First-round NFL draft picks by college program since 1980 — which schools produce the most Round 1 talent.

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NFL Draft History by college program

First-round NFL draft picks by college program since 1980 — which schools produce the most Round 1 talent.

Draft picks
12,927
Colleges
446
First-rounders
1,427
Hall of Famers
102
Pro Bowlers
1,326
Drafts covered
47
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Showing first-round picks · 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. 1 Ohio State Big Ten 69picks 69 Rd 1 · 28 Pro Bowlers · 1 HOF Ohio State team hub
  2. 2 Alabama SEC 67picks 67 Rd 1 · 26 Pro Bowlers · 1 HOF Alabama team hub
  3. 3 Miami ACC 58picks 58 Rd 1 · 31 Pro Bowlers · 8 HOF Miami team hub

Draft pick explorer

Showing 451–500 of 1,427 picks · filtered.

NFL draft picks with college, position, drafting team, and career outcome
Pick Player College Pos NFL team Career
2012 #5 · Rd 1 Justin Blackmon Ardmore, OK Oklahoma State Big 12 WR JAX Jacksonville Jaguars 20 games · 1 yrs as starter 9 career AV
2012 #6 · Rd 1 Morris Claiborne Shreveport, LA LSU SEC DB DAL Dallas Cowboys 85 games · 5 yrs as starter 25 career AV
2012 #7 · Rd 1 Mark Barron Mobile, AL Alabama SEC DB TB Tampa Bay Buccaneers 119 games · 7 yrs as starter 58 career AV
2012 #8 · Rd 1 Ryan Tannehill 1× Pro Bowl Texas A&M SEC QB MIA Miami Dolphins 155 games · 10 yrs as starter 91 career AV
2012 #9 · Rd 1 Luke Kuechly HOF 5× All-Pro 7× Pro Bowl Boston College ACC LB CAR Carolina Panthers 118 games · 8 yrs as starter 91 career AV
2012 #10 · Rd 1 Stephon Gilmore 2× All-Pro 5× Pro Bowl South Carolina SEC DB BUF Buffalo Bills 180 games · 12 yrs as starter 75 career AV
2012 #11 · Rd 1 Dontari Poe 2× Pro Bowl Memphis American DT KC Kansas City Chiefs 128 games · 8 yrs as starter 55 career AV
2012 #12 · Rd 1 Fletcher Cox 1× All-Pro 6× Pro Bowl Mississippi State SEC DT PHI Philadelphia Eagles 188 games · 12 yrs as starter 95 career AV
2012 #13 · Rd 1 Michael Floyd Saint Paul, MN Notre Dame FBS Ind. WR ARI Arizona Cardinals 102 games · 3 yrs as starter 28 career AV
2012 #14 · Rd 1 Michael Brockers Houston, TX LSU SEC DT LAR St. Louis Rams 160 games · 10 yrs as starter 58 career AV
2012 #15 · Rd 1 Bruce Irvin Walnut, CA West Virginia Big 12 DE SEA Seattle Seahawks 140 games · 6 yrs as starter 42 career AV
2012 #16 · Rd 1 Quinton Coples Kinston, NC North Carolina ACC DE NYJ New York Jets 62 games · 2 yrs as starter 17 career AV
2012 #17 · Rd 1 Dre Kirkpatrick Gadsden, AL Alabama SEC DB CIN Cincinnati Bengals 119 games · 5 yrs as starter 31 career AV
2012 #18 · Rd 1 Melvin Ingram 3× Pro Bowl South Carolina SEC DE LAC San Diego Chargers 148 games · 6 yrs as starter 57 career AV
2012 #19 · Rd 1 Shea McClellin Caldwell, ID Boise State Mountain West DE CHI Chicago Bears 66 games · 3 yrs as starter 17 career AV
2012 #20 · Rd 1 Kendall Wright Pittsburg, TX Baylor Big 12 WR TEN Tennessee Titans 82 games · 3 yrs as starter 28 career AV
2012 #21 · Rd 1 Chandler Jones 2× All-Pro 4× Pro Bowl Syracuse ACC DE NE New England Patriots 154 games · 10 yrs as starter 77 career AV
2012 #22 · Rd 1 Brandon Weeden Edmond, OK Oklahoma State Big 12 QB CLE Cleveland Browns 35 games · 1 yrs as starter 13 career AV
2012 #23 · Rd 1 Riley Reiff Parkston, SD Iowa Big Ten T DET Detroit Lions 164 games · 10 yrs as starter 60 career AV
2012 #24 · Rd 1 David DeCastro 2× All-Pro 6× Pro Bowl Stanford ACC G PIT Pittsburgh Steelers 125 games · 8 yrs as starter 69 career AV
2012 #25 · Rd 1 Dont'a Hightower 2× Pro Bowl Alabama SEC LB NE New England Patriots 117 games · 8 yrs as starter 65 career AV
2012 #26 · Rd 1 Whitney Mercilus Akron, OH Illinois College Midwest DE HOU Houston Texans 138 games · 8 yrs as starter 49 career AV
2012 #27 · Rd 1 Kevin Zeitler 1× Pro Bowl Wisconsin Big Ten G CIN Cincinnati Bengals 214 games · 14 yrs as starter 67 career AV
2012 #28 · Rd 1 Nick Perry Detroit, MI USC Big Ten DE GB Green Bay Packers 81 games · 3 yrs as starter 22 career AV
2012 #29 · Rd 1 Harrison Smith 1× All-Pro 6× Pro Bowl Notre Dame FBS Ind. DB MIN Minnesota Vikings 207 games · 13 yrs as starter 72 career AV
2012 #30 · Rd 1 A.J. Jenkins Jacksonville, FL Illinois College Midwest WR SF San Francisco 49ers 28 games 2 career AV
2012 #31 · Rd 1 Doug Martin 1× All-Pro 2× Pro Bowl Boise State Mountain West RB TB Tampa Bay Buccaneers 84 games · 7 yrs as starter 39 career AV
2012 #32 · Rd 1 David Wilson Danville, VA Virginia Tech ACC RB NYG New York Giants 21 games 5 career AV
2011 #1 · Rd 1 Cam Newton 1× All-Pro 3× Pro Bowl Auburn SEC QB CAR Carolina Panthers 148 games · 9 yrs as starter 115 career AV
2011 #2 · Rd 1 Von Miller 3× All-Pro 8× Pro Bowl Texas A&M SEC LB DEN Denver Broncos 203 games · 10 yrs as starter 105 career AV
2011 #3 · Rd 1 Marcell Dareus 1× All-Pro 2× Pro Bowl Alabama SEC DT BUF Buffalo Bills 121 games · 7 yrs as starter 56 career AV
2011 #4 · Rd 1 A.J. Green 7× Pro Bowl Georgia SEC WR CIN Cincinnati Bengals 158 games · 10 yrs as starter 77 career AV
2011 #5 · Rd 1 Patrick Peterson 3× All-Pro 8× Pro Bowl LSU SEC DB ARI Arizona Cardinals 201 games · 13 yrs as starter 103 career AV
2011 #6 · Rd 1 Julio Jones 2× All-Pro 7× Pro Bowl Alabama SEC WR ATL Atlanta Falcons 166 games · 9 yrs as starter 101 career AV
2011 #7 · Rd 1 Aldon Smith 1× All-Pro 1× Pro Bowl Missouri SEC DE SF San Francisco 49ers 75 games · 4 yrs as starter 34 career AV
2011 #8 · Rd 1 Jake Locker Ferndale, WA Washington Big Ten QB TEN Tennessee Titans 30 games · 1 yrs as starter 15 career AV
2011 #9 · Rd 1 Tyron Smith 2× All-Pro 8× Pro Bowl USC Big Ten T DAL Dallas Cowboys 171 games · 12 yrs as starter 91 career AV
2011 #10 · Rd 1 Blaine Gabbert Ballwin, MO Missouri SEC QB JAX Jacksonville Jaguars 69 games · 2 yrs as starter 17 career AV
2011 #11 · Rd 1 J.J. Watt 5× All-Pro 5× Pro Bowl Wisconsin Big Ten DE HOU Houston Texans 151 games · 10 yrs as starter 110 career AV
2011 #12 · Rd 1 Christian Ponder Colleyville, TX Florida State ACC QB MIN Minnesota Vikings 38 games · 3 yrs as starter 22 career AV
2011 #13 · Rd 1 Nick Fairley Mobile, AL Auburn SEC DT DET Detroit Lions 77 games · 4 yrs as starter 23 career AV
2011 #14 · Rd 1 Robert Quinn 1× All-Pro 3× Pro Bowl North Carolina ACC DE LAR St. Louis Rams 169 games · 9 yrs as starter 69 career AV
2011 #15 · Rd 1 Mike Pouncey 4× Pro Bowl Florida SEC G MIA Miami Dolphins 114 games · 7 yrs as starter 52 career AV
2011 #16 · Rd 1 Ryan Kerrigan 4× Pro Bowl Purdue Big Ten DE WAS Washington Commanders 172 games · 9 yrs as starter 63 career AV
2011 #17 · Rd 1 Nate Solder Colorado College T NE New England Patriots 146 games · 9 yrs as starter 64 career AV
2011 #18 · Rd 1 Corey Liuget Miami, FL Illinois College Midwest DT LAC San Diego Chargers 124 games · 7 yrs as starter 42 career AV
2011 #19 · Rd 1 Prince Amukamara Glendale, AZ Nebraska Big Ten DB NYG New York Giants 113 games · 8 yrs as starter 36 career AV
2011 #20 · Rd 1 Adrian Clayborn St. Louis, MO Iowa Big Ten DE TB Tampa Bay Buccaneers 125 games · 2 yrs as starter 26 career AV
2011 #21 · Rd 1 Phil Taylor Clinton, MD Baylor Big 12 DT CLE Cleveland Browns 44 games · 2 yrs as starter 19 career AV
2011 #22 · Rd 1 Anthony Castonzo Hawthorn Woods, IL Boston College ACC T IND Indianapolis Colts 144 games · 10 yrs as starter 58 career AV

Browse by draft class

Every year from 1980 to 2026 — school counts, conference splits, and the full first round.

All 47 draft years

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: Ohio State — 69
  • 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

  1. Start with the school leaderboard — sort by total picks, first-rounders, Pro Bowls, or the last ten drafts.
  2. Use the round, conference, and position chips to isolate a pipeline, like SEC defensive backs in Round 1.
  3. 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?

Ohio State leads FantasyHQ’s archive with 69 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.