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 1,151–1,200 of 1,627 picks · filtered.
| Pick | Player | College | Pos | NFL team | Career |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | Bill Hitchcock |
Purdue
Big Ten
|
T | SEA Seattle Seahawks | 51 games · 3 yrs as starter 14 career AV |
| 1990 | Ken Clark |
Nebraska
Big Ten
|
TE | IND Indianapolis Colts | 34 games · 1 yrs as starter 4 career AV |
| 1990 | Gerry Gdowski |
Nebraska
Big Ten
|
QB | NO New Orleans Saints | No regular-season snaps |
| 1990 | Marvcus Patton |
UCLA
Big Ten
|
LB | BUF Buffalo Bills | 208 games · 10 yrs as starter 66 career AV |
| 1990 | Curt Dykes |
Oregon
Big Ten
|
T | PHI Philadelphia Eagles | No regular-season snaps |
| 1990 | Brad Leggett |
USC
Big Ten
|
C | DEN Denver Broncos | 4 games 1 career AV |
| 1990 | Tim Moxley |
Ohio State
Big Ten
|
G | WAS Washington Commanders | No regular-season snaps |
| 1990 | Brad Quast |
Iowa
Big Ten
|
LB | NYJ New York Jets | No regular-season snaps |
| 1990 | Jim Szymanski |
Michigan State
Big Ten
|
DE | DEN Denver Broncos | 7 games 2 career AV |
| 1990 | Craig Hudson |
Wisconsin
Big Ten
|
TE | KC Kansas City Chiefs | No regular-season snaps |
| 1990 | Mike Lodish |
UCLA
Big Ten
|
NT | BUF Buffalo Bills | 166 games · 1 yrs as starter 23 career AV |
| 1990 | Eddie Miles |
Minnesota
Big Ten
|
LB | PIT Pittsburgh Steelers | 1 games |
| 1990 | Ernest Spears |
USC
Big Ten
|
DB | NO New Orleans Saints | 16 games 1 career AV |
| 1990 | Martin Harrison |
Washington
Big Ten
|
DE | SF San Francisco 49ers | 81 games 10 career AV |
| 1990 | Derrick Kelson |
Purdue
Big Ten
|
DB | NYJ New York Jets | No regular-season snaps |
| 1990 | Brent White |
Michigan
Big Ten
|
DE | CHI Chicago Bears | No regular-season snaps |
| 1990 | Daryl Reed |
Oregon
Big Ten
|
DB | SEA Seattle Seahawks | No regular-season snaps |
| 1990 | Jon Leverenz |
Minnesota
Big Ten
|
LB | WAS Washington Commanders | No regular-season snaps |
| 1990 | Shawn McCarthy |
Purdue
Big Ten
|
P | ATL Atlanta Falcons | 29 games 3 career AV |
| 1990 | Ventson Donelson |
Michigan State
Big Ten
|
DB | NE New England Patriots | No regular-season snaps |
| 1990 | Andre Riley |
Washington
Big Ten
|
WR | CIN Cincinnati Bengals | No regular-season snaps |
| 1990 | Richard Bell |
Nebraska
Big Ten
|
RB | PIT Pittsburgh Steelers | 16 games 2 career AV |
| 1990 | Blaine Rose |
Maryland
Big Ten
|
G | NE New England Patriots | No regular-season snaps |
| 1990 | Ron Goetz |
Minnesota
Big Ten
|
LB | MIN Minnesota Vikings | No regular-season snaps |
| 1990 | Kirk Maggio |
UCLA
Big Ten
|
P | GB Green Bay Packers | No regular-season snaps |
| 1989 | Jerrol Williams |
Purdue
Big Ten
|
LB | PIT Pittsburgh Steelers | 85 games · 1 yrs as starter 23 career AV |
| 1989 | Jim Wahler |
UCLA
Big Ten
|
NT | ARI Phoenix Cardinals | 62 games · 3 yrs as starter 18 career AV |
| 1989 | Michael Timpson |
Penn State
Big Ten
|
WR | NE New England Patriots | 116 games · 3 yrs as starter 29 career AV |
| 1989 | John Kolesar |
Michigan
Big Ten
|
WR | BUF Buffalo Bills | No regular-season snaps |
| 1989 | Erik Affholter |
USC
Big Ten
|
WR | WAS Washington Commanders | 4 games 1 career AV |
| 1989 | Lawrence Pete |
Nebraska
Big Ten
|
NT | DET Detroit Lions | 61 games · 1 yrs as starter 11 career AV |
| 1989 | Vernon Joines |
Maryland
Big Ten
|
WR | CLE Cleveland Browns | 20 games 1 career AV |
| 1989 | David Arnold |
Michigan
Big Ten
|
DB | PIT Pittsburgh Steelers | 15 games 1 career AV |
| 1989 | Jeff Uhlenhake |
Ohio State
Big Ten
|
C | MIA Miami Dolphins | 119 games · 8 yrs as starter 49 career AV |
| 1989 | Vince Workman |
Ohio State
Big Ten
|
RB | GB Green Bay Packers | 106 games · 2 yrs as starter 22 career AV |
| 1989 | Rodney Peete |
USC
Big Ten
|
QB | DET Detroit Lions | 104 games · 7 yrs as starter 46 career AV |
| 1989 | Thom Kaumeyer |
Oregon
Big Ten
|
DB | LAR Los Angeles Rams | 8 games 1 career AV |
| 1989 | Quintus McDonald |
Penn State
Big Ten
|
LB | IND Indianapolis Colts | 40 games 6 career AV |
| 1989 | Gary Wilkerson |
Penn State
Big Ten
|
DB | CLE Cleveland Browns | No regular-season snaps |
| 1989 | Mark Messner |
Michigan
Big Ten
|
LB | LAR Los Angeles Rams | 4 games |
| 1989 | Kevin Peterson |
Northwestern
Big Ten
|
LB | DAL Dallas Cowboys | No regular-season snaps |
| 1989 | Chris Hale |
USC
Big Ten
|
DB | BUF Buffalo Bills | 43 games 4 career AV |
| 1989 | Pete Stoyanovich 1× All-Pro |
Indiana
Big Ten
|
K | MIA Miami Dolphins | 182 games 33 career AV |
| 1989 | Dana Brinson |
Nebraska
Big Ten
|
WR | LAC San Diego Chargers | 10 games 1 career AV |
| 1989 | Paul Green |
USC
Big Ten
|
TE | DEN Denver Broncos | 49 games · 1 yrs as starter 5 career AV |
| 1989 | Kurt Larson |
Michigan State
Big Ten
|
LB | IND Indianapolis Colts | 42 games 4 career AV |
| 1989 | Tony Zackery |
Washington
Big Ten
|
DB | NE New England Patriots | 19 games 1 career AV |
| 1989 | Tim Jackson |
Nebraska
Big Ten
|
DB | DAL Dallas Cowboys | 1 games |
| 1989 | Derek MacCready |
Ohio State
Big Ten
|
DE | DET Detroit Lions | No regular-season snaps |
| 1989 | Gary Gooden |
Indiana
Big Ten
|
DB | LV Los Angeles Raiders | 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: 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.