Conference USA programs ranked by NFL draft picks since 1980 — first-rounders, Pro Bowl alumni, and recent draft classes.
FantasyHQ
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 LB 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
5picks
Louisiana Tech team hub
-
2
UTEP
Conference USA
5picks
UTEP team hub
-
3
New Mexico State
Conference USA
3picks
New Mexico State team hub
| # | School | Picks | Rd 1 | Pro Bowlers | HOF | Last 10 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 |
Western Kentucky
Conference USA · last pick 2018
|
3 | 0 | 00% | 0 | 1 |
| 5 |
Middle Tennessee
Conference USA · last pick 2026
|
2 | 0 | 00% | 0 | 1 |
| 6 |
Florida International
Conference USA · last pick 2007
|
1 | 0 | 00% | 0 | 0 |
| 7 |
Missouri State
Conference USA · last pick 1983
|
1 | 0 | 00% | 0 | 0 |
Draft pick explorer
Showing 1–20 of 20 picks · filtered.
| Pick | Player | College | Pos | NFL team | Career |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 |
Parker Hughes
Elizabethton, TN
|
Middle Tennessee
Conference USA
|
LB | JAX Jacksonville Jaguars | Awaiting debut |
| 2024 |
Tyrice Knight
Lakeland, FL
|
UTEP
Conference USA
|
LB | SEA Seattle Seahawks | 32 games 9 career AV |
| 2018 |
Joel Iyiegbuniwe
Bowling Green, KY
|
Western Kentucky
Conference USA
|
LB | CHI Chicago Bears | 65 games 5 career AV |
| 2014 |
Andrew Jackson
Lakeland, FL
|
Western Kentucky
Conference USA
|
LB | IND Indianapolis Colts | 13 games 1 career AV |
| 2007 |
Antwan Barnes
|
Florida International
Conference USA
|
LB | BAL Baltimore Ravens | 88 games 7 career AV |
| 2006 |
Thomas Howard
|
UTEP
Conference USA
|
LB | LV Oakland Raiders | 95 games · 5 yrs as starter 33 career AV |
| 1996 | Sam Manuel |
New Mexico State
Conference USA
|
LB | SF San Francisco 49ers | No regular-season snaps |
| 1994 | Barron Wortham |
UTEP
Conference USA
|
LB | TEN Houston Oilers | 108 games · 4 yrs as starter 29 career AV |
| 1993 | Mike Caldwell |
Middle Tennessee
Conference USA
|
LB | CLE Cleveland Browns | 159 games · 2 yrs as starter 31 career AV |
| 1993 | Myron Baker |
Louisiana Tech
Conference USA
|
LB | CHI Chicago Bears | 66 games 7 career AV |
| 1992 | Eric Shaw |
Louisiana Tech
Conference USA
|
LB | CIN Cincinnati Bengals | 28 games · 1 yrs as starter 5 career AV |
| 1987 | Walter Johnson |
Louisiana Tech
Conference USA
|
LB | TEN Houston Oilers | 41 games 3 career AV |
| 1986 | Doug Landry |
Louisiana Tech
Conference USA
|
LB | LAC San Diego Chargers | No regular-season snaps |
| 1986 | Seth Joyner 3× Pro Bowl |
UTEP
Conference USA
|
LB | PHI Philadelphia Eagles | 195 games · 11 yrs as starter 84 career AV |
| 1985 | Nikita Blair |
UTEP
Conference USA
|
LB | MIN Minnesota Vikings | 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 |
| 1983 | Darrin Newbold |
Missouri State
Conference USA
|
LB | NYJ New York Jets | No regular-season snaps |
| 1982 | Ed Jackson |
Louisiana Tech
Conference USA
|
LB | LV Los Angeles Raiders | 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 — 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?
Louisiana Tech 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.