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.
-
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 1,451–1,500 of 2,705 picks · filtered.
| Pick | Player | College | Pos | NFL team | Career |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | Julian Peterson 1× All-Pro 5× Pro Bowl |
Michigan State
Big Ten
|
LB | SF San Francisco 49ers | 158 games · 9 yrs as starter 69 career AV |
| 2000 | Chris McIntosh |
Wisconsin
Big Ten
|
T | SEA Seattle Seahawks | 24 games · 1 yrs as starter 8 career AV |
| 2000 | Ahmed Plummer |
Ohio State
Big Ten
|
DB | SF San Francisco 49ers | 70 games · 5 yrs as starter 24 career AV |
| 2000 | R. Jay Soward |
USC
Big Ten
|
WR | JAX Jacksonville Jaguars | 13 games 2 career AV |
| 2000 | Travis Claridge |
USC
Big Ten
|
G | ATL Atlanta Falcons | 52 games · 3 yrs as starter 23 career AV |
| 2000 | Mike Brown 1× All-Pro 1× Pro Bowl |
Nebraska
Big Ten
|
DB | CHI Chicago Bears | 116 games · 7 yrs as starter 56 career AV |
| 2000 | Ian Gold 1× Pro Bowl |
Michigan
Big Ten
|
LB | DEN Denver Broncos | 115 games · 5 yrs as starter 39 career AV |
| 2000 | Steve Warren |
Nebraska
Big Ten
|
DT | GB Green Bay Packers | 25 games 2 career AV |
| 2000 | Reuben Droughns |
Oregon
Big Ten
|
RB | DET Detroit Lions | 114 games · 3 yrs as starter 27 career AV |
| 2000 | David Macklin |
Penn State
Big Ten
|
DB | IND Indianapolis Colts | 120 games · 4 yrs as starter 29 career AV |
| 2000 | Lewis Sanders |
Maryland
Big Ten
|
DB | CLE Cleveland Browns | 97 games 14 career AV |
| 2000 | Na'il Diggs |
Ohio State
Big Ten
|
LB | GB Green Bay Packers | 170 games · 10 yrs as starter 55 career AV |
| 2000 | Gari Scott |
Michigan State
Big Ten
|
WR | PHI Philadelphia Eagles | 3 games |
| 2000 | Danny Farmer |
UCLA
Big Ten
|
WR | PIT Pittsburgh Steelers | 33 games 5 career AV |
| 2000 | Brandon Short |
Penn State
Big Ten
|
LB | NYG New York Giants | 100 games · 5 yrs as starter 32 career AV |
| 2000 | Aaron Shea |
Michigan
Big Ten
|
TE | CLE Cleveland Browns | 65 games 6 career AV |
| 2000 | Tyrone Carter |
Minnesota
Big Ten
|
DB | MIN Minnesota Vikings | 158 games · 2 yrs as starter 27 career AV |
| 2000 | Josh Williams |
Michigan
Big Ten
|
DT | IND Indianapolis Colts | 73 games · 2 yrs as starter 19 career AV |
| 2000 | Bobby Myers |
Wisconsin
Big Ten
|
DB | TEN Tennessee Titans | 17 games 3 career AV |
| 2000 | Gary Berry |
Ohio State
Big Ten
|
DB | GB Green Bay Packers | 4 games |
| 2000 | Greg Randall |
Michigan State
Big Ten
|
T | NE New England Patriots | 51 games · 2 yrs as starter 18 career AV |
| 2000 | Peter Sirmon |
Oregon
Big Ten
|
LB | TEN Tennessee Titans | 81 games · 4 yrs as starter 25 career AV |
| 2000 | Aric Morris |
Michigan State
Big Ten
|
DB | TEN Tennessee Titans | 51 games · 1 yrs as starter 5 career AV |
| 2000 | Ralph Brown |
Nebraska
Big Ten
|
DB | NYG New York Giants | 129 games 12 career AV |
| 2000 | Windrell Hayes |
USC
Big Ten
|
WR | NYJ New York Jets | 9 games 1 career AV |
| 2000 | Michael Wiley |
Ohio State
Big Ten
|
RB | DAL Dallas Cowboys | 42 games 4 career AV |
| 2000 | Austin Wheatley |
Iowa
Big Ten
|
TE | NO New Orleans Saints | 4 games |
| 2000 | Jay Tant |
Northwestern
Big Ten
|
TE | ARI Arizona Cardinals | 5 games |
| 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 |
| 2000 | Paul Edinger |
Michigan State
Big Ten
|
K | CHI Chicago Bears | 96 games 17 career AV |
| 2000 | Jabari Issa |
Washington
Big Ten
|
DE | ARI Arizona Cardinals | 23 games 4 career AV |
| 2000 | Dhani Jones |
Michigan
Big Ten
|
LB | NYG New York Giants | 157 games · 9 yrs as starter 54 career AV |
| 2000 | David Gibson |
USC
Big Ten
|
DB | TB Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 47 games · 1 yrs as starter 8 career AV |
| 2000 | Michael Hawthorne |
Purdue
Big Ten
|
DB | NO New Orleans Saints | 63 games 10 career AV |
| 2000 | Robaire Smith |
Michigan State
Big Ten
|
DE | TEN Tennessee Titans | 134 games · 6 yrs as starter 39 career AV |
| 2000 | Matt Bowen |
Iowa
Big Ten
|
DB | LAR St. Louis Rams | 77 games · 1 yrs as starter 13 career AV |
| 2000 | Tom Brady 3× All-Pro 15× Pro Bowl |
Michigan
Big Ten
|
QB | NE New England Patriots | 335 games · 21 yrs as starter 184 career AV |
| 2000 | David Nugent |
Purdue
Big Ten
|
DE | NE New England Patriots | 24 games 2 career AV |
| 2000 | Delbert Cowsette |
Maryland
Big Ten
|
DT | WAS Washington Commanders | 32 games 3 career AV |
| 2000 | Lester Towns |
Washington
Big Ten
|
LB | CAR Carolina Panthers | 61 games · 2 yrs as starter 18 career AV |
| 2000 | James Cotton |
Ohio State
Big Ten
|
LB | CHI Chicago Bears | No regular-season snaps |
| 2000 | Mark Tauscher |
Wisconsin
Big Ten
|
T | GB Green Bay Packers | 134 games · 9 yrs as starter 55 career AV |
| 2000 | Kevin Houser |
Ohio State
Big Ten
|
C | NO New Orleans Saints | 159 games 15 career AV |
| 2000 | Rob Renes |
Michigan
Big Ten
|
DT | IND Indianapolis Colts | No regular-season snaps |
| 1999 | Akili Smith |
Oregon
Big Ten
|
QB | CIN Cincinnati Bengals | 22 games · 1 yrs as starter 2 career AV |
| 1999 | David Boston 1× All-Pro 1× Pro Bowl |
Ohio State
Big Ten
|
WR | ARI Arizona Cardinals | 75 games · 3 yrs as starter 38 career AV |
| 1999 | Chris Claiborne |
USC
Big Ten
|
LB | DET Detroit Lions | 105 games · 7 yrs as starter 34 career AV |
| 1999 | Cade McNown |
UCLA
Big Ten
|
QB | CHI Chicago Bears | 25 games · 1 yrs as starter 8 career AV |
| 1999 | Antoine Winfield 3× Pro Bowl |
Ohio State
Big Ten
|
DB | BUF Buffalo Bills | 191 games · 12 yrs as starter 62 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.