College programs that have produced the most NFL LB 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 LB 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 LB Day 3 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
Penn State
Big Ten
27picks
Penn State team hub
-
2
Washington
Big Ten
23picks
Washington team hub
-
3
Notre Dame
FBS Ind.
22picks
Notre Dame team hub
Draft pick explorer
Showing 651–700 of 1,122 picks · filtered.
| Pick | Player | College | Pos | NFL team | Career |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1993 | David Merritt |
NC State
ACC
|
LB | MIA Miami Dolphins | 38 games 3 career AV |
| 1993 | Jessie Armstead 1× All-Pro 5× Pro Bowl |
Miami
ACC
|
LB | NYG New York Giants | 176 games · 8 yrs as starter 81 career AV |
| 1993 | Marquise Thomas |
Ole Miss
SEC
|
LB | IND Indianapolis Colts | No regular-season snaps |
| 1993 | Lamont Hollinquest |
USC
Big Ten
|
LB | WAS Washington Commanders | 76 games 6 career AV |
| 1993 | Reggie Givens |
Penn State
Big Ten
|
LB | DAL Dallas Cowboys | 41 games 3 career AV |
| 1993 | Dwayne Gordon |
New Hampshire
CAA
|
LB | MIA Miami Dolphins | 113 games · 1 yrs as starter 17 career AV |
| 1992 | Ricardo McDonald |
Pittsburgh
ACC
|
LB | CIN Cincinnati Bengals | 119 games · 8 yrs as starter 37 career AV |
| 1992 | Keo Coleman |
Mississippi State
SEC
|
LB | NYJ New York Jets | 18 games 2 career AV |
| 1992 | Dwight Hollier |
North Carolina
ACC
|
LB | MIA Miami Dolphins | 138 games · 4 yrs as starter 32 career AV |
| 1992 | Dwayne Sabb |
New Hampshire
CAA
|
LB | NE New England Patriots | 74 games · 3 yrs as starter 15 career AV |
| 1992 | Ed McDaniel 1× Pro Bowl |
Clemson
ACC
|
LB | MIN Minnesota Vikings | 125 games · 7 yrs as starter 51 career AV |
| 1992 | Kevin Little |
North Carolina A&T
CAA
|
LB | LAC San Diego Chargers | No regular-season snaps |
| 1992 | Joe Bowden |
Oklahoma
SEC
|
LB | TEN Houston Oilers | 139 games · 5 yrs as starter 39 career AV |
| 1992 | James Malone |
UCLA
Big Ten
|
LB | TB Tampa Bay Buccaneers | No regular-season snaps |
| 1992 | Glenn Cadrez |
Houston
Big 12
|
LB | NYJ New York Jets | 167 games · 2 yrs as starter 26 career AV |
| 1992 | Roosevelt Collins |
TCU
Big 12
|
LB | MIA Miami Dolphins | 10 games 1 career AV |
| 1992 | Corey Widmer |
Montana State
Big Sky
|
LB | NYG New York Giants | 114 games · 4 yrs as starter 34 career AV |
| 1992 | Tim Paulk |
Florida
SEC
|
LB | ATL Atlanta Falcons | No regular-season snaps |
| 1992 | Erick Anderson |
Michigan
Big Ten
|
LB | KC Kansas City Chiefs | 10 games 1 career AV |
| 1992 | Andre Powell |
Penn State
Big Ten
|
LB | MIA Miami Dolphins | 16 games 2 career AV |
| 1992 | Chuck Bullough |
Michigan State
Big Ten
|
LB | PHI Philadelphia Eagles | 4 games |
| 1992 | Elnardo Webster |
Rutgers
Big Ten
|
LB | PIT Pittsburgh Steelers | 3 games |
| 1992 | Ephesians Bartley |
Florida
SEC
|
LB | PHI Philadelphia Eagles | 6 games |
| 1992 | Don Jones |
Washington
Big Ten
|
LB | NO New Orleans Saints | 8 games 1 career AV |
| 1992 | Boone Powell |
Texas
SEC
|
LB | WAS Washington Commanders | No regular-season snaps |
| 1992 | Steve Grant |
West Virginia
Big 12
|
LB | IND Indianapolis Colts | 83 games · 4 yrs as starter 22 career AV |
| 1992 | Elijah Alexander |
Kansas State
Big 12
|
LB | TB Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 123 games · 6 yrs as starter 31 career AV |
| 1992 | Darryl Hardy |
Tennessee
SEC
|
LB | ATL Atlanta Falcons | 23 games 1 career AV |
| 1992 | Tony Barker |
Rice
American
|
LB | WAS Washington Commanders | 8 games 1 career AV |
| 1992 | Brian Townsend |
Michigan
Big Ten
|
LB | LAR Los Angeles Rams | 3 games |
| 1992 | Gabe Mokwuah | American Int. | LB | GB Green Bay Packers | No regular-season snaps |
| 1992 | Mike Petko |
Nebraska
Big Ten
|
LB | NE New England Patriots | No regular-season snaps |
| 1992 | Anthony Davis |
Utah
Big 12
|
LB | TEN Houston Oilers | 106 games · 3 yrs as starter 29 career AV |
| 1992 | Eric Shaw |
Louisiana Tech
Conference USA
|
LB | CIN Cincinnati Bengals | 28 games · 1 yrs as starter 5 career AV |
| 1992 | Brett Collins |
Washington
Big Ten
|
LB | GB Green Bay Packers | 27 games 2 career AV |
| 1992 | Chico Fraley |
Washington
Big Ten
|
LB | SEA Seattle Seahawks | No regular-season snaps |
| 1992 | Chris Wilson |
Oklahoma
SEC
|
LB | CHI Chicago Bears | No regular-season snaps |
| 1991 | Mitch Donahue |
Wyoming
Mountain West
|
LB | SF San Francisco 49ers | 31 games 2 career AV |
| 1991 | William Thomas 2× Pro Bowl |
Texas A&M
SEC
|
LB | PHI Philadelphia Eagles | 172 games · 10 yrs as starter 73 career AV |
| 1991 | Bryan Cox 3× Pro Bowl |
Western Illinois
OVC-Big South
|
LB | MIA Miami Dolphins | 165 games · 10 yrs as starter 67 career AV |
| 1991 | James Goode |
Oklahoma
SEC
|
LB | ATL Atlanta Falcons | No regular-season snaps |
| 1991 | Terry Bagsby | Texas A&M-Commerce | LB | TB Tampa Bay Buccaneers | No regular-season snaps |
| 1991 | Darrick Brownlow |
Illinois College
Midwest
|
LB | DAL Dallas Cowboys | 95 games · 1 yrs as starter 6 career AV |
| 1991 | Anthony Moss |
Florida State
ACC
|
LB | NYG New York Giants | No regular-season snaps |
| 1991 | Corey Miller |
South Carolina
SEC
|
LB | NYG New York Giants | 110 games · 5 yrs as starter 36 career AV |
| 1991 | Frank Blevins |
Oklahoma
SEC
|
LB | GB Green Bay Packers | No regular-season snaps |
| 1991 | Calvin Tiggle |
Georgia Tech
ACC
|
LB | TB Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 24 games 3 career AV |
| 1991 | Reggie Burnette |
Houston
Big 12
|
LB | GB Green Bay Packers | 23 games 3 career AV |
| 1991 | Kyle Freeman |
Angelo State
Lone Star
|
LB | TEN Houston Oilers | No regular-season snaps |
| 1991 | Andre Jones |
Notre Dame
FBS Ind.
|
LB | PIT Pittsburgh Steelers | 6 games |
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: Penn State — 27
- 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?
Penn State leads FantasyHQ’s archive with 27 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.