5 NFL players who were drafted by MLB teams ft. Tom Brady, Patrick Mahomes, and more

Some athletes in the NFL have gone beyond their sport to earn a draft spot in the MLB. These NFL players were good enough in baseball to merit attention in the draft. Many high school athletes in the United States would play both football and baseball, as football was a fall/winter sport, while baseball would be held in the spring.

From Tom Brady to Patrick Mahomes, here are some big names in the National Football League who once caught the eye of MLB teams:

#5 Bo Jackson

Bo Jackson created history by becoming the first player to be named an All-Star in both baseball and football. During his time in the MLB, he played for the Kansas City Royals, Chicago White Sox and the California Angels.

However, he was also the No. 1 overall NFL Draft pick in 1986, but signed with the Royals after he was selected in the fourth round of the draft.

#4 Deion Sanders

Deion Sanders is the only player to ever compete in both a Super Bowl and a World Series. He began his MLB career with the New York Yankees in 1989, playing for nine years before hanging up his boots with the Cincinnati Reds in 2001.

He is also the only athlete to suit up for two sports on the same day for the Atlanta Braves and the Atlanta Falcons. Sanders has been named to both the Pro Football Hall of Fame and College Football Hall of Fame.

#3 John Elway

Pro Football Hall of Famer John Elway was in the MLB draft on two occasions with the Kansas City Royals in 1979 and the New York Yankees in 1981. He was selected as the No. 1 overall pick in the 1983 NFL Draft by the Baltimore Colts.

He, however, managed a move to the Denver Broncos, playing for the franchise from 1993 to 1998. Elway won two Super Bowls with the Broncos and was the MVP in 1999. Elway is the only player in NFL history to pass for more than 3,000 yards and rush for more than 200 yards in one season.

#2 Patrick Mahomes

Patrick Mahomes is the son of former MLB pitcher Patrick Mahomes Sr. He studied at Texas Tech University, playing both sports, but eventually concentrated his efforts on football. The Kansas City Chiefs selected Mahomes in the first round in the 2017 draft.

However, before making a name in the NFL, the AL Central franchise Detroit Tigers selected him in the 37th round of the 2014 MLB Draft.

#1 Tom Brady

In the 18th round of the 1995 draft, the Montreal Expos drafted a little-known high school catcher named Tom Brady as the 507th pick. He went on to play for the University of Michigan, worked in Ann Arbor, Michigan, for Merrill Lynch and later joined the NFL.

Tom Brady was the last active professional athlete drafted by the Montreal Expos [Credits:BasketballQuotes/instagram].

Brady went on to become one of the greatest athletes in NFL history, winning seven Super Bowls and spending almost two decades with the New England Patriots. He moved to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2020, winning his seventh Super Bowl there.