1985 NFL Draft broken down by the college programs that produced each pick — first-rounders, conference totals, and the full board.
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College Football
NFL Draft History by college program
1985 NFL Draft broken down by the college programs that produced each pick — first-rounders, conference totals, and the full board.
- Draft picks
- 12,927
- Colleges
- 446
- First-rounders
- 1,427
- Hall of Famers
- 102
- Pro Bowlers
- 1,326
- Drafts covered
- 47
Showing DL first-round picks from the 1985 draft · 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
Clemson
ACC
1picks
Clemson team hub
-
2
Michigan
Big Ten
1picks
Michigan team hub
-
3
Ole Miss
SEC
1picks
Ole Miss team hub
| # | School | Picks | Rd 1 | Pro Bowlers | HOF | Last 10 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 |
Pittsburgh
ACC · last pick 1985
|
1 | 1 | 1100% | 1 | 0 |
| 5 |
Texas A&M
SEC · last pick 1985
|
1 | 1 | 1100% | 0 | 0 |
| 6 |
Virginia Tech
ACC · last pick 1985
|
1 | 1 | 1100% | 1 | 0 |
| 7 |
Washington
Big Ten · last pick 1985
|
1 | 1 | 00% | 0 | 0 |
| 8 |
Wisconsin
Big Ten · last pick 1985
|
1 | 1 | 00% | 0 | 0 |
Draft pick explorer
Showing 1–8 of 8 picks · filtered.
| Pick | Player | College | Pos | NFL team | Career |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1985 | Bruce Smith HOF 8× All-Pro 11× Pro Bowl |
Virginia Tech
ACC
|
DE | BUF Buffalo Bills | 279 games · 18 yrs as starter 152 career AV |
| 1985 | Ray Childress 1× All-Pro 5× Pro Bowl |
Texas A&M
SEC
|
DT | TEN Houston Oilers | 163 games · 10 yrs as starter 90 career AV |
| 1985 | Chris Doleman HOF 2× All-Pro 8× Pro Bowl |
Pittsburgh
ACC
|
DE | MIN Minnesota Vikings | 232 games · 13 yrs as starter 114 career AV |
| 1985 | Ron Holmes |
Washington
Big Ten
|
DE | TB Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 102 games · 6 yrs as starter 31 career AV |
| 1985 | Kevin Brooks |
Michigan
Big Ten
|
DT | DAL Dallas Cowboys | 69 games · 3 yrs as starter 21 career AV |
| 1985 | Freddie Joe Nunn |
Ole Miss
SEC
|
DE | ARI St. Louis Cardinals | 157 games · 8 yrs as starter 49 career AV |
| 1985 | Darryl Sims |
Wisconsin
Big Ten
|
DE | PIT Pittsburgh Steelers | 58 games 9 career AV |
| 1985 | William Perry |
Clemson
ACC
|
DT | CHI Chicago Bears | 138 games · 9 yrs as starter 48 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: Clemson — 1
- 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?
Clemson leads FantasyHQ’s archive with 1 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.