Most iconic NFL Draft outfits in history: Ranking the most memorable fashion statements of all time

Deion Sanders once said, "If you look good, you feel good. If you feel good, you play well. If you play well, they pay well." Some NFL Draft prospects take that to heart.

The draft is the first step of every NFL career, and the few prospects lucky enough to be invited to the green room at the NFL Draft go out of their way to make a strong first impression with their draft night outfit choices.

As the years go on, fashion trends change — but there will always be a player or two in each draft who stands out from the rest.

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The Sporting News takes a look back at the 10 most iconic outfits in NFL Draft history.

Top 10 most iconic NFL Draft outfits of all time

From Ezekiel Elliott's midriff shirt, to Sauce Gardner's chain, to Brett Favre's jean shorts, there are no shortage of memorable draft day outfits to revisit, but Sporting News looks back at the archives and ranks the 10 most iconic looks over the years.

1. Ezekiel Elliott, 2016

No one can forget Ezekiel Elliott's unique look on draft night in 2016, which saw him wear a crop top dress shirt along with a suit jacket to the green room. Elliott opened his suit jacket to show half of a shirt along with his stomach on the red carpet, creating a look that stands the test of time.

“I wanted to be a little different than everyone else,” Elliott told reporters on the red carpet. “I’m known as the hero in the half-shirt, so I had to go out on the red carpet with a crop top."

Elliott, who did make a name for himself while wearing his jersey in a crop top style at Ohio State, was selected No. 4 overall by the Cowboys later in the night.

2. Deion Sanders, 1989

Before he was "Coach Prime" or even an NFL All-Pro, Deion Sanders set the standard for NFL Draft outfits from his own couch. 

The future Hall of Famer wore a black and gold jacket along with plenty of gold jewelry, including massive gold chains around his neck. 

Even slipping on some sunglasses along the way, Sanders set the tone for future prospects with one of the most eye-popping outfits in draft history. He was clearly ready for "Prime Time". 

3. Lamar Jackson, 2018

Jackson wore an all-green suit to the 2018 draft, where he was far from guaranteed to be selected near the top of the board but seemed to be a first-round lock. After a bit of a slide, the Ravens traded back into the first round and selected the Heisman Trophy winner with the final pick of the first round at No. 32 overall. 

"When I got to that last pick, I was like, 'I hope I didn't wear this suit for no reason.' The suit was kind of fly if you ask me," Jackson said after he was finally selected by Baltimore.

Jackson's suit was fly — green might not be the most conventional color, but it was dark enough that he made it work and stood out from the rest of the prospects in the green room.

4. Sauce Gardner, 2022

Gardner showed up to the 2022 NFL Draft in a baby blue suit, but his custom chains stole the show. 

The Cincinnati CB-turned-Jets star wore a blinged-out sauce bottle around his neck along with a separate chain that said "Sauce," designed to make it seem as though sauce is dripping off of the letters.

When he first arrived at the Jets facility after being drafted, Gardner told owner Woody Johnson that the sauce bottle can actually be opened and used to hold sauce. "You never know what sauce is in here," Gardner said. "It could be barbecue sauce one day. A little bit of sweet heat sauce the next day. Hot sauce the next day. A little teriyaki sauce the day after that."

MORE 2025 NFL DRAFT: SN's 7-round mock | Top 250 big board | Expert mock draft roundup

5. Brett Favre, 1991

Favre's draft night look in 1991 might not be the most stylish, to put it mildly, but it is iconic. 

The Falcons draft pick-turned-Packers legend is the subject of one of the most famous draft images ever, showing him laid out on his bed in a white hat, white shirt and "jorts" while surrounded by friends and family. 

The photo was recreated by Baker Mayfield in 2018, just before Mayfield heard his name called when the Browns selected him No. 1 overall. 

“There are those people who are in your corner no matter what, you can’t do any wrong, even when you do wrong. And then there are those people that no matter what you do they’re going to dislike you and that’s not going to change.” - Brett Favre #DraftEve #MMO pic.twitter.com/6bCE9SxqI6

Fashion can be a cycle, but don't expect any draft prospect to show up to the red carpet in jean shorts anytime soon.

6. Jordan Addison, 2023

Addison made headlines for his flashy outfit on the red carpet at the 2023 draft, donning an all-pink look with a floral pattern on his suit jacket. Addison completed the look with thick, white sunglasses, a pink bowtie and a "Fr3e" chain, referencing his number at USC and Pittsburgh.

Addison raised some eyebrows in 2024 when he captioned a social media post with "Free 3," which some interpreted as a trade request, but he explained that the slogan was something he had used since his college days. Addison's "Fr3e" draft night chain certainly backs that up. 

7. Danny Shelton, 2015

Shelton honored his Samoan heritage at the 2015 NFL Draft, wearing a traditional Samoan outfit that included a "lavalava," which is similar to a skirt or kilt. 

He also wore an ula fala around his neck — a necklace made from the fruit of the pandanus tree, typically worn by chiefs for important events. WWE wrestler and former Georgia Tech defensive tackle has since made the ula fala a more recognizable piece of Samoan culture as he wears it to the ring for big matches, signifying that he is the "Tribal Chief". 

"I want to be all about my culture and represent," Shelton said on the red carpet. "Back in the day this is what they wore at home and at work."

With his parents in the building also wearing a similar style of clothing, Shelton heard his name called by the Browns at No. 12 overall. 

8. Keyshawn Johnson, 1996

Johnson wore an iconic suit to the 1996 NFL Draft, where he was selected No. 1 overall by the Jets. The pinstriped, light gray jacket went about halfway down his legs, but the oversized look became one of the most memorable outfits in draft history.

“It looked like some mob s—,” Johnson's tailor Ron Finley later said. “People loved it. He didn’t get clowned at all, because he looked like money."

9. Kyler Murray, 2019

Pink suits have become a bit more common as time has gone on, but Kyler Murray was one of the pioneers when he wore a pinstriped three-piece pink suit to the NFL Draft in 2019.

Designer Ro Mahbubani said Murray was looking for a suit inspired by one Leonardo DiCaprio wore in "The Great Gatsby," and Mahbubani was able to create it for a hefty price tag of $3,500. 

As expected going into the night, Murray was selected No. 1 overall by the Cardinals. 

10. DeVonta Smith, 2021

Most of the iconic NFL Draft looks are colorful, but DeVonta Smith found a way to stand out while still wearing a traditional dark jacket and light-colored shirt.

Calling it a jacket may be a stretch, though. Smith's jacket was more of a robe, with a band that wrapped around to keep it in place. He still kept it classy, wearing a dark bowtie and his initials "DS" pinned in gold to his lapel. 

Smith heard his name called by the Eagles at No. 10 overall after a Heisman Trophy season at Alabama.

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Other memorable draft day fashion statements

Sometimes, the best part of a draft night outfit is what's on the inside. A few prospects have made headlines for what's inside their jacket, while others have grabbed attention with accessories, from jewelry to shoes. 

• Nick Bosa's suit featured Ohio State's mascot Brutus Buckeye on the lining of the jacket in 2019.
• Terrion Arnold wore a pink suit jacket that had childhood pictures on the inside in 2024. 
• 2015 No. 3 pick Dante Fowler Jr. made headlines when he wore an all-white suit with just a bit of red accents, but the real story was his spiked gold loafers, which he wore on stage to greet commissioner Roger Goodell. 

How NFL Draft fashion has evolved

Any longtime NBA fan has watched how draft prospects went from wearing baggy, oversized suits to slim-fitting outfits in just a couple of decades. The same trend has impacted the NFL, with players becoming more conscious of their draft night outfits and taking extra steps to wear something unique. 

In 2002, this is what the NFL Draft looked like. Not every outfit was the same, but players generally stuck with oversized suits and dull colors, at least compared to today.

Now, jackets are slimmer, chains and jewelry are more common and the colors are brighter. Deion Sanders may deserve some credit for being ahead of his time in that regard. 

What makes an outfit iconic?

"Iconic" doesn't necessarily mean best-dressed, though the two can overlap. In this case, an outfit can become iconic simply by being memorable. Favre's jorts look certainly fits that description.

It's hard for an outfit to be iconic if it's something that has been seen before. Most iconic NFL Draft looks were worn by players who were trying something new. No one had worn what Sanders wore for the draft when he donned several gold chains on a black and gold jacket in 1989. Shelton's Samoan look was different than everyone else in the green room, as was Lamar Jackson's all-green suit.

Most men wouldn't ever go outside (or inside, for that matter) wearing a crop top dress shirt like Elliott did, but his authenticity gives him some style points. 

Most stylish NFL Draft classes

As time goes on, fashion seems to become more of a focus for NFL Draft prospects on their big night. While Sanders and Johnson may have stood out in the past, now just about everyone invited to the draft is looking to show off. 

2022 might take the cake for most stylish draft, even beyond Gardner's baby blue suit. Jermaine Johnson II, who became teammates with Johnson that night, wore an eye-popping black and gold blazer to the event, while Jameson Williams showed up in a red suit jacket and Nakobe Dean wore a light pink suit with a top hat. 

2015 had plenty of style as well, between Shelton's traditional Samoan outfit, Fowler's gold-spiked shoes and a velvety red suit worn by Bud Dupree.