College programs that have produced the most NFL DB 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 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 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
Miami
ACC
30picks
Miami team hub
-
2
Ohio State
Big Ten
30picks
Ohio State team hub
-
3
Oklahoma
SEC
28picks
Oklahoma team hub
Draft pick explorer
Showing 1,401–1,450 of 1,574 picks · filtered.
| Pick | Player | College | Pos | NFL team | Career |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1984 | John Thomas |
TCU
Big 12
|
DB | PHI Philadelphia Eagles | No regular-season snaps |
| 1984 | Heyward Golden |
South Carolina State
MEAC
|
DB | NYG New York Giants | No regular-season snaps |
| 1984 | William Frizzell |
North Carolina Central
MEAC
|
DB | DET Detroit Lions | 134 games 13 career AV |
| 1984 | Derrick Franklin |
Fresno State
Mountain West
|
DB | ATL Atlanta Falcons | No regular-season snaps |
| 1984 | Shaun Gayle 1× Pro Bowl |
Ohio State
Big Ten
|
DB | CHI Chicago Bears | 160 games · 7 yrs as starter 45 career AV |
| 1984 | James Thaxton |
Louisiana Tech
Conference USA
|
DB | DET Detroit Lions | No regular-season snaps |
| 1984 | Gardner Williams |
St. Mary's (CA)
|
DB | LV Los Angeles Raiders | 3 games |
| 1984 | Bud Brown | Southern Mississippi | DB | MIA Miami Dolphins | 73 games · 3 yrs as starter 17 career AV |
| 1984 | Rod Fisher |
Oklahoma State
Big 12
|
DB | LAR Los Angeles Rams | No regular-season snaps |
| 1984 | Theodis Windham |
Utah State
Mountain West
|
DB | SEA Seattle Seahawks | No regular-season snaps |
| 1983 | Greg Hill |
Oklahoma State
Big 12
|
DB | TEN Houston Oilers | 79 games 8 career AV |
| 1983 | Tom Holmoe |
BYU
Big 12
|
DB | SF San Francisco 49ers | 82 games 11 career AV |
| 1983 | Danny Walters |
Arkansas
SEC
|
DB | LAC San Diego Chargers | 54 games · 3 yrs as starter 17 career AV |
| 1983 | Vince Newsome |
Washington
Big Ten
|
DB | LAR Los Angeles Rams | 141 games · 6 yrs as starter 38 career AV |
| 1983 | Lionel Washington |
Tulane
American
|
DB | ARI St. Louis Cardinals | 204 games · 11 yrs as starter 53 career AV |
| 1983 | Bo Metcalf |
Baylor
Big 12
|
DB | PIT Pittsburgh Steelers | 1 games |
| 1983 | Demetrious Johnson |
Missouri
SEC
|
DB | DET Detroit Lions | 65 games · 2 yrs as starter 20 career AV |
| 1983 | Bruce Baldwin |
Harding
Great American
|
DB | DEN Denver Broncos | No regular-season snaps |
| 1983 | Matt Vanden Boom |
Wisconsin
Big Ten
|
DB | BUF Buffalo Bills | No regular-season snaps |
| 1983 | Steve Haworth |
Oklahoma
SEC
|
DB | TEN Houston Oilers | 16 games 1 career AV |
| 1983 | Victor Heflin |
Delaware State
MEAC
|
DB | DEN Denver Broncos | 24 games 1 career AV |
| 1983 | George Schmitt |
Delaware
Conference USA
|
DB | ARI St. Louis Cardinals | 16 games 1 career AV |
| 1983 | Eric Williams |
NC State
ACC
|
DB | PIT Pittsburgh Steelers | 50 games · 3 yrs as starter 21 career AV |
| 1983 | Myron Dupree |
North Carolina Central
MEAC
|
DB | DEN Denver Broncos | 16 games 1 career AV |
| 1983 | Perry Williams |
NC State
ACC
|
DB | NYG New York Giants | 146 games · 7 yrs as starter 46 career AV |
| 1983 | Jeff Turk |
Boise State
Mountain West
|
DB | ATL Atlanta Falcons | No regular-season snaps |
| 1983 | Carl Lee 1× All-Pro 3× Pro Bowl |
Marshall
Sun Belt
|
DB | MIN Minnesota Vikings | 181 games · 10 yrs as starter 69 career AV |
| 1983 | James Griffin |
Middle Tennessee
Conference USA
|
DB | CIN Cincinnati Bengals | 108 games · 2 yrs as starter 19 career AV |
| 1983 | Troy West |
USC
Big Ten
|
DB | LAR Los Angeles Rams | 3 games 1 career AV |
| 1983 | David Greenwood |
Wisconsin
Big Ten
|
DB | NO New Orleans Saints | 27 games · 1 yrs as starter 5 career AV |
| 1983 | James Durham |
Houston
Big 12
|
DB | BUF Buffalo Bills | No regular-season snaps |
| 1983 | Bill Stapleton |
Washington
Big Ten
|
DB | DET Detroit Lions | No regular-season snaps |
| 1983 | Ronnie Lippett |
Miami
ACC
|
DB | NE New England Patriots | 122 games · 7 yrs as starter 44 career AV |
| 1983 | Carlton Briscoe | McNeese St. | DB | GB Green Bay Packers | No regular-season snaps |
| 1983 | Davlin Mullen |
Western Kentucky
Conference USA
|
DB | NYJ New York Jets | 42 games · 1 yrs as starter 5 career AV |
| 1983 | Kevin Potter |
Missouri
SEC
|
DB | TEN Houston Oilers | 9 games 1 career AV |
| 1983 | Brian Hawkins |
San José State
Mountain West
|
DB | DEN Denver Broncos | No regular-season snaps |
| 1983 | Al Gross |
Arizona
Big 12
|
DB | DAL Dallas Cowboys | 58 games · 2 yrs as starter 21 career AV |
| 1983 | Bobby Humphery |
New Mexico State
Conference USA
|
DB | NYJ New York Jets | 104 games · 3 yrs as starter 24 career AV |
| 1983 | Ronald Hopkins |
Murray State
MVFC
|
DB | IND Baltimore Colts | No regular-season snaps |
| 1983 | Melvin Brown |
Ole Miss
SEC
|
DB | MIN Minnesota Vikings | No regular-season snaps |
| 1983 | Jimmy Thomas |
Indiana
Big Ten
|
DB | GB Green Bay Packers | No regular-season snaps |
| 1983 | Roosevelt Straughter |
UL Monroe
Sun Belt
|
DB | PIT Pittsburgh Steelers | No regular-season snaps |
| 1983 | Lee Jenkins |
Tennessee
SEC
|
DB | NYG New York Giants | No regular-season snaps |
| 1983 | Calvin Eason |
Houston
Big 12
|
DB | NE New England Patriots | No regular-season snaps |
| 1983 | John Salley |
Wyoming
Mountain West
|
DB | ATL Atlanta Falcons | No regular-season snaps |
| 1983 | Billy Blaylock |
Tennessee Tech
OVC-Big South
|
DB | LAC San Diego Chargers | No regular-season snaps |
| 1982 | Bruce McNorton | Georgetown (KY) | DB | DET Detroit Lions | 116 games · 6 yrs as starter 37 career AV |
| 1982 | Rick Woods |
Boise State
Mountain West
|
DB | PIT Pittsburgh Steelers | 71 games · 1 yrs as starter 18 career AV |
| 1982 | Brian Carpenter |
Michigan
Big Ten
|
DB | DAL Dallas Cowboys | 35 games · 1 yrs as starter 5 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: Miami — 30
- 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?
Miami leads FantasyHQ’s archive with 30 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.