The 5 Best South Dakota State NFL Players of All Time

Dallas Goedert delivered consecutive highly productive receiving seasons from the tight end position at South Dakota State. As a junior, he caught 92 passes for 1,293 yards, then followed with another 1,100-yard season. He earned All-America honors twice and became a Walter Payton Award finalist, while his one-handed catches reached national highlight shows. Philadelphia selected him in the second round in 2018.

The follow-up season is essential to Goedert's ranking argument: it establishes that his standout junior production was not an isolated peak. His reception total reflects a substantial receiving role, and the national honors reinforce the significance of that work. The spectacular catches added visibility, but sustained offensive output is the firmer reason to place him prominently among the Jackrabbits' NFL-bound players.

Adam Vinatieri's South Dakota State career involved more than placekicking. He also handled punting and kickoffs for the Jackrabbits, giving him responsibilities across the kicking game. An All-North Central Conference selection, he earned recognition for his college work before entering professional football undrafted. His later NFL career included prominent Super Bowl kicks, but his South Dakota State story begins with that broader specialist role.

Vinatieri's ranking should account for the range of duties he performed rather than simply borrowing from his professional fame. Conference recognition gives his college contribution a tangible distinction, while the combined assignments explain his value to the Jackrabbits. He remains a kicker in this comparison, with punting as an additional responsibility that makes his campus career more substantial than a single-role summary suggests.

Tucker Kraft continued South Dakota State's tight end tradition with contributions as both a blocker and receiver. An All-American, he averaged more than 14 yards per catch and helped the Jackrabbits reach the national championship game. His blocking complemented a receiving game that included the ability to separate from linebackers. Green Bay selected him in the third round in 2023.

Kraft's place on this list rests on the balance of those college responsibilities. The receiving average gives measurable weight to his offensive impact, while his blocking prevents the evaluation from becoming purely a pass-catching comparison. National recognition and a title-game appearance connect his individual work to the program's success. Rather than resting on one isolated highlight, his ranking reflects a well-rounded role in South Dakota State's offense.

Zach Zenner made sustained rushing production the defining feature of his South Dakota State career. He recorded three consecutive 2,000-yard rushing seasons and finished with more than 6,500 career yards. His physical running complemented that volume, and he also earned Academic All-America recognition. After college, he signed with Detroit as an undrafted free agent and earned a place in the NFL.

The repeated high-output seasons are central to Zenner's ranking. They distinguish a lengthy run of major production from a career shaped by one exceptional year. His cumulative yardage reinforces the same argument from another angle: South Dakota State received substantial rushing contributions over time. Academic recognition adds a separate accomplishment, but his place among the program's notable NFL players is grounded primarily in his college rushing record.

Pierre Strong Jr. paired career-long rushing efficiency with a productive senior season at South Dakota State. He averaged more than seven yards per carry during his college career and rushed for 1,686 yards as a senior. His big-play speed showed on outside-zone runs and screens, and he contributed as a receiver as well. New England selected him in the fourth round in 2022.

Strong's ranking draws support from both his overall efficiency and his final-season workload. The career average broadens the case beyond a single peak, while the senior total demonstrates substantial production within one season. His receiving value adds another element without shifting the focus away from his work as a running back. Together, those details explain why his Jackrabbits career deserves recognition independently of his draft selection.