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 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
Miami
ACC
30picks
Miami team hub
-
2
Ohio State
Big Ten
30picks
Ohio State team hub
-
3
Oklahoma
SEC
28picks
Oklahoma team hub
Draft pick explorer
Showing 951–1,000 of 1,574 picks · filtered.
| Pick | Player | College | Pos | NFL team | Career |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1996 | Eric Smedley |
Indiana
Big Ten
|
DB | BUF Buffalo Bills | 42 games 2 career AV |
| 1995 | Sam Shade |
Alabama
SEC
|
DB | CIN Cincinnati Bengals | 117 games · 5 yrs as starter 30 career AV |
| 1995 | Jerry Wilson |
Southern
SWAC
|
DB | TB Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 120 games · 2 yrs as starter 19 career AV |
| 1995 | Ken Irvin |
Memphis
American
|
DB | BUF Buffalo Bills | 147 games · 5 yrs as starter 31 career AV |
| 1995 | Ray McElroy |
Eastern Illinois
OVC-Big South
|
DB | IND Indianapolis Colts | 81 games 7 career AV |
| 1995 | Alundis Brice |
Ole Miss
SEC
|
DB | DAL Dallas Cowboys | 24 games 2 career AV |
| 1995 | Michael Senters |
Northwestern
Big Ten
|
DB | CAR Carolina Panthers | No regular-season snaps |
| 1995 | Mike Scurlock |
Arizona
Big 12
|
DB | LAR St. Louis Rams | 65 games 5 career AV |
| 1995 | Carl Greenwood |
UCLA
Big Ten
|
DB | NYJ New York Jets | 24 games 2 career AV |
| 1995 | Clifton Abraham |
Florida State
ACC
|
DB | TB Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 9 games |
| 1995 | William Strong |
NC State
ACC
|
DB | NO New Orleans Saints | 9 games 1 career AV |
| 1995 | Cedric Davis |
Tennessee State
OVC-Big South
|
DB | ARI Arizona Cardinals | No regular-season snaps |
| 1995 | Lee Flowers |
Georgia Tech
ACC
|
DB | PIT Pittsburgh Steelers | 112 games · 5 yrs as starter 35 career AV |
| 1995 | Roderick Mullen | Grambling St. | DB | NYG New York Giants | 53 games 4 career AV |
| 1995 | Lance Brown |
Indiana
Big Ten
|
DB | PIT Pittsburgh Steelers | 58 games · 1 yrs as starter 6 career AV |
| 1995 | Tito Paul |
Ohio State
Big Ten
|
DB | ARI Arizona Cardinals | 67 games 7 career AV |
| 1995 | Kenny Gales |
Wisconsin
Big Ten
|
DB | CHI Chicago Bears | No regular-season snaps |
| 1995 | Barron Miles |
Nebraska
Big Ten
|
DB | PIT Pittsburgh Steelers | No regular-season snaps |
| 1995 | Anthony Bridges |
North Texas
American
|
DB | ARI Arizona Cardinals | No regular-season snaps |
| 1995 | Chad Cota |
Oregon
Big Ten
|
DB | CAR Carolina Panthers | 125 games · 5 yrs as starter 34 career AV |
| 1995 | C.J. Richardson |
Miami
ACC
|
DB | TEN Houston Oilers | 15 games 1 career AV |
| 1995 | Gerald McBurrows |
Kansas
Big 12
|
DB | LAR St. Louis Rams | 122 games · 2 yrs as starter 19 career AV |
| 1995 | Herman O'Berry |
Oregon
Big Ten
|
DB | LAR St. Louis Rams | 9 games |
| 1995 | Scott Turner |
Illinois College
Midwest
|
DB | WAS Washington Commanders | 101 games 9 career AV |
| 1995 | Carlos Yancy |
Georgia
SEC
|
DB | NE New England Patriots | 4 games |
| 1995 | Mark Montreuil | Concordia (QB) | DB | LAC San Diego Chargers | 35 games 2 career AV |
| 1995 | Travis Davis |
Notre Dame
FBS Ind.
|
DB | NO New Orleans Saints | 73 games · 2 yrs as starter 23 career AV |
| 1995 | Michael Reed |
Boston College
ACC
|
DB | CAR Carolina Panthers | 3 games |
| 1994 | Corey Sawyer |
Florida State
ACC
|
DB | CIN Cincinnati Bengals | 65 games 11 career AV |
| 1994 | Perry Carter | Southern Mississippi | DB | ARI Arizona Cardinals | 28 games 3 career AV |
| 1994 | Larry Whigham 2× Pro Bowl |
UL Monroe
Sun Belt
|
DB | SEA Seattle Seahawks | 136 games 15 career AV |
| 1994 | John Reece |
Nebraska
Big Ten
|
DB | ARI Arizona Cardinals | 5 games |
| 1994 | Mike Davis |
Cincinnati
Big 12
|
DB | TEN Houston Oilers | 19 games 1 career AV |
| 1994 | Randy Fuller |
Tennessee State
OVC-Big South
|
DB | DEN Denver Broncos | 64 games 6 career AV |
| 1994 | Vaughn Bryant |
Stanford
ACC
|
DB | DET Detroit Lions | No regular-season snaps |
| 1994 | Bracy Walker |
North Carolina
ACC
|
DB | KC Kansas City Chiefs | 167 games · 3 yrs as starter 25 career AV |
| 1994 | Sean Crocker |
North Carolina
ACC
|
DB | BUF Buffalo Bills | No regular-season snaps |
| 1994 | John Covington |
Notre Dame
FBS Ind.
|
DB | IND Indianapolis Colts | 3 games |
| 1994 | Shelly Hammonds |
Penn State
Big Ten
|
DB | MIN Minnesota Vikings | 1 games |
| 1994 | Myron Bell |
Michigan State
Big Ten
|
DB | PIT Pittsburgh Steelers | 112 games · 3 yrs as starter 19 career AV |
| 1994 | Issac Booth |
California
ACC
|
DB | CLE Cleveland Browns | 35 games 4 career AV |
| 1994 | Marvin Goodwin |
UCLA
Big Ten
|
DB | PHI Philadelphia Eagles | No regular-season snaps |
| 1994 | Rodney Harrison 2× All-Pro 2× Pro Bowl |
Western Illinois
OVC-Big South
|
DB | LAC San Diego Chargers | 186 games · 10 yrs as starter 69 career AV |
| 1994 | James Burton |
Fresno State
Mountain West
|
DB | KC Kansas City Chiefs | 45 games 5 career AV |
| 1994 | Jocelyn Borgella |
Cincinnati
Big 12
|
DB | DET Detroit Lions | 15 games 1 career AV |
| 1994 | Darren Studstill |
West Virginia
Big 12
|
DB | DAL Dallas Cowboys | 16 games |
| 1994 | Dennis Collier |
Colorado College
|
DB | CHI Chicago Bears | No regular-season snaps |
| 1994 | Sean Hill |
Montana State
Big Sky
|
DB | MIA Miami Dolphins | 44 games 5 career AV |
| 1994 | Filmel Johnson |
Illinois College
Midwest
|
DB | BUF Buffalo Bills | 2 games |
| 1993 | Marcello Simmons |
SMU
ACC
|
DB | CIN Cincinnati Bengals | 16 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: Miami — 30
- 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?
Miami leads FantasyHQ’s archive with 30 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.