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 1,951–2,000 of 2,415 picks · filtered.
| Pick | Player | College | Pos | NFL team | Career |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1988 | Derrick Crudup |
Oklahoma
SEC
|
DB | LV Los Angeles Raiders | 20 games 1 career AV |
| 1988 | Gary Richard |
Pittsburgh
ACC
|
DB | GB Green Bay Packers | 10 games 1 career AV |
| 1988 | Ray Jackson |
Ohio State
Big Ten
|
DB | SEA Seattle Seahawks | No regular-season snaps |
| 1988 | Tracey Eaton |
Portland State
Big Sky
|
DB | TEN Houston Oilers | 60 games 4 career AV |
| 1988 | Thane Gash |
East Tennessee State
Southern Conference
|
DB | CLE Cleveland Browns | 64 games · 2 yrs as starter 14 career AV |
| 1988 | Harold Hicks |
San Diego State
Mountain West
|
DB | WAS Washington Commanders | No regular-season snaps |
| 1988 | Sammy Lilly |
Georgia Tech
ACC
|
DB | NYG New York Giants | 50 games 2 career AV |
| 1988 | John Hagy |
Texas
SEC
|
DB | BUF Buffalo Bills | 28 games · 1 yrs as starter 5 career AV |
| 1988 | David Tate |
Colorado College
|
DB | CHI Chicago Bears | 142 games · 2 yrs as starter 25 career AV |
| 1988 | Kip Corrington |
Texas A&M
SEC
|
DB | DET Detroit Lions | 32 games 3 career AV |
| 1988 | Brandy Wells |
Notre Dame
FBS Ind.
|
DB | CIN Cincinnati Bengals | No regular-season snaps |
| 1988 | Neil Galbraith |
Central Oklahoma
Mid America
|
DB | NE New England Patriots | No regular-season snaps |
| 1988 | Danny Copeland |
Eastern Kentucky
United Athletic Conference
|
DB | CLE Cleveland Browns | 73 games · 3 yrs as starter 19 career AV |
| 1988 | Clarence Nunn |
San Diego State
Mountain West
|
DB | NO New Orleans Saints | No regular-season snaps |
| 1988 | Ellis Dillahunt |
East Carolina
American
|
DB | CIN Cincinnati Bengals | 8 games |
| 1988 | John Booty |
TCU
Big 12
|
DB | NYJ New York Jets | 102 games · 2 yrs as starter 21 career AV |
| 1988 | Eric Hickerson |
Indiana
Big Ten
|
DB | NYG New York Giants | No regular-season snaps |
| 1988 | Martin Mayhew |
Florida State
ACC
|
DB | BUF Buffalo Bills | 118 games · 7 yrs as starter 40 career AV |
| 1988 | Billy Owens |
Pittsburgh
ACC
|
DB | DAL Dallas Cowboys | 16 games 1 career AV |
| 1988 | Brian Washington |
Nebraska
Big Ten
|
DB | CLE Cleveland Browns | 124 games · 8 yrs as starter 47 career AV |
| 1988 | Izel Jenkins |
NC State
ACC
|
DB | PHI Philadelphia Eagles | 86 games · 1 yrs as starter 13 career AV |
| 1988 | Keith McCoy |
Fresno State
Mountain West
|
DB | ARI Phoenix Cardinals | No regular-season snaps |
| 1988 | Bobby Dawson |
Illinois College
Midwest
|
DB | PIT Pittsburgh Steelers | No regular-season snaps |
| 1988 | Norman Floyd |
South Carolina
SEC
|
DB | MIN Minnesota Vikings | No regular-season snaps |
| 1988 | Dwayne Harper |
South Carolina State
MEAC
|
DB | SEA Seattle Seahawks | 148 games · 9 yrs as starter 49 career AV |
| 1988 | Chet Brooks |
Texas A&M
SEC
|
DB | SF San Francisco 49ers | 33 games · 2 yrs as starter 13 career AV |
| 1988 | Carter Wiley |
Virginia Tech
ACC
|
DB | ATL Atlanta Falcons | No regular-season snaps |
| 1988 | Chris Carrier |
LSU
SEC
|
DB | ARI Phoenix Cardinals | No regular-season snaps |
| 1988 | Wendell Phillips |
North Alabama
United Athletic Conference
|
DB | LAC San Diego Chargers | No regular-season snaps |
| 1987 | Rod Woodson HOF 6× All-Pro 11× Pro Bowl |
Purdue
Big Ten
|
DB | PIT Pittsburgh Steelers | 238 games · 15 yrs as starter 142 career AV |
| 1987 | Nate Odomes 2× Pro Bowl |
Wisconsin
Big Ten
|
DB | BUF Buffalo Bills | 115 games · 7 yrs as starter 46 career AV |
| 1987 | Brian Davis |
Nebraska
Big Ten
|
DB | WAS Washington Commanders | 87 games · 1 yrs as starter 15 career AV |
| 1987 | Roland Mitchell |
Texas Tech
Big 12
|
DB | BUF Buffalo Bills | 89 games · 1 yrs as starter 16 career AV |
| 1987 | Tim McDonald 6× Pro Bowl |
USC
Big Ten
|
DB | ARI St. Louis Cardinals | 191 games · 12 yrs as starter 75 career AV |
| 1987 | Ricky Reynolds |
Washington State
Pac-12
|
DB | TB Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 147 games · 10 yrs as starter 48 career AV |
| 1987 | Delton Hall |
Clemson
ACC
|
DB | PIT Pittsburgh Steelers | 76 games · 1 yrs as starter 11 career AV |
| 1987 | Ron Francis |
Baylor
Big 12
|
DB | DAL Dallas Cowboys | 54 games · 1 yrs as starter 11 career AV |
| 1987 | Eric Thomas 1× Pro Bowl |
Tulane
American
|
DB | CIN Cincinnati Bengals | 111 games · 5 yrs as starter 35 career AV |
| 1987 | Lou Brock |
USC
Big Ten
|
DB | LAC San Diego Chargers | 4 games |
| 1987 | Adrian White |
Florida
SEC
|
DB | NYG New York Giants | 70 games 7 career AV |
| 1987 | Michael Adams |
Arkansas State
Sun Belt
|
DB | NO New Orleans Saints | 15 games 3 career AV |
| 1987 | Cliff Hicks |
Oregon
Big Ten
|
DB | LAR Los Angeles Rams | 98 games 8 career AV |
| 1987 | Len Bell |
Indiana
Big Ten
|
DB | CIN Cincinnati Bengals | 1 games |
| 1987 | Garland Rivers |
Michigan
Big Ten
|
DB | DET Detroit Lions | 2 games |
| 1987 | Thomas Everett 1× Pro Bowl |
Baylor
Big 12
|
DB | PIT Pittsburgh Steelers | 128 games · 9 yrs as starter 42 career AV |
| 1987 | Najee Mustafaa |
Georgia Tech
ACC
|
DB | MIN Minnesota Vikings | 97 games · 4 yrs as starter 27 career AV |
| 1987 | Derrick Beasley |
Winston-Salem State
CIAA
|
DB | NE New England Patriots | No regular-season snaps |
| 1987 | Mark Moore |
Oklahoma State
Big 12
|
DB | SEA Seattle Seahawks | 5 games |
| 1987 | Nelson Jones |
NC State
ACC
|
DB | LAC San Diego Chargers | No regular-season snaps |
| 1987 | Milton Mack |
Alcorn State
SWAC
|
DB | NO New Orleans Saints | 111 games · 1 yrs as starter 17 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: 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.