Sun Belt 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
Sun Belt 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 Sun Belt · 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.
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1
App State
Sun Belt
4picks
App State team hub
-
2
UL Monroe
Sun Belt
4picks
UL Monroe team hub
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3
Arkansas State
Sun Belt
2picks
Arkansas State team hub
| # | School | Picks | Rd 1 | Pro Bowlers | HOF | Last 10 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 |
Georgia Southern
Sun Belt · last pick 2017
|
2 | 0 | 00% | 0 | 1 |
| 5 |
James Madison
Sun Belt · last pick 2010
|
2 | 0 | 00% | 0 | 0 |
| 6 |
Troy
Sun Belt · last pick 2005
|
2 | 1 | 150% | 1 | 0 |
| 7 |
Coastal Carolina
Sun Belt · last pick 2022
|
1 | 0 | 00% | 0 | 1 |
| 8 |
Louisiana
Sun Belt · last pick 2026
|
1 | 0 | 00% | 0 | 1 |
Draft pick explorer
Showing 1–18 of 18 picks · filtered.
| Pick | Player | College | Pos | NFL team | Career |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 |
Jaden Dugger
Pittsburgh, PA
|
Louisiana
Sun Belt
|
OLB | SF San Francisco 49ers | Awaiting debut |
| 2023 |
Nick Hampton
Anderson, SC
|
App State
Sun Belt
|
OLB | LAR Los Angeles Rams | 36 games 3 career AV |
| 2022 |
D'Marco Jackson
Spartanburg, SC
|
App State
Sun Belt
|
LB | NO New Orleans Saints | 43 games 6 career AV |
| 2022 |
Jeff Gunter
Durham, NC
|
Coastal Carolina
Sun Belt
|
OLB | CIN Cincinnati Bengals | 10 games 1 career AV |
| 2020 |
Akeem Davis-Gaither
Thomasville, NC
|
App State
Sun Belt
|
LB | CIN Cincinnati Bengals | 88 games · 1 yrs as starter 14 career AV |
| 2017 |
Ukeme Eligwe
Stone Mountain, GA
|
Georgia Southern
Sun Belt
|
LB | KC Kansas City Chiefs | 24 games 2 career AV |
| 2016 |
Antwione Williams
Lovejoy, GA
|
Georgia Southern
Sun Belt
|
LB | DET Detroit Lions | 14 games 2 career AV |
| 2012 |
Demario Davis
1× All-Pro
2× Pro Bowl
|
Arkansas State
Sun Belt
|
LB | NYJ New York Jets | 227 games · 13 yrs as starter 104 career AV |
| 2011 |
D.J. Smith
|
App State
Sun Belt
|
LB | GB Green Bay Packers | 24 games 5 career AV |
| 2010 |
Arthur Moats
|
James Madison
Sun Belt
|
LB | BUF Buffalo Bills | 121 games · 3 yrs as starter 22 career AV |
| 2005 |
DeMarcus Ware
HOF
4× All-Pro
9× Pro Bowl
|
Troy
Sun Belt
|
LB | DAL Dallas Cowboys | 178 games · 11 yrs as starter 100 career AV |
| 1998 | Steve Foley |
UL Monroe
Sun Belt
|
LB | CIN Cincinnati Bengals | 96 games · 5 yrs as starter 30 career AV |
| 1996 | Carlos Emmons |
Arkansas State
Sun Belt
|
LB | PIT Pittsburgh Steelers | 147 games · 8 yrs as starter 54 career AV |
| 1994 | James Folston |
UL Monroe
Sun Belt
|
LB | LV Los Angeles Raiders | 84 games 8 career AV |
| 1989 | Shawn Woodson |
James Madison
Sun Belt
|
LB | MIN Minnesota Vikings | No regular-season snaps |
| 1987 | Will Johnson |
UL Monroe
Sun Belt
|
LB | CHI Chicago Bears | 11 games 1 career AV |
| 1986 | Anthony Henton |
Troy
Sun Belt
|
LB | PIT Pittsburgh Steelers | 32 games 4 career AV |
| 1985 | Ronnie Washington |
UL Monroe
Sun Belt
|
LB | ATL Atlanta Falcons | 20 games 2 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: App State — 4
- 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?
App State leads FantasyHQ’s archive with 4 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.