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 1,251–1,300 of 1,691 picks · filtered.
| Pick | Player | College | Pos | NFL team | Career |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1988 | Bill Romanowski 2× Pro Bowl |
Boston College
ACC
|
LB | SF San Francisco 49ers | 243 games · 13 yrs as starter 83 career AV |
| 1988 | Ricky Shaw |
Oklahoma State
Big 12
|
LB | NYG New York Giants | 37 games 4 career AV |
| 1988 | Darrell Reed |
Oklahoma
SEC
|
LB | GB Green Bay Packers | No regular-season snaps |
| 1988 | Chris Gaines |
Vanderbilt
SEC
|
LB | ARI Phoenix Cardinals | 4 games |
| 1988 | Darin Jordan |
Northeastern
|
LB | PIT Pittsburgh Steelers | 59 games 9 career AV |
| 1988 | Troy Johnson |
Oklahoma
SEC
|
LB | CHI Chicago Bears | 64 games 7 career AV |
| 1988 | Erwin Grabisna |
Case Western Reserve
Presidents'
|
LB | LV Los Angeles Raiders | No regular-season snaps |
| 1988 | Dan Murray |
East Stroudsburg
Pennsylvania State Athletic
|
LB | BUF Buffalo Bills | 4 games |
| 1988 | Cedric Figaro |
Notre Dame
FBS Ind.
|
LB | LAC San Diego Chargers | 98 games · 1 yrs as starter 16 career AV |
| 1988 | Kurt Crain |
Auburn
SEC
|
LB | TEN Houston Oilers | No regular-season snaps |
| 1988 | Rich Romer | Union (NY) | LB | CIN Cincinnati Bengals | 9 games |
| 1988 | Troy Stedman |
Washburn
Mid America
|
LB | KC Kansas City Chiefs | 5 games |
| 1988 | Brian Forde |
Washington State
Pac-12
|
LB | NO New Orleans Saints | 64 games 7 career AV |
| 1988 | Kevin Bryant |
Delaware State
MEAC
|
LB | SF San Francisco 49ers | No regular-season snaps |
| 1988 | Phillip Brown |
Alabama
SEC
|
LB | ATL Atlanta Falcons | No regular-season snaps |
| 1988 | Tim Moore |
Michigan State
Big Ten
|
LB | ARI Phoenix Cardinals | No regular-season snaps |
| 1988 | Joe Cain | Oregon Tech | LB | MIN Minnesota Vikings | 131 games · 4 yrs as starter 37 career AV |
| 1988 | Carlton Bailey |
North Carolina
ACC
|
LB | BUF Buffalo Bills | 142 games · 6 yrs as starter 43 career AV |
| 1988 | Paul McGowan |
Florida State
ACC
|
LB | MIN Minnesota Vikings | No regular-season snaps |
| 1988 | David Spradlin |
TCU
Big 12
|
LB | TEN Houston Oilers | No regular-season snaps |
| 1988 | Jeff Herrod |
Ole Miss
SEC
|
LB | IND Indianapolis Colts | 153 games · 8 yrs as starter 46 career AV |
| 1988 | Brian Bonner |
Minnesota
Big Ten
|
LB | SF San Francisco 49ers | 6 games |
| 1988 | Blake Peterson |
Colorado Mesa
Rocky Mountain
|
LB | WAS Washington Commanders | No regular-season snaps |
| 1988 | O'Brien Alston |
Maryland
Big Ten
|
LB | IND Indianapolis Colts | 19 games · 1 yrs as starter 7 career AV |
| 1988 | Vincent Fizer |
Southern
SWAC
|
LB | NO New Orleans Saints | No regular-season snaps |
| 1988 | John Galvin |
Boston College
ACC
|
LB | NYJ New York Jets | 52 games 4 career AV |
| 1988 | Steve Forch |
Nebraska
Big Ten
|
LB | CHI Chicago Bears | No regular-season snaps |
| 1988 | Victor Jones |
Virginia Tech
ACC
|
LB | TB Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 93 games · 1 yrs as starter 11 career AV |
| 1988 | Tom Erlandson |
Washington
Big Ten
|
LB | BUF Buffalo Bills | 4 games |
| 1988 | Ben Hummel |
UCLA
Big Ten
|
LB | DAL Dallas Cowboys | No regular-season snaps |
| 1988 | James Earle |
Clemson
ACC
|
LB | PIT Pittsburgh Steelers | No regular-season snaps |
| 1988 | John Brantley |
Georgia
SEC
|
LB | TEN Houston Oilers | 20 games 2 career AV |
| 1988 | Greg Clark |
Arizona State
Big 12
|
LB | CHI Chicago Bears | 70 games 6 career AV |
| 1988 | George Jr. Mira |
Miami
ACC
|
LB | SF San Francisco 49ers | No regular-season snaps |
| 1987 | Cornelius Bennett 1× All-Pro 5× Pro Bowl |
Alabama
SEC
|
LB | IND Indianapolis Colts | 206 games · 14 yrs as starter 91 career AV |
| 1987 | Mike Junkin |
Duke
ACC
|
LB | CLE Cleveland Browns | 20 games 3 career AV |
| 1987 | Shane Conlan 3× Pro Bowl |
Penn State
Big Ten
|
LB | BUF Buffalo Bills | 120 games · 8 yrs as starter 61 career AV |
| 1987 | Johnny Holland |
Texas A&M
SEC
|
LB | GB Green Bay Packers | 103 games · 7 yrs as starter 46 career AV |
| 1987 | Alex Gordon |
Cincinnati
Big 12
|
LB | NYJ New York Jets | 96 games · 3 yrs as starter 20 career AV |
| 1987 | Rick Graf |
Wisconsin
Big Ten
|
LB | MIA Miami Dolphins | 73 games · 1 yrs as starter 14 career AV |
| 1987 | Ray Berry |
Baylor
Big 12
|
LB | MIN Minnesota Vikings | 89 games · 2 yrs as starter 18 career AV |
| 1987 | David Wyman |
Stanford
ACC
|
LB | SEA Seattle Seahawks | 92 games · 5 yrs as starter 37 career AV |
| 1987 | Walter Johnson |
Louisiana Tech
Conference USA
|
LB | TEN Houston Oilers | 41 games 3 career AV |
| 1987 | Winston Moss |
Miami
ACC
|
LB | TB Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 169 games · 10 yrs as starter 55 career AV |
| 1987 | David Brandon |
Memphis
American
|
LB | BUF Buffalo Bills | 123 games · 1 yrs as starter 22 career AV |
| 1987 | Scott Stephen |
Arizona State
Big 12
|
LB | GB Green Bay Packers | 88 games · 2 yrs as starter 22 career AV |
| 1987 | Todd Howard |
Texas A&M
SEC
|
LB | KC Kansas City Chiefs | 19 games 1 career AV |
| 1987 | Onzy Elam |
Tennessee State
OVC-Big South
|
LB | NYJ New York Jets | 10 games |
| 1987 | Don Graham |
Penn State
Big Ten
|
LB | TB Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 13 games 1 career AV |
| 1987 | Michael Brooks 1× Pro Bowl |
LSU
SEC
|
LB | DEN Denver Broncos | 138 games · 7 yrs as starter 58 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.