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 351–400 of 1,122 picks · filtered.
| Pick | Player | College | Pos | NFL team | Career |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 |
Hilee Taylor
|
North Carolina
ACC
|
LB | CAR Carolina Panthers | 16 games 1 career AV |
| 2008 | Alex Hall | St. Augustine's | LB | CLE Cleveland Browns | 32 games 3 career AV |
| 2008 |
Joey LaRocque
|
Oregon State
Pac-12
|
LB | CHI Chicago Bears | 14 games 1 career AV |
| 2008 |
Angelo Craig
|
Cincinnati
Big 12
|
LB | CIN Cincinnati Bengals | No regular-season snaps |
| 2008 |
David Vobora
|
Idaho
Big Sky
|
LB | LAR St. Louis Rams | 40 games · 1 yrs as starter 8 career AV |
| 2007 |
Stephen Nicholas
|
South Florida
American
|
LB | ATL Atlanta Falcons | 101 games · 4 yrs as starter 27 career AV |
| 2007 |
Zak DeOssie
2× Pro Bowl
|
Brown
Ivy League
|
LB | NYG New York Giants | 199 games 21 career AV |
| 2007 |
Antwan Barnes
|
Florida International
Conference USA
|
LB | BAL Baltimore Ravens | 88 games 7 career AV |
| 2007 |
Clint Session
|
Pittsburgh
ACC
|
LB | IND Indianapolis Colts | 57 games · 2 yrs as starter 20 career AV |
| 2007 |
Dallas Sartz
|
USC
Big Ten
|
LB | WAS Washington Commanders | No regular-season snaps |
| 2007 |
Johnny Baldwin
|
Arkansas Monticello
Great American
|
LB | DET Detroit Lions | 3 games |
| 2007 |
Will Herring
|
Auburn
SEC
|
LB | SEA Seattle Seahawks | 109 games 10 career AV |
| 2007 |
Tim Shaw
|
Penn State
Big Ten
|
LB | CAR Carolina Panthers | 80 games 6 career AV |
| 2007 |
Rufus Alexander
|
Oklahoma
SEC
|
LB | MIN Minnesota Vikings | 1 games |
| 2007 |
H.B. Blades
|
Pittsburgh
ACC
|
LB | WAS Washington Commanders | 64 games 9 career AV |
| 2007 |
Justin Rogers
|
SMU
ACC
|
LB | NE New England Patriots | 32 games 2 career AV |
| 2007 |
Adam Hayward
|
Portland State
Big Sky
|
LB | TB Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 118 games · 1 yrs as starter 11 career AV |
| 2007 |
Korey Hall
|
Boise State
Mountain West
|
LB | GB Green Bay Packers | 61 games · 2 yrs as starter |
| 2007 |
Desmond Bishop
|
California
ACC
|
LB | GB Green Bay Packers | 75 games · 2 yrs as starter 18 career AV |
| 2007 |
Prescott Burgess
|
Michigan
Big Ten
|
LB | BAL Baltimore Ravens | 40 games 2 career AV |
| 2007 |
Oscar Lua
|
USC
Big Ten
|
LB | NE New England Patriots | No regular-season snaps |
| 2007 |
Zach Diles
|
Kansas State
Big 12
|
LB | HOU Houston Texans | 74 games · 3 yrs as starter 15 career AV |
| 2007 |
Kelvin Smith
|
Syracuse
ACC
|
LB | MIA Miami Dolphins | 7 games |
| 2007 |
Marvin Mitchell
|
Tennessee
SEC
|
LB | NO New Orleans Saints | 98 games · 1 yrs as starter 12 career AV |
| 2007 |
Brandon Siler
|
Florida
SEC
|
LB | LAC San Diego Chargers | 74 games · 1 yrs as starter 12 career AV |
| 2007 |
Chad Nkang
|
Elon
CAA
|
LB | JAX Jacksonville Jaguars | 23 games 3 career AV |
| 2006 |
Leon Williams
|
Miami
ACC
|
LB | CLE Cleveland Browns | 61 games 9 career AV |
| 2006 |
Stephen Tulloch
|
NC State
ACC
|
LB | TEN Tennessee Titans | 159 games · 7 yrs as starter 49 career AV |
| 2006 |
Jamar Williams
|
Arizona State
Big 12
|
LB | CHI Chicago Bears | 54 games 5 career AV |
| 2006 |
Terna Nande
|
Miami (OH)
MAC
|
LB | TEN Tennessee Titans | 1 games |
| 2006 |
Brandon Johnson
|
Louisville
ACC
|
LB | ARI Arizona Cardinals | 87 games · 1 yrs as starter 13 career AV |
| 2006 |
Tim Dobbins
|
Iowa State
Big 12
|
LB | LAC San Diego Chargers | 110 games · 1 yrs as starter 19 career AV |
| 2006 |
A.J. Nicholson
|
Florida State
ACC
|
LB | CIN Cincinnati Bengals | 2 games |
| 2006 |
Omar Gaither
|
Tennessee
SEC
|
LB | PHI Philadelphia Eagles | 92 games · 2 yrs as starter 25 career AV |
| 2006 |
Keith Ellison
|
Oregon State
Pac-12
|
LB | BUF Buffalo Bills | 58 games · 3 yrs as starter 19 career AV |
| 2006 |
Ryan LaCasse
|
Syracuse
ACC
|
LB | BAL Baltimore Ravens | 12 games 1 career AV |
| 2006 |
Tim McGarigle
|
Northwestern
Big Ten
|
LB | LAR St. Louis Rams | 12 games 1 career AV |
| 2006 |
Charles Bennett
|
Clemson
ACC
|
LB | TB Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 3 games |
| 2006 |
Spencer Toone
|
Utah
Big 12
|
LB | TEN Tennessee Titans | 3 games |
| 2006 |
Anthony Cannon
|
Tulane
American
|
LB | DET Detroit Lions | 32 games 3 career AV |
| 2006 |
Kevin Simon
|
Tennessee
SEC
|
LB | WAS Washington Commanders | No regular-season snaps |
| 2005 |
Brady Poppinga
|
BYU
Big 12
|
LB | GB Green Bay Packers | 100 games · 4 yrs as starter 25 career AV |
| 2005 | Boomer Grigsby |
Illinois State
MVFC
|
LB | KC Kansas City Chiefs | 45 games 3 career AV |
| 2005 |
Adam Seward
|
UNLV
Mountain West
|
LB | CAR Carolina Panthers | 43 games 4 career AV |
| 2005 |
Robert McCune
|
Louisville
ACC
|
LB | WAS Washington Commanders | 8 games |
| 2005 |
Jeb Huckeba
|
Arkansas
SEC
|
LB | SEA Seattle Seahawks | No regular-season snaps |
| 2005 |
Michael Boley
|
Southern Mississippi | LB | ATL Atlanta Falcons | 131 games · 8 yrs as starter 41 career AV |
| 2005 |
Rian Wallace
|
Temple
American
|
LB | PIT Pittsburgh Steelers | 16 games 2 career AV |
| 2005 |
Lance Mitchell
|
Oklahoma
SEC
|
LB | ARI Arizona Cardinals | 12 games 1 career AV |
| 2005 |
Ryan Claridge
|
UNLV
Mountain West
|
LB | NE New England Patriots | 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: 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.