Seven Jersey Boys Selected in First Round of 2009 NFL Draft

Seven first round picks, in this year's NFL draft, played their high school football in that little stretch of land, between NYC and Philadelphia, known as New Jersey. 

New Jersey!  When you hear the name, you think of pharmaceutical companies, Springsteen, the Garden State Parkway, and one of the first places college basketball coaches go to recruit—Rick Pitino, Jay Wright, and Coach K will tell you that!

Texas can claim six first rounders in this year's NFL draft, California three, Maryland two, Ohio two, and North Carolina two.  10 states had one.

Is it time to start thinking of New Jersey as a hotbed of football?

New Jersey was always considered to have good football talent but it was never on the level of a Florida or a Texas.  

A lot of great players have come from the Garden State but seven first rounders, in one draft—that's impressive!

Maybe the football resurgence of Rutgers, the state university, has inspired more kids to play.  Maybe it's a coincidence.

And speaking of Rutgers, wide receiver Kenny Britt, drafted by the Colts and from New Jersey, is the first player in school history to be taken in the first round. 

New Jersey's 2009 NFL First Round Draft Picks:

    No.  8  OT Eugene Monroe (6'6" 315) Plainfield High School, Plainfield, NJ

                   drafted by Jacksonville, college - Virginia

    No.  9  DT B. J. Raji (6'1" 323) Westwood Regional, Washington Township, NJ

                   drafted by Green Bay, college - Boston College

   No. 11  RB Knowshown Moreno ( 5'11" 217) Middletown High School, Bedford, NJ

                  drafted by Denver, college - Georgia

   No. 14  CB Malcolm Jenkens (6'0" 204) Piscataway High School, Piscataway, NJ

                 drafted by New Orleans, college - Ohio State

   No. 15  OLB Brian Cushing (6'3" 255) Bergen Catholic High School, Oradell, NJ

                drafted by Houston, college - USC

   No. 27  RB Donald Brown (5'10" 208) Red Bank Catholic High School, Red Bank, NJ

                drafted by Indianapolis, college - UConn

   No. 30  WR Kenny Britt (6'3" 218) Bayonne High School, Bayonne, NJ

               drafted by Tennessee, college - Rutgers