1980 NFL Draft broken down by the college programs that produced each pick — first-rounders, conference totals, and the full board.
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College Football
NFL Draft History by college program
1980 NFL Draft broken down by the college programs that produced each pick — first-rounders, conference totals, and the full board.
- Draft picks
- 12,927
- Colleges
- 446
- First-rounders
- 1,427
- Hall of Famers
- 102
- Pro Bowlers
- 1,326
- Drafts covered
- 47
Showing Day 3 picks from the 1980 draft · 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
Baylor
Big 12
9picks
Baylor team hub
-
2
Nebraska
Big Ten
6picks
Nebraska team hub
-
3
Oklahoma
SEC
5picks
Oklahoma team hub
Draft pick explorer
Showing 101–150 of 250 picks · filtered.
| Pick | Player | College | Pos | NFL team | Career |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980 | John Havekost |
Nebraska
Big Ten
|
G | DEN Denver Broncos | No regular-season snaps |
| 1980 | Joe Rose |
California
ACC
|
TE | MIA Miami Dolphins | 83 games 15 career AV |
| 1980 | Jim Leonard | Santa Clara | G | TB Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 87 games 13 career AV |
| 1980 | Melvin Jones |
Houston
Big 12
|
G | WAS Washington Commanders | 11 games · 1 yrs as starter 6 career AV |
| 1980 | Terrell Ward |
San Diego State
Mountain West
|
DB | PHI Philadelphia Eagles | No regular-season snaps |
| 1980 | Lester Brown |
Clemson
ACC
|
RB | DAL Dallas Cowboys | No regular-season snaps |
| 1980 | Bennie Leverett |
Bethune-Cookman
SWAC
|
RB | NYJ New York Jets | No regular-season snaps |
| 1980 | Stuart Dodds |
Montana State
Big Sky
|
P | LAC San Diego Chargers | No regular-season snaps |
| 1980 | Gerry Ellis |
Missouri
SEC
|
RB | LAR Los Angeles Rams | 103 games · 5 yrs as starter 44 career AV |
| 1980 | Nate Johnson |
Hillsdale
Great Midwest Athletic
|
WR | PIT Pittsburgh Steelers | 16 games |
| 1980 | Kenny Hill |
Yale
Ivy League
|
DB | LV Oakland Raiders | 110 games · 4 yrs as starter 28 career AV |
| 1980 | Ken Walter |
Texas Tech
Big 12
|
T | IND Baltimore Colts | No regular-season snaps |
| 1980 | Mark Lyles |
Florida State
ACC
|
RB | CIN Cincinnati Bengals | No regular-season snaps |
| 1980 | Don Coleman |
Oregon
Big Ten
|
WR | DEN Denver Broncos | No regular-season snaps |
| 1980 | Dupree Branch |
Colorado State
Mountain West
|
DB | ARI St. Louis Cardinals | No regular-season snaps |
| 1980 | Tim Smith |
Oregon State
Pac-12
|
DB | GB Green Bay Packers | No regular-season snaps |
| 1980 | Ken Harris |
Alabama
SEC
|
RB | NYG New York Giants | No regular-season snaps |
| 1980 | Al Richardson |
Georgia Tech
ACC
|
LB | ATL Atlanta Falcons | 77 games · 5 yrs as starter 34 career AV |
| 1980 | Todd Krueger |
Northern Michigan
GLIAC
|
QB | BUF Buffalo Bills | No regular-season snaps |
| 1980 | Sam Stepney |
Boston College
ACC
|
LB | KC Kansas City Chiefs | No regular-season snaps |
| 1980 | Vic Minor |
UL Monroe
Sun Belt
|
DB | SEA Seattle Seahawks | 20 games 1 career AV |
| 1980 | Jeff Dziama |
Boston College
ACC
|
LB | NYJ New York Jets | No regular-season snaps |
| 1980 | Chuck Evans |
Stanford
ACC
|
LB | NO New Orleans Saints | 26 games 2 career AV |
| 1980 | Jack Cosgrove | Pacific | C | SEA Seattle Seahawks | No regular-season snaps |
| 1980 | Mike House | Pacific | TE | NE New England Patriots | No regular-season snaps |
| 1980 | Jeff Copeland |
Texas Tech
Big 12
|
LB | CLE Cleveland Browns | No regular-season snaps |
| 1980 | Bobby Leopold |
Notre Dame
FBS Ind.
|
LB | SF San Francisco 49ers | 66 games · 1 yrs as starter 15 career AV |
| 1980 | Grant Hudson |
Virginia
ACC
|
DT | ARI St. Louis Cardinals | No regular-season snaps |
| 1980 | Jeff Allen |
UC Davis
Big Sky
|
DB | MIA Miami Dolphins | 25 games · 1 yrs as starter 6 career AV |
| 1980 | Derrick Goddard |
Drake
Pioneer Football League
|
DB | TB Tampa Bay Buccaneers | No regular-season snaps |
| 1980 | David Woodley |
LSU
SEC
|
QB | MIA Miami Dolphins | 58 games · 3 yrs as starter 34 career AV |
| 1980 | Randy Clark |
Northern Illinois
MAC
|
C | CHI Chicago Bears | 94 games · 4 yrs as starter 27 career AV |
| 1980 | Larry Savage |
Michigan State
Big Ten
|
LB | DAL Dallas Cowboys | No regular-season snaps |
| 1980 | Harold Bailey |
Oklahoma State
Big 12
|
WR | TEN Houston Oilers | 20 games · 1 yrs as starter 5 career AV |
| 1980 | Mike Curcio |
Temple
American
|
LB | PHI Philadelphia Eagles | 34 games 4 career AV |
| 1980 | Curtis Sirmones |
North Alabama
United Athletic Conference
|
RB | LAC San Diego Chargers | No regular-season snaps |
| 1980 | Tom Pettigrew |
Eastern Illinois
OVC-Big South
|
T | LAR Los Angeles Rams | No regular-season snaps |
| 1980 | Ted Walton |
UConn
FBS Ind.
|
DB | PIT Pittsburgh Steelers | No regular-season snaps |
| 1980 | DeWayne Jett |
Hawai'i
Mountain West
|
WR | DET Detroit Lions | No regular-season snaps |
| 1980 | Tom Tuinei |
Hawai'i
Mountain West
|
DT | DET Detroit Lions | 12 games 2 career AV |
| 1980 | Greg Bright |
Morehead State
Pioneer Football League
|
DB | CIN Cincinnati Bengals | 20 games · 1 yrs as starter 9 career AV |
| 1980 | Stafford Mays |
Washington
Big Ten
|
DE | ARI St. Louis Cardinals | 119 games 14 career AV |
| 1980 | Kelly Saalfeld |
Nebraska
Big Ten
|
C | GB Green Bay Packers | 7 games |
| 1980 | Mark Bright |
Temple
American
|
RB | IND Baltimore Colts | No regular-season snaps |
| 1980 | Glen Keller | West Texas A&M | C | ATL Atlanta Falcons | No regular-season snaps |
| 1980 | Otis Wonsley |
Alcorn State
SWAC
|
RB | NYG New York Giants | 72 games 1 career AV |
| 1980 | Tom Donovan |
Penn State
Big Ten
|
WR | KC Kansas City Chiefs | 5 games |
| 1980 | Kent Davis |
Southeast Missouri State
OVC-Big South
|
DB | BUF Buffalo Bills | No regular-season snaps |
| 1980 | Dennis Mosley |
Iowa
Big Ten
|
RB | MIN Minnesota Vikings | No regular-season snaps |
| 1980 | Frank Mordica |
Vanderbilt
SEC
|
RB | NO New Orleans Saints | 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: Baylor — 9
- 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?
Baylor leads FantasyHQ’s archive with 9 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.