1997 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
1997 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 1997 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
Georgia
SEC
2picks
Georgia team hub
-
2
Louisville
ACC
2picks
Louisville team hub
-
3
Memphis
American
2picks
Memphis team hub
Draft pick explorer
Showing 1–41 of 41 picks · filtered.
| Pick | Player | College | Pos | NFL team | Career |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 | Darrell Russell 1× All-Pro 2× Pro Bowl |
USC
Big Ten
|
DT | LV Oakland Raiders | 83 games · 5 yrs as starter 44 career AV |
| 1997 | Kenard Lang |
Miami
ACC
|
DE | WAS Washington Commanders | 153 games · 8 yrs as starter 51 career AV |
| 1997 | Kenny Holmes |
Miami
ACC
|
DE | TEN Tennessee Titans | 98 games · 5 yrs as starter 40 career AV |
| 1997 | Renaldo Wynn |
Notre Dame
FBS Ind.
|
DE | JAX Jacksonville Jaguars | 182 games · 9 yrs as starter 55 career AV |
| 1997 | Jon Harris |
Virginia
ACC
|
DE | PHI Philadelphia Eagles | 24 games 5 career AV |
| 1997 | Trevor Pryce 1× All-Pro 4× Pro Bowl |
Clemson
ACC
|
DT | DEN Denver Broncos | 187 games · 9 yrs as starter 80 career AV |
| 1997 | Rick Terry |
North Carolina
ACC
|
DT | NYJ New York Jets | 29 games 4 career AV |
| 1997 | Nathan Davis |
Indiana
Big Ten
|
DE | ATL Atlanta Falcons | 6 games |
| 1997 | Jared Tomich |
Nebraska
Big Ten
|
DE | NO New Orleans Saints | 57 games · 2 yrs as starter 10 career AV |
| 1997 | Marcellus Wiley 1× Pro Bowl |
Columbia
Ivy League
|
DE | BUF Buffalo Bills | 147 games · 5 yrs as starter 42 career AV |
| 1997 | Brandon Mitchell |
Texas A&M
SEC
|
DE | NE New England Patriots | 96 games · 3 yrs as starter 22 career AV |
| 1997 | Jason Taylor HOF 3× All-Pro 6× Pro Bowl |
Akron
MAC
|
DE | MIA Miami Dolphins | 233 games · 12 yrs as starter 118 career AV |
| 1997 | Stalin Colinet |
Boston College
ACC
|
DT | MIN Minnesota Vikings | 68 games · 2 yrs as starter 14 career AV |
| 1997 | Bertrand Berry 1× Pro Bowl |
Notre Dame
FBS Ind.
|
DE | IND Indianapolis Colts | 160 games · 6 yrs as starter 45 career AV |
| 1997 | Antonio Anderson |
Syracuse
ACC
|
DT | DAL Dallas Cowboys | 21 games 3 career AV |
| 1997 | Terry Day |
Mississippi State
SEC
|
DE | NYJ New York Jets | 1 games |
| 1997 | Pratt Lyons |
Troy
Sun Belt
|
DE | TEN Tennessee Titans | 32 games · 1 yrs as starter 8 career AV |
| 1997 | Seth Payne |
Cornell
Ivy League
|
DT | JAX Jacksonville Jaguars | 121 games · 6 yrs as starter 50 career AV |
| 1997 | Jermaine Smith |
Georgia
SEC
|
DT | GB Green Bay Packers | 19 games 2 career AV |
| 1997 | Andre Purvis |
North Carolina
ACC
|
DT | CIN Cincinnati Bengals | 21 games 2 career AV |
| 1997 | Barron Tanner |
Oklahoma
SEC
|
DT | MIA Miami Dolphins | 78 games · 2 yrs as starter 13 career AV |
| 1997 | Tony Williams |
Memphis
American
|
DT | MIN Minnesota Vikings | 101 games · 6 yrs as starter 32 career AV |
| 1997 | N.D. Kalu |
Rice
American
|
DE | PHI Philadelphia Eagles | 136 games · 2 yrs as starter 22 career AV |
| 1997 | Carl Powell |
Louisville
ACC
|
DE | IND Indianapolis Colts | 81 games 10 career AV |
| 1997 | Nicholas Lopez |
Texas Southern
SWAC
|
DE | MIA Miami Dolphins | No regular-season snaps |
| 1997 | Duane Ashman |
Virginia
ACC
|
DE | DET Detroit Lions | No regular-season snaps |
| 1997 | Matt Finkes |
Ohio State
Big Ten
|
DE | CAR Carolina Panthers | 8 games 1 career AV |
| 1997 | Grady Jackson | Knoxville | DT | LV Oakland Raiders | 185 games · 9 yrs as starter 49 career AV |
| 1997 | Shawn Swayda |
Arizona State
Big 12
|
DE | CHI Chicago Bears | 35 games 2 career AV |
| 1997 | Ed Jasper |
Texas A&M
SEC
|
DT | PHI Philadelphia Eagles | 118 games · 4 yrs as starter 28 career AV |
| 1997 | Rod Manuel |
Oklahoma
SEC
|
DE | PIT Pittsburgh Steelers | 3 games |
| 1997 | Chris Ward |
Kentucky
SEC
|
DE | BAL Baltimore Ravens | 5 games |
| 1997 | Matt Keneley |
USC
Big Ten
|
DT | NYG New York Giants | 7 games |
| 1997 | Anthony DeGrate |
Stephen F. Austin
Southland
|
DT | TB Tampa Bay Buccaneers | No regular-season snaps |
| 1997 | Mike Miano |
Missouri State
Conference USA
|
DT | CHI Chicago Bears | No regular-season snaps |
| 1997 | Mark Smith |
Auburn
SEC
|
DT | ARI Arizona Cardinals | 67 games · 2 yrs as starter 17 career AV |
| 1997 | Cedric White |
North Carolina A&T
CAA
|
DE | LAR St. Louis Rams | No regular-season snaps |
| 1997 | William Carr |
Michigan
Big Ten
|
DT | CIN Cincinnati Bengals | No regular-season snaps |
| 1997 | Jason Ferguson |
Georgia
SEC
|
DT | NYJ New York Jets | 159 games · 9 yrs as starter 50 career AV |
| 1997 | Marvin Thomas |
Memphis
American
|
DE | CHI Chicago Bears | 4 games |
| 1997 | Leland Taylor |
Louisville
ACC
|
DT | BAL Baltimore Ravens | 1 games |
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: Georgia — 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?
Georgia 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.