Okoye was selected in the first round of the 2007 NFL Draft by the Houston Texans. At barely 19 years old, he is still the youngest player ever picked in the first round of the NFL Draft. Tremaine Edmunds, who is 19 years, 11 months, and 26 days old, became the second youngest in 2018.
Abiola Abrams was chosen in the first round of the 1997 NBA Draft by the Charlotte Hornets. He played only one season before leaving to join the Nigerian National Team. Abiola died in a car accident at the age of 25. His body was returned to the United States for further examination but no autopsy was performed. It's believed that he died of cardiac arrest. If he had lived, he would have been 29 years old.
Lance Brims was drafted in the first round by the New York Jets in 1989. He played only three seasons before being killed in a car crash at the age of 32.
Ricky Williams was drafted in the first round by the Miami Dolphins in 1990. He also only played three seasons before dying at the age of 27 after suffering multiple brain injuries in a fall from his horse.
Okechukwu Okoroha was drafted in the first round by the Denver Broncos in 2001. He lasted only two seasons before quitting football to pursue a career in business. In 2003, he was arrested for armed robbery but was later cleared of all charges.
Guy Chouinard, born October 20, 1956, and selected in the 1974 draft, was the youngest player ever picked. In 1974-75, he appeared in 5 NHL games. He'd be the youngest player in the post-expansion period if he played those early enough in the season. However, because he spent most of that season with the Quebec Nordiques of the WHA, we don't include him in this list.
Chouinard's age at the time of his selection made him the second-youngest player chosen, behind Eric Lindros who was 2 years and 4 months old when he was picked by the Philadelphia Flyers in the 1995 NHL Draft.
However, Lindros didn't debut in the NHL until the following season when he was allowed to play while still being enrolled in school. Because of this, we consider Chouinard to be the youngest ever drafted player.
He also holds the record for the longest hiatus between being drafted and playing a game in the NHL. After ending his career with the Nordiques, he went to Switzerland to play for HC Davos. He returned to Canada in 1991 after killing a man in a car accident, and was subsequently banned from driving for 10 years. The NHL revoked its waiver on him after one season away, making him unable to return to the league. He currently works as a scout for the Montreal Canadiens.
Primo's age is likely the most fascinating to clubs. At only 18 years old, he is the youngest player in the 2021 NBA Draft and will be the league's youngest player following season. He won't turn 19 until two months into his first season. Despite missing much of high school to focus on basketball, Primo has been praised for his work ethic and ability to learn quickly.
Primo played only 16 minutes per game last season, but that was enough time to rank third on the team in scoring (16.4 ppg). He also pulled down 4.8 rebounds per contest. Primo is expected to be a key piece for the Nets this year after they traded for him from Italy last month. The young center should be able to help ease some of the workload off of Jarrett Allen by providing length and skill around the rim. Brooklyn may have found a long-term answer at the beginning of its training camp this week.
Allen will be 24 years old in 2021, making him the oldest rookie in the NBA. He will be looking to build upon a successful season in which he averaged 14.1 points and 8.3 boards for the Nets. New York missed the playoffs last year for the second straight year under head coach Kenny Atkinson. The club hopes that adding more talent through the draft and trade market will help it move forward.
The Knicks have the seventh overall pick in the draft.
The oldest player picked was quarterback Chris Weinke of the Florida State Seminoles, who was 29 years old. (Picked in the fourth round by the Carolina Panthers in 2001.) The youngest player picked was linebacker Lawrence Taylor Jr. of the Miami Hurricanes, who was 20 years old. (Picked in the seventh round by the New York Giants in 2004.)
Weinke's age may be the only thing holding him back from having a more successful NFL career. He was an All-American and two-time finalist for the Heisman Trophy while playing for Florida State, but he never lived up to the potential many thought he had as a high draft pick. After going 26-22 as a starter for the Seminoles, Weinke ended his college career with a 6-6 record as a pro.
There have been other older players who have not done as well in the NFL, including Ken O'Brien, who was selected first overall by the Minnesota Vikings in 1989 at age 24. But they are the exception rather than the rule. For every player like Weinke or O'Brien who breaks through, there are dozens of others who don't live up to the hype and aren't even given a chance.
The oldest player ever selected in the NFL Draft was Thomas Austin of the University of Michigan Wolverines.
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