1981 NFL Draft broken down by the college programs that produced each pick — first-rounders, conference totals, and the full board.
FantasyHQ
College Football
NFL Draft History by college program
1981 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 picks from the 1981 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
Pittsburgh
ACC
3picks
Pittsburgh team hub
-
2
Alabama State
SWAC
2picks
Alabama State team hub
-
3
Arizona
Big 12
2picks
Arizona team hub
Draft pick explorer
Showing 1–50 of 50 picks · filtered.
| Pick | Player | College | Pos | NFL team | Career |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1981 | Keith Gary |
Oklahoma
SEC
|
DE | PIT Pittsburgh Steelers | 86 games · 3 yrs as starter 21 career AV |
| 1981 | Donnell Thompson |
North Carolina
ACC
|
DE | IND Baltimore Colts | 147 games · 11 yrs as starter 50 career AV |
| 1981 | Leonard Mitchell |
Houston
Big 12
|
DE | PHI Philadelphia Eagles | 89 games · 4 yrs as starter 22 career AV |
| 1981 | John Harty |
Iowa
Big Ten
|
NT | SF San Francisco 49ers | 42 games · 1 yrs as starter 11 career AV |
| 1981 | Curtis Green |
Alabama State
SWAC
|
DE | DET Detroit Lions | 123 games · 2 yrs as starter 24 career AV |
| 1981 | Howie Long HOF 2× All-Pro 8× Pro Bowl |
Villanova
CAA
|
DE | LV Oakland Raiders | 179 games · 11 yrs as starter 95 career AV |
| 1981 | Frank Warren |
Auburn
SEC
|
DE | NO New Orleans Saints | 189 games · 5 yrs as starter 47 career AV |
| 1981 | Ben Rudolph | Long Beach State | DT | NYJ New York Jets | 88 games 12 career AV |
| 1981 | Greg Meisner |
Pittsburgh
ACC
|
NT | LAR Los Angeles Rams | 135 games · 3 yrs as starter 23 career AV |
| 1981 | Robert Cobb |
Arizona
Big 12
|
DE | LAR Los Angeles Rams | 11 games |
| 1981 | Robert Geathers |
South Carolina State
MEAC
|
DT | BUF Buffalo Bills | No regular-season snaps |
| 1981 | Mike Robinson |
Arizona
Big 12
|
DE | CLE Cleveland Browns | 18 games · 1 yrs as starter 7 career AV |
| 1981 | Richard Turner |
Oklahoma
SEC
|
NT | GB Green Bay Packers | 30 games 4 career AV |
| 1981 | Johnny Robinson |
Louisiana Tech
Conference USA
|
NT | LV Oakland Raiders | 27 games · 1 yrs as starter 9 career AV |
| 1981 | Tyrone Keys |
Mississippi State
SEC
|
DE | NYJ New York Jets | 74 games · 1 yrs as starter 13 career AV |
| 1981 | Bill Neill |
Pittsburgh
ACC
|
NT | NYG New York Giants | 40 games · 2 yrs as starter 15 career AV |
| 1981 | Byron Braggs |
Alabama
SEC
|
DE | GB Green Bay Packers | 55 games · 1 yrs as starter 9 career AV |
| 1981 | Dexter Manley 1× All-Pro 1× Pro Bowl |
Oklahoma State
Big 12
|
DE | WAS Washington Commanders | 143 games · 9 yrs as starter 66 career AV |
| 1981 | Wendell Ray |
Missouri
SEC
|
DE | MIN Minnesota Vikings | No regular-season snaps |
| 1981 | Ken Poole |
UL Monroe
Sun Belt
|
DE | MIA Miami Dolphins | 16 games 1 career AV |
| 1981 | Jerry Boyarsky |
Pittsburgh
ACC
|
NT | NO New Orleans Saints | 98 games · 3 yrs as starter 17 career AV |
| 1981 | Steve Clark |
Kansas State
Big 12
|
DE | NE New England Patriots | 7 games |
| 1981 | Keith Ferguson |
Ohio State
Big Ten
|
DE | LAC San Diego Chargers | 134 games · 7 yrs as starter 40 career AV |
| 1981 | Calvin Clark |
Purdue
Big Ten
|
DE | BUF Buffalo Bills | No regular-season snaps |
| 1981 | Steve Durham |
Clemson
ACC
|
DE | SEA Seattle Seahawks | 8 games 1 career AV |
| 1981 | Pete Kugler |
Penn State
Big Ten
|
NT | SF San Francisco 49ers | 81 games · 2 yrs as starter 20 career AV |
| 1981 | Bubba Green |
NC State
ACC
|
DT | IND Baltimore Colts | 15 games · 1 yrs as starter 2 career AV |
| 1981 | Mack Moore |
Texas A&M
SEC
|
DE | MIA Miami Dolphins | 26 games 2 career AV |
| 1981 | Dock Luckie |
Florida
SEC
|
DT | KC Kansas City Chiefs | No regular-season snaps |
| 1981 | William Daniels |
Alabama State
SWAC
|
DT | LAR Los Angeles Rams | No regular-season snaps |
| 1981 | Ron Simmons |
Florida State
ACC
|
DT | CLE Cleveland Browns | No regular-season snaps |
| 1981 | Harry Stanback |
North Carolina
ACC
|
DE | ATL Atlanta Falcons | 2 games 1 career AV |
| 1981 | Kenny Neil |
Iowa State
Big 12
|
DE | NYJ New York Jets | 42 games · 2 yrs as starter 16 career AV |
| 1981 | Mike Clark |
Florida
SEC
|
DE | LAR Los Angeles Rams | 14 games 2 career AV |
| 1981 | Scott Zettek |
Notre Dame
FBS Ind.
|
DT | CHI Chicago Bears | No regular-season snaps |
| 1981 | Hosea Taylor |
Houston
Big 12
|
DE | IND Baltimore Colts | 20 games 3 career AV |
| 1981 | Darryl Grant |
Rice
American
|
DT | WAS Washington Commanders | 141 games · 8 yrs as starter 49 career AV |
| 1981 | Tim Gooch |
Kentucky
SEC
|
DT | IND Baltimore Colts | No regular-season snaps |
| 1981 | Rusty Olsen |
Washington
Big Ten
|
DE | DEN Denver Broncos | No regular-season snaps |
| 1981 | James Hunter |
USC
Big Ten
|
NT | PIT Pittsburgh Steelers | 9 games 1 career AV |
| 1981 | Mike Barker | Grambling St. | DT | NYG New York Giants | No regular-season snaps |
| 1981 | Ken McCune |
Texas
SEC
|
DE | TB Tampa Bay Buccaneers | No regular-season snaps |
| 1981 | Dean Prater |
Oklahoma State
Big 12
|
DE | CLE Cleveland Browns | 77 games 6 career AV |
| 1981 | Pat Graham |
California
ACC
|
DT | DAL Dallas Cowboys | No regular-season snaps |
| 1981 | Ed Gall |
Maryland
Big Ten
|
DT | NYJ New York Jets | No regular-season snaps |
| 1981 | Frank Case |
Penn State
Big Ten
|
DE | KC Kansas City Chiefs | 7 games 1 career AV |
| 1981 | Jim Wilks |
San Diego State
Mountain West
|
DE | NO New Orleans Saints | 183 games · 11 yrs as starter 63 career AV |
| 1981 | Jeff Bednarek | Pacific | DT | SEA Seattle Seahawks | No regular-season snaps |
| 1981 | Brad White |
Tennessee
SEC
|
NT | TB Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 73 games · 1 yrs as starter 10 career AV |
| 1981 | John Alford |
South Carolina State
MEAC
|
DT | MIA Miami Dolphins | 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: Pittsburgh — 3
- 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?
Pittsburgh leads FantasyHQ’s archive with 3 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.