Former Wyoming linebacker Mark Nzeocha might have been the only Pokes player chosen in this weekend's NFL Draft, but he won't be the only Cowboy who will have a chance to play in the pros.

After the final round of NFL Draft on Saturday, offensive lineman Connor Rains signed as a free agent with the Denver Broncos. Rains was the starting right tackle for the Cowboys during his junior and senior seasons, after transferring to Wyoming from American River Community College in Sacramento, California.

Another former Wyoming athlete, basketball player Derek Cooke, Jr., has drawn interest from some NFL teams as well. The 6'9" power forward helped the Cowboys hoops squad win their first Mountain West Conference Tournament Championship this spring and recently met in Laramie with scouts from the Miami Dolphins.

If signed, Cooke, Jr.,could be the latest in a long line of  college basketball players to make the leap to professional football. San Diego Chargers tight end Antonio Gates was a hoops star at Kent State before becoming one of the most potent offense weapons in the NFL. Another Pro Bowl tight end, Julius Thomas, played college basketball for Portland State before becoming a star with the Denver Broncos. Thomas signed a lucrative free agent deal with the Jacksonville Jaguars in the offseason.  Tight end Jimmy Graham, who recently left New Orleans Saints for the Seattle Seahawks, was a four year basketball player at the University of Miami before joining the football team during his senior season.

More From Laramie Live