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 WR 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
Ohio State
Big Ten
39picks
Ohio State team hub
-
2
USC
Big Ten
36picks
USC team hub
-
3
Michigan
Big Ten
29picks
Michigan team hub
| # | School | Picks | Rd 1 | Pro Bowlers | HOF | Last 10 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 |
Penn State
Big Ten · last pick 2023
|
23 | 4 | 313% | 0 | 5 |
| 5 |
Michigan State
Big Ten · last pick 2023
|
22 | 4 | 314% | 0 | 2 |
| 6 |
UCLA
Big Ten · last pick 2022
|
21 | 3 | 15% | 0 | 2 |
| 7 |
Washington
Big Ten · last pick 2026
|
20 | 3 | 00% | 0 | 6 |
| 8 |
Nebraska
Big Ten · last pick 2023
|
16 | 1 | 16% | 0 | 2 |
| 9 |
Oregon
Big Ten · last pick 2026
|
15 | 0 | 00% | 0 | 4 |
| 10 |
Maryland
Big Ten · last pick 2025
|
12 | 2 | 217% | 0 | 3 |
| 11 |
Wisconsin
Big Ten · last pick 2020
|
12 | 2 | 217% | 0 | 1 |
| 12 |
Indiana
Big Ten · last pick 2026
|
11 | 2 | 00% | 0 | 2 |
| 13 |
Iowa
Big Ten · last pick 2026
|
10 | 0 | 00% | 0 | 2 |
| 14 |
Purdue
Big Ten · last pick 2023
|
10 | 0 | 00% | 0 | 4 |
| 15 |
Minnesota
Big Ten · last pick 2021
|
8 | 1 | 00% | 0 | 2 |
| 16 |
Rutgers
Big Ten · last pick 2022
|
7 | 1 | 00% | 0 | 1 |
| 17 |
Northwestern
Big Ten · last pick 2012
|
6 | 0 | 233% | 0 | 0 |
Draft pick explorer
Showing 201–250 of 297 picks · filtered.
| Pick | Player | College | Pos | NFL team | Career |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1994 | Chris Brantley |
Rutgers
Big Ten
|
WR | LAR Los Angeles Rams | 25 games |
| 1994 | Lee Gissendaner |
Northwestern
Big Ten
|
WR | TEN Houston Oilers | No regular-season snaps |
| 1993 | Curtis Conway |
USC
Big Ten
|
WR | CHI Chicago Bears | 167 games · 10 yrs as starter 62 career AV |
| 1993 | O.J. McDuffie |
Penn State
Big Ten
|
WR | MIA Miami Dolphins | 116 games · 5 yrs as starter 44 career AV |
| 1993 | Travis Hannah |
USC
Big Ten
|
WR | TEN Houston Oilers | 37 games 1 career AV |
| 1993 | Sean LaChapelle |
UCLA
Big Ten
|
WR | LAR Los Angeles Rams | 22 games · 1 yrs as starter 4 career AV |
| 1993 | Danan Hughes |
Iowa
Big Ten
|
WR | KC Kansas City Chiefs | 85 games 5 career AV |
| 1993 | Brian Stablein |
Ohio State
Big Ten
|
WR | DEN Denver Broncos | 87 games 7 career AV |
| 1992 | Desmond Howard 1× Pro Bowl |
Michigan
Big Ten
|
WR | WAS Washington Commanders | 156 games · 1 yrs as starter 18 career AV |
| 1992 | Courtney Hawkins |
Michigan State
Big Ten
|
WR | TB Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 131 games · 5 yrs as starter 35 career AV |
| 1992 | Orlando McKay |
Washington
Big Ten
|
WR | GB Green Bay Packers | No regular-season snaps |
| 1992 | Mario Bailey |
Washington
Big Ten
|
WR | TEN Houston Oilers | No regular-season snaps |
| 1992 | Jon Bostick |
Nebraska
Big Ten
|
WR | DEN Denver Broncos | No regular-season snaps |
| 1992 | Terry Smith |
Penn State
Big Ten
|
WR | WAS Washington Commanders | No regular-season snaps |
| 1991 | Jeff Graham |
Ohio State
Big Ten
|
WR | PIT Pittsburgh Steelers | 160 games · 9 yrs as starter 59 career AV |
| 1991 | David Daniels |
Penn State
Big Ten
|
WR | SEA Seattle Seahawks | 29 games 1 career AV |
| 1991 | Gary Wellman |
USC
Big Ten
|
WR | TEN Houston Oilers | 28 games 5 career AV |
| 1991 | James Bradley |
Michigan State
Big Ten
|
WR | IND Indianapolis Colts | No regular-season snaps |
| 1991 | Tony Hargain |
Oregon
Big Ten
|
WR | SF San Francisco 49ers | 12 games 2 career AV |
| 1991 | Scott Miller |
UCLA
Big Ten
|
WR | MIA Miami Dolphins | 55 games 3 career AV |
| 1991 | Bobby Olive |
Ohio State
Big Ten
|
WR | KC Kansas City Chiefs | 2 games |
| 1990 | Greg McMurtry |
Michigan
Big Ten
|
WR | NE New England Patriots | 67 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 | Calvin Williams |
Purdue
Big Ten
|
WR | PHI Philadelphia Eagles | 100 games · 6 yrs as starter 33 career AV |
| 1990 | Andre Riley |
Washington
Big Ten
|
WR | CIN Cincinnati Bengals | No regular-season snaps |
| 1989 | Andre Rison 1× All-Pro 5× Pro Bowl |
Michigan State
Big Ten
|
WR | IND Indianapolis Colts | 186 games · 10 yrs as starter 77 career AV |
| 1989 | Michael Timpson |
Penn State
Big Ten
|
WR | NE New England Patriots | 116 games · 3 yrs as starter 29 career AV |
| 1989 | John Kolesar |
Michigan
Big Ten
|
WR | BUF Buffalo Bills | No regular-season snaps |
| 1989 | Erik Affholter |
USC
Big Ten
|
WR | WAS Washington Commanders | 4 games 1 career AV |
| 1989 | Vernon Joines |
Maryland
Big Ten
|
WR | CLE Cleveland Browns | 20 games 1 career AV |
| 1989 | Dana Brinson |
Nebraska
Big Ten
|
WR | LAC San Diego Chargers | 10 games 1 career AV |
| 1989 | Brian Slater |
Washington
Big Ten
|
WR | PIT Pittsburgh Steelers | No regular-season snaps |
| 1989 | Everett Ross |
Ohio State
Big Ten
|
WR | MIN Minnesota Vikings | No regular-season snaps |
| 1988 | Flipper Anderson |
UCLA
Big Ten
|
WR | LAR Los Angeles Rams | 114 games · 6 yrs as starter 42 career AV |
| 1988 | Ray Roundtree |
Penn State
Big Ten
|
WR | DET Detroit Lions | 4 games |
| 1988 | Quinn Early |
Iowa
Big Ten
|
WR | LAC San Diego Chargers | 179 games · 8 yrs as starter 46 career AV |
| 1988 | Ernie Jones |
Indiana
Big Ten
|
WR | ARI Phoenix Cardinals | 83 games · 3 yrs as starter 26 career AV |
| 1988 | Mike Alexander |
Penn State
Big Ten
|
WR | LV Los Angeles Raiders | 19 games 3 career AV |
| 1988 | Darryl Franklin |
Washington
Big Ten
|
WR | LAR Los Angeles Rams | No regular-season snaps |
| 1988 | J.J. Birden |
Oregon
Big Ten
|
WR | CLE Cleveland Browns | 93 games · 5 yrs as starter 30 career AV |
| 1988 | Azizuddin Abdur-Ra'oof |
Maryland
Big Ten
|
WR | KC Kansas City Chiefs | No regular-season snaps |
| 1988 | Paco Craig |
UCLA
Big Ten
|
WR | DET Detroit Lions | 8 games |
| 1988 | James Milling |
Maryland
Big Ten
|
WR | ATL Atlanta Falcons | 24 games 1 career AV |
| 1988 | Hendley Hawkins |
Nebraska
Big Ten
|
WR | CLE Cleveland Browns | No regular-season snaps |
| 1988 | Gary Couch |
Minnesota
Big Ten
|
WR | NO New Orleans Saints | No regular-season snaps |
| 1987 | Mark Ingram |
Michigan State
Big Ten
|
WR | NYG New York Giants | 128 games · 6 yrs as starter 36 career AV |
| 1987 | Lonzell Hill |
Washington
Big Ten
|
WR | NO New Orleans Saints | 55 games · 2 yrs as starter 17 career AV |
| 1987 | Paul Jokisch |
Michigan
Big Ten
|
WR | 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 | Curtis Duncan 1× Pro Bowl |
Northwestern
Big Ten
|
WR | TEN Houston Oilers | 102 games · 4 yrs as starter 33 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 — 39
- 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 39 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.