1981 NFL Draft broken down by the college programs that produced each pick — first-rounders, conference totals, and the full board.
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College Football
NFL Draft History by college program
1981 NFL Draft broken down by the college programs that produced each pick — first-rounders, conference totals, and the full board.
- Draft picks
- 12,927
- Colleges
- 446
- First-rounders
- 1,427
- Hall of Famers
- 102
- Pro Bowlers
- 1,326
- Drafts covered
- 47
Showing Day 3 picks from the 1981 draft out of the Big Ten · reset
Schools that produce the most NFL draft picks
Ranked by total picks within the current filters. Open a program for its full draft board.
-
1
Ohio State
Big Ten
7picks
Ohio State team hub
-
2
Penn State
Big Ten
5picks
Penn State team hub
-
3
UCLA
Big Ten
5picks
UCLA team hub
| # | School | Picks | Rd 1 | Pro Bowlers | HOF | Last 10 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 |
USC
Big Ten · last pick 1981
|
5 | 0 | 00% | 0 | 0 |
| 5 |
Nebraska
Big Ten · last pick 1981
|
4 | 0 | 00% | 0 | 0 |
| 6 |
Indiana
Big Ten · last pick 1981
|
3 | 0 | 00% | 0 | 0 |
| 7 |
Maryland
Big Ten · last pick 1981
|
3 | 0 | 00% | 0 | 0 |
| 8 |
Michigan
Big Ten · last pick 1981
|
3 | 0 | 00% | 0 | 0 |
| 9 |
Purdue
Big Ten · last pick 1981
|
3 | 0 | 00% | 0 | 0 |
| 10 |
Washington
Big Ten · last pick 1981
|
3 | 0 | 00% | 0 | 0 |
| 11 |
Iowa
Big Ten · last pick 1981
|
2 | 0 | 00% | 0 | 0 |
| 12 |
Minnesota
Big Ten · last pick 1981
|
2 | 0 | 00% | 0 | 0 |
| 13 |
Oregon
Big Ten · last pick 1981
|
2 | 0 | 00% | 0 | 0 |
| 14 |
Rutgers
Big Ten · last pick 1981
|
1 | 0 | 00% | 0 | 0 |
| 15 |
Wisconsin
Big Ten · last pick 1981
|
1 | 0 | 00% | 0 | 0 |
Draft pick explorer
Showing 1–49 of 49 picks · filtered.
| Pick | Player | College | Pos | NFL team | Career |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1981 | Al Washington |
Ohio State
Big Ten
|
LB | NYJ New York Jets | 16 games 1 career AV |
| 1981 | Tom Flick |
Washington
Big Ten
|
QB | WAS Washington Commanders | 21 games 1 career AV |
| 1981 | Todd Bell 1× Pro Bowl |
Ohio State
Big Ten
|
DB | CHI Chicago Bears | 103 games · 4 yrs as starter 38 career AV |
| 1981 | Mark Herrmann |
Purdue
Big Ten
|
QB | DEN Denver Broncos | 40 games 11 career AV |
| 1981 | George Lilja |
Michigan
Big Ten
|
G | LAR Los Angeles Rams | 54 games · 1 yrs as starter 11 career AV |
| 1981 | Eric Sievers |
Maryland
Big Ten
|
TE | LAC San Diego Chargers | 122 games · 4 yrs as starter 21 career AV |
| 1981 | Derrie Nelson |
Nebraska
Big Ten
|
LB | DAL Dallas Cowboys | 48 games 3 career AV |
| 1981 | Calvin Murray |
Ohio State
Big Ten
|
RB | PHI Philadelphia Eagles | 8 games 1 career AV |
| 1981 | Larry Lee |
UCLA
Big Ten
|
G | DET Detroit Lions | 96 games 18 career AV |
| 1981 | Keith Ferguson |
Ohio State
Big Ten
|
DE | LAC San Diego Chargers | 134 games · 7 yrs as starter 40 career AV |
| 1981 | Calvin Clark |
Purdue
Big Ten
|
DE | BUF Buffalo Bills | No regular-season snaps |
| 1981 | Dave Ahrens |
Wisconsin
Big Ten
|
LB | ARI St. Louis Cardinals | 130 games · 3 yrs as starter 26 career AV |
| 1981 | Pete Kugler |
Penn State
Big Ten
|
NT | SF San Francisco 49ers | 81 games · 2 yrs as starter 20 career AV |
| 1981 | Larry Kubin |
Penn State
Big Ten
|
LB | WAS Washington Commanders | 43 games 4 career AV |
| 1981 | Sam Johnson |
Maryland
Big Ten
|
DB | DET Detroit Lions | No regular-season snaps |
| 1981 | Bryan Hinkle |
Oregon
Big Ten
|
LB | PIT Pittsburgh Steelers | 163 games · 8 yrs as starter 57 career AV |
| 1981 | Bill Kay |
Purdue
Big Ten
|
DB | TEN Houston Oilers | 56 games 7 career AV |
| 1981 | Vince Skillings |
Ohio State
Big Ten
|
DB | DAL Dallas Cowboys | No regular-season snaps |
| 1981 | Kevin Williams |
USC
Big Ten
|
WR | NO New Orleans Saints | 11 games |
| 1981 | Jeff Schuh |
Minnesota
Big Ten
|
LB | CIN Cincinnati Bengals | 87 games · 2 yrs as starter 13 career AV |
| 1981 | Jeff Fisher |
USC
Big Ten
|
DB | CHI Chicago Bears | 49 games 3 career AV |
| 1981 | Steve Busick |
USC
Big Ten
|
LB | DEN Denver Broncos | 78 games · 3 yrs as starter 26 career AV |
| 1981 | Brad Scovill |
Penn State
Big Ten
|
TE | SEA Seattle Seahawks | No regular-season snaps |
| 1981 | John Powers |
Michigan
Big Ten
|
G | NYG New York Giants | No regular-season snaps |
| 1981 | Garry White |
Minnesota
Big Ten
|
RB | SF San Francisco 49ers | No regular-season snaps |
| 1981 | David Dorn |
Rutgers
Big Ten
|
WR | KC Kansas City Chiefs | No regular-season snaps |
| 1981 | Gene Gladys |
Penn State
Big Ten
|
LB | NO New Orleans Saints | No regular-season snaps |
| 1981 | Toussaint Tyler |
Washington
Big Ten
|
RB | NO New Orleans Saints | 18 games 3 career AV |
| 1981 | Rusty Olsen |
Washington
Big Ten
|
DE | DEN Denver Broncos | No regular-season snaps |
| 1981 | John Noonan |
Nebraska
Big Ten
|
WR | MIA Miami Dolphins | No regular-season snaps |
| 1981 | James Hunter |
USC
Big Ten
|
NT | PIT Pittsburgh Steelers | 9 games 1 career AV |
| 1981 | Avon Riley |
UCLA
Big Ten
|
LB | TEN Houston Oilers | 91 games · 4 yrs as starter 25 career AV |
| 1981 | Randy Schleusener |
Nebraska
Big Ten
|
G | CLE Cleveland Browns | No regular-season snaps |
| 1981 | Curt Mohl |
UCLA
Big Ten
|
T | LV Oakland Raiders | No regular-season snaps |
| 1981 | Tim Clifford |
Indiana
Big Ten
|
QB | CHI Chicago Bears | No regular-season snaps |
| 1981 | Andy Cannavino |
Michigan
Big Ten
|
LB | DET Detroit Lions | No regular-season snaps |
| 1981 | Robert Murphy |
Ohio State
Big Ten
|
DB | ATL Atlanta Falcons | No regular-season snaps |
| 1981 | Ed Gall |
Maryland
Big Ten
|
DT | NYJ New York Jets | No regular-season snaps |
| 1981 | Matt Petrzelka |
Iowa
Big Ten
|
T | LAC San Diego Chargers | No regular-season snaps |
| 1981 | Ronnie DeBose |
UCLA
Big Ten
|
TE | SF San Francisco 49ers | No regular-season snaps |
| 1981 | Lonnie Johnson |
Indiana
Big Ten
|
RB | CHI Chicago Bears | No regular-season snaps |
| 1981 | Frank Case |
Penn State
Big Ten
|
DE | KC Kansas City Chiefs | 7 games 1 career AV |
| 1981 | Keith Chappelle |
Iowa
Big Ten
|
WR | ATL Atlanta Falcons | No regular-season snaps |
| 1981 | Joe Adams |
Nebraska
Big Ten
|
G | ARI St. Louis Cardinals | No regular-season snaps |
| 1981 | Eric Scoggins |
USC
Big Ten
|
LB | IND Baltimore Colts | 3 games |
| 1981 | Kevin McGill |
Oregon
Big Ten
|
T | CLE Cleveland Browns | No regular-season snaps |
| 1981 | Jairo Penaranda |
UCLA
Big Ten
|
RB | LAR Los Angeles Rams | 20 games |
| 1981 | Nate Lundy |
Indiana
Big Ten
|
WR | DAL Dallas Cowboys | No regular-season snaps |
| 1981 | Ray Ellis |
Ohio State
Big Ten
|
DB | PHI Philadelphia Eagles | 100 games · 4 yrs as starter 30 career AV |
Browse by draft class
Every year from 1980 to 2026 — school counts, conference splits, and the full first round.
NFL draft history guide
Last updated Aug 24, 2026
What this page tracks
NFL Draft History by College ranks every program by the NFL players it has produced since 1980. Browse 12,927 picks across 446 schools — first-rounders, Pro Bowl alumni, Hall of Famers, and recent draft classes — then open any school or year for the full board.
By the numbers
- 12,927 drafted players from 446 colleges, 1980–2026.
- 1,427 first-round selections across 47 drafts.
- 1,326 of those picks made at least one Pro Bowl; 102 reached the Hall of Fame.
- Most picks all-time: Ohio State — 7
- Most picks since 2017: Alabama — 95
- Top conference: SEC — 2,760 picks
- Most-drafted first-round position: DB — 181 picks
How to read the board
- Start with the school leaderboard — sort by total picks, first-rounders, Pro Bowls, or the last ten drafts.
- Use the round, conference, and position chips to isolate a pipeline, like SEC defensive backs in Round 1.
- Open a program for its full draft board, or a year for the complete class in pick order.
First round vs. career outcomes
Volume and quality are different signals. A program can lead in raw picks while another turns fewer selections into more Pro Bowlers. The Pro Bowler rate next to each school shows how often its picks became long-term NFL contributors, so read it alongside the Round 1 column rather than instead of it.
Frequently asked questions
Which college has produced the most NFL draft picks?
Ohio State leads FantasyHQ’s archive with 7 NFL draft picks since 1980. Compare every program at https://fantasyhq.co/cfb-hq/draft-history.
How far back does FantasyHQ’s NFL draft history go?
The archive covers every NFL draft from 1980 through 2026 — 12,927 picks across 446 college programs. Open a school page or a draft class year for the full pick list.
Can I see first-round NFL draft picks by college?
Yes. Filter the board to Round 1, or sort schools by first-rounders. FantasyHQ lists 1,427 first-round selections since 1980. Start at https://fantasyhq.co/cfb-hq/draft-history.
Does the page show NFL career outcomes for drafted players?
Where available, each pick includes Pro Bowls, All-Pro selections, Hall of Fame status, games played, and Approximate Value. The archive currently tracks 1,326 Pro Bowl alumni and 102 Hall of Famers.
How is this different from a fantasy football mock draft?
This page is the real NFL draft pipeline — college programs to NFL clubs — not a fantasy league draft board. For fantasy mock drafts and rankings, use FantasyHQ’s fantasy tools. Draft history lives at https://fantasyhq.co/cfb-hq/draft-history.
How often is the draft history page updated?
New draft classes land when the board is published each spring. Career outcomes refresh as seasons complete. This page was last labeled Aug 24, 2026.