Mountain West 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
Mountain West 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 ST picks out of the Mountain West · 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
San Diego State
Mountain West
3picks
San Diego State team hub
-
2
Air Force
Mountain West
2picks
Air Force team hub
-
3
Colorado State
Mountain West
1picks
Colorado State team hub
| # | School | Picks | Rd 1 | Pro Bowlers | HOF | Last 10 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 |
Hawai'i
Mountain West · last pick 1993
|
1 | 0 | 1100% | 0 | 0 |
| 5 |
New Mexico
Mountain West · last pick 2018
|
1 | 0 | 00% | 0 | 1 |
| 6 |
Wyoming
Mountain West · last pick 1996
|
1 | 0 | 00% | 0 | 0 |
Draft pick explorer
Showing 1–9 of 9 picks · filtered.
| Pick | Player | College | Pos | NFL team | Career |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 |
Matt Araiza
San Diego, CA
|
San Diego State
Mountain West
|
P | BUF Buffalo Bills | 34 games · 1 yrs as starter 5 career AV |
| 2019 |
Austin Cutting
Keller, TX
|
Air Force
Mountain West
|
LS | MIN Minnesota Vikings | 25 games 2 career AV |
| 2018 |
Jason Sanders
1× All-Pro
|
New Mexico
Mountain West
|
K | MIA Miami Dolphins | 116 games · 2 yrs as starter 23 career AV |
| 1996 | Brian Gragert |
Wyoming
Mountain West
|
P | DEN Denver Broncos | No regular-season snaps |
| 1993 | Jason Elam 3× Pro Bowl |
Hawai'i
Mountain West
|
K | DEN Denver Broncos | 263 games 43 career AV |
| 1992 | Joe Wood |
Air Force
Mountain West
|
K | TEN Houston Oilers | No regular-season snaps |
| 1988 | Wayne Ross |
San Diego State
Mountain West
|
P | WAS Washington Commanders | No regular-season snaps |
| 1987 | Steve DeLine |
Colorado State
Mountain West
|
K | SF San Francisco 49ers | 8 games 2 career AV |
| 1984 | Mike Saxon |
San Diego State
Mountain West
|
P | DET Detroit Lions | 172 games 20 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: San Diego State — 3
- 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?
San Diego State leads FantasyHQ’s archive with 3 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.