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 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 1,501–1,550 of 2,415 picks · filtered.
| Pick | Player | College | Pos | NFL team | Career |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 | Raymond Austin |
Tennessee
SEC
|
DB | NYJ New York Jets | 43 games 3 career AV |
| 1997 | Paul Bradford |
Portland State
Big Sky
|
DB | LAC San Diego Chargers | 15 games 2 career AV |
| 1997 | Sean Woodson |
Jackson State
SWAC
|
DB | BUF Buffalo Bills | No regular-season snaps |
| 1997 | Taje Allen |
Texas
SEC
|
DB | LAR St. Louis Rams | 79 games 6 career AV |
| 1997 | Al Harris 2× Pro Bowl |
Texas A&M-Kingsville
Lone Star
|
DB | TB Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 194 games · 7 yrs as starter 54 career AV |
| 1997 | Calvin Branch |
Colorado State
Mountain West
|
DB | LV Oakland Raiders | 60 games 3 career AV |
| 1997 | Robert Tate |
Cincinnati
Big 12
|
DB | MIN Minnesota Vikings | 116 games · 2 yrs as starter 15 career AV |
| 1997 | Daryl Porter |
Boston College
ACC
|
DB | PIT Pittsburgh Steelers | 55 games 6 career AV |
| 1997 | Lee Vaughn |
Wyoming
Mountain West
|
DB | DAL Dallas Cowboys | No regular-season snaps |
| 1997 | Ricky Parker |
San Diego State
Mountain West
|
DB | CHI Chicago Bears | 12 games 1 career AV |
| 1997 | Steve Rosga |
Colorado College
|
DB | NYJ New York Jets | No regular-season snaps |
| 1997 | Hudhaifa Ismaeli |
Northwestern
Big Ten
|
DB | MIA Miami Dolphins | No regular-season snaps |
| 1997 | Carlos Jones |
Miami
ACC
|
DB | SEA Seattle Seahawks | No regular-season snaps |
| 1997 | Armon Williams |
Arizona
Big 12
|
DB | TEN Tennessee Titans | 6 games |
| 1997 | Clarence Thompson | Knoxville | DB | IND Indianapolis Colts | No regular-season snaps |
| 1997 | Chris Bayne |
Fresno State
Mountain West
|
DB | ATL Atlanta Falcons | 23 games 2 career AV |
| 1997 | Omar Stoutmire |
Fresno State
Mountain West
|
DB | DAL Dallas Cowboys | 136 games · 4 yrs as starter 26 career AV |
| 1997 | Byron Capers |
Florida State
ACC
|
DB | PHI Philadelphia Eagles | No regular-season snaps |
| 1997 | DeAuntae Brown |
Central State
SIAC
|
DB | PHI Philadelphia Eagles | 1 games |
| 1997 | Ralph Staten |
Alabama
SEC
|
DB | BAL Baltimore Ravens | 25 games 4 career AV |
| 1996 | Alex Molden |
Oregon
Big Ten
|
DB | NO New Orleans Saints | 98 games · 3 yrs as starter 24 career AV |
| 1996 | Walt Harris 1× Pro Bowl |
Mississippi State
SEC
|
DB | CHI Chicago Bears | 193 games · 12 yrs as starter 59 career AV |
| 1996 | Jerome Woods 1× Pro Bowl |
Memphis
American
|
DB | KC Kansas City Chiefs | 128 games · 7 yrs as starter 43 career AV |
| 1996 | Lawyer Milloy 1× All-Pro 4× Pro Bowl |
Washington
Big Ten
|
DB | NE New England Patriots | 234 games · 14 yrs as starter 78 career AV |
| 1996 | Je'Rod Cherry |
California
ACC
|
DB | NO New Orleans Saints | 127 games 7 career AV |
| 1996 | Tory James 1× Pro Bowl |
LSU
SEC
|
DB | DEN Denver Broncos | 158 games · 5 yrs as starter 40 career AV |
| 1996 | Fred Thomas |
UT Martin
OVC-Big South
|
DB | SEA Seattle Seahawks | 156 games · 5 yrs as starter 32 career AV |
| 1996 | Dedric Mathis |
Houston
Big 12
|
DB | IND Indianapolis Colts | 29 games 5 career AV |
| 1996 | DeRon Jenkins |
Tennessee
SEC
|
DB | BAL Baltimore Ravens | 93 games · 3 yrs as starter 17 career AV |
| 1996 | Reggie Tongue |
Oregon State
Pac-12
|
DB | KC Kansas City Chiefs | 145 games · 7 yrs as starter 47 career AV |
| 1996 | Brian Dawkins HOF 4× All-Pro 9× Pro Bowl |
Clemson
ACC
|
DB | PHI Philadelphia Eagles | 224 games · 15 yrs as starter 104 career AV |
| 1996 | Ray Mickens |
Texas A&M
SEC
|
DB | NYJ New York Jets | 146 games · 2 yrs as starter 21 career AV |
| 1996 | Aaron Beasley |
West Virginia
Big 12
|
DB | JAX Jacksonville Jaguars | 121 games · 7 yrs as starter 43 career AV |
| 1996 | Donnie Abraham 1× Pro Bowl |
East Tennessee State
Southern Conference
|
DB | TB Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 132 games · 7 yrs as starter 52 career AV |
| 1996 | Ryan Stewart |
Georgia Tech
ACC
|
DB | DET Detroit Lions | 41 games 3 career AV |
| 1996 | Dorian Brew |
Kansas
Big 12
|
DB | MIA Miami Dolphins | 16 games |
| 1996 | Matt Stevens | Appalachian St. | DB | BUF Buffalo Bills | 108 games · 2 yrs as starter 24 career AV |
| 1996 | Tyrone Williams |
Nebraska
Big Ten
|
DB | GB Green Bay Packers | 120 games · 6 yrs as starter 42 career AV |
| 1996 | Eric Austin |
Jackson State
SWAC
|
DB | TB Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 2 games |
| 1996 | Emmanuel McDaniel |
East Carolina
American
|
DB | CAR Carolina Panthers | 75 games 10 career AV |
| 1996 | Kirk Pointer | Austin Peay St. | DB | MIA Miami Dolphins | No regular-season snaps |
| 1996 | Darrius Johnson |
Oklahoma
SEC
|
DB | DEN Denver Broncos | 63 games 6 career AV |
| 1996 | Chris Darkins |
Minnesota
Big Ten
|
DB | GB Green Bay Packers | 14 games 1 career AV |
| 1996 | Juran Bolden | Mississippi Delta CC | DB | ATL Atlanta Falcons | 109 games · 2 yrs as starter 14 career AV |
| 1996 | Brad Ford |
Alabama
SEC
|
DB | DET Detroit Lions | 14 games 1 career AV |
| 1996 | Marcus Coleman |
Texas Tech
Big 12
|
DB | NYJ New York Jets | 152 games · 7 yrs as starter 41 career AV |
| 1996 | Leomont Evans |
Clemson
ACC
|
DB | WAS Washington Commanders | 59 games · 2 yrs as starter 13 career AV |
| 1996 | Rayna Stewart |
Northern Arizona
Big Sky
|
DB | TEN Houston Oilers | 71 games 10 career AV |
| 1996 | Greg Myers |
Colorado State
Mountain West
|
DB | CIN Cincinnati Bengals | 64 games · 2 yrs as starter 14 career AV |
| 1996 | Sean Boyd |
North Carolina
ACC
|
DB | MIN Minnesota Vikings | 2 games |
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.