College programs that have produced the most NFL LB draft picks since 1980, with round and career filters.
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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 401–450 of 1,122 picks · filtered.
| Pick | Player | College | Pos | NFL team | Career |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 |
Tyjuan Hagler
|
Cincinnati
Big 12
|
LB | IND Indianapolis Colts | 50 games · 1 yrs as starter 12 career AV |
| 2005 |
Nick Speegle
|
New Mexico
Mountain West
|
LB | CLE Cleveland Browns | 16 games 1 career AV |
| 2005 |
Jared Newberry
|
Stanford
ACC
|
LB | WAS Washington Commanders | No regular-season snaps |
| 2005 |
Pat Thomas
|
NC State
ACC
|
LB | JAX Jacksonville Jaguars | 31 games · 1 yrs as starter 5 career AV |
| 2005 |
Mike Smith
|
Texas Tech
Big 12
|
LB | BAL Baltimore Ravens | 14 games 1 career AV |
| 2005 |
Cornelius Wortham
|
Alabama
SEC
|
LB | SEA Seattle Seahawks | 8 games 1 career AV |
| 2005 |
David Bergeron
|
Stanford
ACC
|
LB | PHI Philadelphia Eagles | No regular-season snaps |
| 2004 | Reggie Torbor |
Auburn
SEC
|
LB | NYG New York Giants | 104 games · 2 yrs as starter 17 career AV |
| 2004 |
Demorrio Williams
|
Nebraska
Big Ten
|
LB | ATL Atlanta Falcons | 138 games · 5 yrs as starter 33 career AV |
| 2004 |
Kendyll Pope
|
Florida State
ACC
|
LB | IND Indianapolis Colts | 2 games |
| 2004 |
Leon Joe
|
Maryland
Big Ten
|
LB | CHI Chicago Bears | 36 games 4 career AV |
| 2004 |
Niko Koutouvides
|
Purdue
Big Ten
|
LB | SEA Seattle Seahawks | 125 games 8 career AV |
| 2004 |
Richard Seigler
|
Oregon State
Pac-12
|
LB | SF San Francisco 49ers | 9 games |
| 2004 |
Brandon Chillar
|
UCLA
Big Ten
|
LB | LAR St. Louis Rams | 97 games · 2 yrs as starter 22 career AV |
| 2004 |
Alex Lewis
|
Wisconsin
Big Ten
|
LB | DET Detroit Lions | 52 games · 1 yrs as starter 7 career AV |
| 2004 | Roderick Green |
Central Missouri
Mid America
|
LB | BAL Baltimore Ravens | 54 games 6 career AV |
| 2004 |
Rod Davis
|
Southern Mississippi | LB | MIN Minnesota Vikings | 40 games 3 career AV |
| 2004 |
Tony Bua
|
Arkansas
SEC
|
LB | MIA Miami Dolphins | 7 games 1 career AV |
| 2004 | Robert Reynolds |
Ohio State
Big Ten
|
LB | TEN Tennessee Titans | 33 games 2 career AV |
| 2004 |
Cody Spencer
|
North Texas
American
|
LB | LV Oakland Raiders | 50 games 4 career AV |
| 2004 |
Sean Tufts
|
Colorado College
|
LB | CAR Carolina Panthers | 15 games 1 career AV |
| 2004 | Charlie Anderson |
Ole Miss
SEC
|
LB | HOU Houston Texans | 94 games 9 career AV |
| 2004 |
Raheem Orr
|
Rutgers
Big Ten
|
LB | HOU Houston Texans | 2 games |
| 2004 |
Darrell McClover
|
Miami
ACC
|
LB | NYJ New York Jets | 51 games 4 career AV |
| 2004 |
Derrick Pope
|
Alabama
SEC
|
LB | MIA Miami Dolphins | 55 games · 1 yrs as starter 10 career AV |
| 2004 |
Colby Bockwoldt
|
BYU
Big 12
|
LB | NO New Orleans Saints | 49 games · 1 yrs as starter 12 career AV |
| 2004 | Andre Sommersell |
Colorado State
Mountain West
|
LB | LV Oakland Raiders | No regular-season snaps |
| 2003 | Bradie James |
LSU
SEC
|
LB | DAL Dallas Cowboys | 157 games · 8 yrs as starter 53 career AV |
| 2003 | Matt Wilhelm |
Ohio State
Big Ten
|
LB | LAC San Diego Chargers | 89 games · 1 yrs as starter 18 career AV |
| 2003 | Solomon Bates |
Arizona State
Big 12
|
LB | SEA Seattle Seahawks | 17 games 2 career AV |
| 2003 | Khalid Abdullah |
Mars Hill
South Atlantic
|
LB | CIN Cincinnati Bengals | 16 games 1 career AV |
| 2003 | James Davis |
West Virginia
Big 12
|
LB | DET Detroit Lions | 40 games · 2 yrs as starter 13 career AV |
| 2003 | Keyon Whiteside |
Tennessee
SEC
|
LB | IND Indianapolis Colts | 12 games |
| 2003 | Hunter Hillenmeyer |
Vanderbilt
SEC
|
LB | GB Green Bay Packers | 101 games · 5 yrs as starter 34 career AV |
| 2003 | Corey Jenkins |
South Carolina
SEC
|
LB | MIA Miami Dolphins | 23 games 1 career AV |
| 2003 | Mike Nattiel |
Florida
SEC
|
LB | MIN Minnesota Vikings | 32 games 3 career AV |
| 2003 | Joe Odom |
Purdue
Big Ten
|
LB | CHI Chicago Bears | 28 games 6 career AV |
| 2003 | Cato June 1× Pro Bowl |
Michigan
Big Ten
|
LB | IND Indianapolis Colts | 89 games · 5 yrs as starter 38 career AV |
| 2003 | Tony Gilbert |
Georgia
SEC
|
LB | ARI Arizona Cardinals | 68 games 6 career AV |
| 2003 | Mario Haggan |
Mississippi State
SEC
|
LB | BUF Buffalo Bills | 132 games · 2 yrs as starter 21 career AV |
| 2003 | Tully Banta-Cain |
California
ACC
|
LB | NE New England Patriots | 113 games · 2 yrs as starter 22 career AV |
| 2003 | Scott Shanle |
Nebraska
Big Ten
|
LB | LAR St. Louis Rams | 133 games · 7 yrs as starter 41 career AV |
| 2003 | Steve Josue |
Carson Newman
South Atlantic
|
LB | GB Green Bay Packers | 4 games |
| 2002 | Kevin Bentley |
Northwestern
Big Ten
|
LB | CLE Cleveland Browns | 136 games · 2 yrs as starter 23 career AV |
| 2002 | David Thornton |
North Carolina
ACC
|
LB | IND Indianapolis Colts | 121 games · 7 yrs as starter 42 career AV |
| 2002 | Ben Taylor |
Virginia Tech
ACC
|
LB | CLE Cleveland Browns | 49 games · 2 yrs as starter 14 career AV |
| 2002 | Larry Foote |
Michigan
Big Ten
|
LB | PIT Pittsburgh Steelers | 187 games · 8 yrs as starter 62 career AV |
| 2002 | Rocky Boiman |
Notre Dame
FBS Ind.
|
LB | TEN Tennessee Titans | 103 games · 2 yrs as starter 14 career AV |
| 2002 | John Taylor |
Montana State
Big Sky
|
LB | DET Detroit Lions | No regular-season snaps |
| 2002 | Andra Davis |
Florida
SEC
|
LB | CLE Cleveland Browns | 143 games · 7 yrs as starter 44 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.