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 1,951–2,000 of 2,705 picks · filtered.
| Pick | Player | College | Pos | NFL team | Career |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1991 | Don Gibson |
USC
Big Ten
|
DT | DEN Denver Broncos | No regular-season snaps |
| 1991 | Scott Miller |
UCLA
Big Ten
|
WR | MIA Miami Dolphins | 55 games 3 career AV |
| 1991 | Tahaun Lewis |
Nebraska
Big Ten
|
DB | LV Los Angeles Raiders | 9 games 1 career AV |
| 1991 | Brady Pierce |
Wisconsin
Big Ten
|
T | MIN Minnesota Vikings | No regular-season snaps |
| 1991 | Pat O'Hara |
USC
Big Ten
|
QB | TB Tampa Bay Buccaneers | No regular-season snaps |
| 1991 | Frank Giannetti |
Penn State
Big Ten
|
NT | IND Indianapolis Colts | 3 games |
| 1991 | Sean Love |
Penn State
Big Ten
|
G | DAL Dallas Cowboys | 19 games 1 career AV |
| 1991 | Hyland Hickson |
Michigan State
Big Ten
|
RB | TB Tampa Bay Buccaneers | No regular-season snaps |
| 1991 | Michael Titley |
Iowa
Big Ten
|
TE | MIA Miami Dolphins | No regular-season snaps |
| 1991 | Joe Sims |
Nebraska
Big Ten
|
T | ATL Atlanta Falcons | 53 games · 1 yrs as starter 14 career AV |
| 1991 | Mike Sunvold |
Minnesota
Big Ten
|
DT | TB Tampa Bay Buccaneers | No regular-season snaps |
| 1991 | Rocen Keeton |
UCLA
Big Ten
|
LB | NYJ New York Jets | No regular-season snaps |
| 1991 | Tony Boles |
Michigan
Big Ten
|
RB | DAL Dallas Cowboys | No regular-season snaps |
| 1991 | Scott Ross |
USC
Big Ten
|
LB | NO New Orleans Saints | 4 games |
| 1991 | Tony Stewart |
Iowa
Big Ten
|
RB | SEA Seattle Seahawks | No regular-season snaps |
| 1991 | Bobby Olive |
Ohio State
Big Ten
|
WR | KC Kansas City Chiefs | 2 games |
| 1991 | Dean Kirkland |
Washington
Big Ten
|
G | BUF Buffalo Bills | No regular-season snaps |
| 1991 | Bob Christian |
Northwestern
Big Ten
|
RB | ATL Atlanta Falcons | 135 games · 6 yrs as starter 22 career AV |
| 1991 | Jeff Pahukoa |
Washington
Big Ten
|
G | LAR Los Angeles Rams | 59 games 7 career AV |
| 1991 | Ernie Thompson |
Indiana
Big Ten
|
RB | LAR Los Angeles Rams | 20 games 1 career AV |
| 1991 | Rob Luedeke |
Penn State
Big Ten
|
C | IND Indianapolis Colts | No regular-season snaps |
| 1991 | Mark Drabczak |
Minnesota
Big Ten
|
G | NO New Orleans Saints | No regular-season snaps |
| 1991 | John Cook |
Washington
Big Ten
|
DT | CHI Chicago Bears | No regular-season snaps |
| 1991 | Cliff Confer |
Michigan State
Big Ten
|
DE | SF San Francisco 49ers | No regular-season snaps |
| 1990 | Blair Thomas |
Penn State
Big Ten
|
RB | NYJ New York Jets | 64 games · 3 yrs as starter 20 career AV |
| 1990 | Junior Seau HOF 6× All-Pro 12× Pro Bowl |
USC
Big Ten
|
LB | LAC San Diego Chargers | 268 games · 16 yrs as starter 133 career AV |
| 1990 | Mark Carrier 3× Pro Bowl |
USC
Big Ten
|
DB | CHI Chicago Bears | 168 games · 11 yrs as starter 66 career AV |
| 1990 | Percy Snow |
Michigan State
Big Ten
|
LB | KC Kansas City Chiefs | 40 games · 1 yrs as starter 10 career AV |
| 1990 | Darrell Thompson |
Minnesota
Big Ten
|
RB | GB Green Bay Packers | 60 games · 2 yrs as starter 16 career AV |
| 1990 | Bern Brostek |
Washington
Big Ten
|
C | LAR Los Angeles Rams | 105 games · 6 yrs as starter 34 career AV |
| 1990 | Anthony Thompson |
Indiana
Big Ten
|
RB | ARI Phoenix Cardinals | 37 games 6 career AV |
| 1990 | Dan Owens |
USC
Big Ten
|
DE | DET Detroit Lions | 145 games · 5 yrs as starter 35 career AV |
| 1990 | Leroy Hoard 1× Pro Bowl |
Michigan
Big Ten
|
RB | CLE Cleveland Browns | 144 games · 4 yrs as starter 43 career AV |
| 1990 | Andre Collins |
Penn State
Big Ten
|
LB | WAS Washington Commanders | 144 games · 5 yrs as starter 42 career AV |
| 1990 | Dennis Brown |
Washington
Big Ten
|
DE | SF San Francisco 49ers | 110 games · 3 yrs as starter 26 career AV |
| 1990 | Jeff Mills |
Nebraska
Big Ten
|
LB | LAC San Diego Chargers | 46 games 6 career AV |
| 1990 | Tim Ryan |
USC
Big Ten
|
DE | CHI Chicago Bears | 58 games 7 career AV |
| 1990 | Neil O'Donnell 1× Pro Bowl |
Maryland
Big Ten
|
QB | PIT Pittsburgh Steelers | 125 games · 7 yrs as starter 60 career AV |
| 1990 | Latin Berry |
Oregon
Big Ten
|
DB | LAR Los Angeles Rams | 32 games 2 career AV |
| 1990 | Greg McMurtry |
Michigan
Big Ten
|
WR | NE New England Patriots | 67 games · 2 yrs as starter 10 career AV |
| 1990 | Travis Davis |
Michigan State
Big Ten
|
NT | ARI Phoenix Cardinals | 18 games · 1 yrs as starter 3 career AV |
| 1990 | Cary Conklin |
Washington
Big Ten
|
QB | WAS Washington Commanders | 7 games 1 career AV |
| 1990 | William Schultz |
USC
Big Ten
|
G | IND Indianapolis Colts | 56 games · 2 yrs as starter 10 career AV |
| 1990 | Chris Calloway |
Michigan
Big Ten
|
WR | PIT Pittsburgh Steelers | 158 games · 6 yrs as starter 42 career AV |
| 1990 | Harlon Barnett |
Michigan State
Big Ten
|
DB | CLE Cleveland Browns | 99 games · 4 yrs as starter 23 career AV |
| 1990 | Chris Oldham |
Oregon
Big Ten
|
DB | DET Detroit Lions | 155 games 17 career AV |
| 1990 | Jeff Davidson |
Ohio State
Big Ten
|
G | DEN Denver Broncos | 44 games · 2 yrs as starter 14 career AV |
| 1990 | Jon Melander |
Minnesota
Big Ten
|
G | NE New England Patriots | 54 games · 2 yrs as starter 16 career AV |
| 1990 | Ian Beckles |
Indiana
Big Ten
|
G | TB Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 126 games · 9 yrs as starter 37 career AV |
| 1990 | Charles Arbuckle |
UCLA
Big Ten
|
TE | NO New Orleans Saints | 42 games 2 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.