2.5m Brenden Bates $2.0m Keidron Smith $1.1m

Joshua Hines-Allen alone holds 30.9% of everything Kentucky has earned in the league. 3 men of the 16 with a round on record went in the first, and they have earned $72.9m a career against $10.9m for everybody else.

Every Kentucky player ranked by NFL earnings

Money paid, and what is still contracted

20 careers

# Player Position Franchise Seasons Contracted Career earnings
001 Joshua Hines-Allen Outside Linebacker Jacksonville Jaguars 10 $50.2m $124,674,951$124.7m
002 Za'Darius Smith Defensive End Cleveland Browns 11 $100,967,546$101.0m
003 Bud Dupree Outside Linebacker Los Angeles Chargers 12 $80,306,190$80.3m
004 Jamin Davis Outside Linebacker Washington Commanders 4 $13,794,176$13.8m
005 Mike Edwards Safety Buffalo Bills 6 $11,040,514$11.0m
006 Will Levis Quarterback Tennessee Titans 4 $9,542,165$9.5m
007 Lonnie Johnson Cornerback Carolina Panthers 7 $8,880,111$8.9m
008 Wan'dale Robinson Wide Receiver New York Giants 4 $8,185,166$8.2m
009 Josh Paschal Defensive End Detroit Lions 4 $7,735,650$7.7m
010 Luke Fortner Center Jacksonville Jaguars 4 $6,319,752$6.3m
011 Andru Phillips Cornerback New York Giants 4 $1.6m $4,383,313$4.4m
012 Trevin Wallace Inside Linebacker Carolina Panthers 4 $1.6m $4,352,130$4.4m
013 Carrington Valentine Cornerback Green Bay Packers 4 $3,940,704$3.9m
014 Landon Young Left Tackle New Orleans Saints 4 $3,649,780$3.6m
015 Ray Davis Running Back Buffalo Bills 4 $1.2m $3,543,188$3.5m
016 Brandin Echols Cornerback New York Jets 4 $3,493,063$3.5m
017 Darian Kinnard Guard Philadelphia Eagles 4 $3,324,412$3.3m
018 Jeremy Flax Guard Minnesota Vikings 3 $2,515,000$2.5m
019 Brenden Bates Tight End New York Jets 3 $2,045,000$2.0m
020 Keidron Smith Safety Denver Broncos 4 $1,077,000

The table holds every one of the 20 careers the programme has put into the league. Money still written into a future season is in its own column and is not counted in the career figure beside it.

What Kentucky produces

NFL earnings of its alumni, by position

12 positions

Outside Linebacker $219m Defensive End $109m Cornerback $21m Safety $12m Quarterback $9.5m Wide Receiver $8.2m Center $6.3m Guard $5.8m Inside Linebacker $4.4m Left Tackle $3.6m Running Back $3.5m Tight End $2.0m

Outside Linebacker is where the programme's NFL money is, $218,775,317 across 3 players. Every position is ranked across the league here.

Where Kentucky players are drafted

Career earnings by the round they went in

16 with a round on record

Round Players Per career Earned
Round 1 3 $72.9m $218,775,317$218.8m
Round 2 4 $8.6m $34,343,092$34.3m
Round 3 3 $7.2m $21,743,579$21.7m
Round 4 2 $52.3m $104,510,734$104.5m
Round 5 1 $3.3m $3,324,412$3.3m
Round 6 2 $3.6m $7,142,843$7.1m
Round 7 1 $3.9m $3,940,704$3.9m

3 men of the 16 with a round on record went in the first, and they have earned $72.9m a career against $10.9m for everybody else. The whole draft is ranked here.

Where the Kentucky alumni are now

The franchises holding them, and what those careers are worth

15 franchises

# Franchise Players Career earnings
01 Jacksonville Jaguars 2 $130,994,703$131.0m
02 Cleveland Browns 1 $100,967,546$101.0m
03 Los Angeles Chargers 1 $80,306,190$80.3m
04 Buffalo Bills 2 $14,583,702$14.6m
05 Washington Commanders 1 $13,794,176$13.8m
06 Carolina Panthers 2 $13,232,241$13.2m
07 New York Giants 2 $12,568,479$12.6m
08 Tennessee Titans 1 $9,542,165$9.5m
09 Detroit Lions 1 $7,735,650$7.7m
10 New York Jets 2 $5,538,063$5.5m
11 Green Bay Packers 1 $3,940,704$3.9m
12 New Orleans Saints 1 $3,649,780$3.6m
13 Philadelphia Eagles 1 $3,324,412$3.3m
14 Minnesota Vikings 1 $2,515,000$2.5m
15 Denver Broncos 1 $1,077,000

What Kentucky alumni are paid each season

Every year of every career, added together

Peak in 2024

2024 is the programme's biggest year on record at $73,407,908 across 21 players. The whole 2024 payroll is ranked by player here.

Frequently asked questions

Who is the highest paid NFL player from Kentucky?

Joshua Hines-Allen, $124,674,951, a first-round pick in null, 7th overall. Za'Darius Smith is second on $100,967,546.

How much have Kentucky players earned in the NFL?

$403,769,811 across 20 careers, which is 34th of the 253 colleges on record and 35th of the 78 schools with 8 players or more on money per man.

Which position does Kentucky send to the NFL?

Outside Linebacker more than any other on money, $218,775,317 across 3 players. The programme has put men into 12 positions in all.

How many Kentucky players are in the NFL now?

8 men of the 20 here was on a roster in 2026, with $54,660,335 written into contracts for seasons not yet played.

Which NFL team has the most Kentucky players?

Jacksonville Jaguars, 2 players worth $130,994,703 between them.

Where to next

The schools either side of this one, and the rest of the money

Louisville · Auburn · Texas Tech · Miami (FL) · Tennessee · Wyoming · Maryland · Duke · Every college · NFL career earnings

Kentucky in the NFL

Colleges near this one

By season

Elsewhere in American football