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 Day 2 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
LSU
SEC
23picks
LSU team hub
-
2
Clemson
ACC
16picks
Clemson team hub
-
3
Florida State
ACC
15picks
Florida State team hub
Draft pick explorer
Showing 401–450 of 610 picks · filtered.
| Pick | Player | College | Pos | NFL team | Career |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | Chris Watson |
Eastern Illinois
OVC-Big South
|
DB | DEN Denver Broncos | 58 games 9 career AV |
| 1999 | Rich Coady |
Texas A&M
SEC
|
DB | LAR St. Louis Rams | 83 games 9 career AV |
| 1999 | Marquis Smith |
California
ACC
|
DB | CLE Cleveland Browns | 46 games · 1 yrs as starter 7 career AV |
| 1999 | Mike McKenzie |
Memphis
American
|
DB | GB Green Bay Packers | 138 games · 9 yrs as starter 48 career AV |
| 1999 | Tony George |
Florida
SEC
|
DB | NE New England Patriots | 31 games 4 career AV |
| 1998 | Corey Chavous 1× Pro Bowl |
Vanderbilt
SEC
|
DB | ARI Arizona Cardinals | 171 games · 8 yrs as starter 42 career AV |
| 1998 | Tony Parrish |
Washington
Big Ten
|
DB | CHI Chicago Bears | 131 games · 8 yrs as starter 49 career AV |
| 1998 | Artrell Hawkins |
Cincinnati
Big 12
|
DB | CIN Cincinnati Bengals | 122 games · 7 yrs as starter 33 career AV |
| 1998 | Patrick Surtain 1× All-Pro 3× Pro Bowl | Southern Mississippi | DB | MIA Miami Dolphins | 163 games · 8 yrs as starter 68 career AV |
| 1998 | Brian Kelly |
USC
Big Ten
|
DB | TB Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 141 games · 5 yrs as starter 36 career AV |
| 1998 | Samari Rolle 1× All-Pro 1× Pro Bowl |
Florida State
ACC
|
DB | TEN Tennessee Titans | 149 games · 9 yrs as starter 64 career AV |
| 1998 | Cordell Taylor |
Hampton
CAA
|
DB | JAX Jacksonville Jaguars | 13 games 1 career AV |
| 1998 | Eric Brown |
Mississippi State
SEC
|
DB | DEN Denver Broncos | 97 games · 6 yrs as starter 31 career AV |
| 1998 | Scott Frost |
Nebraska
Big Ten
|
DB | NYJ New York Jets | 59 games 5 career AV |
| 1998 | Dainon Sidney |
UAB
American
|
DB | TEN Tennessee Titans | 50 games 6 career AV |
| 1998 | Ramos McDonald |
New Mexico
Mountain West
|
DB | MIN Minnesota Vikings | 32 games · 1 yrs as starter 5 career AV |
| 1998 | Allen Rossum 1× Pro Bowl |
Notre Dame
FBS Ind.
|
DB | PHI Philadelphia Eagles | 157 games 21 career AV |
| 1998 | Kevin Williams |
Oklahoma State
Big 12
|
DB | NYJ New York Jets | 43 games 8 career AV |
| 1997 | Rob Kelly |
Ohio State
Big Ten
|
DB | NO New Orleans Saints | 60 games 8 career AV |
| 1997 | Dexter McCleon |
Clemson
ACC
|
DB | LAR St. Louis Rams | 148 games · 4 yrs as starter 38 career AV |
| 1997 | Sam Madison 2× All-Pro 4× Pro Bowl |
Louisville
ACC
|
DB | MIA Miami Dolphins | 173 games · 10 yrs as starter 86 career AV |
| 1997 | Torrian Gray |
Virginia Tech
ACC
|
DB | MIN Minnesota Vikings | 25 games 2 career AV |
| 1997 | Mike Logan |
West Virginia
Big 12
|
DB | JAX Jacksonville Jaguars | 116 games · 2 yrs as starter 19 career AV |
| 1997 | Kevin Abrams |
Syracuse
ACC
|
DB | DET Detroit Lions | 32 games 7 career AV |
| 1997 | Mike Minter |
Nebraska
Big Ten
|
DB | CAR Carolina Panthers | 148 games · 9 yrs as starter 52 career AV |
| 1997 | Kim Herring |
Penn State
Big Ten
|
DB | BAL Baltimore Ravens | 98 games · 6 yrs as starter 34 career AV |
| 1997 | Darren Sharper 2× All-Pro 5× Pro Bowl |
William & Mary
CAA
|
DB | GB Green Bay Packers | 205 games · 12 yrs as starter 89 career AV |
| 1997 | Ronde Barber HOF 3× All-Pro 5× Pro Bowl |
Virginia
ACC
|
DB | TB Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 241 games · 15 yrs as starter 109 career AV |
| 1997 | Denard Walker |
LSU
SEC
|
DB | TEN Tennessee Titans | 134 games · 6 yrs as starter 36 career AV |
| 1997 | Ty Howard |
Ohio State
Big Ten
|
DB | ARI Arizona Cardinals | 37 games 4 career AV |
| 1997 | Chris Carter |
Texas
SEC
|
DB | NE New England Patriots | 92 games · 2 yrs as starter 18 career AV |
| 1997 | Kenny Wheaton |
Oregon
Big Ten
|
DB | DAL Dallas Cowboys | 22 games 2 career AV |
| 1996 | Lawyer Milloy 1× All-Pro 4× Pro Bowl |
Washington
Big Ten
|
DB | NE New England Patriots | 234 games · 14 yrs as starter 78 career AV |
| 1996 | Je'Rod Cherry |
California
ACC
|
DB | NO New Orleans Saints | 127 games 7 career AV |
| 1996 | Tory James 1× Pro Bowl |
LSU
SEC
|
DB | DEN Denver Broncos | 158 games · 5 yrs as starter 40 career AV |
| 1996 | Fred Thomas |
UT Martin
OVC-Big South
|
DB | SEA Seattle Seahawks | 156 games · 5 yrs as starter 32 career AV |
| 1996 | Dedric Mathis |
Houston
Big 12
|
DB | IND Indianapolis Colts | 29 games 5 career AV |
| 1996 | DeRon Jenkins |
Tennessee
SEC
|
DB | BAL Baltimore Ravens | 93 games · 3 yrs as starter 17 career AV |
| 1996 | Reggie Tongue |
Oregon State
Pac-12
|
DB | KC Kansas City Chiefs | 145 games · 7 yrs as starter 47 career AV |
| 1996 | Brian Dawkins HOF 4× All-Pro 9× Pro Bowl |
Clemson
ACC
|
DB | PHI Philadelphia Eagles | 224 games · 15 yrs as starter 104 career AV |
| 1996 | Ray Mickens |
Texas A&M
SEC
|
DB | NYJ New York Jets | 146 games · 2 yrs as starter 21 career AV |
| 1996 | Aaron Beasley |
West Virginia
Big 12
|
DB | JAX Jacksonville Jaguars | 121 games · 7 yrs as starter 43 career AV |
| 1996 | Donnie Abraham 1× Pro Bowl |
East Tennessee State
Southern Conference
|
DB | TB Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 132 games · 7 yrs as starter 52 career AV |
| 1996 | Ryan Stewart |
Georgia Tech
ACC
|
DB | DET Detroit Lions | 41 games 3 career AV |
| 1996 | Dorian Brew |
Kansas
Big 12
|
DB | MIA Miami Dolphins | 16 games |
| 1996 | Matt Stevens | Appalachian St. | DB | BUF Buffalo Bills | 108 games · 2 yrs as starter 24 career AV |
| 1996 | Tyrone Williams |
Nebraska
Big Ten
|
DB | GB Green Bay Packers | 120 games · 6 yrs as starter 42 career AV |
| 1995 | Terrance Shaw |
Stephen F. Austin
Southland
|
DB | LAC San Diego Chargers | 140 games · 5 yrs as starter 32 career AV |
| 1995 | Ron Davis |
Tennessee
SEC
|
DB | ATL Atlanta Falcons | 12 games 2 career AV |
| 1995 | Orlando Thomas |
Louisiana
Sun Belt
|
DB | MIN Minnesota Vikings | 98 games · 7 yrs as starter 32 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: LSU — 23
- 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?
LSU leads FantasyHQ’s archive with 23 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.