College programs that have produced the most NFL DL draft picks since 1980, with round and career filters.
FantasyHQ
College Football
NFL Draft History by college program
College programs that have produced the most NFL DL draft picks since 1980, with round and career filters.
- Draft picks
- 12,927
- Colleges
- 446
- First-rounders
- 1,427
- Hall of Famers
- 102
- Pro Bowlers
- 1,326
- Drafts covered
- 47
Showing DL Day 2 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
LSU
SEC
19picks
LSU team hub
-
2
Auburn
SEC
16picks
Auburn team hub
-
3
Florida State
ACC
16picks
Florida State team hub
Draft pick explorer
Showing 501–521 of 521 picks · filtered.
| Pick | Player | College | Pos | NFL team | Career |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1982 | Emanuel Weaver |
South Carolina State
MEAC
|
NT | CIN Cincinnati Bengals | 7 games 2 career AV |
| 1982 | John Cannon |
William & Mary
CAA
|
DE | TB Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 122 games · 4 yrs as starter 30 career AV |
| 1981 | John Harty |
Iowa
Big Ten
|
NT | SF San Francisco 49ers | 42 games · 1 yrs as starter 11 career AV |
| 1981 | Curtis Green |
Alabama State
SWAC
|
DE | DET Detroit Lions | 123 games · 2 yrs as starter 24 career AV |
| 1981 | Howie Long HOF 2× All-Pro 8× Pro Bowl |
Villanova
CAA
|
DE | LV Oakland Raiders | 179 games · 11 yrs as starter 95 career AV |
| 1981 | Frank Warren |
Auburn
SEC
|
DE | NO New Orleans Saints | 189 games · 5 yrs as starter 47 career AV |
| 1981 | Ben Rudolph | Long Beach State | DT | NYJ New York Jets | 88 games 12 career AV |
| 1981 | Greg Meisner |
Pittsburgh
ACC
|
NT | LAR Los Angeles Rams | 135 games · 3 yrs as starter 23 career AV |
| 1981 | Robert Cobb |
Arizona
Big 12
|
DE | LAR Los Angeles Rams | 11 games |
| 1981 | Robert Geathers |
South Carolina State
MEAC
|
DT | BUF Buffalo Bills | No regular-season snaps |
| 1980 | Bob Kohrs |
Arizona State
Big 12
|
DE | PIT Pittsburgh Steelers | 55 games 8 career AV |
| 1980 | Rulon Jones 1× All-Pro 2× Pro Bowl |
Utah State
Mountain West
|
DE | DEN Denver Broncos | 129 games · 7 yrs as starter 63 career AV |
| 1980 | Daryle Skaugstad |
California
ACC
|
NT | TEN Houston Oilers | 37 games 4 career AV |
| 1980 | Cleveland Crosby |
Arizona
Big 12
|
DE | CLE Cleveland Browns | 9 games 1 career AV |
| 1980 | Mat Mendenhall |
BYU
Big 12
|
DE | WAS Washington Commanders | 23 games · 1 yrs as starter 15 career AV |
| 1980 | John Goodman |
Oklahoma
SEC
|
DE | PIT Pittsburgh Steelers | 64 games · 4 yrs as starter 26 career AV |
| 1980 | Rod Horn |
Nebraska
Big Ten
|
NT | CIN Cincinnati Bengals | 23 games 4 career AV |
| 1980 | Myron Lapka |
USC
Big Ten
|
NT | NYG New York Giants | 16 games 1 career AV |
| 1980 | Steve McMichael HOF 2× All-Pro 2× Pro Bowl |
Texas
SEC
|
DT | NE New England Patriots | 213 games · 11 yrs as starter 100 career AV |
| 1980 | Bill Barnett |
Nebraska
Big Ten
|
DE | MIA Miami Dolphins | 77 games 12 career AV |
| 1980 | Phil Murphy |
South Carolina State
MEAC
|
DT | LAR Los Angeles Rams | 32 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: LSU — 19
- 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?
LSU leads FantasyHQ’s archive with 19 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.