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 3 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
Penn State
Big Ten
140picks
Penn State team hub
-
2
Ohio State
Big Ten
137picks
Ohio State team hub
-
3
Nebraska
Big Ten
132picks
Nebraska team hub
| # | School | Picks | Rd 1 | Pro Bowlers | HOF | Last 10 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 |
USC
Big Ten · last pick 2026
|
127 | 0 | 54% | 0 | 19 |
| 5 |
Michigan
Big Ten · last pick 2026
|
125 | 0 | 76% | 0 | 37 |
| 6 |
UCLA
Big Ten · last pick 2025
|
111 | 0 | 55% | 0 | 20 |
| 7 |
Washington
Big Ten · last pick 2026
|
110 | 0 | 33% | 0 | 22 |
| 8 |
Wisconsin
Big Ten · last pick 2025
|
105 | 0 | 66% | 0 | 22 |
| 9 |
Michigan State
Big Ten · last pick 2026
|
102 | 0 | 66% | 1 | 14 |
| 10 |
Iowa
Big Ten · last pick 2026
|
98 | 0 | 88% | 0 | 24 |
| 11 |
Oregon
Big Ten · last pick 2026
|
93 | 0 | 11% | 0 | 29 |
| 12 |
Maryland
Big Ten · last pick 2025
|
75 | 0 | 34% | 0 | 18 |
| 13 |
Minnesota
Big Ten · last pick 2026
|
71 | 0 | 23% | 0 | 13 |
| 14 |
Purdue
Big Ten · last pick 2025
|
71 | 0 | 23% | 0 | 14 |
| 15 |
Northwestern
Big Ten · last pick 2026
|
49 | 0 | 24% | 0 | 9 |
| 16 |
Indiana
Big Ten · last pick 2026
|
46 | 0 | 24% | 0 | 12 |
| 17 |
Rutgers
Big Ten · last pick 2026
|
35 | 0 | 13% | 0 | 10 |
Draft pick explorer
Showing 701–750 of 1,627 picks · filtered.
| Pick | Player | College | Pos | NFL team | Career |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 |
Jim Sorgi
|
Wisconsin
Big Ten
|
QB | IND Indianapolis Colts | 16 games 5 career AV |
| 2004 |
Matt Kranchick
|
Penn State
Big Ten
|
TE | PIT Pittsburgh Steelers | 8 games |
| 2004 |
Keith Lewis
|
Oregon
Big Ten
|
DB | SF San Francisco 49ers | 76 games · 1 yrs as starter 8 career AV |
| 2004 |
Jeff Smoker
|
Michigan State
Big Ten
|
QB | LAR St. Louis Rams | No regular-season snaps |
| 2004 |
John Navarre
|
Michigan
Big Ten
|
QB | ARI Arizona Cardinals | 2 games |
| 2004 |
Ryon Bingham
|
Nebraska
Big Ten
|
DT | LAC San Diego Chargers | 49 games 6 career AV |
| 2004 |
Nate Jones
|
Rutgers
Big Ten
|
DB | DAL Dallas Cowboys | 106 games 9 career AV |
| 2004 |
Shane Olivea
|
Ohio State
Big Ten
|
T | LAC San Diego Chargers | 60 games · 4 yrs as starter 31 career AV |
| 2004 |
Raheem Orr
|
Rutgers
Big Ten
|
LB | HOU Houston Texans | 2 games |
| 2004 |
Cody Pickett
|
Washington
Big Ten
|
QB | SF San Francisco 49ers | 6 games 1 career AV |
| 2004 |
Jeff Dugan
|
Maryland
Big Ten
|
TE | MIN Minnesota Vikings | 79 games 2 career AV |
| 2004 |
Tony Pape
|
Michigan
Big Ten
|
G | MIA Miami Dolphins | No regular-season snaps |
| 2004 |
Jacques Reeves
|
Purdue
Big Ten
|
DB | DAL Dallas Cowboys | 90 games · 2 yrs as starter 15 career AV |
| 2004 |
Adrien Clarke
|
Ohio State
Big Ten
|
G | PHI Philadelphia Eagles | 28 games · 1 yrs as starter 8 career AV |
| 2004 |
David Kimball
|
Penn State
Big Ten
|
K | IND Indianapolis Colts | No regular-season snaps |
| 2004 |
Jared Clauss
|
Iowa
Big Ten
|
DT | TEN Tennessee Titans | 29 games 3 career AV |
| 2004 |
Trevor Johnson
|
Nebraska
Big Ten
|
DE | NYJ New York Jets | 35 games 4 career AV |
| 2004 | Erik Jensen |
Iowa
Big Ten
|
TE | LAR St. Louis Rams | No regular-season snaps |
| 2004 |
Sean McHugh
|
Penn State
Big Ten
|
FB | TEN Tennessee Titans | 40 games · 1 yrs as starter 2 career AV |
| 2004 |
Bruce Perry
|
Maryland
Big Ten
|
RB | PHI Philadelphia Eagles | 5 games |
| 2003 | George Wrighster |
Oregon
Big Ten
|
TE | JAX Jacksonville Jaguars | 67 games · 1 yrs as starter 8 career AV |
| 2003 | Onterrio Smith |
Oregon
Big Ten
|
RB | MIN Minnesota Vikings | 26 games 14 career AV |
| 2003 | DeJuan Groce |
Nebraska
Big Ten
|
DB | LAR St. Louis Rams | 54 games · 1 yrs as starter 10 career AV |
| 2003 | Matt Wilhelm |
Ohio State
Big Ten
|
LB | LAC San Diego Chargers | 89 games · 1 yrs as starter 18 career AV |
| 2003 | Austin King |
Northwestern
Big Ten
|
C | TB Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 34 games 3 career AV |
| 2003 | Derek Pagel |
Iowa
Big Ten
|
DB | NYJ New York Jets | 19 games 1 career AV |
| 2003 | Ben Sobieski |
Iowa
Big Ten
|
T | BUF Buffalo Bills | 1 games |
| 2003 | Michael Lehan |
Minnesota
Big Ten
|
DB | CLE Cleveland Browns | 67 games · 1 yrs as starter 9 career AV |
| 2003 | Donnie Nickey |
Ohio State
Big Ten
|
DB | TEN Tennessee Titans | 123 games 8 career AV |
| 2003 | B.J. Tucker |
Wisconsin
Big Ten
|
DB | DAL Dallas Cowboys | 10 games |
| 2003 | Joe Odom |
Purdue
Big Ten
|
LB | CHI Chicago Bears | 28 games 6 career AV |
| 2003 | Drew Henson |
Michigan
Big Ten
|
QB | HOU Houston Texans | 9 games |
| 2003 | Cato June 1× Pro Bowl |
Michigan
Big Ten
|
LB | IND Indianapolis Colts | 89 games · 5 yrs as starter 38 career AV |
| 2003 | Brooks Bollinger |
Wisconsin
Big Ten
|
QB | NYJ New York Jets | 21 games · 1 yrs as starter 6 career AV |
| 2003 | Kareem Kelly |
USC
Big Ten
|
WR | NO New Orleans Saints | No regular-season snaps |
| 2003 | Ben Johnson |
Wisconsin
Big Ten
|
T | DET Detroit Lions | No regular-season snaps |
| 2003 | Malaefou MacKenzie |
USC
Big Ten
|
FB | JAX Jacksonville Jaguars | 1 games |
| 2003 | Keenan Howry |
Oregon
Big Ten
|
WR | MIN Minnesota Vikings | 23 games |
| 2003 |
Josh Brown
1× Pro Bowl
|
Nebraska
Big Ten
|
K | SEA Seattle Seahawks | 201 games 34 career AV |
| 2003 | Gibran Hamdan |
Indiana
Big Ten
|
QB | WAS Washington Commanders | 1 games |
| 2003 | Charles Drake |
Michigan
Big Ten
|
DB | NYG New York Giants | No regular-season snaps |
| 2003 | Scott Shanle |
Nebraska
Big Ten
|
LB | LAR St. Louis Rams | 133 games · 7 yrs as starter 41 career AV |
| 2002 | Jonathan Wells |
Ohio State
Big Ten
|
RB | HOU Houston Texans | 60 games · 1 yrs as starter 11 career AV |
| 2002 | Kevin Bentley |
Northwestern
Big Ten
|
LB | CLE Cleveland Browns | 136 games · 2 yrs as starter 23 career AV |
| 2002 | Justin Peelle |
Oregon
Big Ten
|
TE | LAC San Diego Chargers | 151 games · 4 yrs as starter 8 career AV |
| 2002 | Omar Easy |
Penn State
Big Ten
|
FB | KC Kansas City Chiefs | 53 games |
| 2002 | Travis Dorsch |
Purdue
Big Ten
|
P | CIN Cincinnati Bengals | 1 games |
| 2002 | Mike Echols |
Wisconsin
Big Ten
|
DB | TEN Tennessee Titans | 9 games |
| 2002 | Darnell Sanders |
Ohio State
Big Ten
|
TE | CLE Cleveland Browns | 28 games · 1 yrs as starter 1 career AV |
| 2002 | Ron Johnson |
Minnesota
Big Ten
|
WR | BAL Baltimore Ravens | 22 games 1 career AV |
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: Penn State — 140
- 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?
Penn State leads FantasyHQ’s archive with 140 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.