College programs that have produced the most NFL DB 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 DB 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 DB 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
23picks
LSU team hub
-
2
Clemson
ACC
16picks
Clemson team hub
-
3
Florida State
ACC
15picks
Florida State team hub
Draft pick explorer
Showing 551–600 of 610 picks · filtered.
| Pick | Player | College | Pos | NFL team | Career |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1985 | Don Anderson |
Purdue
Big Ten
|
DB | IND Indianapolis Colts | 16 games 1 career AV |
| 1985 | Tory Nixon |
San Diego State
Mountain West
|
DB | WAS Washington Commanders | 50 games 5 career AV |
| 1985 | Wayne Davis |
Indiana State
MVFC
|
DB | LAC San Diego Chargers | 73 games 9 career AV |
| 1985 | Lester Lyles |
Virginia
ACC
|
DB | NYJ New York Jets | 63 games · 1 yrs as starter 13 career AV |
| 1985 | Reggie Phillips |
SMU
ACC
|
DB | CHI Chicago Bears | 60 games 11 career AV |
| 1985 | Jim Bowman |
Central Michigan
MAC
|
DB | NE New England Patriots | 73 games · 1 yrs as starter 9 career AV |
| 1985 | Jeffery Dale |
LSU
SEC
|
DB | LAC San Diego Chargers | 42 games · 2 yrs as starter 14 career AV |
| 1985 | Tyrone Davis |
Clemson
ACC
|
DB | NYG New York Giants | 7 games |
| 1985 | Anthony Young |
Temple
American
|
DB | IND Indianapolis Colts | 14 games · 1 yrs as starter 5 career AV |
| 1985 | Donnie Elder |
Memphis
American
|
DB | NYJ New York Jets | 82 games 1 career AV |
| 1985 | John Hendy | Long Beach State | DB | LAC San Diego Chargers | 16 games · 1 yrs as starter 5 career AV |
| 1985 | Sean Thomas |
TCU
Big 12
|
DB | CIN Cincinnati Bengals | 11 games |
| 1985 | Liffort Hobley |
LSU
SEC
|
DB | PIT Pittsburgh Steelers | 84 games · 1 yrs as starter 14 career AV |
| 1985 | Stefon Adams |
East Carolina
American
|
DB | LV Los Angeles Raiders | 65 games 5 career AV |
| 1985 | Audray McMillian 1× All-Pro 1× Pro Bowl |
Houston
Big 12
|
DB | NE New England Patriots | 123 games · 2 yrs as starter 34 career AV |
| 1984 | Scott Case 1× Pro Bowl |
Oklahoma
SEC
|
DB | ATL Atlanta Falcons | 178 games · 8 yrs as starter 50 career AV |
| 1984 | Victor Scott |
Colorado College
|
DB | DAL Dallas Cowboys | 45 games 7 career AV |
| 1984 | Chris Rockins |
Oklahoma State
Big 12
|
DB | CLE Cleveland Browns | 60 games · 1 yrs as starter 11 career AV |
| 1984 | Bo Eason |
UC Davis
Big Sky
|
DB | TEN Houston Oilers | 38 games · 2 yrs as starter 11 career AV |
| 1984 | Fred Acorn |
Texas
SEC
|
DB | TB Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 16 games 1 career AV |
| 1984 | Rod McSwain |
Clemson
ACC
|
DB | ATL Atlanta Falcons | 90 games · 1 yrs as starter 11 career AV |
| 1984 | Terry Hoage |
Georgia
SEC
|
DB | NO New Orleans Saints | 141 games · 4 yrs as starter 29 career AV |
| 1984 | Rodney Bellinger |
Miami
ACC
|
DB | BUF Buffalo Bills | 42 games · 1 yrs as starter 8 career AV |
| 1984 | Tony Lilly |
Florida
SEC
|
DB | DEN Denver Broncos | 58 games · 1 yrs as starter 11 career AV |
| 1983 | Mike Richardson |
Arizona State
Big 12
|
DB | CHI Chicago Bears | 91 games · 6 yrs as starter 39 career AV |
| 1983 | Wes Hopkins 1× All-Pro 1× Pro Bowl |
SMU
ACC
|
DB | PHI Philadelphia Eagles | 137 games · 8 yrs as starter 55 career AV |
| 1983 | Keith Bostic 1× Pro Bowl |
Michigan
Big Ten
|
DB | TEN Houston Oilers | 96 games · 6 yrs as starter 34 career AV |
| 1983 | James Britt |
LSU
SEC
|
DB | ATL Atlanta Falcons | 60 games · 2 yrs as starter 13 career AV |
| 1983 | Cedric Mack |
Baylor
Big 12
|
DB | ARI St. Louis Cardinals | 140 games · 6 yrs as starter 33 career AV |
| 1983 | Ray Horton |
Washington
Big Ten
|
DB | CIN Cincinnati Bengals | 147 games · 6 yrs as starter 38 career AV |
| 1983 | Albert Lewis 2× All-Pro 4× Pro Bowl | Grambling St. | DB | KC Kansas City Chiefs | 225 games · 13 yrs as starter 82 career AV |
| 1983 | Dave Duerson 4× Pro Bowl |
Notre Dame
FBS Ind.
|
DB | CHI Chicago Bears | 160 games · 5 yrs as starter 58 career AV |
| 1983 | Jeremiah Castille |
Alabama
SEC
|
DB | TB Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 87 games · 3 yrs as starter 23 career AV |
| 1983 | Jimmy Turner |
UCLA
Big Ten
|
DB | CIN Cincinnati Bengals | 64 games 6 career AV |
| 1983 | Steve Brown |
Oregon
Big Ten
|
DB | TEN Houston Oilers | 119 games · 7 yrs as starter 30 career AV |
| 1982 | Bobby Watkins |
Texas State
Pac-12
|
DB | DET Detroit Lions | 83 games · 3 yrs as starter 32 career AV |
| 1982 | Vernon Dean |
San Diego State
Mountain West
|
DB | WAS Washington Commanders | 101 games · 5 yrs as starter 35 career AV |
| 1982 | Jim Burroughs |
Michigan State
Big Ten
|
DB | IND Baltimore Colts | 30 games · 2 yrs as starter 12 career AV |
| 1982 | Rodney Lewis |
Nebraska
Big Ten
|
DB | NO New Orleans Saints | 27 games 4 career AV |
| 1982 | Vann McElroy 2× Pro Bowl |
Baylor
Big 12
|
DB | LV Los Angeles Raiders | 111 games · 6 yrs as starter 44 career AV |
| 1982 | Benny Perrin |
Alabama
SEC
|
DB | ARI St. Louis Cardinals | 48 games · 3 yrs as starter 22 career AV |
| 1982 | John Krimm |
Notre Dame
FBS Ind.
|
DB | NO New Orleans Saints | 9 games 1 career AV |
| 1982 | Paul Lankford |
Penn State
Big Ten
|
DB | MIA Miami Dolphins | 130 games · 5 yrs as starter 26 career AV |
| 1981 | Russell Gary |
Nebraska
Big Ten
|
DB | NO New Orleans Saints | 80 games · 4 yrs as starter 29 career AV |
| 1981 | Eric Wright 1× All-Pro 2× Pro Bowl |
Missouri
SEC
|
DB | SF San Francisco 49ers | 110 games · 6 yrs as starter 62 career AV |
| 1981 | Anthony Washington |
Fresno State
Mountain West
|
DB | PIT Pittsburgh Steelers | 57 games 8 career AV |
| 1981 | Chris Williams |
LSU
SEC
|
DB | BUF Buffalo Bills | 21 games 5 career AV |
| 1981 | Jeff Griffin |
Utah
Big 12
|
DB | ARI St. Louis Cardinals | 50 games · 2 yrs as starter 14 career AV |
| 1981 | John Simmons |
SMU
ACC
|
DB | CIN Cincinnati Bengals | 72 games 6 career AV |
| 1981 | Carlton Williamson 2× Pro Bowl |
Pittsburgh
ACC
|
DB | SF San Francisco 49ers | 88 games · 6 yrs as starter 45 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 — 23
- 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 23 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.