There are certain college programs out there that are known as NFL factories. Teams like Notre Dame, USC, Ohio State, and Alabama come to mind, just to name a few of the blue bloods that attract and develop some of the best talent that plays at the next level.
Even more than that, there are programs that seem to churn out the best of the best as first-round NFL draft picks. But the divide is great. Kids these days want to play for a national title and be developed in such a way that will result in playing in some big ‘ole stadiums on Sundays (and Mondays, Thursdays, and Saturdays in winter). Those are the two defining characteristics that seem to attract the top high school prospects on a yearly basis.
But it’s not just about that. A program has to develop that talent on and off the field so that NFL teams see a player as someone it wants to throw a lot of money at. Being a first-round NFL draft pick is a very, very select group that nobody can take away from you.
So what college programs have been the best at getting that done? Which of the blue bloods attract and develop talent that ends up hearing their names called in the first round of all the shenanigans that is known as the NFL draft.
Here’s a ranking of the top 25 college programs and how they rank at making players go in the first round. As usual, we start at No. 25 and work our way down to the top spot. We take our data from Winsipedia.