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 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
USC
Big Ten
9picks
USC team hub
-
2
Ohio State
Big Ten
8picks
Ohio State team hub
-
3
Nebraska
Big Ten
7picks
Nebraska team hub
| # | School | Picks | Rd 1 | Pro Bowlers | HOF | Last 10 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 |
Penn State
Big Ten · last pick 1981
|
7 | 1 | 00% | 0 | 0 |
| 5 |
UCLA
Big Ten · last pick 1981
|
7 | 2 | 229% | 1 | 0 |
| 6 |
Washington
Big Ten · last pick 1981
|
5 | 1 | 00% | 0 | 0 |
| 7 |
Maryland
Big Ten · last pick 1981
|
4 | 0 | 125% | 0 | 0 |
| 8 |
Michigan
Big Ten · last pick 1981
|
4 | 1 | 00% | 0 | 0 |
| 9 |
Purdue
Big Ten · last pick 1981
|
4 | 0 | 00% | 0 | 0 |
| 10 |
Indiana
Big Ten · last pick 1981
|
3 | 0 | 00% | 0 | 0 |
| 11 |
Iowa
Big Ten · last pick 1981
|
3 | 0 | 00% | 0 | 0 |
| 12 |
Minnesota
Big Ten · last pick 1981
|
3 | 0 | 00% | 0 | 0 |
| 13 |
Oregon
Big Ten · last pick 1981
|
2 | 0 | 00% | 0 | 0 |
| 14 |
Michigan State
Big Ten · last pick 1981
|
1 | 0 | 00% | 0 | 0 |
| 15 |
Rutgers
Big Ten · last pick 1981
|
1 | 0 | 00% | 0 | 0 |
| 16 |
Wisconsin
Big Ten · last pick 1981
|
1 | 0 | 00% | 0 | 0 |
Draft pick explorer
Showing 1–50 of 69 picks · filtered.
| Pick | Player | College | Pos | NFL team | Career |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1981 | Freeman McNeil 1× All-Pro 3× Pro Bowl |
UCLA
Big Ten
|
RB | NYJ New York Jets | 144 games · 8 yrs as starter 75 career AV |
| 1981 | Kenny Easley HOF 3× All-Pro 5× Pro Bowl |
UCLA
Big Ten
|
DB | SEA Seattle Seahawks | 89 games · 7 yrs as starter 65 career AV |
| 1981 | Ronnie Lott HOF 6× All-Pro 10× Pro Bowl |
USC
Big Ten
|
DB | SF San Francisco 49ers | 192 games · 14 yrs as starter 123 career AV |
| 1981 | Mel Owens |
Michigan
Big Ten
|
LB | LAR Los Angeles Rams | 122 games · 6 yrs as starter 42 career AV |
| 1981 | Keith Van Horne |
USC
Big Ten
|
T | CHI Chicago Bears | 186 games · 12 yrs as starter 61 career AV |
| 1981 | Dennis Smith 6× Pro Bowl |
USC
Big Ten
|
DB | DEN Denver Broncos | 184 games · 13 yrs as starter 74 career AV |
| 1981 | Curt Marsh |
Washington
Big Ten
|
G | LV Oakland Raiders | 45 games · 2 yrs as starter 17 career AV |
| 1981 | Booker Moore |
Penn State
Big Ten
|
RB | BUF Buffalo Bills | 51 games · 2 yrs as starter 6 career AV |
| 1981 | Russell Gary |
Nebraska
Big Ten
|
DB | NO New Orleans Saints | 80 games · 4 yrs as starter 29 career AV |
| 1981 | Marion Barber Jr. |
Minnesota
Big Ten
|
RB | NYJ New York Jets | 85 games · 1 yrs as starter 5 career AV |
| 1981 | Dave Young |
Purdue
Big Ten
|
TE | NYG New York Giants | 25 games · 1 yrs as starter 1 career AV |
| 1981 | John Harty |
Iowa
Big Ten
|
NT | SF San Francisco 49ers | 42 games · 1 yrs as starter 11 career AV |
| 1981 | Jarvis Redwine |
Nebraska
Big Ten
|
RB | MIN Minnesota Vikings | 26 games |
| 1981 | Doug Donley |
Ohio State
Big Ten
|
WR | DAL Dallas Cowboys | 43 games 7 career AV |
| 1981 | Andra Franklin 1× Pro Bowl |
Nebraska
Big Ten
|
RB | MIA Miami Dolphins | 42 games · 3 yrs as starter 18 career AV |
| 1981 | Bill Dugan |
Penn State
Big Ten
|
G | SEA Seattle Seahawks | 44 games 7 career AV |
| 1981 | Ray Stachowicz |
Michigan State
Big Ten
|
P | GB Green Bay Packers | 27 games 4 career AV |
| 1981 | Randy Van Divier |
Washington
Big Ten
|
T | IND Baltimore Colts | 16 games 2 career AV |
| 1981 | Hoby Brenner 1× Pro Bowl |
USC
Big Ten
|
TE | NO New Orleans Saints | 175 games · 12 yrs as starter 31 career AV |
| 1981 | Lloyd Burruss 1× Pro Bowl |
Maryland
Big Ten
|
DB | KC Kansas City Chiefs | 145 games · 8 yrs as starter 45 career AV |
| 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 |
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: USC — 9
- 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?
USC leads FantasyHQ’s archive with 9 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.