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 WR 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
Nebraska
Big Ten
2picks
Nebraska team hub
-
2
Alabama State
SWAC
1picks
Alabama State team hub
-
3
Arkansas-Pine Bluff
SWAC
1picks
Arkansas-Pine Bluff team hub
Draft pick explorer
Showing 1–39 of 39 picks · filtered.
| Pick | Player | College | Pos | NFL team | Career |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980 | Lam Jones |
Texas
SEC
|
WR | NYJ New York Jets | 61 games · 3 yrs as starter 21 career AV |
| 1980 | Art Monk HOF 1× All-Pro 3× Pro Bowl |
Syracuse
ACC
|
WR | WAS Washington Commanders | 224 games · 14 yrs as starter 90 career AV |
| 1980 | Ralph Clayton |
Michigan
Big Ten
|
WR | NYJ New York Jets | 7 games |
| 1980 | Kevin House |
Southern Illinois
MVFC
|
WR | TB Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 114 games · 6 yrs as starter 42 career AV |
| 1980 | Mike Friede |
Indiana
Big Ten
|
WR | DET Detroit Lions | 27 games · 1 yrs as starter 5 career AV |
| 1980 | Tim Smith |
Nebraska
Big Ten
|
WR | TEN Houston Oilers | 90 games · 3 yrs as starter 23 career AV |
| 1980 | Fred Nixon |
Oklahoma
SEC
|
WR | GB Green Bay Packers | 23 games 1 career AV |
| 1980 | Ray Butler |
USC
Big Ten
|
WR | IND Baltimore Colts | 120 games · 6 yrs as starter 33 career AV |
| 1980 | Danny Pittman |
Wyoming
Mountain West
|
WR | NYG New York Giants | 49 games · 1 yrs as starter 4 career AV |
| 1980 | Elmer Bailey |
Minnesota
Big Ten
|
WR | MIA Miami Dolphins | 31 games 1 career AV |
| 1980 | Carlos Carson 2× Pro Bowl |
LSU
SEC
|
WR | KC Kansas City Chiefs | 126 games · 7 yrs as starter 51 career AV |
| 1980 | Bubba Garcia |
UTEP
Conference USA
|
WR | KC Kansas City Chiefs | 6 games |
| 1980 | Eugene Byrd |
Michigan State
Big Ten
|
WR | MIA Miami Dolphins | No regular-season snaps |
| 1980 | Preston Brown |
Vanderbilt
SEC
|
WR | NE New England Patriots | 32 games 2 career AV |
| 1980 | Mike Smith | Grambling St. | WR | ATL Atlanta Falcons | 5 games |
| 1980 | Malcolm Barnwell |
Virginia Union
CIAA
|
WR | LV Oakland Raiders | 66 games · 3 yrs as starter 20 career AV |
| 1980 | Emanuel Tolbert |
SMU
ACC
|
WR | CHI Chicago Bears | No regular-season snaps |
| 1980 | Nate Johnson |
Hillsdale
Great Midwest Athletic
|
WR | PIT Pittsburgh Steelers | 16 games |
| 1980 | Don Coleman |
Oregon
Big Ten
|
WR | DEN Denver Broncos | No regular-season snaps |
| 1980 | Harold Bailey |
Oklahoma State
Big 12
|
WR | TEN Houston Oilers | 20 games · 1 yrs as starter 5 career AV |
| 1980 | DeWayne Jett |
Hawai'i
Mountain West
|
WR | DET Detroit Lions | No regular-season snaps |
| 1980 | Tom Donovan |
Penn State
Big Ten
|
WR | KC Kansas City Chiefs | 5 games |
| 1980 | Gerald Carter |
Texas A&M
SEC
|
WR | TB Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 103 games · 5 yrs as starter 27 career AV |
| 1980 | Lawrence McCullough |
Illinois College
Midwest
|
WR | WAS Washington Commanders | No regular-season snaps |
| 1980 | Jackie Flowers |
Florida State
ACC
|
WR | DAL Dallas Cowboys | No regular-season snaps |
| 1980 | George Farmer |
Southern
SWAC
|
WR | LAR Los Angeles Rams | 39 games · 1 yrs as starter 12 career AV |
| 1980 | Ron McCall |
Arkansas-Pine Bluff
SWAC
|
WR | PIT Pittsburgh Steelers | No regular-season snaps |
| 1980 | Kenny Brown |
Nebraska
Big Ten
|
WR | MIN Minnesota Vikings | No regular-season snaps |
| 1980 | Virgil Seay |
Troy
Sun Belt
|
WR | DEN Denver Broncos | 52 games · 1 yrs as starter 9 career AV |
| 1980 | Billy Reaves | Morris Brown | WR | SEA Seattle Seahawks | No regular-season snaps |
| 1980 | Alton Alexis |
Tulane
American
|
WR | CIN Cincinnati Bengals | 1 games |
| 1980 | Phil Farris |
North Carolina
ACC
|
WR | DEN Denver Broncos | No regular-season snaps |
| 1980 | Lee Jukes |
NC State
ACC
|
WR | PHI Philadelphia Eagles | No regular-season snaps |
| 1980 | Eddie Preston |
Western Kentucky
Conference USA
|
WR | TEN Houston Oilers | No regular-season snaps |
| 1980 | Terry Greer |
Alabama State
SWAC
|
WR | LAR Los Angeles Rams | 50 games · 1 yrs as starter 6 career AV |
| 1980 | Tyrone Gray |
Washington State
Pac-12
|
WR | ARI St. Louis Cardinals | No regular-season snaps |
| 1980 | Calvin Muhammad |
Texas Southern
SWAC
|
WR | LV Oakland Raiders | 47 games · 1 yrs as starter 13 career AV |
| 1980 | Wiley Pitts |
Temple
American
|
WR | TEN Houston Oilers | No regular-season snaps |
| 1980 | Harry Price | McNeese St. | WR | LAC San Diego Chargers | 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: Nebraska — 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?
Nebraska 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.