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College Football programs with the most NFL Draft picks of all time. Which schools have the most NFL draft picks?
1. Notre Dame
Total NFL Draft Picks: 532
Latest First-Round Pick: Joe Alt, OT – Chargers (2024)
Notre Dame’s football excellence goes way back, so it’s not too much of a surprise to see the Irish atop the list.
2. USC
Total NFL Draft Picks: 530
Latest First-Round Pick: Caleb Williams, QB – Bears (2024)
Like Notre Dame, USC has been one of college football’s elite programs since the beginning. Here’s another NFL factory.
3. Ohio State
Total NFL Draft Picks: 489
Latest First-Round Pick: Marvin Harrison Jr., WR – Cardinals (2024)
Ohio State has been turning out first-round picks on defense and at wide receiver for much of the last decade.
4. Oklahoma
Total NFL Draft Picks: 417
Latest First-Round Pick: Tyler Guyton, OT – Cowboys (2024)
Oklahoma is arguably QBU, but the program puts out NFL studs for a plethora of positions seemingly every year.
5. Michigan
Total NFL Draft Picks: 415
Latest First-Round Pick: JJ McCarthy, QB – Vikings (2024)
The Wolverines had a whopping 13 players selected in last year’s NFL Draft. That was a nice group to put Michigan ahead of Alabama on the all-time list.
6. Alabama
Total NFL Draft Picks: 411
Latest First-Round Pick: JC Latham, OT – Titans (2024)
Under Nick Saban, you could count on tons of early-round Alabama selections. We’ll see if Kalen DeBoer can come close to matching that soon.
7. Penn State
Total NFL Draft Picks: 389
Latest First-Round Pick: Olumuyiwa Fashanu, OT – Jets (2024)
While a national championship has been elusive for Penn State, the school consistently produces NFL studs like Saquon Barkley and Micah Parsons.
8. LSU
Total NFL Draft Picks: 381
Latest First-Round Pick: Jayden Daniels, QB – Commanders (2024)
The state of Louisiana is one of the top states for high school prospects, and naturally LSU benefits and puts a ton of players in the league.
9. Georgia
Total NFL Draft Picks: 379
Latest First-Round Pick: Brock Bowers, TE – Raiders (2024)
Speaking of states that produce a ton of college and NFL talent, welcome Georgia to the list.
10. Florida
Total NFL Draft Picks: 373
Latest First-Round Pick: Ricky Pearsall, WR – 49ers (2024)
Florida had just one player drafted last year, but it was first-round pick Ricky Pearsall. The Gators should never have a shortage of high-end NFL talent.
t-11. Nebraska
Total NFL Draft Picks: 368
Latest First-Round Pick: Prince Amukamara, CB – Giants (2011)
It’s been a long time since Nebraska has produced a first-round pick, but the school could be getting back on track under head coach Matt Rhule.
t-11. Texas
Total NFL Draft Picks: 368
Latest First-Round Pick: Byron Murphy, DL – Seahawks (2024)
Over the last two or three drafts, Texas has been one of the top producers of NFL talent. That should continue in 2025 and beyond under Steve Sarkisian.
13. Tennessee
Total NFL Draft Picks: 363
Latest First-Round Pick: Darnell Wright – OT, Bears (2023)
Tennessee has been down for most of the last two decades, yet they still rank 13th all-time in NFL Draft picks. A bounceback could be in order as the program continues to rise back up in the SEC.
14. Miami (FL)
Total NFL Draft Picks: 362
Latest First-Round Pick: Jaelan Phillips, EDGE – Dolphins (2021)
Miami being this low is surprising. The Hurricane squads of the early 2000s were littered with NFL talent, and Florida is a breeding ground for NFL players.
15. UCLA
Total NFL Draft Picks: 339
Latest First-Round Pick: Laiatu Latu, EDGE – Colts (2024)
UCLA is another program looking to get back to excellence, but recruiting in the Big Ten is a new challenge for the Bruins.
16. Washington
Total NFL Draft Picks: 325
Latest First-Round Pick: Michael Penix Jr., QB – Falcons (2024)
Washington had 10 players drafted in 2024 following a College Football Playoff National Championship Game appearance. Hopefully, Jedd Fisch can continue what Kalen DeBoer did during his time with the Huskies.
17. Michigan State
Total NFL Draft Picks: 322
Latest First-Round Pick: Jack Conklin, OT – Titans (2016)
Michigan State has historically been a sneaky good program for NFL development, but it’s been lacking firepower in recent seasons.
18. Texas A&M
Total NFL Draft Picks: 306
Latest First-Round Pick: Kenyon Green, OG – Texans (2022)
Here’s another Texas school with everything it takes to acquire and develop NFL talent. The Aggies should make up ground on this list moving forward.
t-19. Auburn
Total NFL Draft Picks: 300
Latest First-Round Pick: Derrick Brown, DT – Panthers (2020)
With Nick Saban out of the Alabama program, perhaps Auburn can win more recruiting battles in the state and elsewhere. That should help the Tigers continue to put players in the league.
t-19. Pittsburgh
Total NFL Draft Picks: 300
Latest First-Round Pick: Calijah Kancey, DT – Buccaneers (2023)
Pittsburgh having as many draft picks as Auburn was a bit surprising, but the Panthers have produced NFL Hall of Famers like Darrelle Revis, Larry Fitzgerald, and Aaron Donald in the 21st century.
21. Wisconsin
Total NFL Draft Picks: 299
Latest First-Round Pick: T.J. Watt, EDGE – Steelers (2017)
Wisconsin has a claim to be RBU, and studs like Zack Baun, T.J. Watt, and Andrew Van Ginkel are the recent Badgers success stories in the NFL.
22. Purdue
Total NFL Draft Picks: 294
Latest First-Round Pick: George Karlaftis, DE – Chiefs (2022)
Here’s another one that is somewhat of a surprise, as Purdue doesn’t have the greatest history of success in college football. Either way, the Boilermakers have been pushing NFL talent through the program.
23. Florida State
Total NFL Draft Picks: 288
Latest First-Round Pick: Jared Verse, EDGE – Rams (2024)
Florida State has the Florida recruiting pipeline and program investment, so if you would have told me the Seminoles have fewer NFL Draft picks than Purdue all time, I’m not sure I would’ve believed it.
t-24. Arkansas
Total NFL Draft Picks: 281
Latest First-Round Pick: Treylon Burks, WR – Arkansas (2022)
Yet another SEC school on the list, the Razorbacks usually produce strong running backs and offensive and defensive linemen.
t-24. Minnesota
Total NFL Draft Picks: 281
Latest First-Round Pick: Rashod Bateman, WR – Ravens (2021)
Minnesota has a solid selection of NFL pros currently in the league, and don’t forget the Golden Gophers were national title contenders for much of the 1960s and 1970s.
