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
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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 951–1,000 of 1,627 picks · filtered.
| Pick | Player | College | Pos | NFL team | Career |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1996 | Eric Smedley |
Indiana
Big Ten
|
DB | BUF Buffalo Bills | 42 games 2 career AV |
| 1995 | Rob Johnson |
USC
Big Ten
|
QB | JAX Jacksonville Jaguars | 48 games · 2 yrs as starter 21 career AV |
| 1995 | Michael Roan |
Wisconsin
Big Ten
|
TE | TEN Houston Oilers | 62 games · 1 yrs as starter 4 career AV |
| 1995 | Eric Bjornson |
Washington
Big Ten
|
TE | DAL Dallas Cowboys | 82 games · 2 yrs as starter 10 career AV |
| 1995 | Mike Thompson |
Wisconsin
Big Ten
|
DT | JAX Jacksonville Jaguars | 34 games 3 career AV |
| 1995 | Donta Jones |
Nebraska
Big Ten
|
LB | PIT Pittsburgh Steelers | 91 games 10 career AV |
| 1995 | Rob Zatechka |
Nebraska
Big Ten
|
G | NYG New York Giants | 47 games 5 career AV |
| 1995 | Frank Garcia |
Washington
Big Ten
|
C | CAR Carolina Panthers | 125 games · 5 yrs as starter 39 career AV |
| 1995 | Michael Senters |
Northwestern
Big Ten
|
DB | CAR Carolina Panthers | No regular-season snaps |
| 1995 | Matt Dyson |
Michigan
Big Ten
|
LB | LV Oakland Raiders | 4 games |
| 1995 | Carl Greenwood |
UCLA
Big Ten
|
DB | NYJ New York Jets | 24 games 2 career AV |
| 1995 | Phil Yeboah-Kodie |
Penn State
Big Ten
|
LB | DEN Denver Broncos | 2 games |
| 1995 | Lance Brown |
Indiana
Big Ten
|
DB | PIT Pittsburgh Steelers | 58 games · 1 yrs as starter 6 career AV |
| 1995 | Edward Hervey |
USC
Big Ten
|
WR | DAL Dallas Cowboys | No regular-season snaps |
| 1995 | Tito Paul |
Ohio State
Big Ten
|
DB | ARI Arizona Cardinals | 67 games 7 career AV |
| 1995 | Andrew Peterson |
Washington
Big Ten
|
T | CAR Carolina Panthers | 4 games 1 career AV |
| 1995 | Ryan Grigson |
Purdue
Big Ten
|
T | CIN Cincinnati Bengals | No regular-season snaps |
| 1995 | Fritz Fequiere |
Iowa
Big Ten
|
G | DEN Denver Broncos | No regular-season snaps |
| 1995 | Lee DeRamus |
Wisconsin
Big Ten
|
WR | NO New Orleans Saints | 23 games 2 career AV |
| 1995 | Brian Gelzheiser |
Penn State
Big Ten
|
LB | IND Indianapolis Colts | No regular-season snaps |
| 1995 | Cory Schlesinger |
Nebraska
Big Ten
|
FB | DET Detroit Lions | 181 games · 8 yrs as starter 13 career AV |
| 1995 | Kenny Gales |
Wisconsin
Big Ten
|
DB | CHI Chicago Bears | No regular-season snaps |
| 1995 | Jeff Kopp |
USC
Big Ten
|
LB | MIA Miami Dolphins | 63 games 4 career AV |
| 1995 | Dino Philyaw |
Oregon
Big Ten
|
RB | NE New England Patriots | 23 games |
| 1995 | Barron Miles |
Nebraska
Big Ten
|
DB | PIT Pittsburgh Steelers | No regular-season snaps |
| 1995 | Chad Cota |
Oregon
Big Ten
|
DB | CAR Carolina Panthers | 125 games · 5 yrs as starter 34 career AV |
| 1995 | Steve Ingram |
Maryland
Big Ten
|
T | TB Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 8 games 1 career AV |
| 1995 | Keif Bryant |
Rutgers
Big Ten
|
DE | SEA Seattle Seahawks | No regular-season snaps |
| 1995 | Herman O'Berry |
Oregon
Big Ten
|
DB | LAR St. Louis Rams | 9 games |
| 1995 | Cole Ford |
USC
Big Ten
|
K | PIT Pittsburgh Steelers | 38 games 4 career AV |
| 1994 | Bradford Banta |
USC
Big Ten
|
TE | IND Indianapolis Colts | 156 games |
| 1994 | Chris Brantley |
Rutgers
Big Ten
|
WR | LAR Los Angeles Rams | 25 games |
| 1994 | John Reece |
Nebraska
Big Ten
|
DB | ARI Arizona Cardinals | 5 games |
| 1994 | Raymont Harris |
Ohio State
Big Ten
|
RB | CHI Chicago Bears | 54 games · 3 yrs as starter 21 career AV |
| 1994 | Mike Wells |
Iowa
Big Ten
|
DT | MIN Minnesota Vikings | 115 games · 4 yrs as starter 31 career AV |
| 1994 | Shelly Hammonds |
Penn State
Big Ten
|
DB | MIN Minnesota Vikings | 1 games |
| 1994 | Pete Pierson |
Washington
Big Ten
|
T | TB Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 102 games · 1 yrs as starter 14 career AV |
| 1994 | Myron Bell |
Michigan State
Big Ten
|
DB | PIT Pittsburgh Steelers | 112 games · 3 yrs as starter 19 career AV |
| 1994 | Craig Novitsky |
UCLA
Big Ten
|
G | NO New Orleans Saints | 41 games 7 career AV |
| 1994 | Marvin Goodwin |
UCLA
Big Ten
|
DB | PHI Philadelphia Eagles | No regular-season snaps |
| 1994 | Jim Miller |
Michigan State
Big Ten
|
QB | PIT Pittsburgh Steelers | 37 games · 2 yrs as starter 16 career AV |
| 1994 | Eric Ravotti |
Penn State
Big Ten
|
LB | PIT Pittsburgh Steelers | 23 games 3 career AV |
| 1994 | Jason Winrow |
Ohio State
Big Ten
|
G | NYG New York Giants | No regular-season snaps |
| 1994 | Lee Gissendaner |
Northwestern
Big Ten
|
WR | TEN Houston Oilers | No regular-season snaps |
| 1994 | Mark Montgomery |
Wisconsin
Big Ten
|
RB | PHI Philadelphia Eagles | No regular-season snaps |
| 1994 | Brice Abrams |
Michigan State
Big Ten
|
RB | PIT Pittsburgh Steelers | No regular-season snaps |
| 1994 | Butler By'not'e |
Ohio State
Big Ten
|
RB | DEN Denver Broncos | 16 games |
| 1994 | Lance Lundberg |
Nebraska
Big Ten
|
T | NO New Orleans Saints | No regular-season snaps |
| 1994 | Rob Holmberg |
Penn State
Big Ten
|
LB | LV Los Angeles Raiders | 112 games 9 career AV |
| 1993 | Travis Hannah |
USC
Big Ten
|
WR | TEN Houston Oilers | 37 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.