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 2,201–2,250 of 2,705 picks · filtered.
| Pick | Player | College | Pos | NFL team | Career |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1987 | Paul Jokisch |
Michigan
Big Ten
|
WR | SF San Francisco 49ers | No regular-season snaps |
| 1987 | Tim Johnson |
Penn State
Big Ten
|
DT | PIT Pittsburgh Steelers | 146 games · 7 yrs as starter 45 career AV |
| 1987 | Sonny Gordon |
Ohio State
Big Ten
|
DB | CIN Cincinnati Bengals | 7 games |
| 1987 | Bob White |
Penn State
Big Ten
|
LB | SF San Francisco 49ers | No regular-season snaps |
| 1987 | Jamie Holland |
Ohio State
Big Ten
|
WR | LAC San Diego Chargers | 80 games · 1 yrs as starter 9 career AV |
| 1987 | Tim Peoples |
Washington
Big Ten
|
DB | ARI St. Louis Cardinals | No regular-season snaps |
| 1987 | Michael Reid |
Wisconsin
Big Ten
|
LB | ATL Atlanta Falcons | 67 games 7 career AV |
| 1987 | Derek Tennell |
UCLA
Big Ten
|
TE | SEA Seattle Seahawks | 75 games 3 career AV |
| 1987 | Harry Swayne |
Rutgers
Big Ten
|
T | TB Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 186 games · 7 yrs as starter 54 career AV |
| 1987 | Jeff Drost |
Iowa
Big Ten
|
DT | GB Green Bay Packers | 2 games |
| 1987 | Chuckie Miller |
UCLA
Big Ten
|
DB | IND Indianapolis Colts | 3 games 1 career AV |
| 1987 | Steve Alvord |
Washington
Big Ten
|
DT | ARI St. Louis Cardinals | 27 games · 2 yrs as starter 7 career AV |
| 1987 | Ron Brown |
USC
Big Ten
|
LB | LAC San Diego Chargers | 19 games 2 career AV |
| 1987 | Kevin Gogan 3× Pro Bowl |
Washington
Big Ten
|
G | DAL Dallas Cowboys | 213 games · 11 yrs as starter 73 career AV |
| 1987 | Bruce Mesner |
Maryland
Big Ten
|
NT | BUF Buffalo Bills | 11 games 1 career AV |
| 1987 | Rick Fenney |
Washington
Big Ten
|
RB | MIN Minnesota Vikings | 63 games 15 career AV |
| 1987 | Dan Morgan |
Penn State
Big Ten
|
G | DEN Denver Broncos | 2 games 1 career AV |
| 1987 | Rod Jones |
Washington
Big Ten
|
TE | NYG New York Giants | 9 games 1 career AV |
| 1987 | Joe Armentrout |
Wisconsin
Big Ten
|
RB | TB Tampa Bay Buccaneers | No regular-season snaps |
| 1987 | Stan Parker |
Nebraska
Big Ten
|
G | NYG New York Giants | No regular-season snaps |
| 1987 | Thomas Wilcher |
Michigan
Big Ten
|
RB | LAC San Diego Chargers | No regular-season snaps |
| 1987 | Scott Leach |
Ohio State
Big Ten
|
LB | NO New Orleans Saints | 3 games 2 career AV |
| 1987 | Alvin Blount |
Maryland
Big Ten
|
RB | DAL Dallas Cowboys | 2 games 1 career AV |
| 1987 | Craig Raddatz |
Wisconsin
Big Ten
|
LB | CIN Cincinnati Bengals | No regular-season snaps |
| 1987 | Bob Ontko |
Penn State
Big Ten
|
LB | IND Indianapolis Colts | 3 games 2 career AV |
| 1987 | Curtis Duncan 1× Pro Bowl |
Northwestern
Big Ten
|
WR | TEN Houston Oilers | 102 games · 4 yrs as starter 33 career AV |
| 1987 | Bobby Taylor |
Wisconsin
Big Ten
|
DB | MIA Miami Dolphins | No regular-season snaps |
| 1987 | Bob Riley |
Indiana
Big Ten
|
T | MIN Minnesota Vikings | 3 games 2 career AV |
| 1987 | Sid Lewis |
Penn State
Big Ten
|
DB | NYJ New York Jets | 2 games |
| 1987 | Chuck Faucette |
Maryland
Big Ten
|
LB | NYG New York Giants | 10 games · 1 yrs as starter 5 career AV |
| 1987 | Joe Goebel |
UCLA
Big Ten
|
C | LAC San Diego Chargers | 2 games |
| 1987 | Brian Siverling |
Penn State
Big Ten
|
TE | DET Detroit Lions | No regular-season snaps |
| 1987 | Steve Roberts |
Washington
Big Ten
|
DE | DEN Denver Broncos | No regular-season snaps |
| 1987 | Tommy Neal |
Maryland
Big Ten
|
RB | DEN Denver Broncos | No regular-season snaps |
| 1987 | Marcus Greenwood |
UCLA
Big Ten
|
RB | LAC San Diego Chargers | No regular-season snaps |
| 1987 | Bobby Morse |
Michigan State
Big Ten
|
RB | PHI Philadelphia Eagles | 38 games 1 career AV |
| 1987 | Larry Emery |
Wisconsin
Big Ten
|
RB | ATL Atlanta Falcons | 5 games |
| 1987 | Jim Karsatos |
Ohio State
Big Ten
|
QB | MIA Miami Dolphins | No regular-season snaps |
| 1987 | Bruce Holmes |
Minnesota
Big Ten
|
LB | KC Kansas City Chiefs | 4 games 1 career AV |
| 1987 | Ray Hitchcock |
Minnesota
Big Ten
|
C | WAS Washington Commanders | 5 games |
| 1986 | Jim Everett 1× Pro Bowl |
Purdue
Big Ten
|
QB | TEN Houston Oilers | 158 games · 10 yrs as starter 87 career AV |
| 1986 | Anthony Bell |
Michigan State
Big Ten
|
LB | ARI St. Louis Cardinals | 102 games · 4 yrs as starter 28 career AV |
| 1986 | Keith Byars 1× Pro Bowl |
Ohio State
Big Ten
|
RB | PHI Philadelphia Eagles | 189 games · 12 yrs as starter 60 career AV |
| 1986 | Joe Kelly |
Washington
Big Ten
|
LB | CIN Cincinnati Bengals | 156 games · 7 yrs as starter 43 career AV |
| 1986 | Chuck Long |
Iowa
Big Ten
|
QB | DET Detroit Lions | 27 games · 1 yrs as starter 11 career AV |
| 1986 | James FitzPatrick |
USC
Big Ten
|
T | LAC San Diego Chargers | 65 games · 1 yrs as starter 10 career AV |
| 1986 | Ronnie Harmon 1× Pro Bowl |
Iowa
Big Ten
|
RB | BUF Buffalo Bills | 181 games · 1 yrs as starter 64 career AV |
| 1986 | Mike Sherrard |
UCLA
Big Ten
|
WR | DAL Dallas Cowboys | 105 games · 2 yrs as starter 33 career AV |
| 1986 | Mike Haight |
Iowa
Big Ten
|
G | NYJ New York Jets | 63 games · 3 yrs as starter 20 career AV |
| 1986 | John Lee |
UCLA
Big Ten
|
K | ARI St. Louis Cardinals | 11 games |
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.