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 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
Penn State
Big Ten
27picks
Penn State team hub
-
2
Washington
Big Ten
23picks
Washington team hub
-
3
Notre Dame
FBS Ind.
22picks
Notre Dame team hub
Draft pick explorer
Showing 1,001–1,050 of 1,122 picks · filtered.
| Pick | Player | College | Pos | NFL team | Career |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1983 | Mike Green |
Oklahoma State
Big 12
|
LB | LAC San Diego Chargers | 47 games · 3 yrs as starter 16 career AV |
| 1983 | Mark Brown |
Purdue
Big Ten
|
LB | MIA Miami Dolphins | 107 games · 5 yrs as starter 28 career AV |
| 1983 | Tim Lucas |
California
ACC
|
LB | ARI St. Louis Cardinals | 75 games 10 career AV |
| 1983 | Geff Gandy |
Baylor
Big 12
|
LB | WAS Washington Commanders | No regular-season snaps |
| 1983 | Danny Triplett |
Clemson
ACC
|
LB | LAR Los Angeles Rams | No regular-season snaps |
| 1983 | Howard McAdoo |
Michigan State
Big Ten
|
LB | CLE Cleveland Browns | No regular-season snaps |
| 1983 | Robbie Jones |
Alabama
SEC
|
LB | NYG New York Giants | 60 games 4 career AV |
| 1983 | Karl Mecklenburg 3× All-Pro 6× Pro Bowl |
Minnesota
Big Ten
|
LB | DEN Denver Broncos | 180 games · 10 yrs as starter 93 career AV |
| 1983 | James Lane |
Alabama State
SWAC
|
LB | ARI St. Louis Cardinals | No regular-season snaps |
| 1983 | Andre Young |
Bowling Green
MAC
|
LB | CIN Cincinnati Bengals | No regular-season snaps |
| 1982 | Jeff Gaylord |
Missouri
SEC
|
LB | LAR Los Angeles Rams | No regular-season snaps |
| 1982 | Jim Fahnhorst |
Minnesota
Big Ten
|
LB | MIN Minnesota Vikings | 82 games · 2 yrs as starter 23 career AV |
| 1982 | Louis Haynes |
North Texas
American
|
LB | KC Kansas City Chiefs | 11 games 2 career AV |
| 1982 | Stuart Anderson |
Virginia
ACC
|
LB | KC Kansas City Chiefs | 40 games 2 career AV |
| 1982 | Anthony Griggs |
Ohio State
Big Ten
|
LB | PHI Philadelphia Eagles | 90 games · 4 yrs as starter 30 career AV |
| 1982 | Charles Bowser |
Duke
ACC
|
LB | MIA Miami Dolphins | 42 games · 2 yrs as starter 18 career AV |
| 1982 | Brian Ingram |
Tennessee
SEC
|
LB | NE New England Patriots | 40 games 3 career AV |
| 1982 | Ed Jackson |
Louisiana Tech
Conference USA
|
LB | LV Los Angeles Raiders | No regular-season snaps |
| 1982 | Jeff Davis |
Clemson
ACC
|
LB | TB Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 83 games · 5 yrs as starter 27 career AV |
| 1982 | Mark Jerue |
Washington
Big Ten
|
LB | NYJ New York Jets | 86 games · 2 yrs as starter 17 career AV |
| 1982 | Greg Storr |
Boston College
ACC
|
LB | MIN Minnesota Vikings | 3 games |
| 1982 | Craig Shaffer |
Indiana State
MVFC
|
LB | ARI St. Louis Cardinals | 18 games 2 career AV |
| 1982 | Chet Parlavecchio |
Penn State
Big Ten
|
LB | GB Green Bay Packers | 12 games 1 career AV |
| 1982 | Lamont Jeffers |
Tennessee
SEC
|
LB | WAS Washington Commanders | No regular-season snaps |
| 1982 | Darrell Nicholson |
North Carolina
ACC
|
LB | NYG New York Giants | No regular-season snaps |
| 1982 | Ron Hester |
Florida State
ACC
|
LB | MIA Miami Dolphins | 9 games 2 career AV |
| 1982 | Craig Bingham |
Syracuse
ACC
|
LB | PIT Pittsburgh Steelers | 40 games 6 career AV |
| 1982 | Jeff Roberts |
Tulane
American
|
LB | NE New England Patriots | No regular-season snaps |
| 1982 | Eugene Williams |
Tulsa
American
|
LB | SEA Seattle Seahawks | 13 games 2 career AV |
| 1982 | John Schachtner |
Northern Arizona
Big Sky
|
LB | WAS Washington Commanders | No regular-season snaps |
| 1982 | Ben Needham |
Michigan
Big Ten
|
LB | CIN Cincinnati Bengals | No regular-season snaps |
| 1982 | Ron Ferrari |
Illinois College
Midwest
|
LB | SF San Francisco 49ers | 68 games 5 career AV |
| 1982 | Ken Collins |
Washington State
Pac-12
|
LB | NE New England Patriots | No regular-season snaps |
| 1982 | Kirk Harmon | Pacific | LB | MIN Minnesota Vikings | No regular-season snaps |
| 1982 | Mike Reilly |
Oklahoma
SEC
|
LB | LAR Los Angeles Rams | 9 games 2 career AV |
| 1982 | Thomas Boyd |
Alabama
SEC
|
LB | GB Green Bay Packers | 4 games 1 career AV |
| 1982 | Kelvin Atkins |
Illinois College
Midwest
|
LB | TB Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 13 games 1 career AV |
| 1982 | David Jefferson |
Miami
ACC
|
LB | SEA Seattle Seahawks | No regular-season snaps |
| 1982 | Darnell Dailey |
Maryland
Big Ten
|
LB | ARI St. Louis Cardinals | No regular-season snaps |
| 1982 | Craig Austin |
South Dakota
MVFC
|
LB | SEA Seattle Seahawks | No regular-season snaps |
| 1982 | Curtis Stowers |
Mississippi State
SEC
|
LB | ATL Atlanta Falcons | No regular-season snaps |
| 1982 | Rich D'Amico |
Penn State
Big Ten
|
LB | LV Los Angeles Raiders | No regular-season snaps |
| 1982 | Roosevelt Barnes |
Purdue
Big Ten
|
LB | DET Detroit Lions | 57 games 7 career AV |
| 1982 | Sal Sunseri |
Pittsburgh
ACC
|
LB | PIT Pittsburgh Steelers | No regular-season snaps |
| 1982 | Robin Fisher |
Florida
SEC
|
LB | MIA Miami Dolphins | No regular-season snaps |
| 1982 | Ken Woodard |
Tuskegee
SIAC
|
LB | DEN Denver Broncos | 104 games · 1 yrs as starter 15 career AV |
| 1982 | Guy Boliaux |
Wisconsin
Big Ten
|
LB | CHI Chicago Bears | No regular-season snaps |
| 1982 | Gary Gibson |
Arizona
Big 12
|
LB | SF San Francisco 49ers | No regular-season snaps |
| 1982 | Scott Nicolas |
Miami
ACC
|
LB | CLE Cleveland Browns | 85 games · 1 yrs as starter 9 career AV |
| 1982 | Ricky Young |
Oklahoma State
Big 12
|
LB | CHI Chicago Bears | No regular-season snaps |
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: Penn State — 27
- 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?
Penn State leads FantasyHQ’s archive with 27 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.