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 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.
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1
Ohio State
Big Ten
284picks
Ohio State team hub
-
2
USC
Big Ten
252picks
USC team hub
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3
Penn State
Big Ten
248picks
Penn State team hub
| # | School | Picks | Rd 1 | Pro Bowlers | HOF | Last 10 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 |
Michigan
Big Ten · last pick 2026
|
231 | 37 | 2611% | 3 | 76 |
| 5 |
Nebraska
Big Ten · last pick 2026
|
203 | 20 | 178% | 2 | 14 |
| 6 |
Washington
Big Ten · last pick 2026
|
191 | 26 | 147% | 0 | 46 |
| 7 |
UCLA
Big Ten · last pick 2025
|
180 | 24 | 2212% | 3 | 33 |
| 8 |
Iowa
Big Ten · last pick 2026
|
164 | 20 | 2415% | 1 | 42 |
| 9 |
Wisconsin
Big Ten · last pick 2025
|
164 | 22 | 2012% | 1 | 31 |
| 10 |
Oregon
Big Ten · last pick 2026
|
153 | 20 | 138% | 0 | 47 |
| 11 |
Michigan State
Big Ten · last pick 2026
|
147 | 17 | 1410% | 1 | 18 |
| 12 |
Maryland
Big Ten · last pick 2026
|
113 | 9 | 1614% | 0 | 25 |
| 13 |
Purdue
Big Ten · last pick 2025
|
100 | 6 | 1414% | 2 | 17 |
| 14 |
Minnesota
Big Ten · last pick 2026
|
89 | 5 | 44% | 0 | 21 |
| 15 |
Indiana
Big Ten · last pick 2026
|
71 | 6 | 34% | 0 | 17 |
| 16 |
Northwestern
Big Ten · last pick 2026
|
63 | 6 | 46% | 0 | 13 |
| 17 |
Rutgers
Big Ten · last pick 2026
|
52 | 3 | 48% | 0 | 12 |
Draft pick explorer
Showing 1,301–1,350 of 2,705 picks · filtered.
| Pick | Player | College | Pos | NFL team | Career |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | L.J. Smith |
Rutgers
Big Ten
|
TE | PHI Philadelphia Eagles | 98 games · 4 yrs as starter 21 career AV |
| 2003 | Mike Seidman |
UCLA
Big Ten
|
TE | CAR Carolina Panthers | 43 games 1 career AV |
| 2003 | Kenny Peterson |
Ohio State
Big Ten
|
DT | GB Green Bay Packers | 76 games · 1 yrs as starter 11 career AV |
| 2003 | Ricky Manning |
UCLA
Big Ten
|
DB | CAR Carolina Panthers | 84 games · 1 yrs as starter 22 career AV |
| 2003 | B.J. Askew |
Michigan
Big Ten
|
FB | NYJ New York Jets | 83 games · 1 yrs as starter 4 career AV |
| 2003 | Cie Grant |
Ohio State
Big Ten
|
LB | NO New Orleans Saints | 7 games 1 career AV |
| 2003 | Justin Fargas |
USC
Big Ten
|
FB | LV Oakland Raiders | 92 games · 2 yrs as starter 20 career AV |
| 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 | Joey Harrington |
Oregon
Big Ten
|
QB | DET Detroit Lions | 81 games · 6 yrs as starter 31 career AV |
| 2002 | Wendell Bryant |
Wisconsin
Big Ten
|
DT | ARI Arizona Cardinals | 29 games 4 career AV |
| 2002 | T.J. Duckett |
Michigan State
Big Ten
|
RB | ATL Atlanta Falcons | 93 games · 1 yrs as starter 22 career AV |
| 2002 | Napoleon Harris |
Northwestern
Big Ten
|
LB | LV Oakland Raiders | 100 games · 6 yrs as starter 33 career AV |
| 2002 | Jerramy Stevens |
Washington
Big Ten
|
TE | SEA Seattle Seahawks | 121 games · 2 yrs as starter 18 career AV |
| 2002 | Robert Thomas |
UCLA
Big Ten
|
LB | LAR St. Louis Rams | 84 games · 5 yrs as starter 21 career AV |
| 2002 | DeShaun Foster |
UCLA
Big Ten
|
RB | CAR Carolina Panthers | 79 games · 3 yrs as starter 32 career AV |
| 2002 | Toniu Fonoti |
Nebraska
Big Ten
|
G | LAC San Diego Chargers | 40 games · 2 yrs as starter 17 career AV |
| 2002 | Larry Tripplett |
Washington
Big Ten
|
DT | IND Indianapolis Colts | 92 games · 4 yrs as starter 27 career AV |
| 2002 | LeCharles Bentley 2× Pro Bowl |
Ohio State
Big Ten
|
G | NO New Orleans Saints | 57 games · 4 yrs as starter 29 career AV |
| 2002 | Maurice Morris |
Oregon
Big Ten
|
RB | SEA Seattle Seahawks | 145 games · 1 yrs as starter 27 career AV |
| 2002 | Ladell Betts |
Iowa
Big Ten
|
RB | WAS Washington Commanders | 111 games · 1 yrs as starter 31 career AV |
| 2002 | Antwaan Randle El |
Indiana
Big Ten
|
WR | PIT Pittsburgh Steelers | 143 games · 4 yrs as starter 43 career AV |
| 2002 | Derek Ross |
Ohio State
Big Ten
|
DB | DAL Dallas Cowboys | 33 games · 1 yrs as starter 6 career AV |
| 2002 | Melvin Fowler |
Maryland
Big Ten
|
C | CLE Cleveland Browns | 87 games · 4 yrs as starter 25 career AV |
| 2002 | Rashad Bauman |
Oregon
Big Ten
|
DB | WAS Washington Commanders | 43 games 3 career AV |
| 2002 | Charles Hill |
Maryland
Big Ten
|
DT | HOU Houston Texans | 16 games 1 career AV |
| 2002 | Kris Richard |
USC
Big Ten
|
DB | SEA Seattle Seahawks | 39 games 2 career AV |
| 2002 | Marquis Walker |
Michigan
Big Ten
|
WR | TB Tampa Bay Buccaneers | No regular-season snaps |
| 2002 | Chris Baker |
Michigan State
Big Ten
|
TE | NYJ New York Jets | 131 games · 5 yrs as starter 13 career AV |
| 2002 | Akin Ayodele |
Purdue
Big Ten
|
LB | JAX Jacksonville Jaguars | 143 games · 8 yrs as starter 48 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: Ohio State — 284
- 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 284 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.