Big Ten programs ranked by NFL draft picks since 1980 — first-rounders, Pro Bowl alumni, and recent draft classes.
FantasyHQ
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.
-
1
Ohio State
Big Ten
284picks
Ohio State team hub
-
2
USC
Big Ten
252picks
USC team hub
-
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 1,351–1,400 of 2,705 picks · filtered.
| Pick | Player | College | Pos | NFL team | Career |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | Marques Anderson |
UCLA
Big Ten
|
DB | GB Green Bay Packers | 54 games · 2 yrs as starter 14 career AV |
| 2002 | Eric Crouch |
Nebraska
Big Ten
|
WR | LAR St. Louis Rams | No regular-season snaps |
| 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 |
| 2002 | Keyuo Craver |
Nebraska
Big Ten
|
DB | NO New Orleans Saints | 22 games 2 career AV |
| 2002 | Larry Foote |
Michigan
Big Ten
|
LB | PIT Pittsburgh Steelers | 187 games · 8 yrs as starter 62 career AV |
| 2002 | Jamar Martin |
Ohio State
Big Ten
|
FB | DAL Dallas Cowboys | 25 games |
| 2002 | Herb Haygood |
Michigan State
Big Ten
|
WR | DEN Denver Broncos | 4 games |
| 2002 | Kenyon Coleman |
UCLA
Big Ten
|
DE | LV Oakland Raiders | 141 games · 5 yrs as starter 38 career AV |
| 2002 | Nick Greisen |
Wisconsin
Big Ten
|
LB | NYG New York Giants | 98 games · 2 yrs as starter 21 career AV |
| 2002 | Jonathan Goodwin 1× Pro Bowl |
Michigan
Big Ten
|
G | NYJ New York Jets | 195 games · 8 yrs as starter 59 career AV |
| 2002 | Aaron Kampman 2× Pro Bowl |
Iowa
Big Ten
|
DE | GB Green Bay Packers | 123 games · 7 yrs as starter 55 career AV |
| 2002 | Omare Lowe |
Washington
Big Ten
|
DB | MIA Miami Dolphins | 43 games 2 career AV |
| 2002 | Courtland Bullard |
Ohio State
Big Ten
|
LB | LAR St. Louis Rams | 20 games 2 career AV |
| 2002 | Sam Simmons |
Northwestern
Big Ten
|
WR | MIA Miami Dolphins | 11 games |
| 2002 | Josh Shaw |
Michigan State
Big Ten
|
DT | SF San Francisco 49ers | 14 games 1 career AV |
| 2002 | Chris Cash |
USC
Big Ten
|
DB | DET Detroit Lions | 30 games · 1 yrs as starter 7 career AV |
| 2002 | Matt Anderle |
Minnesota
Big Ten
|
T | LAC San Diego Chargers | No regular-season snaps |
| 2002 | Tyson Walter |
Ohio State
Big Ten
|
C | DAL Dallas Cowboys | 47 games · 1 yrs as starter 4 career AV |
| 2002 | Kahlil Hill |
Iowa
Big Ten
|
WR | ATL Atlanta Falcons | 1 games |
| 2002 | Wesly Mallard |
Oregon
Big Ten
|
LB | NYG New York Giants | 59 games 3 career AV |
| 2002 | Craig Jarrett |
Michigan State
Big Ten
|
P | SEA Seattle Seahawks | 4 games |
| 2002 | John Gilmore |
Penn State
Big Ten
|
TE | NO New Orleans Saints | 145 games · 2 yrs as starter 3 career AV |
| 2002 | Mark Anelli |
Wisconsin
Big Ten
|
TE | SF San Francisco 49ers | 2 games |
| 2002 | Steve Bellisari |
Ohio State
Big Ten
|
QB | LAR St. Louis Rams | No regular-season snaps |
| 2002 | Bryan Fletcher |
UCLA
Big Ten
|
TE | CHI Chicago Bears | 46 games · 1 yrs as starter 8 career AV |
| 2002 | Stylez G. White |
Minnesota
Big Ten
|
DE | HOU Houston Texans | 63 games · 2 yrs as starter 15 career AV |
| 2002 | Jeff Grau |
UCLA
Big Ten
|
C | WAS Washington Commanders | 27 games 4 career AV |
| 2002 | Steve Smith |
Oregon
Big Ten
|
DB | JAX Jacksonville Jaguars | 4 games |
| 2002 | Hayden Epstein |
Michigan
Big Ten
|
K | JAX Jacksonville Jaguars | 15 games |
| 2002 | Tracey Wistrom |
Nebraska
Big Ten
|
TE | TB Tampa Bay Buccaneers | No regular-season snaps |
| 2002 | Matt Murphy |
Maryland
Big Ten
|
TE | DET Detroit Lions | 28 games |
| 2001 | David Terrell |
Michigan
Big Ten
|
WR | CHI Chicago Bears | 54 games · 1 yrs as starter 11 career AV |
| 2001 | Steve Hutchinson HOF 5× All-Pro 7× Pro Bowl |
Michigan
Big Ten
|
G | SEA Seattle Seahawks | 169 games · 11 yrs as starter 94 career AV |
| 2001 | Jeff Backus |
Michigan
Big Ten
|
T | DET Detroit Lions | 191 games · 12 yrs as starter 61 career AV |
| 2001 | Nate Clements 1× Pro Bowl |
Ohio State
Big Ten
|
DB | BUF Buffalo Bills | 180 games · 11 yrs as starter 61 career AV |
| 2001 | Willie Middlebrooks |
Minnesota
Big Ten
|
DB | DEN Denver Broncos | 56 games 4 career AV |
| 2001 | Freddie Mitchell |
UCLA
Big Ten
|
WR | PHI Philadelphia Eagles | 63 games · 1 yrs as starter 13 career AV |
| 2001 | Jamar Fletcher |
Wisconsin
Big Ten
|
DB | MIA Miami Dolphins | 105 games 9 career AV |
| 2001 | Michael Bennett 1× Pro Bowl |
Wisconsin
Big Ten
|
RB | MIN Minnesota Vikings | 107 games · 3 yrs as starter 34 career AV |
| 2001 | Ryan Pickett |
Ohio State
Big Ten
|
DT | LAR St. Louis Rams | 207 games · 13 yrs as starter 58 career AV |
| 2001 | Drew Brees HOF 1× All-Pro 13× Pro Bowl |
Purdue
Big Ten
|
QB | LAC San Diego Chargers | 287 games · 19 yrs as starter 167 career AV |
| 2001 | Kyle Vanden Bosch 3× Pro Bowl |
Nebraska
Big Ten
|
DE | ARI Arizona Cardinals | 152 games · 9 yrs as starter 58 career AV |
| 2001 | Anthony Thomas |
Michigan
Big Ten
|
RB | CHI Chicago Bears | 86 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: 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.