10 colleges that have produced the best current NFL players

The NFL Draft is coming up, meaning teams will be selecting players from colleges around the country in order to beef up their rosters. They’ll be picking players who played at big schools and small schools, hoping to strike gold. A look back into the history books spins a tale of which college programs have churned out the largest number of players and their subsequent level of success. But what about the existing crop of NFL players? Which schools have tended to produce the best players in the league of late?

The following list is subjective: here’s a look at which college programs have produced the best current NFL talent.

10. Cal Golden Bears

California is probably not a program many expected to see on this list. And while we could have gone with Ohio State, Florida, Penn State, Michigan, Texas or Notre Dame in this spot, there’s no denying the top-end talent Cal has produced.

27 former Golden Bears found themselves on an NFL roster last season, and two of them were named to The Top 100 Players of 2016, including the only quarterback in the league arguably as talented as Tom Brady.

Aaron Rodgers, a first-round pick in 2005, is not only a Super Bowl champion and Super Bowl MVP, but was also twice named the NFL MVP. He’s also gone to six Pro Bowls and been name an All-Pro four times in his career. He led the NFL in touchdown passes in 2016 and owns numerous all-time NFL records — so many, in fact, that it would eat up a quarter of this article listing them all out.

Overshadowed by Rodgers, New Orleans Saints defensive end Cameron Jordan also made an appearance on the Top 100 players list, checking in at No. 99 overall. He’s a two-time Pro Bowler who will likely eclipse 50 career sacks this coming season.

Other big names produced by California include Keenan Allen, C.J. Anderson, Jared Goff, DeSean Jackson, Marvin Jones, Mychal Kendricks, Alex Mack, Shane Vereen and Mitchell Schwartz. They also have produced the man they call Beast Mode — Marshawn Lynch.

9. Miami Hurricanes

Ah, Miami. The U — an NFL talent factory that has produced some of the league’s very best players throughout history. And while the program has gone through a recent slump, they’re still churning out talent with the best of them.

Last season, 37 former Hurricanes had a spot on an NFL roster. Three of them were also named to The Top 100 Players of 2016, and it could be argued that even more deserved a spot on that list.

Carolina Panthers tight end Greg Olsen, a three-time Pro Bowler and two-time All-Pro, led the way, but was joined by now-Jacksonville Jaguars defensive tackle Calais Campbell, who is a two-time Pro Bowler and two-time All-Pro, as well as Jags wide receiver Allen Hurns, who had over 1,000 yards receiving in 2015.

Other big names produced by Miami include Frank Gore, Ereck Flowers, Orlando Franklin, Jimmy Graham, Devin Hester, Lamar Miller and Olivier Vernon.

8. Stanford Cardinal

It may come as a minor surprise, but Stanford actually had 29 graduates appear on an NFL roster last season, and three of them were named to the The Top 100 Players of 2016.

Leading that group is one of the most talented all-around cornerbacks in the game, Richard Sherman. The Seattle Seahawks star is not only a Super Bowl champion, but has also been named to four Pro Bowls and won the 2014 NFC Defensive Player of the Year award. Additionally, he’s received four All-Pro nods and led the league in interceptions in 2013.

Also featured on the Top 100 Players list were Seahawks wide receiver Doug Baldwin, who has gone to one Pro Bowl and co-led the NFL in receptions in 2013, and Indianapolis Colts quarterback Andrew Luck, who has been named to three Pro Bowls and led the NFL in passing touchdowns in 2014.

But even beyond the top tier of ex-Cardinal talent, there’s a lot of meat left on the bone. In addition to the highlighted trio, Stanford has produced current players like including Coby Fleener, Andrus Peat, Ty Montgomery, Trent Murphy and Zach Ertz. The surge in former Standford players in the league is a real tribute to what Jim Harbaugh and David Shaw have done to transform the program.

7. Oklahoma Sooners

35 former Sooners appeared on an NFL roster last season, and three of them made an appearance on The Top 100 Players of 2016. In fact, one of them was among the top five and is a guaranteed, undeniable future Hall of Famer.

Adrian Peterson, who was drafted in the first round of the 2007 NFL Draft, is a seven-time Pro Bowler, seven-time All-Pro, two-time Bert Bell award winner, the 2007 NFL Rookie of the Year, three-time league rushing leader, two-time league touchdown leader and the 2012 Most Valuable Player.

Precious few schools have a single player with a more decorated history than Peterson, and those that do are not featured on this list (see: Michigan and Tom Brady).

In addition to Peterson, Oklahoma has also produced five-time Pro Bowler and two-time All-Pro Trent Williams, as well as five-time Pro Bowler and five-time All-Pro Gerald McCoy.

Even outside of the truly big names, the Sooners have produced quality talent in DeMarco Murray, Jermaine Gresham, Sam Bradford, Kenny Stills, Sterling Shepard and Lane Johnson.

6. Pittsburgh Panthers

Pittsburgh was represented by 15 players on NFL rosters last season, but what really makes their personnel contribution impressive is that four of those 15 were named to The Top 100 Players of 2016, which was good for third-most in the entire league. Not a bad percentage when you really break the numbers down.

All four are also game-changing talents led by Los Angeles Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald, who is considered by many to be the most disruptive force not named J.J. Watt. He won the 2014 Defensive Player of the Year award, has been to three straight Pro Bowls and was named a First-Team All-Pro twice.

Other former Panthers named to the Top 100 Players include cornerback Darrelle Revis and wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald, who are both future Hall of Famers, and running back LeSean McCoy, who is a five-time Pro Bowler and was named NFC Offensive Player of the Year in 2013.

Pitt has also produced other quality NFL talent by way of T.J. Clemmings, Dion Lewis, Andy Lee and Jabaal Sheard.

5. USC Trojans

There were 32 former Trojans on NFL rosters last season and four of them landed on The Top 100 Players of 2016, which was tied with Pittsburgh for the third-most in the league.

That group of four was topped by Arizona Cardinals quarterback Carson Palmer, a former first overall pick, 2005 AFC Player of the Year and three-time Pro Bowler. It also features Dallas Cowboys tackle Tyron Smith, Green Bay Packers linebacker Clay Matthews, and Carolina Panthers center Matt Kalil.

Kalil is a five-time Pro Bowler and three-time All-Pro; Smith is a four-time Pro Bowler and four-time All-Pro; and Matthews is a six-time Pro Bowler, three-time All-Pro and 2010 NFC Defensive Player of the Year. Those are some pretty impressive accolades any way you wish to slice it.

In addition to that group of four, USC has also produced Nelson Agholor, Matt Cassel, Khaled Holmes, Brian Cushing, Rey Maualuga, Devon Kennard and Leonard Williams.

4. Alabama Crimson Tide

The gem of college football, it should come as no surprise that the power within the SEC, the Alabama Crimson Tide, produced 35 players who were on an NFL roster last season. However, only one of those players made it onto The Top 100 Players of 2016.

Of course, that one player is arguably the best wide receiver in the game.

Julio Jones has dominated since the moment he stepped foot on an NFL field, being named to the Pro Bowl four times and twice earning the honor of First Team All-Pro. He also led the league in yards in 2015, and has eclipsed 1,100 yards receiving four times in his young career.

In addition to Jones, Alabama has also sent two future members of the Top 100 Players to the NFL, including safety Landon Collins and wide receiver Amari Cooper, who barely missed the cut a season ago. Collins, in his second season, was a finalist for the NFL Defensive Player of the Year award, while Cooper has been named to the Pro Bowl twice.

Other big names produced by Alabama include Ha Ha Clinton-Dix, Mark Ingram, C.J. Mosley, Marcell Dareus, Kareem Jackson and Dont’a Hightower.

3. Wisconsin Badgers

The Badgers had 26 players on an active roster last season, and three of them were named among The Top 100 Players of 2016. In fact, all three of them were in the top 25 and one was within the top five.

That one is undoubtedly obvious to anyone who pays attention: Houston Texans defensive end J.J. Watt.

A first-round pick (No. 11 overall) in the 2011 NFL Draft, Watt has gone on to establish himself as one of the most feared defenders and elite players in the game. He’s won the NFL Defensive Player of the Year award three times, has led the league in sacks twice, is a four-time First Team All-Pro and a three-time Pro Bowl selection. He also won the Bert Bell award in 2014.

In addition to Watt, the Badgers have also produced Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson and Cleveland Browns tackle Joe Thomas. Wilson was named 2012 Offensive Rookie of the Year and won Super Bowl XLVIII. Thomas is a 10-time Pro Bowler, two-time Second Team All-Pro and seven-time First Team All-Pro.

Other big names to come out of Wisconsin include Jonathan Casillas, Melvin Gordon, James White, Travis Frederick and Rick Wagner.

2. Georgia Bulldogs

33 former Bulldogs were on an NFL roster last season, and six of those were named to The Top 100 Players of 2016 — more than any other team in the league.

Georgia may not produce the most NFL players — although they still carry an impressive total — but their production of top-end players is unparalleled. Among their league-leading six players on the Top 100 is Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver A.J. Green.

A six-year veteran, Green has gone to the Pro Bowl in every season of his career. He’s also a two-time All-Pro and has set several NFL and Bengals franchise records. Undeniably, he’s one of the truly elite wide receivers in the league.

Green was joined on the Top 100 by fellow Georgia products Todd Gurley, Justin Houston, Geno Atkins, Thomas Davis and Reshad Jones. Gurley was named the 2015 Offensive Rookie of the Year, while Houston led the league in sacks in 2014 and Atkins has been named to the Pro Bowl five times.

Perhaps most impressive of all? Davis won the 2014 Walter Payton Man of the Year award.

Other big names produced by Georgia include Leonard Floyd, Matthew Stafford, Benjamin Watson, Blair Walsh, Alec Ogletree and Bacarri Rambo.

1. LSU Tigers

Several college programs have produced a lot of talent, but based solely on the current crop of NFL players, none compare to that of Louisiana State University.

LSU features a remarkable 40 players who were on an active roster during the 2016 season. But it’s not just the sheer quantity of their representation, but rather the quality of their representation. Five of those 40 players were featured on The Top 100 Players of 2016, which was second only to Georgia, who had six.

That list of five is capped off by New York Giants wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr., who is now an international superstar and the holder of more records than we could possibly recite. He’s been in the league for three years and has been named to the Pro Bowl three times. He’s also a two-time All-Pro and was awarded the 2014 Offensive Rookie of the Year.

Not to be outdone, Beckham Jr.’s LSU wide receiver counterpart, Jarvis Landry of the Miami Dolphins, also made the Top 100 having been named No. 98 overall. And like Beckham Jr., he’s an NFL record holder and two-time Pro Bowler.

Other Top 100 players from LSU include Arizona Cardinals defensive backs Patrick Peterson and Tyrann Mathieu, and now-Los Angeles Rams offensive tackle Andrew Whitworth.

LSU has also produced quality NFL talent in the form of La’el Collins, Jeremy Hill, Kwon Alexander, Deion Jones, Donnie Jones, Rueben Randle, Zach Mettenberger, Jalen Mills, Eric Reid, Brad Wing, Kyle Williams and Spencer Ware.