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 Day 2 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
Penn State
Big Ten
4picks
Penn State team hub
-
2
Nebraska
Big Ten
3picks
Nebraska team hub
-
3
Kansas
Big 12
2picks
Kansas team hub
Draft pick explorer
Showing 1–50 of 55 picks · filtered.
| Pick | Player | College | Pos | NFL team | Career |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980 | Joe Cribbs 3× Pro Bowl |
Auburn
SEC
|
RB | BUF Buffalo Bills | 102 games · 6 yrs as starter 54 career AV |
| 1980 | Willie Teal |
LSU
SEC
|
DB | MIN Minnesota Vikings | 80 games · 4 yrs as starter 31 career AV |
| 1980 | Kirby Criswell |
Kansas
Big 12
|
LB | CIN Cincinnati Bengals | 6 games |
| 1980 | Ray Donaldson 6× Pro Bowl |
Georgia
SEC
|
C | IND Baltimore Colts | 244 games · 15 yrs as starter 77 career AV |
| 1980 | Doug Marsh |
Michigan
Big Ten
|
TE | ARI St. Louis Cardinals | 92 games · 6 yrs as starter 17 career AV |
| 1980 | Mark Lee |
Washington
Big Ten
|
DB | GB Green Bay Packers | 165 games · 10 yrs as starter 56 career AV |
| 1980 | Bob Kohrs |
Arizona State
Big 12
|
DE | PIT Pittsburgh Steelers | 55 games 8 career AV |
| 1980 | Buddy Curry |
North Carolina
ACC
|
LB | ATL Atlanta Falcons | 109 games · 8 yrs as starter 44 career AV |
| 1980 | Gene Bradley |
Arkansas State
Sun Belt
|
QB | BUF Buffalo Bills | No regular-season snaps |
| 1980 | Angelo Fields |
Michigan State
Big Ten
|
T | TEN Houston Oilers | 30 games 3 career AV |
| 1980 | Keena Turner 1× Pro Bowl |
Purdue
Big Ten
|
LB | SF San Francisco 49ers | 153 games · 9 yrs as starter 57 career AV |
| 1980 | Darrol Ray |
Oklahoma
SEC
|
DB | NYJ New York Jets | 72 games · 5 yrs as starter 30 career AV |
| 1980 | Dave Waymer 1× Pro Bowl |
Notre Dame
FBS Ind.
|
DB | NO New Orleans Saints | 197 games · 11 yrs as starter 68 career AV |
| 1980 | Rulon Jones 1× All-Pro 2× Pro Bowl |
Utah State
Mountain West
|
DE | DEN Denver Broncos | 129 games · 7 yrs as starter 63 career AV |
| 1980 | Matt Millen 1× Pro Bowl |
Penn State
Big Ten
|
LB | LV Oakland Raiders | 180 games · 12 yrs as starter 67 career AV |
| 1980 | Andre Hines |
Stanford
ACC
|
T | SEA Seattle Seahawks | 9 games 1 career AV |
| 1980 | Larry McGrew |
USC
Big Ten
|
LB | NE New England Patriots | 133 games · 7 yrs as starter 45 career AV |
| 1980 | Matt Suhey |
Penn State
Big Ten
|
RB | CHI Chicago Bears | 148 games · 7 yrs as starter 34 career AV |
| 1980 | Ralph Clayton |
Michigan
Big Ten
|
WR | NYJ New York Jets | 7 games |
| 1980 | Dwight Stephenson HOF 4× All-Pro 5× Pro Bowl |
Alabama
SEC
|
C | MIA Miami Dolphins | 114 games · 6 yrs as starter 80 career AV |
| 1980 | Kevin House |
Southern Illinois
MVFC
|
WR | TB Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 114 games · 6 yrs as starter 42 career AV |
| 1980 | Irv Pankey |
Penn State
Big Ten
|
T | LAR Los Angeles Rams | 150 games · 9 yrs as starter 49 career AV |
| 1980 | Tim Foley |
Notre Dame
FBS Ind.
|
T | IND Baltimore Colts | 6 games |
| 1980 | Daryle Skaugstad |
California
ACC
|
NT | TEN Houston Oilers | 37 games 4 career AV |
| 1980 | Perry Harrington |
Jackson State
SWAC
|
RB | PHI Philadelphia Eagles | 59 games · 1 yrs as starter 9 career AV |
| 1980 | Cleveland Crosby |
Arizona
Big 12
|
DE | CLE Cleveland Browns | 9 games 1 career AV |
| 1980 | Mat Mendenhall |
BYU
Big 12
|
DE | WAS Washington Commanders | 23 games · 1 yrs as starter 15 career AV |
| 1980 | John Goodman |
Oklahoma
SEC
|
DE | PIT Pittsburgh Steelers | 64 games · 4 yrs as starter 26 career AV |
| 1980 | Tom Turnure |
Washington
Big Ten
|
C | DET Detroit Lions | 63 games 6 career AV |
| 1980 | Jewerl Thomas |
San José State
Mountain West
|
RB | LAR Los Angeles Rams | 56 games 7 career AV |
| 1980 | Rod Horn |
Nebraska
Big Ten
|
NT | CIN Cincinnati Bengals | 23 games 4 career AV |
| 1980 | John Sinnott |
Brown
Ivy League
|
T | ARI St. Louis Cardinals | 9 games · 1 yrs as starter 4 career AV |
| 1980 | Syd Kitson |
Wake Forest
ACC
|
G | GB Green Bay Packers | 50 games · 1 yrs as starter 9 career AV |
| 1980 | Mike Friede |
Indiana
Big Ten
|
WR | DET Detroit Lions | 27 games · 1 yrs as starter 5 career AV |
| 1980 | Earl Jones |
Norfolk State
MEAC
|
DB | ATL Atlanta Falcons | 57 games 6 career AV |
| 1980 | Myron Lapka |
USC
Big Ten
|
NT | NYG New York Giants | 16 games 1 career AV |
| 1980 | Jim Miller |
Ole Miss
SEC
|
P | SF San Francisco 49ers | 45 games 5 career AV |
| 1980 | James Hadnot |
Texas Tech
Big 12
|
RB | KC Kansas City Chiefs | 43 games · 1 yrs as starter 13 career AV |
| 1980 | Mark Brammer |
Michigan State
Big Ten
|
TE | BUF Buffalo Bills | 65 games · 3 yrs as starter 11 career AV |
| 1980 | Brent Boyd |
UCLA
Big Ten
|
G | MIN Minnesota Vikings | 59 games · 1 yrs as starter 16 career AV |
| 1980 | Lance Mehl 1× Pro Bowl |
Penn State
Big Ten
|
LB | NYJ New York Jets | 97 games · 6 yrs as starter 51 career AV |
| 1980 | LeRoy Irvin 2× All-Pro 2× Pro Bowl |
Kansas
Big 12
|
DB | LAR Los Angeles Rams | 159 games · 8 yrs as starter 76 career AV |
| 1980 | John Schmeding |
Boston College
ACC
|
G | BUF Buffalo Bills | No regular-season snaps |
| 1980 | Cliff Odom | Texas-Arlington | LB | CLE Cleveland Browns | 167 games · 6 yrs as starter 44 career AV |
| 1980 | Steve McMichael HOF 2× All-Pro 2× Pro Bowl |
Texas
SEC
|
DT | NE New England Patriots | 213 games · 11 yrs as starter 100 career AV |
| 1980 | Larry Carter |
Kentucky
SEC
|
DB | DEN Denver Broncos | No regular-season snaps |
| 1980 | Bill Barnett |
Nebraska
Big Ten
|
DE | MIA Miami Dolphins | 77 games 12 career AV |
| 1980 | Scot Brantley |
Florida
SEC
|
LB | TB Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 114 games · 5 yrs as starter 32 career AV |
| 1980 | Craig Puki |
Tennessee
SEC
|
LB | SF San Francisco 49ers | 39 games 7 career AV |
| 1980 | Bill Roe |
Colorado College
|
LB | DAL Dallas Cowboys | 19 games 3 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: Penn State — 4
- 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?
Penn State leads FantasyHQ’s archive with 4 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.