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 251–300 of 1,122 picks · filtered.
| Pick | Player | College | Pos | NFL team | Career |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 |
Vince Williams
Davenport, FL
|
Florida State
ACC
|
LB | PIT Pittsburgh Steelers | 121 games · 5 yrs as starter 35 career AV |
| 2013 |
Michael Mauti
Mandeville, LA
|
Penn State
Big Ten
|
LB | MIN Minnesota Vikings | 58 games 6 career AV |
| 2013 |
Sam Barrington
|
South Florida
American
|
LB | GB Green Bay Packers | 29 games · 1 yrs as starter 4 career AV |
| 2013 |
Steve Beauharnais
Saddle Brook, NJ
|
Rutgers
Big Ten
|
LB | NE New England Patriots | 5 games |
| 2013 |
Brandon Hepburn
|
Florida A&M
SWAC
|
LB | DET Detroit Lions | No regular-season snaps |
| 2012 |
Nigel Bradham
Crawfordville, FL
|
Florida State
ACC
|
LB | BUF Buffalo Bills | 116 games · 7 yrs as starter 44 career AV |
| 2012 |
Kyle Wilber
Apopka, FL
|
Wake Forest
ACC
|
LB | DAL Dallas Cowboys | 135 games · 1 yrs as starter 13 career AV |
| 2012 |
Keenan Robinson
Plano, TX
|
Texas
SEC
|
LB | WAS Washington Commanders | 58 games · 2 yrs as starter 17 career AV |
| 2012 |
James-Michael Johnson
Fairfield, CA
|
Nevada
Mountain West
|
LB | CLE Cleveland Browns | 48 games · 2 yrs as starter 11 career AV |
| 2012 |
Ronnell Lewis
Dewar, OK
|
Oklahoma
SEC
|
LB | DET Detroit Lions | 8 games 1 career AV |
| 2012 |
Miles Burris
Granite Bay, CA
|
San Diego State
Mountain West
|
LB | LV Oakland Raiders | 38 games · 2 yrs as starter 14 career AV |
| 2012 |
Tahir Whitehead
Newark, NJ
|
Temple
American
|
LB | DET Detroit Lions | 142 games · 7 yrs as starter 41 career AV |
| 2012 |
Najee Goode
Cleveland, OH
|
West Virginia
Big 12
|
LB | TB Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 90 games 10 career AV |
| 2012 |
Brandon Marshall
North Las Vegas, NV
|
Nevada
Mountain West
|
LB | JAX Jacksonville Jaguars | 74 games · 4 yrs as starter 30 career AV |
| 2012 |
Tank Carder
Sweeny, TX
|
TCU
Big 12
|
LB | BUF Buffalo Bills | 78 games 5 career AV |
| 2012 |
Korey Toomer
|
Idaho
Big Sky
|
LB | SEA Seattle Seahawks | 53 games 11 career AV |
| 2012 |
Josh Kaddu
Vacaville, CA
|
Oregon
Big Ten
|
LB | MIA Miami Dolphins | 6 games |
| 2012 |
Terrell Manning
Laurinburg, NC
|
NC State
ACC
|
LB | GB Green Bay Packers | 10 games |
| 2012 |
Darius Fleming
Chicago, IL
|
Notre Dame
FBS Ind.
|
LB | SF San Francisco 49ers | 11 games 1 career AV |
| 2012 |
Danny Trevathan
Leesburg, FL
|
Kentucky
SEC
|
LB | DEN Denver Broncos | 117 games · 7 yrs as starter 47 career AV |
| 2012 |
Emmanuel Acho
Dallas, TX
|
Texas
SEC
|
LB | CLE Cleveland Browns | 20 games 2 career AV |
| 2012 |
Aaron Brown
Puyallup, WA
|
Hawai'i
Mountain West
|
LB | LAR St. Louis Rams | No regular-season snaps |
| 2012 |
Audie Cole
Monroe, MI
|
NC State
ACC
|
LB | MIN Minnesota Vikings | 57 games 7 career AV |
| 2012 |
Caleb McSurdy
|
Montana
Big Sky
|
LB | DAL Dallas Cowboys | No regular-season snaps |
| 2012 |
Travis Lewis
San Antonio, TX
|
Oklahoma
SEC
|
LB | DET Detroit Lions | 42 games 4 career AV |
| 2012 |
Nathan Stupar
State College, PA
|
Penn State
Big Ten
|
LB | LV Oakland Raiders | 82 games · 1 yrs as starter 9 career AV |
| 2011 |
K.J. Wright
1× Pro Bowl
|
Mississippi State
SEC
|
LB | SEA Seattle Seahawks | 161 games · 10 yrs as starter 64 career AV |
| 2011 |
Colin McCarthy
Clearwater, FL
|
Miami
ACC
|
LB | TEN Tennessee Titans | 36 games · 1 yrs as starter 11 career AV |
| 2011 |
Casey Matthews
Agoura Hills, CA
|
Oregon
Big Ten
|
LB | PHI Philadelphia Eagles | 64 games · 1 yrs as starter 10 career AV |
| 2011 |
Gabe Miller
|
Oregon State
Pac-12
|
LB | KC Kansas City Chiefs | 7 games |
| 2011 |
Doug Hogue
|
Syracuse
ACC
|
LB | DET Detroit Lions | 27 games 2 career AV |
| 2011 |
Chris Carter
|
Fresno State
Mountain West
|
LB | PIT Pittsburgh Steelers | 75 games 6 career AV |
| 2011 |
Lawrence Wilson
Tuscaloosa, AL
|
UConn
FBS Ind.
|
LB | CAR Carolina Panthers | No regular-season snaps |
| 2011 |
Chris White
Vancleave, MS
|
Mississippi State
SEC
|
LB | BUF Buffalo Bills | 51 games 3 career AV |
| 2011 |
Quan Sturdivant
Oakboro, NC
|
North Carolina
ACC
|
LB | ARI Arizona Cardinals | No regular-season snaps |
| 2011 |
Greg Jones
Cincinnati, OH
|
Michigan State
Big Ten
|
LB | NYG New York Giants | 22 games 3 career AV |
| 2011 |
D.J. Smith
|
App State
Sun Belt
|
LB | GB Green Bay Packers | 24 games 5 career AV |
| 2011 |
Mike Mohamed
Brawley, CA
|
California
ACC
|
LB | DEN Denver Broncos | 26 games 4 career AV |
| 2011 |
Brian Rolle
Immokalee, FL
|
Ohio State
Big Ten
|
LB | PHI Philadelphia Eagles | 20 games · 1 yrs as starter 6 career AV |
| 2011 |
Markell Carter
|
Central Arkansas
United Athletic Conference
|
LB | NE New England Patriots | No regular-season snaps |
| 2011 |
J.T. Thomas
Ft. Lauderdale, FL
|
West Virginia
Big 12
|
LB | CHI Chicago Bears | 62 games · 2 yrs as starter 12 career AV |
| 2011 |
Ross Homan
Coldwater, OH
|
Ohio State
Big Ten
|
LB | MIN Minnesota Vikings | No regular-season snaps |
| 2011 |
Jacquian Williams
Apopka, FL
|
South Florida
American
|
LB | NYG New York Giants | 51 games · 1 yrs as starter 13 career AV |
| 2011 |
Jabara Williams
|
Stephen F. Austin
Southland
|
LB | LAR St. Louis Rams | 7 games |
| 2011 |
Andrew Gachkar
Overland Park, KS
|
Missouri
SEC
|
LB | LAC San Diego Chargers | 101 games 9 career AV |
| 2011 |
Greg Lloyd
Clermont, FL
|
UConn
FBS Ind.
|
LB | PHI Philadelphia Eagles | 2 games |
| 2011 |
Malcolm Smith
Northridge, CA
|
USC
Big Ten
|
LB | SEA Seattle Seahawks | 134 games · 2 yrs as starter 32 career AV |
| 2011 |
Nate Bussey
|
Illinois College
Midwest
|
LB | NO New Orleans Saints | 0 games |
| 2010 |
Darryl Sharpton
Coral Gables, FL
|
Miami
ACC
|
LB | HOU Houston Texans | 47 games · 1 yrs as starter 10 career AV |
| 2010 |
Perry Riley
Ellenwood, GA
|
LSU
SEC
|
LB | WAS Washington Commanders | 90 games · 6 yrs as starter 30 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.