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Sportstars Leads All Agencies With 25 Players Selected In 2022 NFL Draft

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New York City-based Sportstars led all NFL agencies with the largest number of clients taken in the 2022 NFL Draft. The team of agents that includes Alan Herman, Jared Fox, Ron Slavin, Luke McMurtrey, Jon Perzley, Brian Mackler, Jerard “JR” Roggio, Jim Ivler, Dave Butz, Justin Ferris, and Jason Chayut, had a total of twenty-five clients selected throughout the three days of the event.

There are hundreds and hundreds of NFL agents scratching and clawing to compete for the same group of potential clients. Sportstars, as a group, pulled off a crazy feat of locking up twenty-five of these newly minted NFL players, which makes up roughly 10% of the entire Draft.

The closest agency to come to Sportstars, with regard to the number of clients selected in the 2022 NFL Draft, was Athletes First with twenty-one clients off the board. Here is a breakdown of the Sportstar client selections with the names of their Contract Advisors as stated on their respective Standard Representation Agreements (SRAs).

  • 1st round (#17) – Zion Johnson –  Alan Herman, Jared Fox
  • 2nd round (#62) – Bryan Cook – Jared Fox
  • 3rd round (#67) – Josh Ezeudu – Jared Fox
  • 3rd round (#76) – Travis Jones – Jared Fox
  • 3rd round (#89) – Terrel Bernard – Ron Slavin
  • 4th round (#114) – Dane Belton – Jon Perzley, Brian Mackler, Jerard “JR” Roggio, Jim Ivler
  • 4th round (#115) – Damarri Mathis – Jason Chayut
  • 4th round (#116) – Eyioma Uwazurike – Jared Fox, Dave Butz
  • 4th round (#118) – Akayleb Evans – Ron Slavin,  Luke McMurtrey
  • 4th round (#130) – Jordan Stout – Jerard “JR” Roggio, Jim Ivler, Jon Perzley, Brian Mackler
  • 4th round (#133) – Jake Camarda – Jon Perzley, Brian Mackler, Jerard “JR” Roggio, Jim Ivler
  • 4th round (#143) – Chigoziem Okonkwo – Jason Chayut, Jared Fox
  • 5th round (#146) – Micah McFadden – Jared Fox, Alan Herman
  • 5th round (#147) – DJ Davidson – Dave Butz
  • 5th round (#153) – Tariq Woolen – Jason Chayut
  • 5th round (#165) – Esezi Otomewo – Jared Fox, Justin Faires
  • 5th round (#166) – Tycen Anderson – Jason Chayut
  • 5th round (#178) – John Ridgeway – Ron Slavin, Luke McMurtrey
  • 6th round (#187) – Nick Zakelj – Jared Fox, Alan Herman
  • 6th round (#194) – Jordan Jackson – Alan Herman, Jared Fox, Jamie Mullen
  • 6th round (#203) – Trestan Ebner – Ron Slavin, Luke McMurtrey
  • 6th round (#207) – Doug Kramer – Alan Herman
  • 6th round (#220) – Kalia Davis – Jon Perzley, Brian Mackler, Jerard “JR” Roggio, Jim Ivler
  • 7th round (#252) – Jeffrey Gunter – Jerard “JR” Roggio, Jim Ivler, Jon Perzley, Brian Mackler
  • 7th round (#254) – Elijah Hicks – Dave Butz

By Darren Heitner

Darren Adam Heitner, Esq., is a preeminent sports attorney and the founder of Heitner Legal, P.L.L.C., a Fort Lauderdale-based law firm specializing in sports law, contract negotiations, intellectual property, and arbitration. He earned his Juris Doctor from the University of Florida Levin College of Law in 2010 and a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science, magna cum laude, from the University of Florida in 2007, where he was named Valedictorian of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. Admitted to practice in the state bars of Florida, New York, and the District of Columbia, as well as multiple federal courts, Darren also serves as a certified arbitrator with the American Arbitration Association.

As an adjunct professor, Darren imparts his expertise through teaching Sports Law at the University of Florida Levin College of Law and Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) at the University of Miami School of Law in the Entertainment, Arts, and Sports Law LL.M. program. His scholarly contributions include authoring several books published by the American Bar Association, such as How to Play the Game: What Every Sports Attorney Needs to Know, and numerous articles in prominent publications like Forbes, Inc. Magazine, and Above the Law. His thought leadership in NIL has earned him recognition as one of the foremost experts by The Wall Street Journal, USA TODAY, and On3, and he has been lauded as a “power player in NIL deals” by Action Network and a “top sports trademark attorney” by Sportico.

Darren’s passion for sports law led him to establish Sports Agent Blog on December 31, 2005, initially titled “I Want To Be A Sports Agent.” The platform, created as a New Year’s resolution, has grown into a cornerstone of the sports agency community, offering in-depth analysis of industry trends, legal disputes, and agent-player dynamics. His commitment to the field is further evidenced by his representation of numerous athletes and sports agents, as well as his prior role as an Adjunct Professor at Indiana University Bloomington, where he developed and taught a course on Sport Agency Management from 2011 to 2014.

Darren’s contributions have been recognized with prestigious honors, including the University of Florida’s 40 Under 40 Award, the University of Florida Levin College of Law’s Outstanding Young Alumnus Award, and designation as the best lawyer in Fort Lauderdale by Fort Lauderdale Magazine. He remains an active voice in the sports law community, sharing insights through his weekly NIL newsletter and his X posts, engaging a broad audience on legal developments in sports.