NFL Draft picks by college 2020: LSU beats out Michigan, Ohio State, Alabama for most draft picks

Bill Bender

NFL Draft picks by college 2020: LSU beats out Michigan, Ohio State, Alabama for most draft picks image

Four major college programs dominated the NFL Draft in 2020. 

LSU, Michigan, Ohio State and Alabama sent a combined 43 players to the league. They were the only schools with nine or more players drafted. 

LSU led all schools with 14 picks. The Tigers had an FBS-best five first-round picks after winning the College Football Playoff championship. Joe Burrow (Cincinnati, No. 1), K'Lavon Chaisson (Jacksonville, No. 20), Justin Jefferson (Minnesota, No. 22), Patrick Queen (Baltimore, No. 28) and Clyde Edwards-Helaire (Kansas City, No. 32) were the Tigers taken in the first round. 

MORE 2020 NFL DRAFT:
Full results | Team-by-team grades | Winners & losers

Michigan finished with 10 picks. The Wolverines had just one first-round pick, Cesar Ruiz (New Orleans, No. 24), but they had eight picks on Day 3. Ohio State also finished with 10 picks. The Buckeyes had three first-round selections: Chase Young (Washington, No. 2), Jeff Okudah (Detroit, No. 3) and Damon Arnette (Las Vegas, No. 19). 

Alabama finished with nine picks. The Crimson Tide had four first-round selections, a run that started with quarterback Tua Tagovailoa (Miami) with the No. 5 pick. Jedrick Willis (Cleveland, No. 10), Henry Ruggs III (Las Vegas, No. 12) and Jerry Jeudy (Denver, No. 15) completed the Round 1 group. 

LSU and Alabama's contributions helped the SEC lead all conferences with 63 selections this year.

Sporting News breaks down the 2020 NFL Draft by school and identifies the top football factories: 

2020 NFL Draft picks by college

SCHOOL 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 TOTAL
LSU 5 2 3 2 0 1 1 14
Michigan 1 1 0 1 2 5 0 10
Ohio State 3 1 3 0 0 1 2 10
Alabama 4 3 2 0 0 0 0 9
Utah 0 1 3 1 1 1 0 7
Clemson 2 1 1 2 0 0 1 7
Florida 1 1 2 1 0 1 1 7
Georgia 2 1 0 1 1 1 1 7
Notre Dame 0 2 1 1 1 1 0 6
Auburn 2 1 0 1 1 1 0 6
Penn State 0 2 0 1 0 2 0 5
TCU 2 1 1 0 0 0 1 5
Iowa 1 1 1 0 0 0 2 5
Minnesota 0 1 0 0 2 0 2 5
Mississippi State 0 1 2 0 0 0 2 5
South Carolina 1 0 1 1 0 0 1 4
Oklahoma 2 1 1 0 0 0 0 4
Wisconsin 0 1 1 1 1 0 0 4
Oregon 1 0 0 1 1 1 0 4
Miami, Fla. 0 0 0 2 1 0 1 4
Baylor 0 1 0 1 0 1 1 4
Temple 0 0 1 0 1 1 1 4
Texas 0 0 2 0 1 0 0 3
Boise State 0 1 0 0 2 0 0 3
UCLA 0 0 1 2 0 0 0 3
Cal 0 0 1 1 0 1 0 3
Oregon State 0 0 0 0 0 3 0 3
Colorado 0 1 1 0 0 0 1 3
Memphis 0 0 1 0 0 0 2 3
Louisiana 0 1 0 1 0 0 1 3
USC 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 2
Kentucky 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 2
Missouri 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 2
Appalachian State 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 2
Charlotte 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 2
Washington 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 2
Tulsa 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 2
North Carolina 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 2
Louisiana Tech 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 2
West Virginia 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 2
Virginia 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 2
Texas Tech 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 2
Fresno State 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 2
Texas A&M 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 2
Georgia Southern 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 2
Wake Forest 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 2
Maryland 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 2
Wyoming 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 2
Tennessee 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 2
Arizona State 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 2
Arkansas 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 2
FIU 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 2
Purdue 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 2
Michigan State 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 2
Stanford 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 2
Nebraska 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 2
N.C. State 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 2
Tulane 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 2
Marshall 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 2
Syracuse 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 2
Navy 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1
Kansas 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1
San Diego State 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 1
Utah State 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1
Florida State 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1
Louisville 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1
Lenoir-Rhyne 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1
Boston College 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1
Southern Illinois 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1
Cincinnati 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 1
SMU 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1
Houston 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 1
Vanderbilt 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 1
Dayton 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 1
Connecticut 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 1
UCF 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 1
Virginia Tech 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 1
St. John's 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 1
Liberty 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 1
FAU 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 1
New Mexico State 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 1
Rhode Island 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 1
Pitt 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1
Indiana 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1
Southern Miss 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1
Washington State 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1
Massachusetts 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1
Hawaii 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1
Miami, Ohio 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1
James Madison 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1
Georgia Tech 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1
North Dakota State 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1
Tennessee State 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1
Washburn 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1
Ball State 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 1

2020 NFL Draft picks by conference 

CONF 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 TOTAL
SEC 15 10 15 8 2 5 8 63
Big Ten 5 7 5 6 5 11 9 48
Pac-12 3 3 6 7 3 7 3 32
ACC 3 3 2 3 7 2 4 24
Big 12 5 3 4 1 4 2 3 22
AAC 0 0 5 4 3 2 5 19
MWC 1 1 1 1 3 2 1 10
C-USA 0 0 1 5 1 1 2 10
Independent 0 2 1 2 2 2 0 9
Sun Belt 0 1 1 2 1 1 1 7
FCS 0 1 1 0 1 0 3 6
MAC 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 2
Division II 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 2
Division III 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 1

How many LSU players got drafted?

1. Joe Burrow, QB, Cincinnati (No. 1 overall) 
2. K'Lavon Chaisson, DE, Jacksonville (No. 20 overall) 
3. Justin Jefferson, WR, Minnesota (No. 22 overall) 
4. Patrick Queen, LB, Baltimore (No. 28 overall) 
5. Clyde Edwards-Helaire, RB, Kansas City (No. 32 overall) 
6. Grant Delpit, S, Cleveland (No. 44 overall) 
7. Kristian Fulton, CB, Tennessee (No. 61 overall) 
8. Damien Lewis, G, Seattle (No. 69 overall) 
9. Lloyd Cushenberry II, C, Denver (No. 83 overall) 
10. Jacob Phillips, LB, Cleveland (No. 97 overall) 
11. Saahdiq Charles, T, Washington (No. 108 overall) 
12. Rashad Lawrence, DT, Arizona (No. 131 overall) 
13. Blake Ferguson, LS, Miami (No. 185 overall) 
14. Stephen Sullivan, TE, Denver (No. 252 overall) 

How many Michigan players got drafted? 

1. Cesar Ruiz, C, New Orleans (No. 24 overall)
2. Josh Uche, EDGE, New England (No. 60 overall)
3. Ben Bredeson, G, Baltimore (No. 143 overall)
4. Khaleke Hudson, S, Washington (No. 162 overall)
5. Mike Danna, DE, Kansas City (No. 177 overall)
6. Michael Onwenu, G, Kansas City (No. 182 overall)
7. Donovan Peoples-Jones, WR, Cleveland (No. 187 overall)
8. Jon Runyan, T, Green Bay (No. 192 overall)
9. Josh Metellus, S, Minnesota (No. 205 overall)
10. Jordan Glasgow, S, Indianapolis (No. 213 overall)

How many Ohio State players got drafted?

1. Chase Young, DE, Washington (No. 2 overall) 
2. Jeff Okudah, CB, Detroit (No. 3 overall) 
3. Damon Arnette, CB, Las Vegas (No. 19 overall) 
4. J.K. Dobbins, RB, Baltimore (No. 55 overall) 
5. Davon Hamilton, DT, Jacksonville (No. 73 overall) 
6. Jonah Jackson, G, Detroit (No. 75 overall) 
7. Malik Harrison, LB, Baltimore (No. 98 overall) 
8. Jordan Fuller, S, Los Angeles Rams (No. 199 overall) 
9. KJ Hill, WR, Los Angeles Chargers (No. 220 overall) 
10. Jashon Cornell, DE, Detroit (No. 235 overall) 

How many Alabama players got drafted?

1. Tua Tagovailoa, Miami (No. 5 overall) 
2. Jedrick Wills, Cleveland (No. 10 overall) 
3. Henry Ruggs III, Las Vegas (No. 12 overall) 
4. Jerry Jeudy, WR, Denver (No. 15 overall) 
5. Xavier McKinney, S, New York Giants (No. 36 overall) 
6. Trevon Diggs, CB, Dallas (No. 51 overall) 
7. Raekwon Davis, DE, Miami (No. 56 overall) 
8. Terrell Lewis, LB, Los Angeles Rams (No. 84 overall) 
9. Anfernee Jennings, LB, New England (No. 87 overall) 

Bill Bender

Bill Bender Photo

Bill Bender graduated from Ohio University in 2002 and started at The Sporting News as a fantasy football writer in 2007. He has covered the College Football Playoff, NBA Finals and World Series for SN. Bender enjoys story-telling, awesomely-bad 80s movies and coaching youth sports.