Big Ten programs ranked by NFL draft picks since 1980 — first-rounders, Pro Bowl alumni, and recent draft classes.
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College Football
NFL Draft History by college program
Big Ten programs ranked by NFL draft picks since 1980 — first-rounders, Pro Bowl alumni, and recent draft classes.
- Draft picks
- 12,927
- Colleges
- 446
- First-rounders
- 1,427
- Hall of Famers
- 102
- Pro Bowlers
- 1,326
- Drafts covered
- 47
Showing Day 2 picks out of the Big Ten · reset
Schools that produce the most NFL draft picks
Ranked by total picks within the current filters. Open a program for its full draft board.
-
1
Ohio State
Big Ten
78picks
Ohio State team hub
-
2
Penn State
Big Ten
72picks
Penn State team hub
-
3
Michigan
Big Ten
69picks
Michigan team hub
| # | School | Picks | Rd 1 | Pro Bowlers | HOF | Last 10 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 |
USC
Big Ten · last pick 2026
|
69 | 0 | 1014% | 0 | 13 |
| 5 |
Washington
Big Ten · last pick 2026
|
55 | 0 | 713% | 0 | 16 |
| 6 |
Nebraska
Big Ten · last pick 2022
|
51 | 0 | 918% | 2 | 2 |
| 7 |
Iowa
Big Ten · last pick 2026
|
46 | 0 | 715% | 1 | 12 |
| 8 |
UCLA
Big Ten · last pick 2025
|
45 | 0 | 613% | 0 | 9 |
| 9 |
Oregon
Big Ten · last pick 2026
|
40 | 0 | 410% | 0 | 9 |
| 10 |
Wisconsin
Big Ten · last pick 2023
|
37 | 0 | 514% | 0 | 7 |
| 11 |
Maryland
Big Ten · last pick 2026
|
29 | 0 | 1034% | 0 | 4 |
| 12 |
Michigan State
Big Ten · last pick 2023
|
28 | 0 | 414% | 0 | 4 |
| 13 |
Purdue
Big Ten · last pick 2022
|
23 | 0 | 835% | 1 | 2 |
| 14 |
Indiana
Big Ten · last pick 2026
|
19 | 0 | 15% | 0 | 3 |
| 15 |
Rutgers
Big Ten · last pick 2024
|
14 | 0 | 214% | 0 | 2 |
| 16 |
Minnesota
Big Ten · last pick 2025
|
13 | 0 | 215% | 0 | 7 |
| 17 |
Northwestern
Big Ten · last pick 2026
|
8 | 0 | 00% | 0 | 1 |
Draft pick explorer
Showing 651–696 of 696 picks · filtered.
| Pick | Player | College | Pos | NFL team | Career |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1983 | Walker Lee Ashley |
Penn State
Big Ten
|
LB | MIN Minnesota Vikings | 94 games · 1 yrs as starter 13 career AV |
| 1983 | Jo-Jo Townsell |
UCLA
Big Ten
|
WR | NYJ New York Jets | 83 games 10 career AV |
| 1983 | Jimmy Turner |
UCLA
Big Ten
|
DB | CIN Cincinnati Bengals | 64 games 6 career AV |
| 1983 | Tony Caldwell |
Washington
Big Ten
|
LB | LV Los Angeles Raiders | 36 games 3 career AV |
| 1983 | Steve Brown |
Oregon
Big Ten
|
DB | TEN Houston Oilers | 119 games · 7 yrs as starter 30 career AV |
| 1982 | Leo Wisniewski |
Penn State
Big Ten
|
NT | IND Baltimore Colts | 36 games · 3 yrs as starter 16 career AV |
| 1982 | Bubba Paris |
Michigan
Big Ten
|
T | SF San Francisco 49ers | 130 games · 7 yrs as starter 51 career AV |
| 1982 | Jim Romano |
Penn State
Big Ten
|
C | LV Los Angeles Raiders | 45 games · 1 yrs as starter 15 career AV |
| 1982 | Andre Tippett HOF 2× All-Pro 5× Pro Bowl |
Iowa
Big Ten
|
LB | NE New England Patriots | 151 games · 10 yrs as starter 90 career AV |
| 1982 | Jim Burroughs |
Michigan State
Big Ten
|
DB | IND Baltimore Colts | 30 games · 2 yrs as starter 12 career AV |
| 1982 | Rodney Lewis |
Nebraska
Big Ten
|
DB | NO New Orleans Saints | 27 games 4 career AV |
| 1982 | Tim Wrightman |
UCLA
Big Ten
|
TE | CHI Chicago Bears | 32 games 7 career AV |
| 1982 | Stan Edwards |
Michigan
Big Ten
|
RB | TEN Houston Oilers | 56 games · 1 yrs as starter 7 career AV |
| 1982 | Vyto Kab |
Penn State
Big Ten
|
TE | PHI Philadelphia Eagles | 58 games · 1 yrs as starter 4 career AV |
| 1982 | Paul Lankford |
Penn State
Big Ten
|
DB | MIA Miami Dolphins | 130 games · 5 yrs as starter 26 career AV |
| 1981 | Russell Gary |
Nebraska
Big Ten
|
DB | NO New Orleans Saints | 80 games · 4 yrs as starter 29 career AV |
| 1981 | Marion Barber Jr. |
Minnesota
Big Ten
|
RB | NYJ New York Jets | 85 games · 1 yrs as starter 5 career AV |
| 1981 | Dave Young |
Purdue
Big Ten
|
TE | NYG New York Giants | 25 games · 1 yrs as starter 1 career AV |
| 1981 | John Harty |
Iowa
Big Ten
|
NT | SF San Francisco 49ers | 42 games · 1 yrs as starter 11 career AV |
| 1981 | Jarvis Redwine |
Nebraska
Big Ten
|
RB | MIN Minnesota Vikings | 26 games |
| 1981 | Doug Donley |
Ohio State
Big Ten
|
WR | DAL Dallas Cowboys | 43 games 7 career AV |
| 1981 | Andra Franklin 1× Pro Bowl |
Nebraska
Big Ten
|
RB | MIA Miami Dolphins | 42 games · 3 yrs as starter 18 career AV |
| 1981 | Bill Dugan |
Penn State
Big Ten
|
G | SEA Seattle Seahawks | 44 games 7 career AV |
| 1981 | Ray Stachowicz |
Michigan State
Big Ten
|
P | GB Green Bay Packers | 27 games 4 career AV |
| 1981 | Randy Van Divier |
Washington
Big Ten
|
T | IND Baltimore Colts | 16 games 2 career AV |
| 1981 | Hoby Brenner 1× Pro Bowl |
USC
Big Ten
|
TE | NO New Orleans Saints | 175 games · 12 yrs as starter 31 career AV |
| 1981 | Lloyd Burruss 1× Pro Bowl |
Maryland
Big Ten
|
DB | KC Kansas City Chiefs | 145 games · 8 yrs as starter 45 career AV |
| 1980 | Doug Marsh |
Michigan
Big Ten
|
TE | ARI St. Louis Cardinals | 92 games · 6 yrs as starter 17 career AV |
| 1980 | Mark Lee |
Washington
Big Ten
|
DB | GB Green Bay Packers | 165 games · 10 yrs as starter 56 career AV |
| 1980 | Angelo Fields |
Michigan State
Big Ten
|
T | TEN Houston Oilers | 30 games 3 career AV |
| 1980 | Keena Turner 1× Pro Bowl |
Purdue
Big Ten
|
LB | SF San Francisco 49ers | 153 games · 9 yrs as starter 57 career AV |
| 1980 | Matt Millen 1× Pro Bowl |
Penn State
Big Ten
|
LB | LV Oakland Raiders | 180 games · 12 yrs as starter 67 career AV |
| 1980 | Larry McGrew |
USC
Big Ten
|
LB | NE New England Patriots | 133 games · 7 yrs as starter 45 career AV |
| 1980 | Matt Suhey |
Penn State
Big Ten
|
RB | CHI Chicago Bears | 148 games · 7 yrs as starter 34 career AV |
| 1980 | Ralph Clayton |
Michigan
Big Ten
|
WR | NYJ New York Jets | 7 games |
| 1980 | Irv Pankey |
Penn State
Big Ten
|
T | LAR Los Angeles Rams | 150 games · 9 yrs as starter 49 career AV |
| 1980 | Tom Turnure |
Washington
Big Ten
|
C | DET Detroit Lions | 63 games 6 career AV |
| 1980 | Rod Horn |
Nebraska
Big Ten
|
NT | CIN Cincinnati Bengals | 23 games 4 career AV |
| 1980 | Mike Friede |
Indiana
Big Ten
|
WR | DET Detroit Lions | 27 games · 1 yrs as starter 5 career AV |
| 1980 | Myron Lapka |
USC
Big Ten
|
NT | NYG New York Giants | 16 games 1 career AV |
| 1980 | Mark Brammer |
Michigan State
Big Ten
|
TE | BUF Buffalo Bills | 65 games · 3 yrs as starter 11 career AV |
| 1980 | Brent Boyd |
UCLA
Big Ten
|
G | MIN Minnesota Vikings | 59 games · 1 yrs as starter 16 career AV |
| 1980 | Lance Mehl 1× Pro Bowl |
Penn State
Big Ten
|
LB | NYJ New York Jets | 97 games · 6 yrs as starter 51 career AV |
| 1980 | Bill Barnett |
Nebraska
Big Ten
|
DE | MIA Miami Dolphins | 77 games 12 career AV |
| 1980 | Tim Smith |
Nebraska
Big Ten
|
WR | TEN Houston Oilers | 90 games · 3 yrs as starter 23 career AV |
| 1980 | Ray Sydnor |
Wisconsin
Big Ten
|
TE | PIT Pittsburgh Steelers | No regular-season snaps |
Browse by draft class
Every year from 1980 to 2026 — school counts, conference splits, and the full first round.
NFL draft history guide
Last updated Aug 24, 2026
What this page tracks
NFL Draft History by College ranks every program by the NFL players it has produced since 1980. Browse 12,927 picks across 446 schools — first-rounders, Pro Bowl alumni, Hall of Famers, and recent draft classes — then open any school or year for the full board.
By the numbers
- 12,927 drafted players from 446 colleges, 1980–2026.
- 1,427 first-round selections across 47 drafts.
- 1,326 of those picks made at least one Pro Bowl; 102 reached the Hall of Fame.
- Most picks all-time: Ohio State — 78
- Most picks since 2017: Alabama — 95
- Top conference: SEC — 2,760 picks
- Most-drafted first-round position: DB — 181 picks
How to read the board
- Start with the school leaderboard — sort by total picks, first-rounders, Pro Bowls, or the last ten drafts.
- Use the round, conference, and position chips to isolate a pipeline, like SEC defensive backs in Round 1.
- Open a program for its full draft board, or a year for the complete class in pick order.
First round vs. career outcomes
Volume and quality are different signals. A program can lead in raw picks while another turns fewer selections into more Pro Bowlers. The Pro Bowler rate next to each school shows how often its picks became long-term NFL contributors, so read it alongside the Round 1 column rather than instead of it.
Frequently asked questions
Which college has produced the most NFL draft picks?
Ohio State leads FantasyHQ’s archive with 78 NFL draft picks since 1980. Compare every program at https://fantasyhq.co/cfb-hq/draft-history.
How far back does FantasyHQ’s NFL draft history go?
The archive covers every NFL draft from 1980 through 2026 — 12,927 picks across 446 college programs. Open a school page or a draft class year for the full pick list.
Can I see first-round NFL draft picks by college?
Yes. Filter the board to Round 1, or sort schools by first-rounders. FantasyHQ lists 1,427 first-round selections since 1980. Start at https://fantasyhq.co/cfb-hq/draft-history.
Does the page show NFL career outcomes for drafted players?
Where available, each pick includes Pro Bowls, All-Pro selections, Hall of Fame status, games played, and Approximate Value. The archive currently tracks 1,326 Pro Bowl alumni and 102 Hall of Famers.
How is this different from a fantasy football mock draft?
This page is the real NFL draft pipeline — college programs to NFL clubs — not a fantasy league draft board. For fantasy mock drafts and rankings, use FantasyHQ’s fantasy tools. Draft history lives at https://fantasyhq.co/cfb-hq/draft-history.
How often is the draft history page updated?
New draft classes land when the board is published each spring. Career outcomes refresh as seasons complete. This page was last labeled Aug 24, 2026.