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 2,351–2,400 of 2,705 picks · filtered.
| Pick | Player | College | Pos | NFL team | Career |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1985 | Mark Boyer |
USC
Big Ten
|
TE | IND Indianapolis Colts | 114 games · 6 yrs as starter 13 career AV |
| 1985 | Keith Cruise |
Northwestern
Big Ten
|
DE | CIN Cincinnati Bengals | No regular-season snaps |
| 1985 | Fred Small |
Washington
Big Ten
|
LB | PIT Pittsburgh Steelers | 16 games 1 career AV |
| 1985 | Andre Harris |
Minnesota
Big Ten
|
DB | PIT Pittsburgh Steelers | No regular-season snaps |
| 1985 | Scott Strasburger |
Nebraska
Big Ten
|
LB | DAL Dallas Cowboys | No regular-season snaps |
| 1985 | Chris Sydnor |
Penn State
Big Ten
|
DB | LV Los Angeles Raiders | No regular-season snaps |
| 1985 | Kerry Glenn |
Minnesota
Big Ten
|
DB | NYJ New York Jets | 74 games 9 career AV |
| 1985 | Jeff Smith |
Nebraska
Big Ten
|
RB | KC Kansas City Chiefs | 56 games · 1 yrs as starter 10 career AV |
| 1985 | Duval Love 1× Pro Bowl |
UCLA
Big Ten
|
G | LAR Los Angeles Rams | 167 games · 8 yrs as starter 49 career AV |
| 1985 | Mike Pendleton |
Indiana
Big Ten
|
DB | MIA Miami Dolphins | No regular-season snaps |
| 1985 | Neal Dellocono |
UCLA
Big Ten
|
LB | DAL Dallas Cowboys | No regular-season snaps |
| 1985 | Kevin Brown |
Northwestern
Big Ten
|
DB | LAR Los Angeles Rams | No regular-season snaps |
| 1985 | Jim Morrissey |
Michigan State
Big Ten
|
LB | CHI Chicago Bears | 114 games · 4 yrs as starter 30 career AV |
| 1985 | Mark Vonder Haar |
Minnesota
Big Ten
|
DT | TEN Houston Oilers | No regular-season snaps |
| 1985 | Shane Swanson |
Nebraska
Big Ten
|
WR | CLE Cleveland Browns | 3 games 1 career AV |
| 1985 | Lonnie Young |
Michigan State
Big Ten
|
DB | ARI St. Louis Cardinals | 147 games · 8 yrs as starter 34 career AV |
| 1985 | Herb Welch |
UCLA
Big Ten
|
DB | NYG New York Giants | 79 games 9 career AV |
| 1985 | Tony Mumford |
Penn State
Big Ten
|
RB | NE New England Patriots | 2 games |
| 1985 | Bret Pearson |
Wisconsin
Big Ten
|
TE | LAC San Diego Chargers | No regular-season snaps |
| 1985 | Jim Melka |
Wisconsin
Big Ten
|
LB | TB Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 1 games |
| 1984 | Irving Fryar 5× Pro Bowl |
Nebraska
Big Ten
|
WR | NE New England Patriots | 255 games · 13 yrs as starter 80 career AV |
| 1984 | Dean Steinkuhler |
Nebraska
Big Ten
|
T | TEN Houston Oilers | 100 games · 5 yrs as starter 36 career AV |
| 1984 | Carl Banks 1× All-Pro 1× Pro Bowl |
Michigan State
Big Ten
|
LB | NYG New York Giants | 173 games · 10 yrs as starter 68 career AV |
| 1984 | Kenny Jackson |
Penn State
Big Ten
|
WR | PHI Philadelphia Eagles | 102 games · 4 yrs as starter 15 career AV |
| 1984 | Pete Koch |
Maryland
Big Ten
|
NT | CIN Cincinnati Bengals | 58 games · 1 yrs as starter 11 career AV |
| 1984 | Don Rogers |
UCLA
Big Ten
|
DB | CLE Cleveland Browns | 31 games · 2 yrs as starter 13 career AV |
| 1984 | Ron Solt 1× Pro Bowl |
Maryland
Big Ten
|
G | IND Indianapolis Colts | 116 games · 8 yrs as starter 43 career AV |
| 1984 | John Alt 2× Pro Bowl |
Iowa
Big Ten
|
T | KC Kansas City Chiefs | 179 games · 10 yrs as starter 68 career AV |
| 1984 | William Roberts 1× Pro Bowl |
Ohio State
Big Ten
|
G | NYG New York Giants | 195 games · 11 yrs as starter 65 career AV |
| 1984 | Keith Browner |
USC
Big Ten
|
LB | TB Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 65 games · 3 yrs as starter 18 career AV |
| 1984 | Mike Guendling |
Northwestern
Big Ten
|
LB | LAC San Diego Chargers | 9 games |
| 1984 | Scott Radecic |
Penn State
Big Ten
|
LB | KC Kansas City Chiefs | 182 games · 6 yrs as starter 36 career AV |
| 1984 | Boomer Esiason 1× All-Pro 4× Pro Bowl |
Maryland
Big Ten
|
QB | CIN Cincinnati Bengals | 187 games · 12 yrs as starter 106 career AV |
| 1984 | Daryl Turner |
Michigan State
Big Ten
|
WR | SEA Seattle Seahawks | 59 games · 4 yrs as starter 17 career AV |
| 1984 | John Frank |
Ohio State
Big Ten
|
TE | SF San Francisco 49ers | 66 games 8 career AV |
| 1984 | Chris Scott |
Purdue
Big Ten
|
DE | IND Indianapolis Colts | 33 games · 1 yrs as starter 8 career AV |
| 1984 | Jon Williams |
Penn State
Big Ten
|
RB | NE New England Patriots | 9 games |
| 1984 | Stefan Humphries |
Michigan
Big Ten
|
G | CHI Chicago Bears | 33 games · 1 yrs as starter 7 career AV |
| 1984 | Steve Baack |
Oregon
Big Ten
|
NT | DET Detroit Lions | 55 games 4 career AV |
| 1984 | Fred Cornwell |
USC
Big Ten
|
TE | DAL Dallas Cowboys | 30 games 1 career AV |
| 1984 | Jay Schroeder 1× Pro Bowl |
UCLA
Big Ten
|
QB | WAS Washington Commanders | 118 games · 8 yrs as starter 61 career AV |
| 1984 | Evan Cooper |
Michigan
Big Ten
|
DB | PHI Philadelphia Eagles | 85 games · 2 yrs as starter 11 career AV |
| 1984 | Mark Robinson |
Penn State
Big Ten
|
DB | KC Kansas City Chiefs | 88 games · 3 yrs as starter 22 career AV |
| 1984 | Joel Hilgenberg 1× Pro Bowl |
Iowa
Big Ten
|
C | NO New Orleans Saints | 142 games · 7 yrs as starter 51 career AV |
| 1984 | Dave D'Addio |
Maryland
Big Ten
|
RB | DET Detroit Lions | 16 games |
| 1984 | Ron Heller |
Penn State
Big Ten
|
T | TB Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 172 games · 11 yrs as starter 62 career AV |
| 1984 | Steve Pelluer |
Washington
Big Ten
|
QB | DAL Dallas Cowboys | 65 games · 2 yrs as starter 24 career AV |
| 1984 | John Kidd |
Northwestern
Big Ten
|
P | BUF Buffalo Bills | 215 games 20 career AV |
| 1984 | Cliff Benson |
Purdue
Big Ten
|
TE | ATL Atlanta Falcons | 49 games · 2 yrs as starter 2 career AV |
| 1984 | Norm Granger |
Iowa
Big Ten
|
RB | DAL Dallas Cowboys | 18 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.