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 DL Day 3 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
UTEP
Conference USA
5picks
UTEP team hub
-
2
Louisiana Tech
Conference USA
4picks
Louisiana Tech team hub
-
3
Middle Tennessee
Conference USA
4picks
Middle Tennessee team hub
| # | School | Picks | Rd 1 | Pro Bowlers | HOF | Last 10 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 |
Delaware
Conference USA · last pick 2018
|
3 | 0 | 00% | 0 | 1 |
| 5 |
Missouri State
Conference USA · last pick 2022
|
2 | 0 | 00% | 0 | 1 |
| 6 |
Western Kentucky
Conference USA · last pick 2013
|
2 | 0 | 00% | 0 | 0 |
| 7 |
Florida International
Conference USA · last pick 2013
|
1 | 0 | 00% | 0 | 0 |
| 8 |
Jacksonville State
Conference USA · last pick 1990
|
1 | 0 | 00% | 0 | 0 |
| 9 |
Kennesaw State
Conference USA · last pick 2023
|
1 | 0 | 00% | 0 | 1 |
| 10 |
New Mexico State
Conference USA · last pick 1988
|
1 | 0 | 00% | 0 | 0 |
Draft pick explorer
Showing 1–24 of 24 picks · filtered.
| Pick | Player | College | Pos | NFL team | Career |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 |
Travis Bell
Montgomery, AL
|
Kennesaw State
Conference USA
|
DL | CHI Chicago Bears | 2 games |
| 2022 |
Eric Johnson
Stuart, FL
|
Missouri State
Conference USA
|
DT | IND Indianapolis Colts | 51 games 4 career AV |
| 2018 |
Bilal Nichols
Andrews, TX
|
Delaware
Conference USA
|
DT | CHI Chicago Bears | 104 games · 5 yrs as starter 37 career AV |
| 2014 |
Justin Ellis
Monroe, LA
|
Louisiana Tech
Conference USA
|
DT | LV Oakland Raiders | 117 games · 3 yrs as starter 25 career AV |
| 2014 |
Jimmy Staten
Waycross, GA
|
Middle Tennessee
Conference USA
|
DT | SEA Seattle Seahawks | No regular-season snaps |
| 2014 |
IK Enemkpali
Pflugerville, TX
|
Louisiana Tech
Conference USA
|
DT | NYJ New York Jets | 17 games 1 career AV |
| 2013 |
Quanterus Smith
Loganville, GA
|
Western Kentucky
Conference USA
|
DE | DEN Denver Broncos | 15 games 1 career AV |
| 2013 |
Tourek Williams
|
Florida International
Conference USA
|
DE | LAC San Diego Chargers | 44 games 5 career AV |
| 2010 |
Chris McCoy
Villa Rica, GA
|
Middle Tennessee
Conference USA
|
DE | MIA Miami Dolphins | No regular-season snaps |
| 2008 |
Erik Walden
|
Middle Tennessee
Conference USA
|
DE | DAL Dallas Cowboys | 145 games · 6 yrs as starter 37 career AV |
| 2004 | Shawn Johnson |
Delaware
Conference USA
|
DE | LV Oakland Raiders | No regular-season snaps |
| 2001 | Menson Holloway |
UTEP
Conference USA
|
DE | SF San Francisco 49ers | No regular-season snaps |
| 2000 | Brian Young |
UTEP
Conference USA
|
DT | LAR St. Louis Rams | 123 games · 6 yrs as starter 39 career AV |
| 2000 | Leif Larsen |
UTEP
Conference USA
|
DT | BUF Buffalo Bills | 16 games 3 career AV |
| 1997 | Mike Miano |
Missouri State
Conference USA
|
DT | CHI Chicago Bears | No regular-season snaps |
| 1993 | Artie Smith |
Louisiana Tech
Conference USA
|
DE | SF San Francisco 49ers | 73 games · 2 yrs as starter 15 career AV |
| 1992 | Chris Burns |
Middle Tennessee
Conference USA
|
DT | CIN Cincinnati Bengals | No regular-season snaps |
| 1990 | Orlando Adams |
Jacksonville State
Conference USA
|
DT | PHI Philadelphia Eagles | No regular-season snaps |
| 1990 | Webbie Burnett |
Western Kentucky
Conference USA
|
DT | NO New Orleans Saints | No regular-season snaps |
| 1989 | Tony Tolbert 1× Pro Bowl |
UTEP
Conference USA
|
DE | DAL Dallas Cowboys | 144 games · 7 yrs as starter 57 career AV |
| 1988 | Joe Campbell |
New Mexico State
Conference USA
|
DE | LAC San Diego Chargers | 25 games 2 career AV |
| 1987 | Joe McGrail |
Delaware
Conference USA
|
NT | BUF Buffalo Bills | 2 games |
| 1981 | Johnny Robinson |
Louisiana Tech
Conference USA
|
NT | LV Oakland Raiders | 27 games · 1 yrs as starter 9 career AV |
| 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: UTEP — 5
- 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?
UTEP leads FantasyHQ’s archive with 5 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.