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 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
Alabama
SEC
43picks
Alabama team hub
-
2
Ohio State
Big Ten
42picks
Ohio State team hub
-
3
Penn State
Big Ten
42picks
Penn State team hub
Draft pick explorer
Showing 901–950 of 1,691 picks · filtered.
| Pick | Player | College | Pos | NFL team | Career |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 | Derek Smith |
Arizona State
Big 12
|
LB | WAS Washington Commanders | 174 games · 11 yrs as starter 59 career AV |
| 1997 | Kinnon Tatum |
Notre Dame
FBS Ind.
|
LB | CAR Carolina Panthers | 31 games 2 career AV |
| 1997 | Mike Vrabel 1× All-Pro 1× Pro Bowl |
Ohio State
Big Ten
|
LB | PIT Pittsburgh Steelers | 206 games · 10 yrs as starter 66 career AV |
| 1997 | Derrick Rodgers |
Arizona State
Big 12
|
LB | MIA Miami Dolphins | 116 games · 8 yrs as starter 43 career AV |
| 1997 | Ronnie Ward |
Kansas
Big 12
|
LB | MIA Miami Dolphins | 4 games |
| 1997 | Henri Crockett |
Florida State
ACC
|
LB | ATL Atlanta Falcons | 103 games · 7 yrs as starter 28 career AV |
| 1997 | Pete Monty |
Wisconsin
Big Ten
|
LB | NYG New York Giants | 52 games 5 career AV |
| 1997 | Tyrus McCloud |
Louisville
ACC
|
LB | BAL Baltimore Ravens | 23 games 2 career AV |
| 1997 | Tarek Saleh |
Wisconsin
Big Ten
|
LB | CAR Carolina Panthers | 59 games 4 career AV |
| 1997 | Alshermond Singleton |
Temple
American
|
LB | TB Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 140 games · 3 yrs as starter 30 career AV |
| 1997 | Matt Russell |
Colorado College
|
LB | DET Detroit Lions | 14 games 2 career AV |
| 1997 | Twan Russell |
Miami
ACC
|
LB | WAS Washington Commanders | 78 games 6 career AV |
| 1997 | Vernon Crawford |
Florida State
ACC
|
LB | NE New England Patriots | 41 games 3 career AV |
| 1997 | Anthony Hicks |
Arkansas
SEC
|
LB | GB Green Bay Packers | No regular-season snaps |
| 1997 | Tim Scharf |
Northwestern
Big Ten
|
LB | NYJ New York Jets | No regular-season snaps |
| 1997 | John Fiala |
Washington
Big Ten
|
LB | MIA Miami Dolphins | 75 games 6 career AV |
| 1997 | Mike Crawford |
Nevada
Mountain West
|
LB | MIA Miami Dolphins | 7 games |
| 1997 | Canute Curtis |
West Virginia
Big 12
|
LB | CIN Cincinnati Bengals | 70 games · 1 yrs as starter 9 career AV |
| 1997 | Muadianvita Kazadi |
Tulsa
American
|
LB | LAR St. Louis Rams | 12 games 1 career AV |
| 1997 | Dennis Stallings |
Illinois College
Midwest
|
LB | TEN Tennessee Titans | 28 games 2 career AV |
| 1997 | Scott Von der Ahe |
Arizona State
Big 12
|
LB | IND Indianapolis Colts | 9 games 1 career AV |
| 1997 | Tony McCombs |
Eastern Kentucky
United Athletic Conference
|
LB | ARI Arizona Cardinals | 26 games · 1 yrs as starter 6 career AV |
| 1997 | Cornell Brown |
Virginia Tech
ACC
|
LB | BAL Baltimore Ravens | 109 games · 1 yrs as starter 17 career AV |
| 1997 | Richard Hogans |
Memphis
American
|
LB | CHI Chicago Bears | No regular-season snaps |
| 1997 | Toran James |
North Carolina A&T
CAA
|
LB | LAC San Diego Chargers | 14 games 1 career AV |
| 1997 | Artie Ulmer |
Valdosta State
Gulf South
|
LB | MIN Minnesota Vikings | 90 games 6 career AV |
| 1997 | Jon Hesse |
Nebraska
Big Ten
|
LB | JAX Jacksonville Jaguars | 5 games |
| 1997 | Richard Jordan | Missouri Southern | LB | DET Detroit Lions | 36 games 4 career AV |
| 1996 | Kevin Hardy 1× All-Pro 1× Pro Bowl |
Illinois College
Midwest
|
LB | JAX Jacksonville Jaguars | 134 games · 9 yrs as starter 62 career AV |
| 1996 | John Mobley 1× All-Pro | Kutztown (PA) | LB | DEN Denver Broncos | 105 games · 6 yrs as starter 52 career AV |
| 1996 | Reggie Brown |
Texas A&M
SEC
|
LB | DET Detroit Lions | 26 games · 2 yrs as starter 11 career AV |
| 1996 | Ray Lewis HOF 7× All-Pro 12× Pro Bowl |
Miami
ACC
|
LB | BAL Baltimore Ravens | 228 games · 14 yrs as starter 160 career AV |
| 1996 | Randall Godfrey |
Georgia
SEC
|
LB | DAL Dallas Cowboys | 170 games · 9 yrs as starter 68 career AV |
| 1996 | Patrick Sapp |
Clemson
ACC
|
LB | LAC San Diego Chargers | 63 games · 1 yrs as starter 9 career AV |
| 1996 | Gabe Northern |
LSU
SEC
|
LB | BUF Buffalo Bills | 73 games · 2 yrs as starter 19 career AV |
| 1996 | Steve Conley |
Arkansas
SEC
|
LB | PIT Pittsburgh Steelers | 21 games 2 career AV |
| 1996 | Terry Killens |
Penn State
Big Ten
|
LB | TEN Houston Oilers | 97 games 8 career AV |
| 1996 | Tedy Bruschi 1× Pro Bowl |
Arizona
Big 12
|
LB | NE New England Patriots | 189 games · 9 yrs as starter 70 career AV |
| 1996 | Donnie Edwards 1× Pro Bowl |
UCLA
Big Ten
|
LB | KC Kansas City Chiefs | 197 games · 11 yrs as starter 83 career AV |
| 1996 | Percell Gaskins |
Kansas State
Big 12
|
LB | LAR St. Louis Rams | 27 games 3 career AV |
| 1996 | Sean Moran |
Colorado State
Mountain West
|
LB | BUF Buffalo Bills | 120 games 12 career AV |
| 1996 | Ray Farmer |
Duke
ACC
|
LB | PHI Philadelphia Eagles | 32 games · 1 yrs as starter 9 career AV |
| 1996 | LaCurtis Jones |
Baylor
Big 12
|
LB | MIA Miami Dolphins | 10 games 1 career AV |
| 1996 | Earl Holmes |
Florida A&M
SWAC
|
LB | PIT Pittsburgh Steelers | 140 games · 9 yrs as starter 56 career AV |
| 1996 | Eric Unverzagt |
Wisconsin
Big Ten
|
LB | SEA Seattle Seahawks | 9 games |
| 1996 | Whit Marshall |
Georgia
SEC
|
LB | PHI Philadelphia Eagles | 16 games 1 career AV |
| 1996 | Zach Thomas HOF 5× All-Pro 7× Pro Bowl |
Texas Tech
Big 12
|
LB | MIA Miami Dolphins | 184 games · 12 yrs as starter 115 career AV |
| 1996 | Alan Campos |
Louisville
ACC
|
LB | DAL Dallas Cowboys | 15 games 1 career AV |
| 1996 | Doug Colman |
Nebraska
Big Ten
|
LB | NYG New York Giants | 64 games 5 career AV |
| 1996 | Dexter Daniels |
Florida
SEC
|
LB | BAL Baltimore Ravens | 4 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: Alabama — 43
- 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?
Alabama leads FantasyHQ’s archive with 43 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.