2008 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
2008 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 2008 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.
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1
Auburn
SEC
3picks
Auburn team hub
-
2
California
ACC
3picks
California team hub
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3
LSU
SEC
3picks
LSU team hub
Draft pick explorer
Showing 1–50 of 68 picks · filtered.
| Pick | Player | College | Pos | NFL team | Career |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 |
Phillip Merling
|
Clemson
ACC
|
DE | MIA Miami Dolphins | 53 games 6 career AV |
| 2008 |
Donnie Avery
|
Houston
Big 12
|
WR | LAR St. Louis Rams | 77 games · 4 yrs as starter 21 career AV |
| 2008 |
Devin Thomas
|
Michigan State
Big Ten
|
WR | WAS Washington Commanders | 55 games · 1 yrs as starter 4 career AV |
| 2008 |
Brandon Flowers
1× Pro Bowl
|
Virginia Tech
ACC
|
DB | KC Kansas City Chiefs | 119 games · 9 yrs as starter 42 career AV |
| 2008 |
Jordy Nelson
1× Pro Bowl
|
Kansas State
Big 12
|
WR | GB Green Bay Packers | 151 games · 7 yrs as starter 73 career AV |
| 2008 |
Curtis Lofton
|
Oklahoma
SEC
|
LB | ATL Atlanta Falcons | 128 games · 8 yrs as starter 49 career AV |
| 2008 |
John Carlson
|
Notre Dame
FBS Ind.
|
TE | SEA Seattle Seahawks | 90 games · 4 yrs as starter 16 career AV |
| 2008 |
Chilo Rachal
|
USC
Big Ten
|
G | SF San Francisco 49ers | 64 games · 3 yrs as starter 20 career AV |
| 2008 |
Tracy Porter
|
Indiana
Big Ten
|
DB | NO New Orleans Saints | 98 games · 6 yrs as starter 31 career AV |
| 2008 |
James Hardy
|
Indiana
Big Ten
|
WR | BUF Buffalo Bills | 16 games 1 career AV |
| 2008 |
Eddie Royal
|
Virginia Tech
ACC
|
WR | DEN Denver Broncos | 116 games · 6 yrs as starter 35 career AV |
| 2008 |
Tyrell Johnson
|
Arkansas State
Sun Belt
|
DB | MIN Minnesota Vikings | 53 games · 1 yrs as starter 10 career AV |
| 2008 |
Matt Forte
2× Pro Bowl
|
Tulane
American
|
RB | CHI Chicago Bears | 146 games · 9 yrs as starter 84 career AV |
| 2008 |
Jordon Dizon
|
Colorado College
|
LB | DET Detroit Lions | 28 games 2 career AV |
| 2008 |
Jerome Simpson
|
Coastal Carolina
Sun Belt
|
WR | CIN Cincinnati Bengals | 63 games · 3 yrs as starter 18 career AV |
| 2008 |
Trevor Laws
|
Notre Dame
FBS Ind.
|
DT | PHI Philadelphia Eagles | 56 games 7 career AV |
| 2008 |
Fred Davis
|
USC
Big Ten
|
TE | WAS Washington Commanders | 72 games · 3 yrs as starter 14 career AV |
| 2008 |
DeSean Jackson
3× Pro Bowl
|
California
ACC
|
WR | PHI Philadelphia Eagles | 183 games · 11 yrs as starter 75 career AV |
| 2008 |
Calais Campbell
1× All-Pro
6× Pro Bowl
|
Miami
ACC
|
DE | ARI Arizona Cardinals | 278 games · 17 yrs as starter 113 career AV |
| 2008 |
Malcolm Kelly
|
Oklahoma
SEC
|
WR | WAS Washington Commanders | 21 games · 1 yrs as starter 3 career AV |
| 2008 |
Quentin Groves
|
Auburn
SEC
|
DE | JAX Jacksonville Jaguars | 100 games · 2 yrs as starter 17 career AV |
| 2008 |
Limas Sweed
|
Texas
SEC
|
WR | PIT Pittsburgh Steelers | 20 games 1 career AV |
| 2008 |
Jason Jones
|
Eastern Michigan
MAC
|
DE | TEN Tennessee Titans | 109 games · 4 yrs as starter 32 career AV |
| 2008 |
Ray Rice
3× Pro Bowl
|
Rutgers
Big Ten
|
RB | BAL Baltimore Ravens | 92 games · 5 yrs as starter 63 career AV |
| 2008 |
Brian Brohm
|
Louisville
ACC
|
QB | GB Green Bay Packers | 3 games |
| 2008 |
Chad Henne
|
Michigan
Big Ten
|
QB | MIA Miami Dolphins | 78 games · 3 yrs as starter 26 career AV |
| 2008 |
Dexter Jackson
|
App State
Sun Belt
|
WR | TB Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 7 games |
| 2008 |
Mike Pollak
|
Arizona State
Big 12
|
T | IND Indianapolis Colts | 81 games · 2 yrs as starter 26 career AV |
| 2008 |
Pat Lee
|
Auburn
SEC
|
DB | GB Green Bay Packers | 47 games · 1 yrs as starter 4 career AV |
| 2008 |
Martellus Bennett
1× Pro Bowl
|
Texas A&M
SEC
|
TE | DAL Dallas Cowboys | 144 games · 8 yrs as starter 35 career AV |
| 2008 |
Terrence Wheatley
|
Colorado College
|
DB | NE New England Patriots | 12 games 1 career AV |
| 2008 |
Terrell Thomas
|
USC
Big Ten
|
DB | NYG New York Giants | 60 games · 2 yrs as starter 18 career AV |
| 2008 |
Kevin Smith
|
UCF
Big 12
|
RB | DET Detroit Lions | 54 games · 2 yrs as starter 19 career AV |
| 2008 |
John Greco
|
Toledo
MAC
|
T | LAR St. Louis Rams | 132 games · 5 yrs as starter 29 career AV |
| 2008 |
Kendall Langford
|
Hampton
CAA
|
DE | MIA Miami Dolphins | 136 games · 8 yrs as starter 43 career AV |
| 2008 |
Charles Godfrey
|
Iowa
Big Ten
|
DB | CAR Carolina Panthers | 95 games · 5 yrs as starter 27 career AV |
| 2008 |
Chevis Jackson
|
LSU
SEC
|
DB | ATL Atlanta Falcons | 33 games 4 career AV |
| 2008 |
Jacob Hester
|
LSU
SEC
|
FB | LAC San Diego Chargers | 65 games · 1 yrs as starter 6 career AV |
| 2008 |
Earl Bennett
|
Vanderbilt
SEC
|
WR | CHI Chicago Bears | 78 games · 1 yrs as starter 19 career AV |
| 2008 |
Tavares Gooden
|
Miami
ACC
|
LB | BAL Baltimore Ravens | 58 games · 1 yrs as starter 9 career AV |
| 2008 |
Chris Ellis
|
Virginia Tech
ACC
|
DE | BUF Buffalo Bills | 15 games 2 career AV |
| 2008 |
Jamaal Charles
2× All-Pro
4× Pro Bowl
|
Texas
SEC
|
RB | KC Kansas City Chiefs | 119 games · 4 yrs as starter 66 career AV |
| 2008 |
Dan Connor
|
Penn State
Big Ten
|
LB | CAR Carolina Panthers | 62 games · 2 yrs as starter 13 career AV |
| 2008 |
Reggie Smith
|
Oklahoma
SEC
|
DB | SF San Francisco 49ers | 45 games · 1 yrs as starter 5 career AV |
| 2008 |
Brad Cottam
|
Tennessee
SEC
|
TE | KC Kansas City Chiefs | 24 games · 1 yrs as starter 2 career AV |
| 2008 |
Pat Sims
|
Auburn
SEC
|
DT | CIN Cincinnati Bengals | 130 games · 3 yrs as starter 27 career AV |
| 2008 |
Shawn Crable
|
Michigan
Big Ten
|
LB | NE New England Patriots | 6 games |
| 2008 |
Antwaun Molden
|
Eastern Kentucky
United Athletic Conference
|
DB | HOU Houston Texans | 51 games 4 career AV |
| 2008 |
Bryan Smith
|
McNeese
Southland
|
LB | PHI Philadelphia Eagles | 6 games 1 career AV |
| 2008 |
Early Doucet
|
LSU
SEC
|
WR | ARI Arizona Cardinals | 54 games 10 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: Auburn — 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?
Auburn 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.