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 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.
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1
Penn State
Big Ten
30picks
Penn State team hub
-
2
Ohio State
Big Ten
27picks
Ohio State team hub
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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 151–200 of 273 picks · filtered.
| Pick | Player | College | Pos | NFL team | Career |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1996 | Jon Witman |
Penn State
Big Ten
|
RB | PIT Pittsburgh Steelers | 85 games · 3 yrs as starter 4 career AV |
| 1996 | Ricky Whittle |
Oregon
Big Ten
|
RB | NO New Orleans Saints | 10 games 1 career AV |
| 1996 | Brian Milne |
Penn State
Big Ten
|
RB | IND Indianapolis Colts | 63 games · 2 yrs as starter 3 career AV |
| 1996 | Scott Greene |
Michigan State
Big Ten
|
RB | CAR Carolina Panthers | 34 games · 1 yrs as starter 3 career AV |
| 1996 | Leon Neal |
Washington
Big Ten
|
RB | BUF Buffalo Bills | 1 games |
| 1996 | Stephen Pitts |
Penn State
Big Ten
|
RB | SF San Francisco 49ers | No regular-season snaps |
| 1996 | Mike Archie |
Penn State
Big Ten
|
RB | TEN Houston Oilers | 23 games |
| 1995 | Ki-Jana Carter |
Penn State
Big Ten
|
RB | CIN Cincinnati Bengals | 59 games 11 career AV |
| 1995 | Tyrone Wheatley |
Michigan
Big Ten
|
RB | NYG New York Giants | 124 games · 4 yrs as starter 39 career AV |
| 1995 | Napoleon Kaufman |
Washington
Big Ten
|
RB | LV Oakland Raiders | 91 games · 3 yrs as starter 39 career AV |
| 1995 | Terrell Fletcher |
Wisconsin
Big Ten
|
RB | LAC San Diego Chargers | 111 games 22 career AV |
| 1995 | Cory Schlesinger |
Nebraska
Big Ten
|
FB | DET Detroit Lions | 181 games · 8 yrs as starter 13 career AV |
| 1995 | Dino Philyaw |
Oregon
Big Ten
|
RB | NE New England Patriots | 23 games |
| 1994 | Jeff Cothran |
Ohio State
Big Ten
|
FB | CIN Cincinnati Bengals | 39 games · 2 yrs as starter 3 career AV |
| 1994 | Calvin Jones |
Nebraska
Big Ten
|
RB | LV Los Angeles Raiders | 16 games 1 career AV |
| 1994 | Raymont Harris |
Ohio State
Big Ten
|
RB | CHI Chicago Bears | 54 games · 3 yrs as starter 21 career AV |
| 1994 | Mark Montgomery |
Wisconsin
Big Ten
|
RB | PHI Philadelphia Eagles | No regular-season snaps |
| 1994 | Brice Abrams |
Michigan State
Big Ten
|
RB | PIT Pittsburgh Steelers | No regular-season snaps |
| 1994 | Butler By'not'e |
Ohio State
Big Ten
|
RB | DEN Denver Broncos | 16 games |
| 1993 | Robert Smith 2× Pro Bowl |
Ohio State
Big Ten
|
RB | MIN Minnesota Vikings | 98 games · 6 yrs as starter 60 career AV |
| 1993 | Derek Brown |
Nebraska
Big Ten
|
RB | NO New Orleans Saints | 56 games · 2 yrs as starter 17 career AV |
| 1993 | Kevin Williams |
UCLA
Big Ten
|
RB | DEN Denver Broncos | 3 games |
| 1993 | Richie Anderson 1× Pro Bowl |
Penn State
Big Ten
|
FB | NYJ New York Jets | 161 games · 6 yrs as starter 29 career AV |
| 1993 | Darius Turner |
Washington
Big Ten
|
RB | KC Kansas City Chiefs | No regular-season snaps |
| 1993 | Ty Hallock |
Michigan State
Big Ten
|
RB | DET Detroit Lions | 86 games · 3 yrs as starter 6 career AV |
| 1993 | Lance Lewis |
Nebraska
Big Ten
|
RB | IND Indianapolis Colts | No regular-season snaps |
| 1992 | Vaughn Dunbar |
Indiana
Big Ten
|
RB | NO New Orleans Saints | 39 games · 1 yrs as starter 7 career AV |
| 1992 | Maury Toy |
UCLA
Big Ten
|
RB | IND Indianapolis Colts | No regular-season snaps |
| 1992 | Scottie Graham |
Ohio State
Big Ten
|
RB | PIT Pittsburgh Steelers | 57 games 8 career AV |
| 1992 | Scott Lockwood |
USC
Big Ten
|
RB | NE New England Patriots | 6 games 1 career AV |
| 1992 | Sam Gash 2× Pro Bowl |
Penn State
Big Ten
|
FB | NE New England Patriots | 177 games · 5 yrs as starter 13 career AV |
| 1992 | Mike Saunders |
Iowa
Big Ten
|
RB | PIT Pittsburgh Steelers | No regular-season snaps |
| 1992 | Raoul Spears |
USC
Big Ten
|
RB | MIA Miami Dolphins | No regular-season snaps |
| 1992 | Mazio Royster |
USC
Big Ten
|
RB | TB Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 33 games 1 career AV |
| 1991 | Jarrod Bunch |
Michigan
Big Ten
|
FB | NYG New York Giants | 48 games · 2 yrs as starter 7 career AV |
| 1991 | Nick Bell |
Iowa
Big Ten
|
RB | LV Los Angeles Raiders | 35 games 8 career AV |
| 1991 | Ricky Ervins |
USC
Big Ten
|
RB | WAS Washington Commanders | 76 games · 1 yrs as starter 23 career AV |
| 1991 | Jon Vaughn |
Michigan
Big Ten
|
RB | NE New England Patriots | 61 games 9 career AV |
| 1991 | Greg Lewis |
Washington
Big Ten
|
RB | DEN Denver Broncos | 32 games 5 career AV |
| 1991 | Leroy Thompson |
Penn State
Big Ten
|
RB | PIT Pittsburgh Steelers | 80 games 18 career AV |
| 1991 | Gary Brown |
Penn State
Big Ten
|
RB | TEN Houston Oilers | 99 games · 3 yrs as starter 27 career AV |
| 1991 | Hyland Hickson |
Michigan State
Big Ten
|
RB | TB Tampa Bay Buccaneers | No regular-season snaps |
| 1991 | Tony Boles |
Michigan
Big Ten
|
RB | DAL Dallas Cowboys | No regular-season snaps |
| 1991 | Tony Stewart |
Iowa
Big Ten
|
RB | SEA Seattle Seahawks | No regular-season snaps |
| 1991 | Bob Christian |
Northwestern
Big Ten
|
RB | ATL Atlanta Falcons | 135 games · 6 yrs as starter 22 career AV |
| 1991 | Ernie Thompson |
Indiana
Big Ten
|
RB | LAR Los Angeles Rams | 20 games 1 career AV |
| 1990 | Blair Thomas |
Penn State
Big Ten
|
RB | NYJ New York Jets | 64 games · 3 yrs as starter 20 career AV |
| 1990 | Darrell Thompson |
Minnesota
Big Ten
|
RB | GB Green Bay Packers | 60 games · 2 yrs as starter 16 career AV |
| 1990 | Anthony Thompson |
Indiana
Big Ten
|
RB | ARI Phoenix Cardinals | 37 games 6 career AV |
| 1990 | Leroy Hoard 1× Pro Bowl |
Michigan
Big Ten
|
RB | CLE Cleveland Browns | 144 games · 4 yrs as starter 43 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.