College programs that have produced the most NFL DL 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 DL 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 DL 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.
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1
Alabama
SEC
51picks
Alabama team hub
-
2
Florida State
ACC
50picks
Florida State team hub
-
3
Florida
SEC
49picks
Florida team hub
Draft pick explorer
Showing 1,801–1,850 of 2,102 picks · filtered.
| Pick | Player | College | Pos | NFL team | Career |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1986 | John Washington |
Oklahoma State
Big 12
|
DE | NYG New York Giants | 119 games · 4 yrs as starter 30 career AV |
| 1986 | Mark Walen |
UCLA
Big Ten
|
DT | DAL Dallas Cowboys | 24 games 3 career AV |
| 1986 | T.J. Turner |
Houston
Big 12
|
DE | MIA Miami Dolphins | 101 games · 6 yrs as starter 32 career AV |
| 1986 | Mike Wise |
UC Davis
Big Sky
|
DE | LV Los Angeles Raiders | 53 games · 1 yrs as starter 16 career AV |
| 1986 | Joe Phillips |
SMU
ACC
|
NT | MIN Minnesota Vikings | 200 games · 10 yrs as starter 58 career AV |
| 1986 | Charles Haley HOF 2× All-Pro 5× Pro Bowl |
James Madison
Sun Belt
|
DE | SF San Francisco 49ers | 169 games · 8 yrs as starter 81 career AV |
| 1986 | Kevin Fagan |
Miami
ACC
|
DE | SF San Francisco 49ers | 83 games · 5 yrs as starter 36 career AV |
| 1986 | Jeff Tupper |
Oklahoma
SEC
|
DE | ARI St. Louis Cardinals | 7 games 2 career AV |
| 1986 | Scott Kellar |
Northern Illinois
MAC
|
NT | IND Indianapolis Colts | 17 games 4 career AV |
| 1986 | Matt Koart |
USC
Big Ten
|
DE | GB Green Bay Packers | 6 games 1 career AV |
| 1986 | Dan McMillen |
Colorado College
|
DE | PHI Philadelphia Eagles | 2 games |
| 1986 | Tony Colorito |
USC
Big Ten
|
NT | DEN Denver Broncos | 15 games 1 career AV |
| 1986 | Brent Sowell |
Alabama
SEC
|
DT | MIA Miami Dolphins | No regular-season snaps |
| 1986 | Steve O'Malley |
Northern Illinois
MAC
|
DT | IND Indianapolis Colts | No regular-season snaps |
| 1986 | Mark Pike |
Georgia Tech
ACC
|
DE | BUF Buffalo Bills | 173 games 10 career AV |
| 1986 | Brent Williams |
Toledo
MAC
|
DE | NE New England Patriots | 147 games · 8 yrs as starter 50 career AV |
| 1986 | Kevin Hudgens |
Idaho State
Big Sky
|
DE | ATL Atlanta Falcons | No regular-season snaps |
| 1986 | Michael Cline |
Arkansas State
Sun Belt
|
DT | GB Green Bay Packers | No regular-season snaps |
| 1986 | Alonzo Mitz |
Florida
SEC
|
DE | SEA Seattle Seahawks | 71 games · 2 yrs as starter 16 career AV |
| 1986 | Gary Baldinger |
Wake Forest
ACC
|
DE | KC Kansas City Chiefs | 44 games 4 career AV |
| 1986 | Clyde Simmons 2× All-Pro 2× Pro Bowl |
Western Carolina
Southern Conference
|
DE | PHI Philadelphia Eagles | 236 games · 12 yrs as starter 89 career AV |
| 1986 | Jim Luebbers |
Iowa State
Big 12
|
DE | NYG New York Giants | No regular-season snaps |
| 1986 | Ben Reed |
Ole Miss
SEC
|
DE | TB Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 3 games 1 career AV |
| 1986 | Guy Teafatiller |
Illinois College
Midwest
|
DT | BUF Buffalo Bills | 3 games 1 career AV |
| 1986 | Jon Dumbauld |
Kentucky
SEC
|
DE | NO New Orleans Saints | 17 games 1 career AV |
| 1986 | Ike Readon |
Hampton
CAA
|
NT | KC Kansas City Chiefs | 3 games |
| 1986 | Jeff Shaw | Salem | DT | CIN Cincinnati Bengals | No regular-season snaps |
| 1986 | Don Fairbanks |
Colorado College
|
DE | SEA Seattle Seahawks | 3 games 1 career AV |
| 1986 | Jeff Reinke |
Minnesota State
Northern Sun
|
DE | LV Los Angeles Raiders | 1 games |
| 1986 | Tony Garbarczyk |
Wake Forest
ACC
|
DE | BUF Buffalo Bills | 2 games |
| 1986 | Billy Witt |
North Alabama
United Athletic Conference
|
DE | BUF Buffalo Bills | 2 games 1 career AV |
| 1986 | Pat Swoopes |
Mississippi State
SEC
|
NT | NO New Orleans Saints | 31 games 3 career AV |
| 1986 | Steve Wade |
Vanderbilt
SEC
|
DT | IND Indianapolis Colts | No regular-season snaps |
| 1986 | Isaac Williams |
Florida State
ACC
|
DT | IND Indianapolis Colts | No regular-season snaps |
| 1985 | Bruce Smith HOF 8× All-Pro 11× Pro Bowl |
Virginia Tech
ACC
|
DE | BUF Buffalo Bills | 279 games · 18 yrs as starter 152 career AV |
| 1985 | Ray Childress 1× All-Pro 5× Pro Bowl |
Texas A&M
SEC
|
DT | TEN Houston Oilers | 163 games · 10 yrs as starter 90 career AV |
| 1985 | Chris Doleman HOF 2× All-Pro 8× Pro Bowl |
Pittsburgh
ACC
|
DE | MIN Minnesota Vikings | 232 games · 13 yrs as starter 114 career AV |
| 1985 | Ron Holmes |
Washington
Big Ten
|
DE | TB Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 102 games · 6 yrs as starter 31 career AV |
| 1985 | Kevin Brooks |
Michigan
Big Ten
|
DT | DAL Dallas Cowboys | 69 games · 3 yrs as starter 21 career AV |
| 1985 | Freddie Joe Nunn |
Ole Miss
SEC
|
DE | ARI St. Louis Cardinals | 157 games · 8 yrs as starter 49 career AV |
| 1985 | Darryl Sims |
Wisconsin
Big Ten
|
DE | PIT Pittsburgh Steelers | 58 games 9 career AV |
| 1985 | William Perry |
Clemson
ACC
|
DT | CHI Chicago Bears | 138 games · 9 yrs as starter 48 career AV |
| 1985 | Richard Byrd | Southern Mississippi | DE | TEN Houston Oilers | 75 games · 3 yrs as starter 20 career AV |
| 1985 | Mike Gann |
Notre Dame
FBS Ind.
|
DE | ATL Atlanta Falcons | 118 games · 8 yrs as starter 42 career AV |
| 1985 | Garin Veris |
Stanford
ACC
|
DE | NE New England Patriots | 88 games · 3 yrs as starter 26 career AV |
| 1985 | Ben Thomas |
Auburn
SEC
|
DE | NE New England Patriots | 54 games · 1 yrs as starter 8 career AV |
| 1985 | George Little |
Iowa
Big Ten
|
DE | MIA Miami Dolphins | 39 games · 1 yrs as starter 8 career AV |
| 1985 | Willie Broughton |
Miami
ACC
|
DT | IND Indianapolis Colts | 111 games · 4 yrs as starter 22 career AV |
| 1985 | Brian Luft |
USC
Big Ten
|
DT | NYJ New York Jets | No regular-season snaps |
| 1985 | Tony Degrate |
Texas
SEC
|
NT | CIN Cincinnati Bengals | 1 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: Alabama — 51
- 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 51 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.