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 1,601–1,650 of 2,705 picks · filtered.
| Pick | Player | College | Pos | NFL team | Career |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 | Rob Kelly |
Ohio State
Big Ten
|
DB | NO New Orleans Saints | 60 games 8 career AV |
| 1997 | Jerry Wunsch |
Wisconsin
Big Ten
|
T | TB Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 113 games · 3 yrs as starter 28 career AV |
| 1997 | John Allred |
USC
Big Ten
|
TE | CHI Chicago Bears | 53 games 3 career AV |
| 1997 | Jared Tomich |
Nebraska
Big Ten
|
DE | NO New Orleans Saints | 57 games · 2 yrs as starter 10 career AV |
| 1997 | Corey Dillon 4× Pro Bowl |
Washington
Big Ten
|
RB | CIN Cincinnati Bengals | 150 games · 9 yrs as starter 74 career AV |
| 1997 | Mike Minter |
Nebraska
Big Ten
|
DB | CAR Carolina Panthers | 148 games · 9 yrs as starter 52 career AV |
| 1997 | Kim Herring |
Penn State
Big Ten
|
DB | BAL Baltimore Ravens | 98 games · 6 yrs as starter 34 career AV |
| 1997 | Sedrick Shaw |
Iowa
Big Ten
|
RB | NE New England Patriots | 18 games 2 career AV |
| 1997 | Bob Sapp |
Washington
Big Ten
|
G | CHI Chicago Bears | 1 games |
| 1997 | Adam Treu |
Nebraska
Big Ten
|
C | LV Oakland Raiders | 155 games · 3 yrs as starter 26 career AV |
| 1997 | Rod Payne |
Michigan
Big Ten
|
C | CIN Cincinnati Bengals | 6 games |
| 1997 | Paul Wiggins |
Oregon
Big Ten
|
T | PIT Pittsburgh Steelers | 2 games |
| 1997 | Ty Howard |
Ohio State
Big Ten
|
DB | ARI Arizona Cardinals | 37 games 4 career AV |
| 1997 | Brett Conway |
Penn State
Big Ten
|
K | GB Green Bay Packers | 51 games 7 career AV |
| 1997 | Mike Vrabel 1× All-Pro 1× Pro Bowl |
Ohio State
Big Ten
|
LB | PIT Pittsburgh Steelers | 206 games · 10 yrs as starter 66 career AV |
| 1997 | Kenny Wheaton |
Oregon
Big Ten
|
DB | DAL Dallas Cowboys | 22 games 2 career AV |
| 1997 | Damon Denson |
Michigan
Big Ten
|
G | NE New England Patriots | 14 games 3 career AV |
| 1997 | Derrick Mason 1× All-Pro 2× Pro Bowl |
Michigan State
Big Ten
|
WR | TEN Tennessee Titans | 230 games · 11 yrs as starter 86 career AV |
| 1997 | Pete Monty |
Wisconsin
Big Ten
|
LB | NYG New York Giants | 52 games 5 career AV |
| 1997 | Darnell Autry |
Northwestern
Big Ten
|
RB | CHI Chicago Bears | 24 games · 1 yrs as starter 7 career AV |
| 1997 | Chris Dishman |
Nebraska
Big Ten
|
G | ARI Arizona Cardinals | 98 games · 4 yrs as starter 21 career AV |
| 1997 | Damien Robinson |
Iowa
Big Ten
|
DB | PHI Philadelphia Eagles | 83 games · 4 yrs as starter 29 career AV |
| 1997 | Tarek Saleh |
Wisconsin
Big Ten
|
LB | CAR Carolina Panthers | 59 games 4 career AV |
| 1997 | Nicky Sualua |
Ohio State
Big Ten
|
RB | DAL Dallas Cowboys | 26 games |
| 1997 | Jamel Williams |
Nebraska
Big Ten
|
DB | WAS Washington Commanders | 35 games 2 career AV |
| 1997 | Eric Stokes |
Nebraska
Big Ten
|
DB | SEA Seattle Seahawks | 11 games |
| 1997 | Tim Scharf |
Northwestern
Big Ten
|
LB | NYJ New York Jets | No regular-season snaps |
| 1997 | John Fiala |
Washington
Big Ten
|
LB | MIA Miami Dolphins | 75 games 6 career AV |
| 1997 | Steve Lee |
Indiana
Big Ten
|
RB | BAL Baltimore Ravens | No regular-season snaps |
| 1997 | Matt Finkes |
Ohio State
Big Ten
|
DE | CAR Carolina Panthers | 8 games 1 career AV |
| 1997 | Nigea Carter |
Michigan State
Big Ten
|
WR | TB Tampa Bay Buccaneers | No regular-season snaps |
| 1997 | Hudhaifa Ismaeli |
Northwestern
Big Ten
|
DB | MIA Miami Dolphins | No regular-season snaps |
| 1997 | Tony Graziani |
Oregon
Big Ten
|
QB | ATL Atlanta Falcons | 18 games 3 career AV |
| 1997 | Matt Keneley |
USC
Big Ten
|
DT | NYG New York Giants | 7 games |
| 1997 | Chris Miller |
USC
Big Ten
|
WR | GB Green Bay Packers | No regular-season snaps |
| 1997 | William Carr |
Michigan
Big Ten
|
DT | CIN Cincinnati Bengals | No regular-season snaps |
| 1997 | Jon Hesse |
Nebraska
Big Ten
|
LB | JAX Jacksonville Jaguars | 5 games |
| 1997 | Wally Richardson |
Penn State
Big Ten
|
QB | BAL Baltimore Ravens | 1 games |
| 1996 | Keyshawn Johnson 3× Pro Bowl |
USC
Big Ten
|
WR | NYJ New York Jets | 167 games · 11 yrs as starter 79 career AV |
| 1996 | Jonathan Ogden HOF 4× All-Pro 11× Pro Bowl |
UCLA
Big Ten
|
T | BAL Baltimore Ravens | 177 games · 12 yrs as starter 95 career AV |
| 1996 | Lawrence Phillips |
Nebraska
Big Ten
|
RB | LAR St. Louis Rams | 35 games · 2 yrs as starter 11 career AV |
| 1996 | Terry Glenn 1× Pro Bowl |
Ohio State
Big Ten
|
WR | NE New England Patriots | 137 games · 9 yrs as starter 67 career AV |
| 1996 | Tim Biakabutuka |
Michigan
Big Ten
|
RB | CAR Carolina Panthers | 50 games · 2 yrs as starter 26 career AV |
| 1996 | Rickey Dudley |
Ohio State
Big Ten
|
TE | LV Oakland Raiders | 108 games · 5 yrs as starter 25 career AV |
| 1996 | Alex Molden |
Oregon
Big Ten
|
DB | NO New Orleans Saints | 98 games · 3 yrs as starter 24 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 | Jeff Hartings 1× All-Pro 2× Pro Bowl |
Penn State
Big Ten
|
C | DET Detroit Lions | 162 games · 11 yrs as starter 70 career AV |
| 1996 | John Michels |
USC
Big Ten
|
T | GB Green Bay Packers | 24 games · 1 yrs as starter 9 career AV |
| 1996 | Andre Johnson |
Penn State
Big Ten
|
T | WAS Washington Commanders | 3 games |
| 1996 | Amani Toomer |
Michigan
Big Ten
|
WR | NYG New York Giants | 190 games · 10 yrs as starter 69 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.