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 RB 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
30picks
Penn State team hub
-
2
Ohio State
Big Ten
27picks
Ohio State team hub
-
3
Nebraska
Big Ten
25picks
Nebraska team hub
| # | School | Picks | Rd 1 | Pro Bowlers | HOF | Last 10 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 |
USC
Big Ten · last pick 2025
|
24 | 3 | 28% | 1 | 4 |
| 5 |
Michigan
Big Ten · last pick 2025
|
23 | 5 | 14% | 0 | 5 |
| 6 |
UCLA
Big Ten · last pick 2023
|
21 | 2 | 314% | 0 | 4 |
| 7 |
Wisconsin
Big Ten · last pick 2024
|
17 | 3 | 318% | 0 | 2 |
| 8 |
Oregon
Big Ten · last pick 2025
|
15 | 1 | 17% | 0 | 3 |
| 9 |
Michigan State
Big Ten · last pick 2022
|
14 | 2 | 214% | 0 | 1 |
| 10 |
Washington
Big Ten · last pick 2026
|
14 | 1 | 17% | 0 | 2 |
| 11 |
Iowa
Big Ten · last pick 2025
|
13 | 1 | 18% | 0 | 1 |
| 12 |
Maryland
Big Ten · last pick 2021
|
11 | 0 | 00% | 0 | 3 |
| 13 |
Indiana
Big Ten · last pick 2026
|
9 | 1 | 111% | 0 | 1 |
| 14 |
Minnesota
Big Ten · last pick 2015
|
8 | 2 | 112% | 0 | 0 |
| 15 |
Northwestern
Big Ten · last pick 2023
|
8 | 0 | 00% | 0 | 2 |
| 16 |
Purdue
Big Ten · last pick 2024
|
7 | 0 | 114% | 0 | 2 |
| 17 |
Rutgers
Big Ten · last pick 2025
|
7 | 0 | 114% | 0 | 2 |
Draft pick explorer
Showing 101–150 of 273 picks · filtered.
| Pick | Player | College | Pos | NFL team | Career |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 |
Noah Herron
|
Northwestern
Big Ten
|
RB | PIT Pittsburgh Steelers | 23 games 3 career AV |
| 2004 |
Chris Perry
|
Michigan
Big Ten
|
RB | CIN Cincinnati Bengals | 35 games 9 career AV |
| 2004 |
Thomas Tapeh
|
Minnesota
Big Ten
|
FB | PHI Philadelphia Eagles | 41 games · 2 yrs as starter 2 career AV |
| 2004 |
Sean McHugh
|
Penn State
Big Ten
|
FB | TEN Tennessee Titans | 40 games · 1 yrs as starter 2 career AV |
| 2004 |
Bruce Perry
|
Maryland
Big Ten
|
RB | PHI Philadelphia Eagles | 5 games |
| 2003 | Larry Johnson 1× All-Pro 2× Pro Bowl |
Penn State
Big Ten
|
RB | KC Kansas City Chiefs | 85 games · 4 yrs as starter 51 career AV |
| 2003 | B.J. Askew |
Michigan
Big Ten
|
FB | NYJ New York Jets | 83 games · 1 yrs as starter 4 career AV |
| 2003 | Justin Fargas |
USC
Big Ten
|
FB | LV Oakland Raiders | 92 games · 2 yrs as starter 20 career AV |
| 2003 | Onterrio Smith |
Oregon
Big Ten
|
RB | MIN Minnesota Vikings | 26 games 14 career AV |
| 2003 | Malaefou MacKenzie |
USC
Big Ten
|
FB | JAX Jacksonville Jaguars | 1 games |
| 2002 | T.J. Duckett |
Michigan State
Big Ten
|
RB | ATL Atlanta Falcons | 93 games · 1 yrs as starter 22 career AV |
| 2002 | DeShaun Foster |
UCLA
Big Ten
|
RB | CAR Carolina Panthers | 79 games · 3 yrs as starter 32 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 | Jonathan Wells |
Ohio State
Big Ten
|
RB | HOU Houston Texans | 60 games · 1 yrs as starter 11 career AV |
| 2002 | Omar Easy |
Penn State
Big Ten
|
FB | KC Kansas City Chiefs | 53 games |
| 2002 | Jamar Martin |
Ohio State
Big Ten
|
FB | DAL Dallas Cowboys | 25 games |
| 2001 | Michael Bennett 1× Pro Bowl |
Wisconsin
Big Ten
|
RB | MIN Minnesota Vikings | 107 games · 3 yrs as starter 34 career AV |
| 2001 | Anthony Thomas |
Michigan
Big Ten
|
RB | CHI Chicago Bears | 86 games · 3 yrs as starter 27 career AV |
| 2001 | LaMont Jordan |
Maryland
Big Ten
|
RB | NYJ New York Jets | 114 games · 2 yrs as starter 30 career AV |
| 2001 | Correll Buckhalter |
Nebraska
Big Ten
|
RB | PHI Philadelphia Eagles | 103 games 27 career AV |
| 2001 | Dan Alexander |
Nebraska
Big Ten
|
RB | TEN Tennessee Titans | 11 games |
| 2000 | Ron Dayne |
Wisconsin
Big Ten
|
RB | NYG New York Giants | 96 games · 1 yrs as starter 23 career AV |
| 2000 | Reuben Droughns |
Oregon
Big Ten
|
RB | DET Detroit Lions | 114 games · 3 yrs as starter 27 career AV |
| 2000 | Michael Wiley |
Ohio State
Big Ten
|
RB | DAL Dallas Cowboys | 42 games 4 career AV |
| 2000 | Chad Morton |
USC
Big Ten
|
RB | NO New Orleans Saints | 93 games 10 career AV |
| 2000 | Thomas Hamner |
Minnesota
Big Ten
|
RB | PHI Philadelphia Eagles | No regular-season snaps |
| 1999 | Joe Montgomery |
Ohio State
Big Ten
|
RB | NYG New York Giants | 13 games · 1 yrs as starter 2 career AV |
| 1999 | Sedrick Irvin |
Michigan State
Big Ten
|
RB | DET Detroit Lions | 20 games 4 career AV |
| 1999 | Sean Bennett |
Northwestern
Big Ten
|
RB | NYG New York Giants | 16 games 1 career AV |
| 1999 | Joel Makovicka |
Nebraska
Big Ten
|
FB | ARI Arizona Cardinals | 58 games · 3 yrs as starter 3 career AV |
| 1999 | Cecil Martin |
Wisconsin
Big Ten
|
FB | PHI Philadelphia Eagles | 61 games · 3 yrs as starter 5 career AV |
| 1998 | Curtis Enis |
Penn State
Big Ten
|
RB | CHI Chicago Bears | 36 games · 2 yrs as starter 10 career AV |
| 1998 | Skip Hicks |
UCLA
Big Ten
|
RB | WAS Washington Commanders | 38 games 9 career AV |
| 1998 | Ahman Green 4× Pro Bowl |
Nebraska
Big Ten
|
RB | SEA Seattle Seahawks | 148 games · 6 yrs as starter 83 career AV |
| 1998 | Chris Floyd |
Michigan
Big Ten
|
RB | NE New England Patriots | 42 games |
| 1998 | Rashaan Shehee |
Washington
Big Ten
|
RB | KC Kansas City Chiefs | 25 games 4 career AV |
| 1998 | Tavian Banks |
Iowa
Big Ten
|
RB | JAX Jacksonville Jaguars | 14 games 3 career AV |
| 1998 | Chris Howard |
Michigan
Big Ten
|
RB | DEN Denver Broncos | 22 games 1 career AV |
| 1998 | Eddie Watson |
Purdue
Big Ten
|
RB | GB Green Bay Packers | 6 games |
| 1997 | Corey Dillon 4× Pro Bowl |
Washington
Big Ten
|
RB | CIN Cincinnati Bengals | 150 games · 9 yrs as starter 74 career AV |
| 1997 | Sedrick Shaw |
Iowa
Big Ten
|
RB | NE New England Patriots | 18 games 2 career AV |
| 1997 | Darnell Autry |
Northwestern
Big Ten
|
RB | CHI Chicago Bears | 24 games · 1 yrs as starter 7 career AV |
| 1997 | Nicky Sualua |
Ohio State
Big Ten
|
RB | DAL Dallas Cowboys | 26 games |
| 1997 | Steve Lee |
Indiana
Big Ten
|
RB | BAL Baltimore Ravens | No regular-season snaps |
| 1996 | Lawrence Phillips |
Nebraska
Big Ten
|
RB | LAR St. Louis Rams | 35 games · 2 yrs as starter 11 career AV |
| 1996 | Tim Biakabutuka |
Michigan
Big Ten
|
RB | CAR Carolina Panthers | 50 games · 2 yrs as starter 26 career AV |
| 1996 | Eddie George 1× All-Pro 4× Pro Bowl |
Ohio State
Big Ten
|
RB | TEN Houston Oilers | 141 games · 8 yrs as starter 76 career AV |
| 1996 | Mike Alstott 3× All-Pro 6× Pro Bowl |
Purdue
Big Ten
|
RB | TB Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 158 games · 9 yrs as starter 49 career AV |
| 1996 | Karim Abdul-Jabbar |
UCLA
Big Ten
|
RB | MIA Miami Dolphins | 61 games · 3 yrs as starter 24 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 — 30
- 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 30 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.