2008 was Pete Carroll's rock-star NFL draft class at USC
When USC was rolling under Pete Carroll, the NFL draft was loaded with high-end Trojan pros. USC had four first-round picks in 2008
USC football was an NFL draft powerhouse in many different eras. The Trojans were an absolute NFL machine from the mid-1960s through the mid-1980s. The program fell on hard times in the 1990s but bounced back in the Pete Carroll era in the early 2000s.
In the 2008 NFL draft, USC dominated the first round. The fun started for USC with Sedrick Ellis at pick No. 7, going to the New Orleans Saints.
Keith Rivers went at No. 9 to the Cincinnati Bengals, giving the Trojans two top-10 picks in the 2008 NFL draft. Later, at pick No.
21, offensive lineman Sam Baker went to the Atlanta Falcons. He was the only one of the four first-round picks to play offense. The other three played defense.