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 951–1,000 of 1,691 picks · filtered.
| Pick | Player | College | Pos | NFL team | Career |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1996 | Tom Tumulty |
Pittsburgh
ACC
|
LB | CIN Cincinnati Bengals | 31 games · 1 yrs as starter 7 career AV |
| 1996 | Scott Galyon |
Tennessee
SEC
|
LB | NYG New York Giants | 95 games 9 career AV |
| 1996 | Craig Sauer |
Minnesota
Big Ten
|
LB | ATL Atlanta Falcons | 73 games 9 career AV |
| 1996 | Jeremy Asher |
Oregon
Big Ten
|
LB | WAS Washington Commanders | No regular-season snaps |
| 1996 | Sedric Clark |
Tulsa
American
|
LB | LV Oakland Raiders | 6 games |
| 1996 | Dan Brandenburg |
Indiana State
MVFC
|
LB | BUF Buffalo Bills | 42 games 3 career AV |
| 1996 | Carlos Emmons |
Arkansas State
Sun Belt
|
LB | PIT Pittsburgh Steelers | 147 games · 8 yrs as starter 54 career AV |
| 1996 | Sam Manuel |
New Mexico State
Conference USA
|
LB | SF San Francisco 49ers | No regular-season snaps |
| 1995 | Mark Fields 2× Pro Bowl |
Washington State
Pac-12
|
LB | NO New Orleans Saints | 136 games · 8 yrs as starter 53 career AV |
| 1995 | Derrick Brooks HOF 5× All-Pro 11× Pro Bowl |
Florida State
ACC
|
LB | TB Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 224 games · 14 yrs as starter 142 career AV |
| 1995 | Craig Powell |
Ohio State
Big Ten
|
LB | CLE Cleveland Browns | 14 games |
| 1995 | Ted Johnson |
Colorado College
|
LB | NE New England Patriots | 125 games · 7 yrs as starter 45 career AV |
| 1995 | Bryan Schwartz |
Augustana University (SD)
Northern Sun
|
LB | JAX Jacksonville Jaguars | 55 games · 3 yrs as starter 19 career AV |
| 1995 | Brian Williams |
USC
Big Ten
|
LB | GB Green Bay Packers | 81 games · 3 yrs as starter 32 career AV |
| 1995 | Lorenzo Styles |
Ohio State
Big Ten
|
LB | ATL Atlanta Falcons | 70 games 6 career AV |
| 1995 | Sean Harris |
Arizona
Big 12
|
LB | CHI Chicago Bears | 83 games · 3 yrs as starter 20 career AV |
| 1995 | Damien Covington |
NC State
ACC
|
LB | BUF Buffalo Bills | 30 games · 1 yrs as starter 7 career AV |
| 1995 | Troy Dumas |
Nebraska
Big Ten
|
LB | KC Kansas City Chiefs | 16 games 1 career AV |
| 1995 | Preston Harrison |
Ohio State
Big Ten
|
LB | LAC San Diego Chargers | No regular-season snaps |
| 1995 | Chris Cowart |
Florida State
ACC
|
LB | LAC San Diego Chargers | No regular-season snaps |
| 1995 | Mike Morton |
North Carolina
ACC
|
LB | LV Oakland Raiders | 103 games · 1 yrs as starter 13 career AV |
| 1995 | Ken Brown |
Virginia Tech
ACC
|
LB | DEN Denver Broncos | 2 games |
| 1995 | Donta Jones |
Nebraska
Big Ten
|
LB | PIT Pittsburgh Steelers | 91 games 10 career AV |
| 1995 | Jason Kyle |
Arizona State
Big 12
|
LB | SEA Seattle Seahawks | 203 games 11 career AV |
| 1995 | Linc Harden |
Oklahoma State
Big 12
|
LB | DAL Dallas Cowboys | No regular-season snaps |
| 1995 | Ben Talley |
Tennessee
SEC
|
LB | NYG New York Giants | 12 games 1 career AV |
| 1995 | Matt Dyson |
Michigan
Big Ten
|
LB | LV Oakland Raiders | 4 games |
| 1995 | Stephen Boyd 2× Pro Bowl |
Boston College
ACC
|
LB | DET Detroit Lions | 86 games · 4 yrs as starter 41 career AV |
| 1995 | John Holecek |
Illinois College
Midwest
|
LB | BUF Buffalo Bills | 81 games · 4 yrs as starter 28 career AV |
| 1995 | Phil Yeboah-Kodie |
Penn State
Big Ten
|
LB | DEN Denver Broncos | 2 games |
| 1995 | Jerrott Willard |
California
ACC
|
LB | KC Kansas City Chiefs | 1 games |
| 1995 | Dana Howard |
Illinois College
Midwest
|
LB | DAL Dallas Cowboys | 19 games 1 career AV |
| 1995 | Eddie Mason |
North Carolina
ACC
|
LB | NYJ New York Jets | 80 games 7 career AV |
| 1995 | Wardell Rouse |
Clemson
ACC
|
LB | TB Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 16 games 1 career AV |
| 1995 | Brian Gelzheiser |
Penn State
Big Ten
|
LB | IND Indianapolis Colts | No regular-season snaps |
| 1995 | John Solomon | Sam Houston St. | LB | MIN Minnesota Vikings | No regular-season snaps |
| 1995 | Jeff Kopp |
USC
Big Ten
|
LB | MIA Miami Dolphins | 63 games 4 career AV |
| 1995 | Antonio Armstrong |
Texas A&M
SEC
|
LB | SF San Francisco 49ers | 4 games |
| 1995 | Steve Russ |
Air Force
Mountain West
|
LB | DEN Denver Broncos | 24 games 2 career AV |
| 1995 | Jessie Cox |
Texas Southern
SWAC
|
LB | IND Indianapolis Colts | No regular-season snaps |
| 1995 | Wesley Leasy |
Mississippi State
SEC
|
LB | ARI Arizona Cardinals | 28 games 2 career AV |
| 1995 | Jamal Cox |
Georgia Tech
ACC
|
LB | CHI Chicago Bears | No regular-season snaps |
| 1994 | Trev Alberts |
Nebraska
Big Ten
|
LB | IND Indianapolis Colts | 29 games 4 career AV |
| 1994 | Jamir Miller 1× All-Pro 1× Pro Bowl |
UCLA
Big Ten
|
LB | ARI Arizona Cardinals | 121 games · 7 yrs as starter 44 career AV |
| 1994 | Rob Fredrickson |
Michigan State
Big Ten
|
LB | LV Los Angeles Raiders | 128 games · 9 yrs as starter 42 career AV |
| 1994 | Allen Aldridge |
Houston
Big 12
|
LB | DEN Denver Broncos | 128 games · 7 yrs as starter 40 career AV |
| 1994 | James Folston |
UL Monroe
Sun Belt
|
LB | LV Los Angeles Raiders | 84 games 8 career AV |
| 1994 | Kevin Mitchell |
Syracuse
ACC
|
LB | SF San Francisco 49ers | 144 games · 2 yrs as starter 18 career AV |
| 1994 | Aubrey Beavers |
Oklahoma
SEC
|
LB | MIA Miami Dolphins | 39 games 7 career AV |
| 1994 | Sam Rogers |
Colorado College
|
LB | BUF Buffalo Bills | 133 games · 7 yrs as starter 44 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: 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.