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NFL · 15 CAREERS FROM ONE PROGRAMME

Southern Methodist NFL player earnings

$217,055,332 earned in the NFL by 15 players from Southern Methodist, led by Courtland Sutton on $67,690,248.

That is 52nd of the 253 colleges the file names, and 57th 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 $217.1m
PER PLAYER $14.5m
PLAYERS 15
IN THE LEAGUE NOW 4
FIRST ROUND PICKS 0

The richest Southern Methodist careers in the NFL

Money paid across a whole career

Courtland Sutton $67.7m

Courtland Sutton $68m Kelvin Beachum $43m Thomas Morstead $38m Elijah Chatman $13m Zach Wood $11m Evan Brown $8.7m Brandon Stephens $6.6m Rashee Rice $6.5m Kylen Granson $6.2m James Proche $4.2m Grant Calcaterra $3.8m Charles Woods $2.8m Trevor Denbow $2.5m Shane Buechele $1.9m Jaylon Thomas $704k

Courtland Sutton alone holds 31.2% of everything Southern Methodist has earned in the league. None of the 6 with a round on record went in the first.

Every Southern Methodist player ranked by NFL earnings

Money paid, and what is still contracted

15 careers

# Player Position Franchise Seasons Contracted Career earnings
001 Courtland Sutton Wide Receiver Denver Broncos 8 $67,690,248$67.7m
002 Kelvin Beachum Right Tackle Arizona Cardinals 13 $43,177,584$43.2m
003 Thomas Morstead Punter New York Jets 16 $38,416,116$38.4m
004 Elijah Chatman Defensive Tackle New York Giants 3 $12,506,003$12.5m
005 Zach Wood Long Snapper New Orleans Saints 11 $1.4m $11,310,000$11.3m
006 Evan Brown Center Arizona Cardinals 9 $8,741,463$8.7m
007 Brandon Stephens Cornerback Baltimore Ravens 4 $6,589,236$6.6m
008 Rashee Rice Wide Receiver Kansas City Chiefs 4 $6,495,208$6.5m
009 Kylen Granson Tight End Indianapolis Colts 4 $6,247,368$6.2m
010 James Proche Wide Receiver Cleveland Browns 5 $4,165,185$4.2m
011 Grant Calcaterra Tight End Philadelphia Eagles 4 $3,834,144$3.8m
012 Charles Woods Cornerback Los Angeles Rams 3 $2,832,000$2.8m
013 Trevor Denbow Safety Indianapolis Colts 3 $2,452,782$2.5m
014 Shane Buechele Quarterback Buffalo Bills 4 $1,894,328$1.9m
015 Jaylon Thomas Right Tackle Houston Texans 4 $703,667

The table holds every one of the 15 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 Southern Methodist produces

NFL earnings of its alumni, by position

10 positions

Wide Receiver $78m Right Tackle $44m Punter $38m Defensive Tackle $13m Long Snapper $11m Tight End $10m Cornerback $9.4m Center $8.7m Safety $2.5m Quarterback $1.9m

Wide Receiver is where the programme's NFL money is, $78,350,641 across 3 players. Every position is ranked across the league here.

Where Southern Methodist players are drafted

Career earnings by the round they went in

6 with a round on record

Round Players Per career Earned
Round 2 2 $37.1m $74,185,456$74.2m
Round 3 1 $6.6m $6,589,236$6.6m
Round 5 1 $38.4m $38,416,116$38.4m
Round 6 2 $4.0m $7,999,329$8.0m

None of the 6 with a round on record went in the first. The whole draft is ranked here.

Where the Southern Methodist alumni are now

The franchises holding them, and what those careers are worth

13 franchises

# Franchise Players Career earnings
01 Denver Broncos 1 $67,690,248$67.7m
02 Arizona Cardinals 2 $51,919,047$51.9m
03 New York Jets 1 $38,416,116$38.4m
04 New York Giants 1 $12,506,003$12.5m
05 New Orleans Saints 1 $11,310,000$11.3m
06 Indianapolis Colts 2 $8,700,150$8.7m
07 Baltimore Ravens 1 $6,589,236$6.6m
08 Kansas City Chiefs 1 $6,495,208$6.5m
09 Cleveland Browns 1 $4,165,185$4.2m
10 Philadelphia Eagles 1 $3,834,144$3.8m
11 Los Angeles Rams 1 $2,832,000$2.8m
12 Buffalo Bills 1 $1,894,328$1.9m
13 Houston Texans 1 $703,667

What Southern Methodist 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 $34,100,193 across 15 players. The whole 2024 payroll is ranked by player here.

Frequently asked questions

Who is the highest paid NFL player from Southern Methodist?

Courtland Sutton, $67,690,248, a second-round pick in 2018, 40th overall. Kelvin Beachum is second on $43,177,584.

How much have Southern Methodist players earned in the NFL?

$217,055,332 across 15 careers, which is 52nd of the 253 colleges on record and 57th of the 78 schools with 8 players or more on money per man.

Which position does Southern Methodist send to the NFL?

Wide Receiver more than any other on money, $78,350,641 across 3 players. The programme has put men into 10 positions in all.

How many Southern Methodist players are in the NFL now?

4 men of the 15 here was on a roster in 2026, with $1,445,000 written into contracts for seasons not yet played.

Which NFL team has the most Southern Methodist players?

Denver Broncos, one player worth $67,690,248 between them.

Where to next

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

Houston · Boise State · North Dakota State · Eastern Washington · Cincinnati · Temple · Illinois · Central Florida · Every college · NFL career earnings

Southern Methodist in the NFL

Colleges near this one

By season

Elsewhere in American football