SWAC 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
SWAC 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 SWAC · 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
Jackson State
SWAC
6picks
Jackson State team hub
-
2
Florida A&M
SWAC
4picks
Florida A&M team hub
-
3
Alabama State
SWAC
2picks
Alabama State team hub
| # | School | Picks | Rd 1 | Pro Bowlers | HOF | Last 10 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 |
Alabama A&M
SWAC · last pick 1991
|
1 | 0 | 00% | 0 | 0 |
| 5 |
Alcorn State
SWAC · last pick 1986
|
1 | 0 | 00% | 0 | 0 |
| 6 |
Mississippi Valley State
SWAC · last pick 1988
|
1 | 0 | 00% | 0 | 0 |
| 7 |
Southern
SWAC · last pick 1988
|
1 | 0 | 00% | 0 | 0 |
| 8 |
Texas Southern
SWAC · last pick 1995
|
1 | 0 | 00% | 0 | 0 |
Draft pick explorer
Showing 1–17 of 17 picks · filtered.
| Pick | Player | College | Pos | NFL team | Career |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 |
James Houston
Fort Lauderdale, FL
|
Jackson State
SWAC
|
LB | DET Detroit Lions | 37 games 4 career AV |
| 2013 |
Brandon Hepburn
|
Florida A&M
SWAC
|
LB | DET Detroit Lions | No regular-season snaps |
| 1996 | Earl Holmes |
Florida A&M
SWAC
|
LB | PIT Pittsburgh Steelers | 140 games · 9 yrs as starter 56 career AV |
| 1995 | Jessie Cox |
Texas Southern
SWAC
|
LB | IND Indianapolis Colts | No regular-season snaps |
| 1994 | Marlo Perry |
Jackson State
SWAC
|
LB | BUF Buffalo Bills | 76 games · 1 yrs as starter 12 career AV |
| 1992 | Eddie Robinson |
Alabama State
SWAC
|
LB | TEN Houston Oilers | 175 games · 11 yrs as starter 64 career AV |
| 1991 | Todd Woulard |
Alabama A&M
SWAC
|
LB | LV Los Angeles Raiders | No regular-season snaps |
| 1990 | Darion Conner |
Jackson State
SWAC
|
LB | ATL Atlanta Falcons | 114 games · 6 yrs as starter 30 career AV |
| 1988 | Vincent Brown |
Mississippi Valley State
SWAC
|
LB | NE New England Patriots | 123 games · 7 yrs as starter 52 career AV |
| 1988 | Vincent Fizer |
Southern
SWAC
|
LB | NO New Orleans Saints | No regular-season snaps |
| 1986 | Jackie Walker |
Jackson State
SWAC
|
LB | TB Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 57 games · 1 yrs as starter 6 career AV |
| 1986 | Merlon Jones |
Florida A&M
SWAC
|
LB | NO New Orleans Saints | No regular-season snaps |
| 1986 | Wayne Dillard |
Alcorn State
SWAC
|
LB | ARI St. Louis Cardinals | No regular-season snaps |
| 1984 | Dave Windham |
Jackson State
SWAC
|
LB | NE New England Patriots | 3 games |
| 1983 | James Lane |
Alabama State
SWAC
|
LB | ARI St. Louis Cardinals | No regular-season snaps |
| 1981 | Larry Werts |
Jackson State
SWAC
|
LB | GB Green Bay Packers | No regular-season snaps |
| 1980 | Kiser Lewis |
Florida A&M
SWAC
|
LB | NO New Orleans Saints | 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: Jackson State — 6
- 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?
Jackson State leads FantasyHQ’s archive with 6 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.