1981 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
1981 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 picks from the 1981 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
Pittsburgh
ACC
12picks
Pittsburgh team hub
-
2
USC
Big Ten
9picks
USC team hub
-
3
Ohio State
Big Ten
8picks
Ohio State team hub
Draft pick explorer
Showing 101–150 of 332 picks · filtered.
| Pick | Player | College | Pos | NFL team | Career |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1981 | John Swain |
Miami
ACC
|
DB | MIN Minnesota Vikings | 77 games · 4 yrs as starter 19 career AV |
| 1981 | Don Blackmon |
Tulsa
American
|
LB | NE New England Patriots | 89 games · 5 yrs as starter 39 career AV |
| 1981 | Amos Lawrence |
North Carolina
ACC
|
RB | LAC San Diego Chargers | 21 games 1 career AV |
| 1981 | George Lilja |
Michigan
Big Ten
|
G | LAR Los Angeles Rams | 54 games · 1 yrs as starter 11 career AV |
| 1981 | Richard Turner |
Oklahoma
SEC
|
NT | GB Green Bay Packers | 30 games 4 career AV |
| 1981 | Nick Eyre |
BYU
Big 12
|
T | TEN Houston Oilers | 6 games |
| 1981 | Eric Sievers |
Maryland
Big Ten
|
TE | LAC San Diego Chargers | 122 games · 4 yrs as starter 21 career AV |
| 1981 | Derrie Nelson |
Nebraska
Big Ten
|
LB | DAL Dallas Cowboys | 48 games 3 career AV |
| 1981 | John Scully |
Notre Dame
FBS Ind.
|
G | ATL Atlanta Falcons | 112 games · 5 yrs as starter 32 career AV |
| 1981 | Calvin Murray |
Ohio State
Big Ten
|
RB | PHI Philadelphia Eagles | 8 games 1 career AV |
| 1981 | Johnny Robinson |
Louisiana Tech
Conference USA
|
NT | LV Oakland Raiders | 27 games · 1 yrs as starter 9 career AV |
| 1981 | Louis Oubre |
Oklahoma
SEC
|
G | NO New Orleans Saints | 40 games · 2 yrs as starter 16 career AV |
| 1981 | Tyrone Keys |
Mississippi State
SEC
|
DE | NYJ New York Jets | 74 games · 1 yrs as starter 13 career AV |
| 1981 | Edwin Bailey |
South Carolina State
MEAC
|
G | SEA Seattle Seahawks | 139 games · 8 yrs as starter 51 career AV |
| 1981 | Bill Neill |
Pittsburgh
ACC
|
NT | NYG New York Giants | 40 games · 2 yrs as starter 15 career AV |
| 1981 | John Gillen |
Illinois College
Midwest
|
LB | ARI St. Louis Cardinals | 28 games 3 career AV |
| 1981 | Byron Braggs |
Alabama
SEC
|
DE | GB Green Bay Packers | 55 games · 1 yrs as starter 9 career AV |
| 1981 | James Davis |
Southern
SWAC
|
DB | LV Oakland Raiders | 83 games 8 career AV |
| 1981 | Dexter Manley 1× All-Pro 1× Pro Bowl |
Oklahoma State
Big 12
|
DE | WAS Washington Commanders | 143 games · 9 yrs as starter 66 career AV |
| 1981 | Benjie Pryor |
Pittsburgh
ACC
|
TE | CIN Cincinnati Bengals | No regular-season snaps |
| 1981 | Lynn Thomas |
Pittsburgh
ACC
|
DB | SF San Francisco 49ers | 24 games 3 career AV |
| 1981 | Arrington Jones |
Winston-Salem State
CIAA
|
RB | SF San Francisco 49ers | 1 games |
| 1981 | Wendell Ray |
Missouri
SEC
|
DE | MIN Minnesota Vikings | No regular-season snaps |
| 1981 | Todd Thomas |
North Dakota
MVFC
|
C | KC Kansas City Chiefs | 15 games 1 career AV |
| 1981 | Ken Lanier |
Florida State
ACC
|
T | DEN Denver Broncos | 179 games · 11 yrs as starter 62 career AV |
| 1981 | Ken Poole |
UL Monroe
Sun Belt
|
DE | MIA Miami Dolphins | 16 games 1 career AV |
| 1981 | Ricky Martin |
New Mexico
Mountain West
|
WR | PIT Pittsburgh Steelers | No regular-season snaps |
| 1981 | Jerry Boyarsky |
Pittsburgh
ACC
|
NT | NO New Orleans Saints | 98 games · 3 yrs as starter 17 career AV |
| 1981 | Larry Lee |
UCLA
Big Ten
|
G | DET Detroit Lions | 96 games 18 career AV |
| 1981 | Steve Clark |
Kansas State
Big 12
|
DE | NE New England Patriots | 7 games |
| 1981 | Keith Ferguson |
Ohio State
Big Ten
|
DE | LAC San Diego Chargers | 134 games · 7 yrs as starter 40 career AV |
| 1981 | Gary Sayre | Cameron | G | WAS Washington Commanders | No regular-season snaps |
| 1981 | Delbert Fowler |
West Virginia
Big 12
|
LB | TEN Houston Oilers | No regular-season snaps |
| 1981 | Steve Cox |
Arkansas
SEC
|
P | CLE Cleveland Browns | 89 games 12 career AV |
| 1981 | Calvin Clark |
Purdue
Big Ten
|
DE | BUF Buffalo Bills | No regular-season snaps |
| 1981 | Eric Sanders |
Nevada
Mountain West
|
T | ATL Atlanta Falcons | 158 games · 1 yrs as starter 23 career AV |
| 1981 | Danny Spradlin |
Tennessee
SEC
|
LB | DAL Dallas Cowboys | 63 games 5 career AV |
| 1981 | Tommy Vigorito |
Virginia
ACC
|
RB | MIA Miami Dolphins | 35 games 11 career AV |
| 1981 | Nat Hudson |
Georgia
SEC
|
G | NO New Orleans Saints | 18 games 2 career AV |
| 1981 | Steve Durham |
Clemson
ACC
|
DE | SEA Seattle Seahawks | 8 games 1 career AV |
| 1981 | Andrew Gissinger |
Syracuse
ACC
|
T | LAC San Diego Chargers | 41 games · 1 yrs as starter 14 career AV |
| 1981 | John Woodring |
Brown
Ivy League
|
LB | NYJ New York Jets | 52 games 12 career AV |
| 1981 | Dave Ahrens |
Wisconsin
Big Ten
|
LB | ARI St. Louis Cardinals | 130 games · 3 yrs as starter 26 career AV |
| 1981 | Johnnie Poe |
Missouri
SEC
|
DB | NO New Orleans Saints | 100 games · 6 yrs as starter 40 career AV |
| 1981 | Melvin Hoover |
Arizona State
Big 12
|
WR | NYG New York Giants | 32 games 3 career AV |
| 1981 | Rex Robinson |
Georgia
SEC
|
K | CIN Cincinnati Bengals | 3 games |
| 1981 | Pete Kugler |
Penn State
Big Ten
|
NT | SF San Francisco 49ers | 81 games · 2 yrs as starter 20 career AV |
| 1981 | Larry Kubin |
Penn State
Big Ten
|
LB | WAS Washington Commanders | 43 games 4 career AV |
| 1981 | Bubba Green |
NC State
ACC
|
DT | IND Baltimore Colts | 15 games · 1 yrs as starter 2 career AV |
| 1981 | Reuben Henderson |
San Diego State
Mountain West
|
DB | CHI Chicago Bears | 46 games · 1 yrs as starter 13 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: Pittsburgh — 12
- 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?
Pittsburgh leads FantasyHQ’s archive with 12 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.