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 1,051–1,100 of 1,627 picks · filtered.
| Pick | Player | College | Pos | NFL team | Career |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1992 | Scottie Graham |
Ohio State
Big Ten
|
RB | PIT Pittsburgh Steelers | 57 games 8 career AV |
| 1992 | Jon Bostick |
Nebraska
Big Ten
|
WR | DEN Denver Broncos | No regular-season snaps |
| 1992 | Calvin Holmes |
USC
Big Ten
|
DB | WAS Washington Commanders | No regular-season snaps |
| 1992 | Darren Perry |
Penn State
Big Ten
|
DB | PIT Pittsburgh Steelers | 126 games · 8 yrs as starter 50 career AV |
| 1992 | Scott Lockwood |
USC
Big Ten
|
RB | NE New England Patriots | 6 games 1 career AV |
| 1992 | Sam Gash 2× Pro Bowl |
Penn State
Big Ten
|
FB | NE New England Patriots | 177 games · 5 yrs as starter 13 career AV |
| 1992 | Andre Powell |
Penn State
Big Ten
|
LB | MIA Miami Dolphins | 16 games 2 career AV |
| 1992 | Kent Graham |
Ohio State
Big Ten
|
QB | NYG New York Giants | 81 games · 1 yrs as starter 21 career AV |
| 1992 | Chuck Bullough |
Michigan State
Big Ten
|
LB | PHI Philadelphia Eagles | 4 games |
| 1992 | Leonard Humphries |
Penn State
Big Ten
|
DB | BUF Buffalo Bills | 13 games 1 career AV |
| 1992 | Elnardo Webster |
Rutgers
Big Ten
|
LB | PIT Pittsburgh Steelers | 3 games |
| 1992 | Don Jones |
Washington
Big Ten
|
LB | NO New Orleans Saints | 8 games 1 career AV |
| 1992 | Muhammad Oliver |
Oregon
Big Ten
|
DB | DEN Denver Broncos | 21 games 1 career AV |
| 1992 | Mike Saunders |
Iowa
Big Ten
|
RB | PIT Pittsburgh Steelers | No regular-season snaps |
| 1992 | Raoul Spears |
USC
Big Ten
|
RB | MIA Miami Dolphins | No regular-season snaps |
| 1992 | Brian Townsend |
Michigan
Big Ten
|
LB | LAR Los Angeles Rams | 3 games |
| 1992 | Mazio Royster |
USC
Big Ten
|
RB | TB Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 33 games 1 career AV |
| 1992 | Rob Baxley |
Iowa
Big Ten
|
T | ARI Phoenix Cardinals | 6 games |
| 1992 | Mike Petko |
Nebraska
Big Ten
|
LB | NE New England Patriots | No regular-season snaps |
| 1992 | Kris Rongen |
Washington
Big Ten
|
G | SEA Seattle Seahawks | No regular-season snaps |
| 1992 | Terry Smith |
Penn State
Big Ten
|
WR | WAS Washington Commanders | No regular-season snaps |
| 1992 | Brett Collins |
Washington
Big Ten
|
LB | GB Green Bay Packers | 27 games 2 career AV |
| 1992 | Keithen McCant |
Nebraska
Big Ten
|
QB | CLE Cleveland Browns | No regular-season snaps |
| 1992 | Chico Fraley |
Washington
Big Ten
|
LB | SEA Seattle Seahawks | No regular-season snaps |
| 1992 | John MacNeill |
Michigan State
Big Ten
|
DE | SEA Seattle Seahawks | No regular-season snaps |
| 1992 | Matt LaBounty |
Oregon
Big Ten
|
DE | SF San Francisco 49ers | 85 games 9 career AV |
| 1992 | Matt Rodgers |
Iowa
Big Ten
|
QB | BUF Buffalo Bills | No regular-season snaps |
| 1992 | Matt Elliott |
Michigan
Big Ten
|
G | WAS Washington Commanders | 63 games · 2 yrs as starter 15 career AV |
| 1991 | Scott Zolak |
Maryland
Big Ten
|
QB | NE New England Patriots | 55 games 4 career AV |
| 1991 | Bill Musgrave |
Oregon
Big Ten
|
QB | DAL Dallas Cowboys | 12 games 1 career AV |
| 1991 | Clarence Jones |
Maryland
Big Ten
|
T | NYG New York Giants | 111 games · 6 yrs as starter 36 career AV |
| 1991 | Jon Vaughn |
Michigan
Big Ten
|
RB | NE New England Patriots | 61 games 9 career AV |
| 1991 | Greg Lewis |
Washington
Big Ten
|
RB | DEN Denver Broncos | 32 games 5 career AV |
| 1991 | Scott Conover |
Purdue
Big Ten
|
T | DET Detroit Lions | 67 games · 1 yrs as starter 16 career AV |
| 1991 | Chris Thome |
Minnesota
Big Ten
|
C | MIN Minnesota Vikings | 11 games 1 career AV |
| 1991 | Merton Hanks 1× All-Pro 4× Pro Bowl |
Iowa
Big Ten
|
DB | SF San Francisco 49ers | 137 games · 7 yrs as starter 64 career AV |
| 1991 | Duane Young |
Michigan State
Big Ten
|
TE | LAC San Diego Chargers | 73 games · 4 yrs as starter 3 career AV |
| 1991 | Gary Wellman |
USC
Big Ten
|
WR | TEN Houston Oilers | 28 games 5 career AV |
| 1991 | Charles Mincy |
Washington
Big Ten
|
DB | KC Kansas City Chiefs | 114 games · 3 yrs as starter 30 career AV |
| 1991 | David Key |
Michigan
Big Ten
|
DB | NE New England Patriots | 3 games |
| 1991 | Nolan Harrison |
Indiana
Big Ten
|
DE | LV Los Angeles Raiders | 128 games · 4 yrs as starter 35 career AV |
| 1991 | Leroy Thompson |
Penn State
Big Ten
|
RB | PIT Pittsburgh Steelers | 80 games 18 career AV |
| 1991 | Tripp Welborne |
Michigan
Big Ten
|
DB | MIN Minnesota Vikings | 2 games |
| 1991 | James Bradley |
Michigan State
Big Ten
|
WR | IND Indianapolis Colts | No regular-season snaps |
| 1991 | Mark Tucker |
USC
Big Ten
|
G | ATL Atlanta Falcons | 16 games 2 career AV |
| 1991 | Randy Austin |
UCLA
Big Ten
|
TE | ATL Atlanta Falcons | No regular-season snaps |
| 1991 | Kenny Walker |
Nebraska
Big Ten
|
DE | DEN Denver Broncos | 31 games · 1 yrs as starter 9 career AV |
| 1991 | Pat Tyrance |
Nebraska
Big Ten
|
LB | LAR Los Angeles Rams | No regular-season snaps |
| 1991 | Dean Dingman |
Michigan
Big Ten
|
G | PIT Pittsburgh Steelers | No regular-season snaps |
| 1991 | Gary Brown |
Penn State
Big Ten
|
RB | TEN Houston Oilers | 99 games · 3 yrs as starter 27 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.