1980 NFL Draft broken down by the college programs that produced each pick — first-rounders, conference totals, and the full board.
FantasyHQ
College Football
NFL Draft History by college program
1980 NFL Draft broken down by the college programs that produced each pick — first-rounders, conference totals, and the full board.
- Draft picks
- 12,927
- Colleges
- 446
- First-rounders
- 1,427
- Hall of Famers
- 102
- Pro Bowlers
- 1,326
- Drafts covered
- 47
Showing picks from the 1980 draft · 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
Nebraska
Big Ten
10picks
Nebraska team hub
-
2
Baylor
Big 12
9picks
Baylor team hub
-
3
Oklahoma
SEC
9picks
Oklahoma team hub
Draft pick explorer
Showing 51–100 of 333 picks · filtered.
| Pick | Player | College | Pos | NFL team | Career |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980 | Tim Foley |
Notre Dame
FBS Ind.
|
T | IND Baltimore Colts | 6 games |
| 1980 | Daryle Skaugstad |
California
ACC
|
NT | TEN Houston Oilers | 37 games 4 career AV |
| 1980 | Perry Harrington |
Jackson State
SWAC
|
RB | PHI Philadelphia Eagles | 59 games · 1 yrs as starter 9 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 | Tom Turnure |
Washington
Big Ten
|
C | DET Detroit Lions | 63 games 6 career AV |
| 1980 | Jewerl Thomas |
San José State
Mountain West
|
RB | LAR Los Angeles Rams | 56 games 7 career AV |
| 1980 | Rod Horn |
Nebraska
Big Ten
|
NT | CIN Cincinnati Bengals | 23 games 4 career AV |
| 1980 | John Sinnott |
Brown
Ivy League
|
T | ARI St. Louis Cardinals | 9 games · 1 yrs as starter 4 career AV |
| 1980 | Syd Kitson |
Wake Forest
ACC
|
G | GB Green Bay Packers | 50 games · 1 yrs as starter 9 career AV |
| 1980 | Mike Friede |
Indiana
Big Ten
|
WR | DET Detroit Lions | 27 games · 1 yrs as starter 5 career AV |
| 1980 | Earl Jones |
Norfolk State
MEAC
|
DB | ATL Atlanta Falcons | 57 games 6 career AV |
| 1980 | Myron Lapka |
USC
Big Ten
|
NT | NYG New York Giants | 16 games 1 career AV |
| 1980 | Jim Miller |
Ole Miss
SEC
|
P | SF San Francisco 49ers | 45 games 5 career AV |
| 1980 | James Hadnot |
Texas Tech
Big 12
|
RB | KC Kansas City Chiefs | 43 games · 1 yrs as starter 13 career AV |
| 1980 | Mark Brammer |
Michigan State
Big Ten
|
TE | BUF Buffalo Bills | 65 games · 3 yrs as starter 11 career AV |
| 1980 | Brent Boyd |
UCLA
Big Ten
|
G | MIN Minnesota Vikings | 59 games · 1 yrs as starter 16 career AV |
| 1980 | Lance Mehl 1× Pro Bowl |
Penn State
Big Ten
|
LB | NYJ New York Jets | 97 games · 6 yrs as starter 51 career AV |
| 1980 | LeRoy Irvin 2× All-Pro 2× Pro Bowl |
Kansas
Big 12
|
DB | LAR Los Angeles Rams | 159 games · 8 yrs as starter 76 career AV |
| 1980 | John Schmeding |
Boston College
ACC
|
G | BUF Buffalo Bills | No regular-season snaps |
| 1980 | Cliff Odom | Texas-Arlington | LB | CLE Cleveland Browns | 167 games · 6 yrs as starter 44 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 | Larry Carter |
Kentucky
SEC
|
DB | DEN Denver Broncos | No regular-season snaps |
| 1980 | Bill Barnett |
Nebraska
Big Ten
|
DE | MIA Miami Dolphins | 77 games 12 career AV |
| 1980 | Scot Brantley |
Florida
SEC
|
LB | TB Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 114 games · 5 yrs as starter 32 career AV |
| 1980 | Craig Puki |
Tennessee
SEC
|
LB | SF San Francisco 49ers | 39 games 7 career AV |
| 1980 | Bill Roe |
Colorado College
|
LB | DAL Dallas Cowboys | 19 games 3 career AV |
| 1980 | Tim Smith |
Nebraska
Big Ten
|
WR | TEN Houston Oilers | 90 games · 3 yrs as starter 23 career AV |
| 1980 | James Jones |
Mississippi State
SEC
|
RB | DAL Dallas Cowboys | 62 games 5 career AV |
| 1980 | Charles Baker |
New Mexico
Mountain West
|
LB | ARI St. Louis Cardinals | 109 games · 3 yrs as starter 31 career AV |
| 1980 | Phil Murphy |
South Carolina State
MEAC
|
DT | LAR Los Angeles Rams | 32 games 2 career AV |
| 1980 | Ray Sydnor |
Wisconsin
Big Ten
|
TE | PIT Pittsburgh Steelers | No regular-season snaps |
| 1980 | Ricky Churchman |
Texas
SEC
|
DB | SF San Francisco 49ers | 19 games · 1 yrs as starter 6 career AV |
| 1980 | Eric Hipple |
Utah State
Mountain West
|
QB | DET Detroit Lions | 102 games · 4 yrs as starter 38 career AV |
| 1980 | William Glass |
Baylor
Big 12
|
G | CIN Cincinnati Bengals | 15 games 1 career AV |
| 1980 | Fred Nixon |
Oklahoma
SEC
|
WR | GB Green Bay Packers | 23 games 1 career AV |
| 1980 | Ray Butler |
USC
Big Ten
|
WR | IND Baltimore Colts | 120 games · 6 yrs as starter 33 career AV |
| 1980 | Rusty Lisch |
Notre Dame
FBS Ind.
|
QB | ARI St. Louis Cardinals | 30 games 2 career AV |
| 1980 | Danny Pittman |
Wyoming
Mountain West
|
WR | NYG New York Giants | 49 games · 1 yrs as starter 4 career AV |
| 1980 | Jim Laughlin |
Ohio State
Big Ten
|
LB | ATL Atlanta Falcons | 88 games 13 career AV |
| 1980 | Dennis Johnson |
USC
Big Ten
|
LB | MIN Minnesota Vikings | 85 games · 3 yrs as starter 27 career AV |
| 1980 | Ervin Parker |
South Carolina State
MEAC
|
LB | BUF Buffalo Bills | 57 games · 2 yrs as starter 17 career AV |
| 1980 | Dave Klug | Concordia-Moorhead (MN) | LB | KC Kansas City Chiefs | 26 games 3 career AV |
| 1980 | Jesse Johnson |
Colorado College
|
DB | NYJ New York Jets | 45 games 3 career AV |
| 1980 | Mike Jolly |
Michigan
Big Ten
|
DB | NO New Orleans Saints | 35 games 4 career AV |
| 1980 | Terry Dion |
Oregon
Big Ten
|
DE | SEA Seattle Seahawks | 9 games 1 career AV |
| 1980 | David Hodge |
Houston
Big 12
|
LB | SF San Francisco 49ers | No regular-season snaps |
| 1980 | Ron Crews |
UNLV
Mountain West
|
NT | CLE Cleveland Browns | 16 games 1 career AV |
| 1980 | Elmer Bailey |
Minnesota
Big Ten
|
WR | MIA Miami Dolphins | 31 games 1 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: Nebraska — 10
- 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?
Nebraska leads FantasyHQ’s archive with 10 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.