NFL draft record for most picks by one school: Michigan football can break it in 2024

John Leuzzi, USA TODAY NETWORK

Michigan football has the chance to make history in the 2024 NFL Draft.

And it doesn't have to do with the sole fact that J.J. McCarthy is set to become the highest-drafted Wolverine quarterback, surpassing his former coach Jim Harbaugh going No. 26 in the 1987 NFL Draft to the Chicago Bears.

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The reigning national champion Wolverines — who already have set one record this NFL draft process with 18 players invited to the NFL combine — have another record they can break: most players selected in a single NFL draft, a mark that is currently held by Georgia, which had 15 players selected in the 2022 draft.

Highlighted by McCarthy, who has risen into the top five in several mock drafts in the last week or so, Michigan has a total of 18 eligible players in this year's NFL draft:

  • Offense: McCarthy, Blake Corum, Roman Wilson, Cornelius Johnson, AJ Barner, Karsen Barnhart, LaDarius Henderson, Trevor Keegan, Trente Jones, Drake Nugent and Zak Zinter

  • Defense: Kris Jenkins, Michael Barrett, Mike Sainristil, Junior Colson, Jaylen Harrell, Braiden McGregor and Josh Wallace

The current record for the Wolverines — since the NFL draft was reduced to seven rounds in 1994 is 11 players in 2021. That mark is tied for sixth most, according to NCAA.com. The next closest number for Michigan is 10 players, in 2020.

Here's what you need to know on the record for most selections out of one program in a single NFL draft:

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What is the NFL draft record for most players from one program?

The record for most players selected in one NFL draft out of one specific program was set in 2022, when 15 players from Georgia were selected. The Bulldogs surpassed the previous record, set by Ohio State and LSU at 14 players apiece.

The Bulldogs, who had won the first of two back-to-back national championship titles that season by beating SEC rival Alabama, had five players selected in the first round in 2022— Travon Walker, Jordan Davis, Quay Walker, Devonte Wyatt and Lewis Cine. That tied the second-most selections in the first round since 1994 with LSU (2020), Ohio State (2016) and Miami (2002), behind only Alabama in 2021 (six first-round picks).

Most players taken in NFL draft from one program:

Georgia holds the record for most players taken in one NFL draft from one program with 15 in 2022. Ohio State in 2004 and LSU in 2020 each produced 14 players taken in their respective drafts, coming in at a tie for second behind the Bulldogs.

Here's the full list dating back to 1994, when the draft expanded to seven rounds, according to the NCAA record book:

  • 1. 15 players: Georgia (2022)

  • T-2. 14 players: Ohio State (2004), LSU (2020)

  • T-4. 12 players: Ohio State (2016), Alabama (2018)

  • T-6. 11 players: Miami (2002), Oklahoma (2005), USC (2006), USC (2009), Florida State (2013), Florida State (2015) and Michigan (2017)

  • T-13. 10 players: Notre Dame (1994), Colorado (1995), Florida State (1995), Penn State (1996), Washington (1998), Tennessee (2002), USC (2008), Louisville (2015), Alabama (2017), Ohio State (2020), Michigan (2020), Alabama (2021), Ohio State (2021), Alabama (2023) and Georgia (2023)

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: NFL draft record for most picks by one school: Michigan football can break it in 2024

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