1980 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
1980 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 LB Day 3 picks from the 1980 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
Arizona State
Big 12
2picks
Arizona State team hub
-
2
Boston College
ACC
2picks
Boston College team hub
-
3
Georgia Tech
ACC
2picks
Georgia Tech team hub
Draft pick explorer
Showing 1–35 of 35 picks · filtered.
| Pick | Player | College | Pos | NFL team | Career |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980 | Jim Laughlin |
Ohio State
Big Ten
|
LB | ATL Atlanta Falcons | 88 games 13 career AV |
| 1980 | Dennis Johnson |
USC
Big Ten
|
LB | MIN Minnesota Vikings | 85 games · 3 yrs as starter 27 career AV |
| 1980 | Ervin Parker |
South Carolina State
MEAC
|
LB | BUF Buffalo Bills | 57 games · 2 yrs as starter 17 career AV |
| 1980 | Dave Klug | Concordia-Moorhead (MN) | LB | KC Kansas City Chiefs | 26 games 3 career AV |
| 1980 | David Hodge |
Houston
Big 12
|
LB | SF San Francisco 49ers | No regular-season snaps |
| 1980 | Brad Vassar | Pacific | LB | ATL Atlanta Falcons | No regular-season snaps |
| 1980 | Jim Zidd |
Kansas
Big 12
|
LB | NYJ New York Jets | No regular-season snaps |
| 1980 | John Adams |
LSU
SEC
|
LB | LV Oakland Raiders | No regular-season snaps |
| 1980 | William Bowens |
North Alabama
United Athletic Conference
|
LB | LV Oakland Raiders | No regular-season snaps |
| 1980 | John Corker |
Oklahoma State
Big 12
|
LB | TEN Houston Oilers | 32 games 3 career AV |
| 1980 | Lester Boyd |
Kentucky
SEC
|
LB | NO New Orleans Saints | No regular-season snaps |
| 1980 | Farley Bell |
Cincinnati
Big 12
|
LB | WAS Washington Commanders | No regular-season snaps |
| 1980 | Andrew Melontree |
Baylor
Big 12
|
LB | CIN Cincinnati Bengals | 16 games 2 career AV |
| 1980 | Wayne Hamilton |
Alabama
SEC
|
LB | LAC San Diego Chargers | No regular-season snaps |
| 1980 | Ron Simpkins |
Michigan
Big Ten
|
LB | CIN Cincinnati Bengals | 91 games · 2 yrs as starter 14 career AV |
| 1980 | Ben Apuna |
Arizona State
Big 12
|
LB | ARI St. Louis Cardinals | 10 games 2 career AV |
| 1980 | Henry Johnson |
Georgia Tech
ACC
|
LB | MIN Minnesota Vikings | 46 games 3 career AV |
| 1980 | Al Richardson |
Georgia Tech
ACC
|
LB | ATL Atlanta Falcons | 77 games · 5 yrs as starter 34 career AV |
| 1980 | Sam Stepney |
Boston College
ACC
|
LB | KC Kansas City Chiefs | No regular-season snaps |
| 1980 | Jeff Dziama |
Boston College
ACC
|
LB | NYJ New York Jets | No regular-season snaps |
| 1980 | Chuck Evans |
Stanford
ACC
|
LB | NO New Orleans Saints | 26 games 2 career AV |
| 1980 | Jeff Copeland |
Texas Tech
Big 12
|
LB | CLE Cleveland Browns | No regular-season snaps |
| 1980 | Bobby Leopold |
Notre Dame
FBS Ind.
|
LB | SF San Francisco 49ers | 66 games · 1 yrs as starter 15 career AV |
| 1980 | Larry Savage |
Michigan State
Big Ten
|
LB | DAL Dallas Cowboys | No regular-season snaps |
| 1980 | Mike Curcio |
Temple
American
|
LB | PHI Philadelphia Eagles | 34 games 4 career AV |
| 1980 | Barry Burget |
Oklahoma
SEC
|
LB | NE New England Patriots | No regular-season snaps |
| 1980 | Greg Bracelin |
California
ACC
|
LB | DEN Denver Broncos | 68 games · 2 yrs as starter 15 career AV |
| 1980 | Andy Hawkins |
Texas A&M-Kingsville
Lone Star
|
LB | TB Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 66 games · 2 yrs as starter 21 career AV |
| 1980 | Ben Long |
South Dakota
MVFC
|
LB | MIA Miami Dolphins | No regular-season snaps |
| 1980 | Ricky Skiles |
Louisville
ACC
|
LB | GB Green Bay Packers | No regular-season snaps |
| 1980 | James Zachery |
Texas A&M
SEC
|
LB | NYJ New York Jets | No regular-season snaps |
| 1980 | Mike Massey |
Arkansas
SEC
|
LB | LV Oakland Raiders | No regular-season snaps |
| 1980 | Gary Padjen |
Arizona State
Big 12
|
LB | DAL Dallas Cowboys | 41 games 4 career AV |
| 1980 | Mike Brewington |
East Carolina
American
|
LB | KC Kansas City Chiefs | No regular-season snaps |
| 1980 | Kiser Lewis |
Florida A&M
SWAC
|
LB | NO New Orleans Saints | 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: Arizona 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?
Arizona 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.