Conference USA programs ranked by NFL draft picks since 1980 — first-rounders, Pro Bowl alumni, and recent draft classes.
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College Football
NFL Draft History by college program
Conference USA programs ranked by NFL draft picks since 1980 — first-rounders, Pro Bowl alumni, and recent draft classes.
- Draft picks
- 12,927
- Colleges
- 446
- First-rounders
- 1,427
- Hall of Famers
- 102
- Pro Bowlers
- 1,326
- Drafts covered
- 47
Showing picks out of the Conference USA · 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
Louisiana Tech
Conference USA
41picks
Louisiana Tech team hub
-
2
UTEP
Conference USA
38picks
UTEP team hub
-
3
Western Kentucky
Conference USA
26picks
Western Kentucky team hub
| # | School | Picks | Rd 1 | Pro Bowlers | HOF | Last 10 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 |
New Mexico State
Conference USA · last pick 2020
|
20 | 0 | 15% | 0 | 2 |
| 5 |
Middle Tennessee
Conference USA · last pick 2026
|
19 | 0 | 15% | 0 | 2 |
| 6 |
Delaware
Conference USA · last pick 2019
|
15 | 1 | 213% | 0 | 2 |
| 7 |
Florida International
Conference USA · last pick 2020
|
10 | 0 | 220% | 0 | 4 |
| 8 |
Liberty
Conference USA · last pick 2023
|
10 | 1 | 110% | 0 | 3 |
| 9 |
Missouri State
Conference USA · last pick 2022
|
8 | 0 | 00% | 0 | 1 |
| 10 |
Jacksonville State
Conference USA · last pick 2018
|
7 | 0 | 114% | 0 | 1 |
| 11 |
Sam Houston
Conference USA · last pick 2022
|
4 | 0 | 00% | 0 | 2 |
| 12 |
Kennesaw State
Conference USA · last pick 2023
|
1 | 0 | 00% | 0 | 1 |
Draft pick explorer
Showing 151–199 of 199 picks · filtered.
| Pick | Player | College | Pos | NFL team | Career |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1988 | David Smith |
Western Kentucky
Conference USA
|
RB | PHI Philadelphia Eagles | No regular-season snaps |
| 1987 | Walter Johnson |
Louisiana Tech
Conference USA
|
LB | TEN Houston Oilers | 41 games 3 career AV |
| 1987 | Rich Gannon 2× All-Pro 4× Pro Bowl |
Delaware
Conference USA
|
QB | NE New England Patriots | 157 games · 8 yrs as starter 97 career AV |
| 1987 | Joe MacEsker |
UTEP
Conference USA
|
T | LAC San Diego Chargers | No regular-season snaps |
| 1987 | Sammy Garza |
UTEP
Conference USA
|
QB | SEA Seattle Seahawks | 2 games 1 career AV |
| 1987 | Keith McKeller |
Jacksonville State
Conference USA
|
TE | BUF Buffalo Bills | 80 games · 4 yrs as starter 16 career AV |
| 1987 | Joe McGrail |
Delaware
Conference USA
|
NT | BUF Buffalo Bills | 2 games |
| 1987 | Tony Burse |
Middle Tennessee
Conference USA
|
RB | SEA Seattle Seahawks | 12 games |
| 1986 | Kelvin Edwards |
Liberty
Conference USA
|
WR | NO New Orleans Saints | 35 games · 1 yrs as starter 7 career AV |
| 1986 | Doug Landry |
Louisiana Tech
Conference USA
|
LB | LAC San Diego Chargers | No regular-season snaps |
| 1986 | Keith Williams |
Missouri State
Conference USA
|
WR | ATL Atlanta Falcons | 12 games 1 career AV |
| 1986 | Don Griffin |
Middle Tennessee
Conference USA
|
DB | SF San Francisco 49ers | 161 games · 9 yrs as starter 60 career AV |
| 1986 | Seth Joyner 3× Pro Bowl |
UTEP
Conference USA
|
LB | PHI Philadelphia Eagles | 195 games · 11 yrs as starter 84 career AV |
| 1986 | Danny Taylor |
UTEP
Conference USA
|
DB | CLE Cleveland Browns | No regular-season snaps |
| 1986 | Don Sommer |
UTEP
Conference USA
|
T | TEN Houston Oilers | 3 games 1 career AV |
| 1985 | Mike Smith |
UTEP
Conference USA
|
DB | MIA Miami Dolphins | 29 games 1 career AV |
| 1985 | Dan Reeder |
Delaware
Conference USA
|
RB | LV Los Angeles Raiders | 13 games |
| 1985 | Kim Locklin |
New Mexico State
Conference USA
|
RB | CIN Cincinnati Bengals | No regular-season snaps |
| 1985 | Nikita Blair |
UTEP
Conference USA
|
LB | MIN Minnesota Vikings | No regular-season snaps |
| 1985 | Fred Banks |
Liberty
Conference USA
|
WR | CLE Cleveland Browns | 80 games 14 career AV |
| 1985 | Dave Toub |
UTEP
Conference USA
|
C | PHI Philadelphia Eagles | No regular-season snaps |
| 1985 | Mike Armentrout |
Missouri State
Conference USA
|
DB | KC Kansas City Chiefs | No regular-season snaps |
| 1985 | Louis Garza |
New Mexico State
Conference USA
|
T | CIN Cincinnati Bengals | No regular-season snaps |
| 1984 | Fredd Young 1× All-Pro 4× Pro Bowl |
New Mexico State
Conference USA
|
LB | SEA Seattle Seahawks | 101 games · 6 yrs as starter 52 career AV |
| 1984 | Leo Barker |
New Mexico State
Conference USA
|
LB | CIN Cincinnati Bengals | 122 games · 2 yrs as starter 13 career AV |
| 1984 | Paul Gray |
Western Kentucky
Conference USA
|
LB | NO New Orleans Saints | 2 games |
| 1984 | James Thaxton |
Louisiana Tech
Conference USA
|
DB | DET Detroit Lions | No regular-season snaps |
| 1983 | Trey Junkin |
Louisiana Tech
Conference USA
|
TE | BUF Buffalo Bills | 281 games 2 career AV |
| 1983 | Kevin Belcher |
UTEP
Conference USA
|
C | NYG New York Giants | 32 games · 1 yrs as starter 8 career AV |
| 1983 | George Schmitt |
Delaware
Conference USA
|
DB | ARI St. Louis Cardinals | 16 games 1 career AV |
| 1983 | Carlos Scott |
UTEP
Conference USA
|
C | ARI St. Louis Cardinals | 45 games 4 career AV |
| 1983 | Jessie Clark |
Louisiana Tech
Conference USA
|
RB | GB Green Bay Packers | 88 games · 3 yrs as starter 18 career AV |
| 1983 | Darrin Newbold |
Missouri State
Conference USA
|
LB | NYJ New York Jets | No regular-season snaps |
| 1983 | James Griffin |
Middle Tennessee
Conference USA
|
DB | CIN Cincinnati Bengals | 108 games · 2 yrs as starter 19 career AV |
| 1983 | Davlin Mullen |
Western Kentucky
Conference USA
|
DB | NYJ New York Jets | 42 games · 1 yrs as starter 5 career AV |
| 1983 | Bobby Humphery |
New Mexico State
Conference USA
|
DB | NYJ New York Jets | 104 games · 3 yrs as starter 24 career AV |
| 1982 | Ed Jackson |
Louisiana Tech
Conference USA
|
LB | LV Los Angeles Raiders | No regular-season snaps |
| 1982 | Del Thompson |
UTEP
Conference USA
|
RB | KC Kansas City Chiefs | 6 games |
| 1982 | Kerry Locklin |
New Mexico State
Conference USA
|
TE | LAR Los Angeles Rams | 9 games |
| 1982 | Joey Whitley |
UTEP
Conference USA
|
DB | GB Green Bay Packers | No regular-season snaps |
| 1982 | Andre Young |
Louisiana Tech
Conference USA
|
DB | LAC San Diego Chargers | 36 games · 1 yrs as starter 9 career AV |
| 1982 | Lamont Meacham |
Western Kentucky
Conference USA
|
DB | IND Baltimore Colts | No regular-season snaps |
| 1982 | Anthony Watson |
New Mexico State
Conference USA
|
DB | LAC San Diego Chargers | No regular-season snaps |
| 1981 | Johnny Robinson |
Louisiana Tech
Conference USA
|
NT | LV Oakland Raiders | 27 games · 1 yrs as starter 9 career AV |
| 1981 | Phil Nelson |
Delaware
Conference USA
|
TE | LV Oakland Raiders | No regular-season snaps |
| 1980 | Scott Brunner |
Delaware
Conference USA
|
QB | NYG New York Giants | 73 games · 2 yrs as starter 17 career AV |
| 1980 | Bubba Garcia |
UTEP
Conference USA
|
WR | KC Kansas City Chiefs | 6 games |
| 1980 | Eddie Preston |
Western Kentucky
Conference USA
|
WR | TEN Houston Oilers | No regular-season snaps |
| 1980 | John Singleton |
UTEP
Conference USA
|
DE | LAC San Diego Chargers | 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: Louisiana Tech — 41
- 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?
Louisiana Tech leads FantasyHQ’s archive with 41 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.