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 TE 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
19picks
Penn State team hub
-
2
Iowa
Big Ten
18picks
Iowa team hub
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3
Michigan
Big Ten
18picks
Michigan team hub
| # | School | Picks | Rd 1 | Pro Bowlers | HOF | Last 10 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 |
UCLA
Big Ten · last pick 2025
|
15 | 1 | 17% | 0 | 4 |
| 5 |
USC
Big Ten · last pick 2015
|
14 | 0 | 214% | 0 | 0 |
| 6 |
Washington
Big Ten · last pick 2024
|
13 | 2 | 00% | 0 | 4 |
| 7 |
Wisconsin
Big Ten · last pick 2022
|
13 | 0 | 215% | 0 | 2 |
| 8 |
Ohio State
Big Ten · last pick 2026
|
12 | 1 | 00% | 0 | 5 |
| 9 |
Nebraska
Big Ten · last pick 2025
|
10 | 2 | 110% | 0 | 1 |
| 10 |
Maryland
Big Ten · last pick 2022
|
9 | 1 | 333% | 0 | 1 |
| 11 |
Oregon
Big Ten · last pick 2026
|
9 | 1 | 00% | 0 | 2 |
| 12 |
Michigan State
Big Ten · last pick 2022
|
8 | 0 | 00% | 0 | 1 |
| 13 |
Purdue
Big Ten · last pick 2023
|
6 | 1 | 00% | 0 | 2 |
| 14 |
Rutgers
Big Ten · last pick 2015
|
6 | 0 | 117% | 0 | 0 |
| 15 |
Minnesota
Big Ten · last pick 2022
|
5 | 0 | 00% | 0 | 1 |
| 16 |
Indiana
Big Ten · last pick 2026
|
3 | 0 | 00% | 0 | 2 |
| 17 |
Northwestern
Big Ten · last pick 2012
|
2 | 0 | 00% | 0 | 0 |
Draft pick explorer
Showing 151–180 of 180 picks · filtered.
| Pick | Player | College | Pos | NFL team | Career |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1987 | Brian Siverling |
Penn State
Big Ten
|
TE | DET Detroit Lions | No regular-season snaps |
| 1986 | Eric Kattus |
Michigan
Big Ten
|
TE | CIN Cincinnati Bengals | 83 games 6 career AV |
| 1986 | Bob Williams |
Penn State
Big Ten
|
TE | BUF Buffalo Bills | No regular-season snaps |
| 1986 | Butch Rolle |
Michigan State
Big Ten
|
TE | BUF Buffalo Bills | 124 games · 1 yrs as starter 2 career AV |
| 1986 | Kevin Starks |
Minnesota
Big Ten
|
TE | ATL Atlanta Falcons | No regular-season snaps |
| 1985 | Jonathan Hayes |
Iowa
Big Ten
|
TE | KC Kansas City Chiefs | 184 games · 6 yrs as starter 15 career AV |
| 1985 | Alan Andrews |
Rutgers
Big Ten
|
TE | PIT Pittsburgh Steelers | No regular-season snaps |
| 1985 | Mark Boyer |
USC
Big Ten
|
TE | IND Indianapolis Colts | 114 games · 6 yrs as starter 13 career AV |
| 1985 | Bret Pearson |
Wisconsin
Big Ten
|
TE | LAC San Diego Chargers | No regular-season snaps |
| 1984 | John Frank |
Ohio State
Big Ten
|
TE | SF San Francisco 49ers | 66 games 8 career AV |
| 1984 | Fred Cornwell |
USC
Big Ten
|
TE | DAL Dallas Cowboys | 30 games 1 career AV |
| 1984 | Cliff Benson |
Purdue
Big Ten
|
TE | ATL Atlanta Falcons | 49 games · 2 yrs as starter 2 career AV |
| 1984 | Jay Carroll |
Minnesota
Big Ten
|
TE | TB Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 32 games |
| 1984 | Harper Howell |
UCLA
Big Ten
|
TE | NE New England Patriots | No regular-season snaps |
| 1983 | Jamie Williams |
Nebraska
Big Ten
|
TE | NYG New York Giants | 160 games · 5 yrs as starter 16 career AV |
| 1983 | John Tice |
Maryland
Big Ten
|
TE | NO New Orleans Saints | 134 games · 4 yrs as starter 12 career AV |
| 1983 | Mike McCloskey |
Penn State
Big Ten
|
TE | TEN Houston Oilers | 48 games 2 career AV |
| 1983 | Tim Stracka |
Wisconsin
Big Ten
|
TE | CLE Cleveland Browns | 19 games |
| 1983 | Craig Dunaway |
Michigan
Big Ten
|
TE | PIT Pittsburgh Steelers | 11 games |
| 1982 | Tim Wrightman |
UCLA
Big Ten
|
TE | CHI Chicago Bears | 32 games 7 career AV |
| 1982 | Vyto Kab |
Penn State
Big Ten
|
TE | PHI Philadelphia Eagles | 58 games · 1 yrs as starter 4 career AV |
| 1981 | Dave Young |
Purdue
Big Ten
|
TE | NYG New York Giants | 25 games · 1 yrs as starter 1 career AV |
| 1981 | Hoby Brenner 1× Pro Bowl |
USC
Big Ten
|
TE | NO New Orleans Saints | 175 games · 12 yrs as starter 31 career AV |
| 1981 | Eric Sievers |
Maryland
Big Ten
|
TE | LAC San Diego Chargers | 122 games · 4 yrs as starter 21 career AV |
| 1981 | Brad Scovill |
Penn State
Big Ten
|
TE | SEA Seattle Seahawks | No regular-season snaps |
| 1981 | Ronnie DeBose |
UCLA
Big Ten
|
TE | SF San Francisco 49ers | No regular-season snaps |
| 1980 | Junior Miller 2× Pro Bowl |
Nebraska
Big Ten
|
TE | ATL Atlanta Falcons | 71 games · 3 yrs as starter 14 career AV |
| 1980 | Doug Marsh |
Michigan
Big Ten
|
TE | ARI St. Louis Cardinals | 92 games · 6 yrs as starter 17 career AV |
| 1980 | Mark Brammer |
Michigan State
Big Ten
|
TE | BUF Buffalo Bills | 65 games · 3 yrs as starter 11 career AV |
| 1980 | Ray Sydnor |
Wisconsin
Big Ten
|
TE | PIT Pittsburgh Steelers | No regular-season snaps |
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 — 19
- 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 19 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.