College programs that have produced the most NFL LB 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 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 1,451–1,500 of 1,691 picks · filtered.
| Pick | Player | College | Pos | NFL team | Career |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1984 | Ed Williams |
Texas
SEC
|
LB | NE New England Patriots | 62 games · 1 yrs as starter 9 career AV |
| 1984 | Ron Rivera |
California
ACC
|
LB | CHI Chicago Bears | 137 games · 3 yrs as starter 33 career AV |
| 1984 | Jay Brophy |
Miami
ACC
|
LB | MIA Miami Dolphins | 34 games 8 career AV |
| 1984 | Johnny Meads | Nicholls St. | LB | TEN Houston Oilers | 119 games · 6 yrs as starter 38 career AV |
| 1984 | Kyle Clifton |
TCU
Big 12
|
LB | NYJ New York Jets | 204 games · 10 yrs as starter 59 career AV |
| 1984 | Fredd Young 1× All-Pro 4× Pro Bowl |
New Mexico State
Conference USA
|
LB | SEA Seattle Seahawks | 101 games · 6 yrs as starter 52 career AV |
| 1984 | Bobby Bell |
Missouri
SEC
|
LB | NYJ New York Jets | 18 games 4 career AV |
| 1984 | Rydell Malancon |
LSU
SEC
|
LB | ATL Atlanta Falcons | 10 games 2 career AV |
| 1984 | John Dorsey |
UConn
FBS Ind.
|
LB | GB Green Bay Packers | 76 games · 1 yrs as starter 11 career AV |
| 1984 | Gary Reasons |
Northwestern State
Southland
|
LB | NYG New York Giants | 134 games · 6 yrs as starter 42 career AV |
| 1984 | Steve DeOssie |
Boston College
ACC
|
LB | DAL Dallas Cowboys | 175 games · 2 yrs as starter 23 career AV |
| 1984 | Robert Lyles |
TCU
Big 12
|
LB | TEN Houston Oilers | 109 games · 7 yrs as starter 40 career AV |
| 1984 | Jeff Pegues |
East Carolina
American
|
LB | WAS Washington Commanders | No regular-season snaps |
| 1984 | Jeff Leiding |
Texas
SEC
|
LB | ARI St. Louis Cardinals | 21 games 3 career AV |
| 1984 | Jeff Paine |
Texas A&M
SEC
|
LB | KC Kansas City Chiefs | 29 games 4 career AV |
| 1984 | John Grimsley 1× Pro Bowl |
Kentucky
SEC
|
LB | TEN Houston Oilers | 133 games · 7 yrs as starter 39 career AV |
| 1984 | Chris Washington |
Iowa State
Big 12
|
LB | TB Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 84 games · 3 yrs as starter 19 career AV |
| 1984 | Eugene Lockhart |
Houston
Big 12
|
LB | DAL Dallas Cowboys | 136 games · 7 yrs as starter 51 career AV |
| 1984 | Rod Clark |
Texas State
Pac-12
|
LB | ARI St. Louis Cardinals | No regular-season snaps |
| 1984 | Aaron Smith |
Utah State
Mountain West
|
LB | DEN Denver Broncos | 10 games 1 career AV |
| 1984 | John Kaiser |
Arizona
Big 12
|
LB | SEA Seattle Seahawks | 60 games 4 career AV |
| 1984 | Rowland Tatum |
Ohio State
Big Ten
|
LB | MIA Miami Dolphins | No regular-season snaps |
| 1984 | Kirk Dodge |
UNLV
Mountain West
|
LB | ATL Atlanta Falcons | 23 games 3 career AV |
| 1984 | Leo Barker |
New Mexico State
Conference USA
|
LB | CIN Cincinnati Bengals | 122 games · 2 yrs as starter 13 career AV |
| 1984 | Jimmie Carter |
New Mexico
Mountain West
|
LB | DET Detroit Lions | 1 games |
| 1984 | Stan David |
Texas Tech
Big 12
|
LB | BUF Buffalo Bills | 16 games 2 career AV |
| 1984 | Jim Dumont |
Rutgers
Big Ten
|
LB | CLE Cleveland Browns | 12 games 1 career AV |
| 1984 | Ed Martin |
Indiana State
MVFC
|
LB | DAL Dallas Cowboys | No regular-season snaps |
| 1984 | Fred Robinson |
Miami
ACC
|
LB | TB Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 46 games 6 career AV |
| 1984 | Niko Noga |
Hawai'i
Mountain West
|
LB | ARI St. Louis Cardinals | 122 games · 4 yrs as starter 26 career AV |
| 1984 | Jeff Jackson |
Auburn
SEC
|
LB | ATL Atlanta Falcons | 52 games 8 career AV |
| 1984 | Ed Brady |
Illinois College
Midwest
|
LB | LAR Los Angeles Rams | 188 games 10 career AV |
| 1984 | Dave Windham |
Jackson State
SWAC
|
LB | NE New England Patriots | 3 games |
| 1984 | Mike Russell |
Toledo
MAC
|
LB | TEN Houston Oilers | No regular-season snaps |
| 1984 | Norwood Vann |
East Carolina
American
|
LB | LAR Los Angeles Rams | 52 games 6 career AV |
| 1984 | Al Wenglikowski |
Pittsburgh
ACC
|
LB | KC Kansas City Chiefs | 6 games |
| 1984 | Aaron Jackson |
North Carolina
ACC
|
LB | CIN Cincinnati Bengals | No regular-season snaps |
| 1984 | Joe Azelby |
Harvard
Ivy League
|
LB | BUF Buffalo Bills | 14 games 1 career AV |
| 1984 | Paul Gray |
Western Kentucky
Conference USA
|
LB | NO New Orleans Saints | 2 games |
| 1984 | James Spencer |
Oklahoma State
Big 12
|
LB | MIN Minnesota Vikings | No regular-season snaps |
| 1984 | Brian Salonen |
Montana
Big Sky
|
LB | DAL Dallas Cowboys | 32 games 3 career AV |
| 1984 | Edgar Pickett |
Clemson
ACC
|
LB | MIN Minnesota Vikings | No regular-season snaps |
| 1984 | Lawrence Green |
Chattanooga
Southern Conference
|
LB | NYG New York Giants | No regular-season snaps |
| 1984 | Mark Lang |
Texas
SEC
|
LB | KC Kansas City Chiefs | No regular-season snaps |
| 1984 | Steve Raquet |
Holy Cross
Patriot League
|
LB | CIN Cincinnati Bengals | No regular-season snaps |
| 1984 | Steve Hathaway |
West Virginia
Big 12
|
LB | IND Indianapolis Colts | 6 games 1 career AV |
| 1984 | Mark Emans |
Bowling Green
MAC
|
LB | GB Green Bay Packers | No regular-season snaps |
| 1984 | Moe Bias |
Illinois College
Midwest
|
LB | LAR Los Angeles Rams | No regular-season snaps |
| 1984 | Mike Weingrad |
Illinois College
Midwest
|
LB | MIA Miami Dolphins | No regular-season snaps |
| 1983 | Billy Ray Smith |
Arkansas
SEC
|
LB | LAC San Diego Chargers | 126 games · 7 yrs as starter 46 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.