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 2,251–2,300 of 2,415 picks · filtered.
| Pick | Player | College | Pos | NFL team | Career |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1982 | Rod Hill |
Kentucky State
SIAC
|
DB | DAL Dallas Cowboys | 48 games 6 career AV |
| 1982 | Bobby Watkins |
Texas State
Pac-12
|
DB | DET Detroit Lions | 83 games · 3 yrs as starter 32 career AV |
| 1982 | Vernon Dean |
San Diego State
Mountain West
|
DB | WAS Washington Commanders | 101 games · 5 yrs as starter 35 career AV |
| 1982 | Jim Burroughs |
Michigan State
Big Ten
|
DB | IND Baltimore Colts | 30 games · 2 yrs as starter 12 career AV |
| 1982 | Rodney Lewis |
Nebraska
Big Ten
|
DB | NO New Orleans Saints | 27 games 4 career AV |
| 1982 | Vann McElroy 2× Pro Bowl |
Baylor
Big 12
|
DB | LV Los Angeles Raiders | 111 games · 6 yrs as starter 44 career AV |
| 1982 | Benny Perrin |
Alabama
SEC
|
DB | ARI St. Louis Cardinals | 48 games · 3 yrs as starter 22 career AV |
| 1982 | John Krimm |
Notre Dame
FBS Ind.
|
DB | NO New Orleans Saints | 9 games 1 career AV |
| 1982 | Paul Lankford |
Penn State
Big Ten
|
DB | MIA Miami Dolphins | 130 games · 5 yrs as starter 26 career AV |
| 1982 | Bruce McNorton | Georgetown (KY) | DB | DET Detroit Lions | 116 games · 6 yrs as starter 37 career AV |
| 1982 | Rick Woods |
Boise State
Mountain West
|
DB | PIT Pittsburgh Steelers | 71 games · 1 yrs as starter 18 career AV |
| 1982 | Brian Carpenter |
Michigan
Big Ten
|
DB | DAL Dallas Cowboys | 35 games · 1 yrs as starter 5 career AV |
| 1982 | George Floyd |
Eastern Kentucky
United Athletic Conference
|
DB | NYJ New York Jets | 15 games 2 career AV |
| 1982 | Monty Hunter | Salem | DB | DAL Dallas Cowboys | 14 games 1 career AV |
| 1982 | Fred Marion 1× Pro Bowl |
Miami
ACC
|
DB | NE New England Patriots | 144 games · 8 yrs as starter 50 career AV |
| 1982 | Vance Bedford |
Texas
SEC
|
DB | ARI St. Louis Cardinals | 0 games |
| 1982 | Von Mansfield |
Wisconsin
Big Ten
|
DB | ATL Atlanta Falcons | 10 games 2 career AV |
| 1982 | William Graham |
Texas
SEC
|
DB | DET Detroit Lions | 69 games · 3 yrs as starter 21 career AV |
| 1982 | Dennis DeVaughn | Bishop | DB | PHI Philadelphia Eagles | 13 games 1 career AV |
| 1982 | Dennis Tabron |
Duke
ACC
|
DB | CHI Chicago Bears | No regular-season snaps |
| 1982 | Paul Sorensen |
Washington State
Pac-12
|
DB | CIN Cincinnati Bengals | No regular-season snaps |
| 1982 | Ricky Smith |
Alabama State
SWAC
|
DB | NE New England Patriots | 49 games 8 career AV |
| 1982 | Durwood Roquemore |
Texas A&M-Kingsville
Lone Star
|
DB | KC Kansas City Chiefs | 29 games 5 career AV |
| 1982 | Tom Tutson |
South Carolina State
MEAC
|
DB | MIA Miami Dolphins | 10 games |
| 1982 | Mike Whitwell |
Texas A&M
SEC
|
DB | CLE Cleveland Browns | 25 games · 1 yrs as starter 8 career AV |
| 1982 | Joey Whitley |
UTEP
Conference USA
|
DB | GB Green Bay Packers | No regular-season snaps |
| 1982 | Tom Morris |
Michigan State
Big Ten
|
DB | TB Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 20 games 2 career AV |
| 1982 | Hollis Hall |
Clemson
ACC
|
DB | LAC San Diego Chargers | No regular-season snaps |
| 1982 | Mark Kafentzis |
Hawai'i
Mountain West
|
DB | CLE Cleveland Browns | 40 games · 1 yrs as starter 7 career AV |
| 1982 | Ricky Eberhardt | Morris Brown | DB | ATL Atlanta Falcons | No regular-season snaps |
| 1982 | Bill Jackson |
North Carolina
ACC
|
DB | CLE Cleveland Browns | 9 games 1 career AV |
| 1982 | Tate Randle |
Texas Tech
Big 12
|
DB | MIA Miami Dolphins | 69 games 13 career AV |
| 1982 | Ken Coffey |
Texas State
Pac-12
|
DB | WAS Washington Commanders | 41 games · 2 yrs as starter 11 career AV |
| 1982 | Mike Hatchett |
Texas
SEC
|
DB | CHI Chicago Bears | No regular-season snaps |
| 1982 | Danny Wagoner |
Kansas
Big 12
|
DB | DET Detroit Lions | 34 games 2 career AV |
| 1982 | Bryan Howard |
Tennessee State
OVC-Big South
|
DB | MIN Minnesota Vikings | 2 games |
| 1982 | Matt Bradley |
Penn State
Big Ten
|
DB | TEN Houston Oilers | No regular-season snaps |
| 1982 | John Higgins |
UNLV
Mountain West
|
DB | NYG New York Giants | No regular-season snaps |
| 1982 | Tom Deery |
Widener
Mid Atlantic
|
DB | IND Baltimore Colts | No regular-season snaps |
| 1982 | Miles McPherson |
New Haven
NEC
|
DB | LAR Los Angeles Rams | 35 games 5 career AV |
| 1982 | Joe Turner |
USC
Big Ten
|
DB | CHI Chicago Bears | No regular-season snaps |
| 1982 | Terry Daniels |
Tennessee
SEC
|
DB | WAS Washington Commanders | No regular-season snaps |
| 1982 | Dana McLemore |
Hawai'i
Mountain West
|
DB | SF San Francisco 49ers | 72 games 7 career AV |
| 1982 | Vic James |
Colorado College
|
DB | BUF Buffalo Bills | No regular-season snaps |
| 1982 | Andre Young |
Louisiana Tech
Conference USA
|
DB | LAC San Diego Chargers | 36 games · 1 yrs as starter 9 career AV |
| 1982 | Darryl Hemphill | West Texas A&M | DB | NYJ New York Jets | 3 games |
| 1982 | Larry Hogue |
Utah State
Mountain West
|
DB | CIN Cincinnati Bengals | No regular-season snaps |
| 1982 | Lamont Meacham |
Western Kentucky
Conference USA
|
DB | IND Baltimore Colts | No regular-season snaps |
| 1982 | Anthony Watson |
New Mexico State
Conference USA
|
DB | LAC San Diego Chargers | No regular-season snaps |
| 1982 | Mike Miller |
Texas State
Pac-12
|
DB | KC Kansas City Chiefs | No regular-season snaps |
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.