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 2,151–2,200 of 2,415 picks · filtered.
| Pick | Player | College | Pos | NFL team | Career |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1984 | Don Rogers |
UCLA
Big Ten
|
DB | CLE Cleveland Browns | 31 games · 2 yrs as starter 13 career AV |
| 1984 | Terry Taylor |
Southern Illinois
MVFC
|
DB | SEA Seattle Seahawks | 149 games · 7 yrs as starter 40 career AV |
| 1984 | Scott Case 1× Pro Bowl |
Oklahoma
SEC
|
DB | ATL Atlanta Falcons | 178 games · 8 yrs as starter 50 career AV |
| 1984 | Victor Scott |
Colorado College
|
DB | DAL Dallas Cowboys | 45 games 7 career AV |
| 1984 | Chris Rockins |
Oklahoma State
Big 12
|
DB | CLE Cleveland Browns | 60 games · 1 yrs as starter 11 career AV |
| 1984 | Bo Eason |
UC Davis
Big Sky
|
DB | TEN Houston Oilers | 38 games · 2 yrs as starter 11 career AV |
| 1984 | Fred Acorn |
Texas
SEC
|
DB | TB Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 16 games 1 career AV |
| 1984 | Rod McSwain |
Clemson
ACC
|
DB | ATL Atlanta Falcons | 90 games · 1 yrs as starter 11 career AV |
| 1984 | Terry Hoage |
Georgia
SEC
|
DB | NO New Orleans Saints | 141 games · 4 yrs as starter 29 career AV |
| 1984 | Rodney Bellinger |
Miami
ACC
|
DB | BUF Buffalo Bills | 42 games · 1 yrs as starter 8 career AV |
| 1984 | Tony Lilly |
Florida
SEC
|
DB | DEN Denver Broncos | 58 games · 1 yrs as starter 11 career AV |
| 1984 | Evan Cooper |
Michigan
Big Ten
|
DB | PHI Philadelphia Eagles | 85 games · 2 yrs as starter 11 career AV |
| 1984 | Randy Robbins |
Arizona
Big 12
|
DB | DEN Denver Broncos | 131 games · 2 yrs as starter 24 career AV |
| 1984 | Mark Robinson |
Penn State
Big Ten
|
DB | KC Kansas City Chiefs | 88 games · 3 yrs as starter 22 career AV |
| 1984 | Craig Curry |
Texas
SEC
|
DB | IND Indianapolis Colts | 40 games · 1 yrs as starter 7 career AV |
| 1984 | Patrick Allen |
Utah State
Mountain West
|
DB | TEN Houston Oilers | 106 games · 5 yrs as starter 24 career AV |
| 1984 | Martin Bayless |
Bowling Green
MAC
|
DB | ARI St. Louis Cardinals | 192 games · 10 yrs as starter 45 career AV |
| 1984 | Clint Harris |
East Carolina
American
|
DB | NYG New York Giants | No regular-season snaps |
| 1984 | Barney Bussey |
South Carolina State
MEAC
|
DB | CIN Cincinnati Bengals | 144 games · 2 yrs as starter 21 career AV |
| 1984 | Jitter Fields |
Texas
SEC
|
DB | NO New Orleans Saints | 19 games 2 career AV |
| 1984 | Tom Flynn |
Pittsburgh
ACC
|
DB | GB Green Bay Packers | 68 games · 2 yrs as starter 20 career AV |
| 1984 | Jeff Fuller |
Texas A&M
SEC
|
DB | SF San Francisco 49ers | 71 games · 2 yrs as starter 20 career AV |
| 1984 | Ernest Gibson |
Furman
Southern Conference
|
DB | NE New England Patriots | 72 games · 1 yrs as starter 9 career AV |
| 1984 | Chris Brown |
Notre Dame
FBS Ind.
|
DB | PIT Pittsburgh Steelers | 22 games 3 career AV |
| 1984 | Stacey Toran |
Notre Dame
FBS Ind.
|
DB | LV Los Angeles Raiders | 72 games · 2 yrs as starter 20 career AV |
| 1984 | Kevin Ross 2× Pro Bowl |
Temple
American
|
DB | KC Kansas City Chiefs | 204 games · 13 yrs as starter 67 career AV |
| 1984 | Harry Hamilton |
Penn State
Big Ten
|
DB | NYJ New York Jets | 98 games · 6 yrs as starter 33 career AV |
| 1984 | Daryll Jones |
Georgia
SEC
|
DB | GB Green Bay Packers | 25 games 3 career AV |
| 1984 | George Radachowsky |
Boston College
ACC
|
DB | LAR Los Angeles Rams | 52 games · 1 yrs as starter 8 career AV |
| 1984 | Randy Clark |
Florida
SEC
|
DB | KC Kansas City Chiefs | 2 games |
| 1984 | Eugene Daniel |
LSU
SEC
|
DB | IND Indianapolis Colts | 207 games · 13 yrs as starter 60 career AV |
| 1984 | Stacy Rayfield | Texas-Arlington | DB | BUF Buffalo Bills | No regular-season snaps |
| 1984 | Jeff Smith |
Missouri
SEC
|
DB | WAS Washington Commanders | No regular-season snaps |
| 1984 | Sam Seale | Western St. (CO) | DB | LV Los Angeles Raiders | 121 games · 4 yrs as starter 28 career AV |
| 1984 | Jeff Donaldson |
Colorado College
|
DB | TEN Houston Oilers | 151 games · 5 yrs as starter 28 career AV |
| 1984 | Lee Miller | Cal State Fullerton | DB | SF San Francisco 49ers | No regular-season snaps |
| 1984 | John Thomas |
TCU
Big 12
|
DB | PHI Philadelphia Eagles | No regular-season snaps |
| 1984 | Heyward Golden |
South Carolina State
MEAC
|
DB | NYG New York Giants | No regular-season snaps |
| 1984 | William Frizzell |
North Carolina Central
MEAC
|
DB | DET Detroit Lions | 134 games 13 career AV |
| 1984 | Derrick Franklin |
Fresno State
Mountain West
|
DB | ATL Atlanta Falcons | No regular-season snaps |
| 1984 | Shaun Gayle 1× Pro Bowl |
Ohio State
Big Ten
|
DB | CHI Chicago Bears | 160 games · 7 yrs as starter 45 career AV |
| 1984 | James Thaxton |
Louisiana Tech
Conference USA
|
DB | DET Detroit Lions | No regular-season snaps |
| 1984 | Gardner Williams |
St. Mary's (CA)
|
DB | LV Los Angeles Raiders | 3 games |
| 1984 | Bud Brown | Southern Mississippi | DB | MIA Miami Dolphins | 73 games · 3 yrs as starter 17 career AV |
| 1984 | Rod Fisher |
Oklahoma State
Big 12
|
DB | LAR Los Angeles Rams | No regular-season snaps |
| 1984 | Theodis Windham |
Utah State
Mountain West
|
DB | SEA Seattle Seahawks | No regular-season snaps |
| 1983 | Terry Kinard 1× Pro Bowl |
Clemson
ACC
|
DB | NYG New York Giants | 121 games · 8 yrs as starter 49 career AV |
| 1983 | Tim Lewis |
Pittsburgh
ACC
|
DB | GB Green Bay Packers | 51 games · 2 yrs as starter 21 career AV |
| 1983 | Leonard Smith | McNeese St. | DB | ARI St. Louis Cardinals | 138 games · 8 yrs as starter 42 career AV |
| 1983 | Joey Browner 3× All-Pro 6× Pro Bowl |
USC
Big Ten
|
DB | MIN Minnesota Vikings | 145 games · 7 yrs as starter 74 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.