College programs that have produced the most NFL RB 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 RB 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 RB 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
33picks
Alabama team hub
-
2
Penn State
Big Ten
30picks
Penn State team hub
-
3
Auburn
SEC
29picks
Auburn team hub
Draft pick explorer
Showing 951–1,000 of 1,350 picks · filtered.
| Pick | Player | College | Pos | NFL team | Career |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1988 | Thurman Thomas HOF 2× All-Pro 5× Pro Bowl |
Oklahoma State
Big 12
|
RB | BUF Buffalo Bills | 182 games · 10 yrs as starter 110 career AV |
| 1988 | Lars Tate |
Georgia
SEC
|
RB | TB Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 33 games · 2 yrs as starter 8 career AV |
| 1988 | Keith Woodside |
Texas A&M
SEC
|
RB | GB Green Bay Packers | 64 games · 4 yrs as starter 16 career AV |
| 1988 | Mike Oliphant |
Puget Sound
Northwest
|
RB | WAS Washington Commanders | 26 games 2 career AV |
| 1988 | Kevin Harmon |
Iowa
Big Ten
|
RB | SEA Seattle Seahawks | 9 games |
| 1988 | Lydell Carr |
Oklahoma
SEC
|
RB | NO New Orleans Saints | 5 games |
| 1988 | Jamie Morris |
Michigan
Big Ten
|
RB | WAS Washington Commanders | 33 games 5 career AV |
| 1988 | William Howard |
Tennessee
SEC
|
RB | TB Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 31 games · 2 yrs as starter 7 career AV |
| 1988 | Robert Delpino |
Missouri
SEC
|
RB | LAR Los Angeles Rams | 88 games · 1 yrs as starter 25 career AV |
| 1988 | Tony Jordan |
Kansas State
Big 12
|
RB | ARI Phoenix Cardinals | 22 games · 1 yrs as starter 2 career AV |
| 1988 | James Saxon |
San José State
Mountain West
|
FB | KC Kansas City Chiefs | 111 games 8 career AV |
| 1988 | Carl Painter |
Hampton
CAA
|
RB | DET Detroit Lions | 27 games 1 career AV |
| 1988 | Keith Jones |
Nebraska
Big Ten
|
RB | LAR Los Angeles Rams | 16 games 2 career AV |
| 1988 | Melvin Bratton |
Miami
ACC
|
RB | MIA Miami Dolphins | No regular-season snaps |
| 1988 | Warren Williams |
Miami
ACC
|
RB | PIT Pittsburgh Steelers | 71 games · 1 yrs as starter 9 career AV |
| 1988 | George Cooper |
Ohio State
Big Ten
|
RB | MIA Miami Dolphins | No regular-season snaps |
| 1988 | Kerry Goode |
Alabama
SEC
|
RB | TB Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 15 games 2 career AV |
| 1988 | Gary Patton |
Eastern Michigan
MAC
|
RB | NYJ New York Jets | No regular-season snaps |
| 1988 | Bo Wright |
Alabama
SEC
|
RB | BUF Buffalo Bills | No regular-season snaps |
| 1988 | Anthony Simpson |
East Carolina
American
|
RB | TB Tampa Bay Buccaneers | No regular-season snaps |
| 1988 | Patrick Collins |
Oklahoma
SEC
|
RB | GB Green Bay Packers | 5 games |
| 1988 | Mark Higgs |
Kentucky
SEC
|
RB | DAL Dallas Cowboys | 90 games · 3 yrs as starter 22 career AV |
| 1988 | David Smith |
Western Kentucky
Conference USA
|
RB | PHI Philadelphia Eagles | No regular-season snaps |
| 1988 | Harvey Reed |
Howard
MEAC
|
RB | CHI Chicago Bears | No regular-season snaps |
| 1988 | Darryl McGill |
Wake Forest
ACC
|
RB | WAS Washington Commanders | No regular-season snaps |
| 1988 | James Primus |
UCLA
Big Ten
|
RB | ATL Atlanta Falcons | 21 games 1 career AV |
| 1988 | Reggie Ware |
Auburn
SEC
|
RB | LV Los Angeles Raiders | No regular-season snaps |
| 1988 | Gordie Lockbaum |
Holy Cross
Patriot League
|
RB | PIT Pittsburgh Steelers | No regular-season snaps |
| 1988 | Mel Farr |
UCLA
Big Ten
|
RB | DEN Denver Broncos | 1 games |
| 1988 | Kenny Gamble |
Colgate
Patriot League
|
RB | KC Kansas City Chiefs | 19 games |
| 1988 | Channing Williams |
Arizona State
Big 12
|
RB | DEN Denver Broncos | No regular-season snaps |
| 1988 | Tom Kelleher |
Holy Cross
Patriot League
|
RB | MIA Miami Dolphins | No regular-season snaps |
| 1988 | Marvin Allen |
Tulane
American
|
RB | NE New England Patriots | 37 games 1 career AV |
| 1988 | Richard Calvin |
Washington State
Pac-12
|
RB | DEN Denver Broncos | No regular-season snaps |
| 1987 | Alonzo Highsmith |
Miami
ACC
|
RB | TEN Houston Oilers | 65 games · 2 yrs as starter 12 career AV |
| 1987 | Brent Fullwood 1× Pro Bowl |
Auburn
SEC
|
RB | GB Green Bay Packers | 46 games · 2 yrs as starter 14 career AV |
| 1987 | D.J. Dozier |
Penn State
Big Ten
|
RB | MIN Minnesota Vikings | 43 games 8 career AV |
| 1987 | Paul Palmer |
Temple
American
|
RB | KC Kansas City Chiefs | 41 games · 2 yrs as starter 14 career AV |
| 1987 | Roger Vick |
Texas A&M
SEC
|
RB | NYJ New York Jets | 58 games · 3 yrs as starter 12 career AV |
| 1987 | Rod Bernstine |
Texas A&M
SEC
|
RB | LAC San Diego Chargers | 84 games · 3 yrs as starter 31 career AV |
| 1987 | Terrence Flagler |
Clemson
ACC
|
RB | SF San Francisco 49ers | 41 games 6 career AV |
| 1987 | Kenny Flowers |
Clemson
ACC
|
RB | ATL Atlanta Falcons | 16 games 1 career AV |
| 1987 | Christian Okoye 1× All-Pro 2× Pro Bowl | Azusa Pacific So. Cal. | RB | KC Kansas City Chiefs | 79 games · 6 yrs as starter 34 career AV |
| 1987 | Don Smith |
Mississippi State
SEC
|
RB | TB Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 37 games 6 career AV |
| 1987 | Jamie Mueller | Benedictine College | RB | BUF Buffalo Bills | 57 games · 2 yrs as starter 8 career AV |
| 1987 | Bob Perryman |
Michigan
Big Ten
|
RB | NE New England Patriots | 68 games · 3 yrs as starter 13 career AV |
| 1987 | Tim Manoa |
Penn State
Big Ten
|
RB | CLE Cleveland Browns | 53 games · 1 yrs as starter 9 career AV |
| 1987 | Steve Smith |
Penn State
Big Ten
|
RB | LV Los Angeles Raiders | 128 games · 6 yrs as starter 21 career AV |
| 1987 | Troy Stradford |
Boston College
ACC
|
RB | MIA Miami Dolphins | 66 games 23 career AV |
| 1987 | Timmy Smith |
Texas Tech
Big 12
|
RB | WAS Washington Commanders | 22 games · 1 yrs as starter 4 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 — 33
- 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 33 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.