College programs that have produced the most NFL LB 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 LB 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 LB Day 3 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
Penn State
Big Ten
27picks
Penn State team hub
-
2
Washington
Big Ten
23picks
Washington team hub
-
3
Notre Dame
FBS Ind.
22picks
Notre Dame team hub
Draft pick explorer
Showing 201–250 of 1,122 picks · filtered.
| Pick | Player | College | Pos | NFL team | Career |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 |
Martrell Spaight
North Little Rock, AR
|
Arkansas
SEC
|
OLB | WAS Washington Commanders | 37 games 6 career AV |
| 2015 |
Davis Tull
|
Chattanooga
Southern Conference
|
OLB | NO New Orleans Saints | No regular-season snaps |
| 2015 |
Kyle Emanuel
|
North Dakota State
MVFC
|
OLB | LAC San Diego Chargers | 71 games · 2 yrs as starter 16 career AV |
| 2015 |
Neiron Ball
Jackson, GA
|
Florida
SEC
|
OLB | LV Oakland Raiders | 6 games 1 career AV |
| 2015 |
David Mayo
Scappoose, OR
|
Texas State
Pac-12
|
LB | CAR Carolina Panthers | 132 games · 1 yrs as starter 18 career AV |
| 2015 |
D.J. Alexander
1× Pro Bowl
|
Oregon State
Pac-12
|
OLB | KC Kansas City Chiefs | 61 games 7 career AV |
| 2015 |
Deiontrez Mount
Fort Walton Beach, FL
|
Louisville
ACC
|
OLB | TEN Tennessee Titans | 12 games 1 career AV |
| 2015 |
Matthew Wells
|
Mississippi State
SEC
|
LB | NE New England Patriots | No regular-season snaps |
| 2015 |
Max Valles
Sicklerville, NJ
|
Virginia
ACC
|
OLB | LV Oakland Raiders | No regular-season snaps |
| 2015 |
Tony Steward
Hastings, FL
|
Clemson
ACC
|
OLB | BUF Buffalo Bills | 7 games 1 career AV |
| 2015 |
Amarlo Herrera
College Park, GA
|
Georgia
SEC
|
ILB | IND Indianapolis Colts | 3 games |
| 2015 |
Reshard Cliett
Thomasville, GA
|
South Florida
American
|
OLB | HOU Houston Texans | No regular-season snaps |
| 2015 |
Hayes Pullard
Inglewood, CA
|
USC
Big Ten
|
ILB | CLE Cleveland Browns | 46 games · 1 yrs as starter 9 career AV |
| 2015 |
Bryce Hager
Austin, TX
|
Baylor
Big 12
|
ILB | LAR St. Louis Rams | 79 games 7 career AV |
| 2015 | Edmond Robinson |
Newberry
South Atlantic
|
OLB | MIN Minnesota Vikings | 38 games 3 career AV |
| 2015 |
Mark Nzeocha
Neusitz
|
Wyoming
Mountain West
|
OLB | DAL Dallas Cowboys | 56 games 5 career AV |
| 2015 |
Xzavier Dickson
Griffin, GA
|
Alabama
SEC
|
OLB | NE New England Patriots | No regular-season snaps |
| 2014 |
Anthony Hitchens
Lorain, OH
|
Iowa
Big Ten
|
LB | DAL Dallas Cowboys | 119 games · 7 yrs as starter 41 career AV |
| 2014 |
Carl Bradford
Norco, CA
|
Arizona State
Big 12
|
LB | GB Green Bay Packers | 6 games |
| 2014 |
Khairi Fortt
Stamford, CT
|
California
ACC
|
LB | NO New Orleans Saints | 3 games |
| 2014 |
Kevin Pierre-Louis
Norwalk, CT
|
Boston College
ACC
|
LB | SEA Seattle Seahawks | 95 games · 1 yrs as starter 15 career AV |
| 2014 |
Prince Shembo
Charlotte, NC
|
Notre Dame
FBS Ind.
|
LB | ATL Atlanta Falcons | 16 games 2 career AV |
| 2014 |
Telvin Smith
1× Pro Bowl
|
Florida State
ACC
|
LB | JAX Jacksonville Jaguars | 76 games · 5 yrs as starter 42 career AV |
| 2014 |
Avery Williamson
Milan, TN
|
Kentucky
SEC
|
LB | TEN Tennessee Titans | 96 games · 5 yrs as starter 38 career AV |
| 2014 |
Jeremiah George
Clearwater, FL
|
Iowa State
Big 12
|
LB | NYJ New York Jets | 37 games 3 career AV |
| 2014 |
Lamin Barrow
Marrero, LA
|
LSU
SEC
|
LB | DEN Denver Broncos | 32 games 2 career AV |
| 2014 |
Jonathan Newsome
Cleveland, OH
|
Ball State
MAC
|
LB | IND Indianapolis Colts | 30 games 4 career AV |
| 2014 |
Marquis Spruill
Hillside, NJ
|
Syracuse
ACC
|
LB | ATL Atlanta Falcons | No regular-season snaps |
| 2014 |
Ronald Powell
Moreno Valley, CA
|
Florida
SEC
|
LB | NO New Orleans Saints | 14 games 1 career AV |
| 2014 |
Jordan Tripp
|
Montana
Big Sky
|
LB | MIA Miami Dolphins | 37 games 3 career AV |
| 2014 |
Jordan Zumwalt
Huntington Beach, CA
|
UCLA
Big Ten
|
LB | PIT Pittsburgh Steelers | No regular-season snaps |
| 2014 |
Andrew Jackson
Lakeland, FL
|
Western Kentucky
Conference USA
|
LB | IND Indianapolis Colts | 13 games 1 career AV |
| 2014 |
Marquis Flowers
Phoenix, AZ
|
Arizona
Big 12
|
LB | CIN Cincinnati Bengals | 53 games 7 career AV |
| 2014 |
Randell Johnson
Miami, FL
|
Florida Atlantic
American
|
LB | BUF Buffalo Bills | 16 games 2 career AV |
| 2014 |
Brandon Watts
Tennille, GA
|
Georgia Tech
ACC
|
LB | MIN Minnesota Vikings | 9 games 1 career AV |
| 2014 |
Trevor Reilly
Valley Center, CA
|
Utah
Big 12
|
LB | NYJ New York Jets | 37 games 4 career AV |
| 2014 |
Will Smith
Riverside, CA
|
Texas Tech
Big 12
|
LB | DAL Dallas Cowboys | No regular-season snaps |
| 2014 |
Corey Nelson
Dallas, TX
|
Oklahoma
SEC
|
LB | DEN Denver Broncos | 61 games 8 career AV |
| 2014 |
Yawin Smallwood
Worcester, MA
|
UConn
FBS Ind.
|
LB | ATL Atlanta Falcons | No regular-season snaps |
| 2014 |
Tyler Starr
|
South Dakota
MVFC
|
LB | ATL Atlanta Falcons | 1 games |
| 2013 |
Nico Johnson
Andalusia, AL
|
Alabama
SEC
|
LB | KC Kansas City Chiefs | 18 games 3 career AV |
| 2013 |
Jelani Jenkins
Olney, MD
|
Florida
SEC
|
LB | MIA Miami Dolphins | 60 games · 3 yrs as starter 15 career AV |
| 2013 |
Khaseem Greene
Elizabeth, NJ
|
Rutgers
Big Ten
|
LB | CHI Chicago Bears | 25 games 3 career AV |
| 2013 |
Sean Porter
Schertz, TX
|
Texas A&M
SEC
|
LB | CIN Cincinnati Bengals | 3 games |
| 2013 |
Gerald Hodges
Paulsboro, NJ
|
Penn State
Big Ten
|
LB | MIN Minnesota Vikings | 81 games · 1 yrs as starter 18 career AV |
| 2013 |
A.J. Klein
Kimberly, WI
|
Iowa State
Big 12
|
LB | CAR Carolina Panthers | 146 games · 5 yrs as starter 37 career AV |
| 2013 |
Nick Moody
Wyncote, PA
|
Florida State
ACC
|
LB | SF San Francisco 49ers | 24 games 2 career AV |
| 2013 |
DeVonte Holloman
Charlotte, NC
|
South Carolina
SEC
|
LB | DAL Dallas Cowboys | 9 games 1 career AV |
| 2013 |
Cornelius Washington
Hephzibah, GA
|
Georgia
SEC
|
LB | CHI Chicago Bears | 46 games 5 career AV |
| 2013 |
Nate Palmer
|
Illinois State
MVFC
|
LB | GB Green Bay Packers | 48 games · 1 yrs as starter 9 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: Penn State — 27
- 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?
Penn State leads FantasyHQ’s archive with 27 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.