The usual suspects top the charts: Alabama and Georgia lead the pack with more than 40 NFL draft selections each in the past five years.
LSU cracks the top five: Even without including the 2020 NFL Draft, which included Joe Burrow and 13 other championship-winning prospects, the Tigers make the cut.
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Estimated Reading Time: 5 minutes
NFL draft evaluators tell you not to scout the helmet, meaning don’t judge a book (the player) by its cover (the program). But there is something to say about powerhouse programs that consistently send draftable prospects to the NFL.
Here are the top five college programs over the past five years when it comes to how many of their players have been drafted, and three prospects from each who could be on the way in 2026.
1. Georgia: 55
Georgia has served as an NFL minor league system over the past five years, accounting for an astounding 55 draft picks since 2021. In that span, the Bulldogs own the draft record for most players selected from a school in a year, with 15 in 2022, including the No. 1 overall pick, Travon Walker.
Head coach Kirby Smart has built an NFL factory in Athens, and this year is no different. Linebacker CJ Allen, cornerback Daylen Everette and even transfer wide receiver Zachariah Branch are among the team's top 2026 prospects. Allen was solid next to Jalon Walker last season, earning an 89.8 PFF run-defense grade as just a sophomore. Everette showed flashes of first-round ability with a 73.3 PFF coverage grade.
2. Alabama: 44
In 2021, Alabama tied with the 2004 Miami Hurricanes for the most players drafted in the first round from a school in NFL history. Those six were Jaylen Waddle, Pat Surtain II, DeVonta Smith, Mac Jones, Alex Leatherwood and Najee Harris.
Former five-star offensive tackle Kadyn Proctor leads the projected 2026 group, entering his third year as the Crimson Tide's starting left tackle. Edge defender LT Overton was draft-eligible last year and could have been a top-50 pick after posting an 18.0% pass-rush win rate with a 77.0 PFF pass-rush grade. Domani Jackson also brings great size to the cornerback position. He earned just a 64.1 PFF coverage grade last season but forced seven incompletions, thanks to his 6-foot-1, 200-pound frame.
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3. Michigan: 42
Michigan has produced 42 NFL draft picks over the past five years, with 13 coming on the heels of their national championship season in 2024. Derrick Moore, their top edge rusher, will likely be Michigan's highest-ranked prospect on the PFF Big Board to start the season. He earned an 86.5 PFF pass-rush grade and posted an impressive 23.4% pass-rush win rate in 2024, the latter of which tied for the fifth-best mark among all FBS edge defenders.
The Wolverines also have former five-star running back Justice Haynes, who posted 80.0-plus PFF rushing grades in each of the past two seasons at Alabama, albeit on just 106 total carries. Rod Moore should be back and healthy after missing all of 2024 due to a torn ACL. He has the movement skills to be one of the top safeties in the class.
4. Ohio State: 40
Ohio State nearly tied Georgia's draft record for the most picks from a school in 2025, with 14 Buckeyes coming off the board — just one short of the Bulldogs' mark set in 2022. It was the second time Ohio State produced 14 draft picks, as they also accomplished the feat in 2002.
The Buckeyes might just have the No. 1 player on the PFF Big Board to start the season in safety Caleb Downs, who has earned 85.0-plus PFF overall grades in each of the past two years for two programs (Alabama as a true freshman starter). Wide receiver Carnell Tate will now step into the WR2 role next to Jeremiah Smith. Tate showed flashes of first-round talent in 2024, producing an 81st-percentile separation rate against single coverage.
Sonny Styles is also an intriguing linebacker who could be a top-100 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. His 6-foot-4 frame makes him an imposing presence in the middle. He recorded an 84.2 PFF run-defense grade in 2023 and owns two straight 70.0-plus PFF overall grades.
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5. LSU: 36
LSU’s 36 draft selections over the past five years round out this list. The Tigers' top class, of course, came after their national championship-winning season in the 2020 NFL Draft, headlined by quarterback Joe Burrow, but that draft just misses the cut here.
Quarterback Garrett Nussmeier is their headliner this year. He could have declared last season and might have been the second quarterback off the board after Cam Ward, thanks to a 79.4 PFF passing grade and 21 big-time throws in 2024.
Whit Weeks is an intriguing linebacker. At 6-foot-2 and 228 pounds, he’s a bit light for the NFL, but he played the second-most defensive snaps of any LSU player last year (701) and earned a 78.7 PFF run-defense grade and a 76.7 PFF pass-rush grade.
Harold Perkins Jr., the Tigers' defensive chess piece, is also someone to keep an eye on. He’s a tweener player between edge defender and off-ball linebacker, and he is coming off a torn ACL. But he’s the kind of athlete the NFL will always keep its eye on. He earned a 90.9 PFF pass-rush grade as a true freshman in 2022, ranking tied for the 20th-best mark among all FBS defenders.