College programs that have produced the most NFL DB draft picks since 1980, with round and career filters.
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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 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
Ohio State
Big Ten
57picks
Ohio State team hub
-
2
Miami
ACC
51picks
Miami team hub
-
3
Alabama
SEC
50picks
Alabama team hub
Draft pick explorer
Showing 1,301–1,350 of 2,415 picks · filtered.
| Pick | Player | College | Pos | NFL team | Career |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | Dwight Smith |
Akron
MAC
|
DB | TB Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 117 games · 5 yrs as starter 34 career AV |
| 2001 | Brock Williams |
Notre Dame
FBS Ind.
|
DB | NE New England Patriots | 12 games 1 career AV |
| 2001 | Cory Bird |
Virginia Tech
ACC
|
DB | IND Indianapolis Colts | 45 games 6 career AV |
| 2001 | James Boyd |
Penn State
Big Ten
|
DB | JAX Jacksonville Jaguars | 26 games 2 career AV |
| 2001 | Anthony Henry |
South Florida
American
|
DB | CLE Cleveland Browns | 132 games · 5 yrs as starter 38 career AV |
| 2001 | Jamie Henderson |
Georgia
SEC
|
DB | NYJ New York Jets | 32 games 3 career AV |
| 2001 | John Howell |
Colorado State
Mountain West
|
DB | TB Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 64 games 7 career AV |
| 2001 | Curtis Fuller |
TCU
Big 12
|
DB | SEA Seattle Seahawks | 42 games 3 career AV |
| 2001 | Jarrod Cooper |
Kansas State
Big 12
|
DB | CAR Carolina Panthers | 87 games · 1 yrs as starter 7 career AV |
| 2001 | Jerametrius Butler |
Kansas State
Big 12
|
DB | LAR St. Louis Rams | 71 games · 2 yrs as starter 17 career AV |
| 2001 | Raymond Walls | Southern Mississippi | DB | IND Indianapolis Colts | 41 games 4 career AV |
| 2001 | Ray Perryman |
Northern Arizona
Big Sky
|
DB | LV Oakland Raiders | 10 games |
| 2001 | Michael Jameson |
Texas A&M
SEC
|
DB | CLE Cleveland Browns | 42 games 4 career AV |
| 2001 | Tony Driver |
Notre Dame
FBS Ind.
|
DB | BUF Buffalo Bills | 11 games |
| 2001 | Rashad Holman |
Louisville
ACC
|
DB | SF San Francisco 49ers | 46 games 4 career AV |
| 2001 | Carey Scott |
Kentucky State
SIAC
|
DB | MIN Minnesota Vikings | 7 games |
| 2001 | Jason Doering |
Wisconsin
Big Ten
|
DB | IND Indianapolis Colts | 53 games 6 career AV |
| 2001 | Jimmy Williams |
Vanderbilt
SEC
|
DB | BUF Buffalo Bills | 80 games 9 career AV |
| 2001 | Leonard Myers |
Miami
ACC
|
DB | NE New England Patriots | 17 games 1 career AV |
| 2001 | Renaldo Hill |
Michigan State
Big Ten
|
DB | ARI Arizona Cardinals | 141 games · 8 yrs as starter 36 career AV |
| 2001 | Harold Blackmon |
Northwestern
Big Ten
|
DB | SEA Seattle Seahawks | 9 games 1 career AV |
| 2001 | Shaunard Harts |
Boise State
Mountain West
|
DB | KC Kansas City Chiefs | 51 games · 1 yrs as starter 8 career AV |
| 2001 | Corey Hall | Appalachian St. | DB | ATL Atlanta Falcons | 3 games |
| 2001 | Than Merrill |
Yale
Ivy League
|
DB | TB Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 15 games 1 career AV |
| 2001 | Derek Combs |
Ohio State
Big Ten
|
DB | LV Oakland Raiders | 12 games 1 career AV |
| 2001 | Marlon McCree |
Kentucky
SEC
|
DB | JAX Jacksonville Jaguars | 114 games · 7 yrs as starter 35 career AV |
| 2001 | Robert Carswell |
Clemson
ACC
|
DB | LAC San Diego Chargers | 18 games 1 career AV |
| 2000 | Deltha O'Neal 2× Pro Bowl |
California
ACC
|
DB | DEN Denver Broncos | 132 games · 6 yrs as starter 45 career AV |
| 2000 | Rashard Anderson |
Jackson State
SWAC
|
DB | CAR Carolina Panthers | 27 games · 1 yrs as starter 6 career AV |
| 2000 | Ahmed Plummer |
Ohio State
Big Ten
|
DB | SF San Francisco 49ers | 70 games · 5 yrs as starter 24 career AV |
| 2000 | Mark Roman |
LSU
SEC
|
DB | CIN Cincinnati Bengals | 146 games · 7 yrs as starter 38 career AV |
| 2000 | Mike Brown 1× All-Pro 1× Pro Bowl |
Nebraska
Big Ten
|
DB | CHI Chicago Bears | 116 games · 7 yrs as starter 56 career AV |
| 2000 | Rogers Beckett |
Marshall
Sun Belt
|
DB | LAC San Diego Chargers | 71 games · 3 yrs as starter 17 career AV |
| 2000 | Kenoy Kennedy |
Arkansas
SEC
|
DB | DEN Denver Broncos | 115 games · 7 yrs as starter 34 career AV |
| 2000 | Jason Webster |
Texas A&M
SEC
|
DB | SF San Francisco 49ers | 90 games · 5 yrs as starter 26 career AV |
| 2000 | Dwayne Goodrich |
Tennessee
SEC
|
DB | DAL Dallas Cowboys | 16 games 1 career AV |
| 2000 | Ike Charlton |
Virginia Tech
ACC
|
DB | SEA Seattle Seahawks | 53 games 5 career AV |
| 2000 | William Bartee |
Oklahoma
SEC
|
DB | KC Kansas City Chiefs | 87 games · 2 yrs as starter 13 career AV |
| 2000 | Deon Grant |
Tennessee
SEC
|
DB | CAR Carolina Panthers | 176 games · 10 yrs as starter 56 career AV |
| 2000 | Travares Tillman |
Georgia Tech
ACC
|
DB | BUF Buffalo Bills | 74 games · 1 yrs as starter 13 career AV |
| 2000 | Jacoby Shepherd |
Oklahoma State
Big 12
|
DB | LAR St. Louis Rams | 30 games 1 career AV |
| 2000 | Lloyd Harrison |
NC State
ACC
|
DB | WAS Washington Commanders | 16 games 1 career AV |
| 2000 | Hank Poteat |
Pittsburgh
ACC
|
DB | PIT Pittsburgh Steelers | 110 games · 1 yrs as starter 16 career AV |
| 2000 | Ben Kelly |
Colorado College
|
DB | MIA Miami Dolphins | 13 games |
| 2000 | Greg Wesley |
Arkansas-Pine Bluff
SWAC
|
DB | KC Kansas City Chiefs | 118 games · 7 yrs as starter 39 career AV |
| 2000 | David Macklin |
Penn State
Big Ten
|
DB | IND Indianapolis Colts | 120 games · 4 yrs as starter 29 career AV |
| 2000 | Lewis Sanders |
Maryland
Big Ten
|
DB | CLE Cleveland Browns | 97 games 14 career AV |
| 2000 | David Barrett |
Arkansas
SEC
|
DB | ARI Arizona Cardinals | 131 games · 6 yrs as starter 31 career AV |
| 2000 | John Keith |
Furman
Southern Conference
|
DB | SF San Francisco 49ers | 23 games 3 career AV |
| 2000 | Kareem Larrimore | West Texas A&M | DB | DAL Dallas Cowboys | 19 games 3 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: Ohio State — 57
- 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?
Ohio State leads FantasyHQ’s archive with 57 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.