1983 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
1983 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 Day 3 picks from the 1983 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.
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1
Jackson State
SWAC
2picks
Jackson State team hub
-
2
Maryland
Big Ten
2picks
Maryland team hub
-
3
Nebraska
Big Ten
2picks
Nebraska team hub
Draft pick explorer
Showing 1–29 of 29 picks · filtered.
| Pick | Player | College | Pos | NFL team | Career |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1983 | Mark Duda |
Maryland
Big Ten
|
DT | ARI St. Louis Cardinals | 55 games · 2 yrs as starter 15 career AV |
| 1983 | Gary Lewis |
Oklahoma State
Big 12
|
NT | NO New Orleans Saints | 6 games |
| 1983 | Greg Townsend 2× Pro Bowl |
TCU
Big 12
|
DE | LV Los Angeles Raiders | 190 games · 7 yrs as starter 63 career AV |
| 1983 | Doug Reed |
San Diego State
Mountain West
|
DE | LAR Los Angeles Rams | 96 games · 6 yrs as starter 34 career AV |
| 1983 | Jimmy Payne |
Georgia
SEC
|
DE | BUF Buffalo Bills | No regular-season snaps |
| 1983 | Smiley Creswell |
Michigan State
Big Ten
|
DE | NE New England Patriots | 3 games |
| 1983 | Byron Darby |
USC
Big Ten
|
DE | PHI Philadelphia Eagles | 87 games · 1 yrs as starter 12 career AV |
| 1983 | Tony Chickillo |
Miami
ACC
|
NT | TB Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 7 games 1 career AV |
| 1983 | John Walker |
Nebraska-Omaha
|
NT | NYJ New York Jets | 3 games 1 career AV |
| 1983 | Jerome Foster |
Ohio State
Big Ten
|
DE | TEN Houston Oilers | 44 games 3 career AV |
| 1983 | Dave Puzzuoli |
Pittsburgh
ACC
|
NT | CLE Cleveland Browns | 76 games 7 career AV |
| 1983 | Gurnest Brown |
Maryland
Big Ten
|
DT | BUF Buffalo Bills | No regular-season snaps |
| 1983 | Bill Elko |
LSU
SEC
|
NT | LAC San Diego Chargers | 29 games · 1 yrs as starter 7 career AV |
| 1983 | Richard Dent HOF 1× All-Pro 4× Pro Bowl |
Tennessee State
OVC-Big South
|
DE | CHI Chicago Bears | 203 games · 10 yrs as starter 98 career AV |
| 1983 | Bob Clasby |
Notre Dame
FBS Ind.
|
DT | SEA Seattle Seahawks | 49 games · 3 yrs as starter 18 career AV |
| 1983 | Hasson Arbubakrr |
Texas Tech
Big 12
|
DE | TB Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 20 games 2 career AV |
| 1983 | Walt Bowyer |
Arizona State
Big 12
|
DE | DEN Denver Broncos | 61 games · 1 yrs as starter 13 career AV |
| 1983 | Mark Shumate |
Wisconsin
Big Ten
|
NT | KC Kansas City Chiefs | 8 games |
| 1983 | Thomas Strauthers |
Jackson State
SWAC
|
DE | PHI Philadelphia Eagles | 97 games 10 career AV |
| 1983 | Jeff Merrell |
Nebraska
Big Ten
|
DT | SF San Francisco 49ers | No regular-season snaps |
| 1983 | Richard Tharpe |
Louisville
ACC
|
DE | BUF Buffalo Bills | 3 games 1 career AV |
| 1983 | Toby Williams |
Nebraska
Big Ten
|
NT | NE New England Patriots | 80 games · 4 yrs as starter 26 career AV |
| 1983 | Tim Krumrie 1× All-Pro 2× Pro Bowl |
Wisconsin
Big Ten
|
NT | CIN Cincinnati Bengals | 188 games · 10 yrs as starter 63 career AV |
| 1983 | DeWayne Jackson |
South Carolina State
MEAC
|
DE | KC Kansas City Chiefs | No regular-season snaps |
| 1983 | Clenzie Pierson |
Rice
American
|
DT | NYG New York Giants | No regular-season snaps |
| 1983 | Larry White |
Jackson State
SWAC
|
DE | BUF Buffalo Bills | No regular-season snaps |
| 1983 | John Higgenbotham | NE State (OK) | DT | TB Tampa Bay Buccaneers | No regular-season snaps |
| 1983 | John Harvey |
USC
Big Ten
|
DT | GB Green Bay Packers | No regular-season snaps |
| 1983 | Chuck Ehin |
BYU
Big 12
|
NT | LAC San Diego Chargers | 65 games · 3 yrs as starter 18 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: Jackson State — 2
- 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?
Jackson State leads FantasyHQ’s archive with 2 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.