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Honorable mention: Mike Mohamed has had several stints in and out of the league, including a productive 2014 season with the Texans. Zack Follett was a fan favorite in Detroit before retiring due to injuries. Dante Hughes had a few moments early before moving on.
Let's include special teams here.
8. Bryan Anger, picked 70th in 3rd round by the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2012: Punters are people! Anger had a good period with Jacksonville before deciding to move on and sign with the Buccaneers.
7. Chris Conte, picked 93rd in 3rd round by the Chicago Bears in 2011: Conte was a starting safety for the Bears for years before finding a new role in Tampa Bay, and has been healthy and productive for almost his entire time in the league.
6. Thomas DeCoud, picked 98th in 3rd round by the Atlanta Falcons in 2008: DeCoud had a very productive six year stint with the Atlanta Falcons, making one Pro Bowl and was part of numerous Falcon squads that made the playoffs.
5. Desmond Bishop, picked 192nd in 6th round by the Green Bay Packers in 2007: Bishop enjoyed a great run in Green Bay as one of the team’s primary linebackers, culminating in a Super Bowl championship. Injuries have caused trouble for him this decade, but there’s no denying how valuable he was to the Packers.
4. Tyson Alualu, picked 10th in 1st round by the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2010: Alualu has enjoyed a very solid workmanlike career with the Jags after shockingly becoming one of the highest drafted Golden Bears of the modern era. Jared Goff can join him this week as the only top 10 Cal picks of the 2000s.
3. Brandon Mebane, picked 85th in 3rd round by the Seattle Seahawks in 2007: Another one of those underrated talents, Mebane had a stellar career as a defensive tackle by all accounts and was an integral part of how good those Seahawks defenses became. A run stopper his whole life, Mebane will continue his efforts with the Chargers.
2. Mychal Kendricks, picked 46th in 2nd round by the Philadelphia Eagles in 2012: The Eagles are a bit of a mess right now. None of that involves Mychal, who has been one of the leading tacklers every season he’s been there. The former Pac-12 Player of the Year has inked a huge deal for his efforts and is pretty much set for life from football.
1. Cameron Jordan, picked 24th in 1st round by the New Orleans Saints in 2011: New Orleans struggles defensively, but none of it has to do with Cam. One of the best strongside defensive ends in the game, Cameron has emerged into a pure defensive force in New Orleans, being named to two Pro Bowls in the last three seasons and registering 7.5 sacks or more the last four seasons.