Top 11 NFL Teams With The Most Homegrown Talent
Every young football fan often dreams of playing for their hometown team they've been growing up watching.
I remember as a child, I would play backyard football with the other neighborhood kids. We would have our Vikings jerseys on pretending to be our favorite players.
High school is where the dream of even playing in the NFL or even college sputters out for most players.
Only 6.5% of high school ballplayers make it to the college ranks while an insanely low percentage of college players make it to the NFL at 1.6%.
Even if you make it to the NFL, you'll be lucky to have a career that's 3 years or more. It's an incredibly long and arduous road to the NFL and many who dream of making it won't even come close.
Now, what about those players who have had an interesting enough career path that they wind up playing for the team they grew up watching?
If you're looking for more odds, let's just say it's the fewest out of any I've shared so far.
Since NFL teams draft players, they don't have a say where they're going to play for the first part of their career, many won't come close to their old stomping grounds.
Players let go by teams are Free Agents and have more of an option of where they would like to play, but that's a two-way deal so it's still pretty rare for players to be able to play for their childhood team.
Today, however, we're going to be taking look at the players who are currently playing for their hometown team.
Note: I left out teams that are from the following states:
- California
- Florida
- Texas
My reasoning behind this is these three states have some of the highest populations in the country. Along with that, these three states are heavy football powerhouses that produce the most NFL talent by far.
The NFL teams residing in these states have the biggest chance of securing the most homegrown talent which would make this list very dull.
Now, here are the top 11 teams with the most homegrown talent.
1. Cincinnati Bengals
- Number of hometown players: 9
- Most notable: Joe Burrow
2. New York Jets
- Number of hometown players: 7
- Most notable: Greg Van Roten
3. Cleveland Browns
- Number of hometown players: 4
- Most notable: No Cleveland Brown from Ohio has not made sufficient enough impact to mention.
4. New York Giants
- Number of hometown players: 4
- Most notable: Saqoun Barkley
The Numbers are still skewed
Due to New York's high population along with Ohio's higher population and football history, the top 4 teams with homegrown NFL Talent make up only two states.
The next 6 teams are all tied with the same number of homegrown players.
5. Chicago Bears
- Number of hometown players: 3
- Most notable: Cole Kemt
6. Arizona Cardinals
- Number of hometown players: 3
- Most notable: Kristian Kirk
7. Buffalo Bills
- Number of hometown players: 3
- Most Notable: Jon Feliciano
8. Carolina Panthers
- Number of hometown players: 3
- Most Notable: All native Carolinians on the Panthers roster have yet to make an impact
9. Kansas City Chiefs
- Number of hometown players: 3
- Most Notable: Austin Blythe-Although he has just signed this offseason, he will look to make an impact for the Chiefs during the 2021 season.
10. Minnesota Vikings
- Number of hometown players: 3
- Most Notable: Adam Theilen
11. Atlanta Falcons
- Number of hometown players: 3
- Most Notable: Mike Davis
Hometown roots, small-time impact
Homegrown players don't always make a tremendous impact on their teams as they would like.
Homegrown talents such as Adam Theilen and Saqoun Barkley have become superstars for their local team, but many others find it hard to break into stardom.
Which teams have the fewest homegrown players?
There are 5 different teams tied for the lowest amount of homegrown talent. The Ravens, the Patriots, the Raiders, the Eagles, and the Seahawks have zero players born in their state.
There's always a chance
If you're a young football player who dreams of playing for your hometown team, it goes without saying it's near impossible.
But theirs still a chance.
This list goes to show that it is possible to one day play for your team even if you get drafted by a different team to begin your career.
Opinions and Perspectives
Free agency should give more players chances to come home late in their careers.
Seeing how hard it is to make it home makes me appreciate these players even more.
The draft system makes hometown dreams tough, but that's what makes these stories so special.
Minnesota developing local talent like Thielen shows the importance of good scouting in your backyard.
Free agency definitely gives veterans more chances to come home, but roster spots are so competitive.
Even 3 hometown players is impressive when you consider the odds of making it to the NFL.
Amazing to think about all the local high school games these guys played before making it big.
This really shows how rare it is to make it to the NFL, let alone play for your hometown team.
Barkley playing for the Giants is great, but Pennsylvania has so much more talent to offer.
Pretty cool that some of these guys get to play in the same stadiums they watched games in as kids.
The population explanation makes sense but still would've been interesting to see Texas numbers.
Playing for your hometown team must add extra pressure. Not everyone can handle that.
Jets leading New York teams in local talent is unexpected. Giants need to step up their game.
Interesting how offensive line positions seem to have more hometown players.
Love how Burrow embraced being Cincinnati's hometown hero. Not all players do that.
Thielen went from practice squad to Pro Bowl. That's the kind of story every hometown kid dreams about.
Surprised Green Bay isn't on this list at all. Thought they'd have at least a few Wisconsin players.
Cole Kmet representing Chicago is great. Hope he develops into a star for the Bears.
Raiders having zero hometown players might change now that they're in Las Vegas.
Those college to NFL percentages are eye-opening. Makes you appreciate these success stories even more.
Always loved seeing local guys make it. Gives the community something special to rally around.
I disagree about hometown rules. League parity is more important than hometown connections.
These numbers would look totally different if we included California teams.
Greg Van Roten's story with the Jets is underrated. Local guy who worked his way up through the ranks.
The draft really limits these hometown opportunities. Maybe NFL should consider a hometown exception rule?
Ravens having zero local players is shocking with all the talent Maryland produces.
Mike Davis with Atlanta is a cool story. Finally got to play for his hometown team after bouncing around the league.
Cardinals having 3 local players is pretty good considering Arizona's not traditionally a football powerhouse.
Think about how many kids are wearing Burrow jerseys in Ohio right now, dreaming of doing the same thing.
Bengals really embracing Ohio talent lately. Smart strategy if you ask me.
The three-year average career length in NFL makes these hometown stories even more remarkable.
Population size definitely skews things, but it's still interesting data to look at.
Makes me think about all the great players who never got to play for their hometown teams.
Wonder how these numbers compare to other professional sports leagues like NBA or MLB?
I remember watching Thielen play in high school. Nobody thought he'd make it this far.
The Falcons number seems low considering how much football talent Georgia produces.
Kansas City's numbers might look different next year. They've been good at developing local talent lately.
Carolina Panthers situation is interesting. Three hometown players but none making major impact yet.
Buffalo having 3 local players is pretty impressive considering the smaller market size.
These numbers really show how the draft system can separate players from their hometown dreams.
The lack of impact players from Cleveland is surprising given how much high school football talent Ohio produces.
Wonder if this data includes practice squad players? That could change the numbers significantly.
Interesting how New York teams have such high numbers. Must be nice having that large talent pool to draw from.
Being from Minnesota, seeing Thielen succeed makes me proud. Local kid making it big.
I bet the numbers in Texas would be insane if they were included. Friday Night Lights culture is real!
Some of these guys probably took less money to play at home. Got to respect that commitment to community.
The free agency point is interesting. You'd think more veterans would choose their hometown teams when they get the chance.
Anyone else notice how many of these hometown players are offensive linemen? Seems to be a pattern there.
The numbers for making it to college and NFL are brutal. Makes these hometown success stories even more special.
As a Bears fan, I wish we had more than just 3 Illinois players. Chicago's football culture deserves better representation.
I find it fascinating that the Jets have 7 local players. That's pretty impressive for a team that's struggled lately.
Joe Burrow's impact on Cincinnati has been incredible. Perfect example of how a hometown hero can transform a franchise.
True about the Seahawks, but remember Washington state has a much smaller population compared to others. Smaller talent pool to draw from.
Growing up in Seattle, it's kind of disappointing to see the Seahawks with zero hometown players. We've got some great football programs here.
The fact that 5 teams have zero local players is pretty telling about how the draft system works.
Not necessarily. Just because someone's local doesn't mean they're the best fit. Teams need to focus on talent first.
I've always felt teams should prioritize local talent more. These players often have a deeper connection to the team and community.
Look at the Vikings though. Adam Thielen went from selling dental equipment to becoming a star for his hometown team. Anything's possible!
The stats about making it to the NFL are sobering. Only 1.6% from college? That's even lower than I thought.
You make a good point about Eagles. As a Philly native, it does feel strange we don't have any local guys on the roster.
Saquon Barkley representing PA on the Giants is great, but I wonder why the Eagles have zero hometown players? That seems odd for such a football-rich state.
Actually, I disagree with excluding California and Texas. Would give us a more complete picture of homegrown talent distribution across the league.
The population factor makes total sense. Would be interesting to see the numbers for California teams, bet they'd be off the charts.
Love seeing Adam Thielen on this list. From undrafted Minnesota native to Vikings star. That's the kind of story that keeps hometown dreams alive.
I'm surprised the Browns only have 4 local players given Ohio's rich football tradition. You'd think they'd have more hometown talent on their roster.
Really interesting to see the Bengals leading with 9 hometown players. Joe Burrow's story is particularly amazing since he grew up in Ohio and is now leading his home state team.