Before North Dakota State and South Dakota State began to regularly send players off to the NFL, other FCS college football programs were the best at it. Here’s a breakdown of who’s had the most draft picks during their FCS era.
The push by HBCUs in recent years to get more NFL attention on their players seems to have merit when considering the list of draft picks during their FCS era.
Division I was split into the FCS (then called Division I-AA) and the FBS (then Division I-A) in 1978, and during their FCS era, the programs with the four-highest totals of NFL Draft selections – as well as eight of the top 15 – are HBCUs. This list is led by Jackson State, whose former coach, Deion Sanders, took the league to task on how the draft selections from HBCUs have fallen.
Following are the top-15 programs with the most draft selections during their FCS era (some since the 1979 draft, others in the draft after their first season in the NCAA Division I subdivision):
1. Jackson State (43)
First Pick in FCS Era: DT Robert Hardy (1979, Seattle Seahawks, 10th round)
Most-Recent Pick in FCS Era: CB Isaiah Bolden (2023, New England Patriots, seventh)
Simms, Rice, McNair, Wentz … FCS players selected in the first round of the #NFLDraft is a select group. @CraigHaley breaks them down. t.co/UYAgLQer28 pic.twitter.com/6h2VckLkWe
— FCS Football (@OptaAnalystFCS) March 24, 20222. Grambling State (36)
First Pick in FCS Era: DL Bruce Radford (1979, Denver Broncos, third)
Most-Recent Pick in FCS Era: WR Chad Williams (2018, Arizona Cardinals, third)
T3. South Carolina State (33)
First Pick in FCS Era: DT Phil Murphy (1980, Los Angeles Rams, third)
Most-Recent Pick in FCS Era: CB Decobie Durant (2022, Los Angeles Rams, fourth)
T3. Tennessee State (33)
First Pick in FCS Era: DE Malcolm Taylor (1982, Houston Oilers, fifth)
Most-Recent Pick in FCS Era: OG Lachavious Simmons (2020, Chicago Bears, seventh)
5. Northwestern State (26)
First Pick in FCS Era: OG Petey Perot (1980, Philadelphia Eagles, second)
Most-Recent Pick in FCS Era: DT Deon Simon (2015, New York Jets, seventh)
T6. Eastern Kentucky (23)
First Pick in FCS Era: DB George Floyd (1982, New York Jets, fourth)
Most Recent Pick in FCS Era: OT Josiah Ezirim (2024, New Orleans Saints, seventh)
T6. Southern University (23)
First Pick in FCS Era: DT Ken Times (1980, San Francisco 49ers, fifth)
Most-Recent Pick in FCS Era: OG J’Atyre Carte (2022, Chicago Bears, seventh)
8. Montana (22)
First Pick in FCS Era: C Guy Bingham (1980, New York Jets, 10th)
Most-Recent Pick in FCS Era: WR Samori Toure (2022, Green Bay Packers, seventh)
9. Florida A&M (21)
First Pick in FCS Era: DB Thomas Lane (1980, Minnesota Vikings, 12th)
Most-Recent Pick in FCS Era: LB Brandon Hepburn (2013, Detroit Lions, seventh)
T10. Appalachian State (20)
First Pick in FCS Era: DE Leroy Howell (1984, Buffalo Bills, ninth)
Most-Recent Pick in FCS Era: DB Demetrius McCray (2013, Jacksonville Jaguars, seventh)
T10. Northern Arizona (20)
First Pick in FCS Era: RB Allan Clark (1979, New England Patriots, 10th)
Most-Recent Pick in FCS Era: P Paul Ernster (2005, Denver Broncos, seventh)
12. Northern Iowa (18)
First Pick in FCS Era: QB Steve Sandon (1982, New England Patriots, 11th)
Most Recent Pick in FCS Era: DT Kristian Boyd (2024, New Orleans Saints, sixth)
T13. Alcorn State (17)
First Pick in FCS Era: WR Larry Willis (1979, Kansas City Chiefs, 10th round)
Most-Recent Pick in FCS Era: WR Donald Driver (1999, Green Bay Packers, seventh)
T13. Chattanooga (17)
First Pick in FCS Era: LB Lawrence Green (1984, New York Giants, 12th)
Most-Recent Pick in FCS Era: OG Cole Strange (2022, New England Patriots, first)
T15. North Carolina A&T (16)
First Pick in FCS Era: DE Dwaine Board (1979, Pittsburgh Steelers, fifth)
Most-Recent Pick in FCS Era: DE Darryl Johnson (2019, Buffalo Bills, seventh)
T15. North Dakota State (16)
First Pick in FCS Era: C Rob Hunt (2005, Indianapolis Colts, fifth)
Most Recent Pick in FCS Era: OG/C Grey Zabel (2025, Seattle Seahawks, first)
(Full breakdown of the 10-time FCS national championship program’s draft picks)
T15. Richmond (16)
First Pick in FCS Era: WR John Armstron (1986, Minnesota Vikings, 11th)
Most Recent Pick in FCS Era: DE Kobie Turner/Wake Forest grad transfer (2023, Los Angeles Rams, third)
Research support provided by Stats Perform’s Chase Weight. Top photos, from left, from Charles A. Smith/Jackson State, Associated Press and Eastern Kentucky Athletics.
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Which Schools Have the Most NFL Draft Picks During Their FCS Era? Opta Analyst.
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