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 LB 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
42picks
Ohio State team hub
-
2
Penn State
Big Ten
42picks
Penn State team hub
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3
USC
Big Ten
40picks
USC team hub
| # | School | Picks | Rd 1 | Pro Bowlers | HOF | Last 10 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 |
Washington
Big Ten · last pick 2025
|
32 | 3 | 00% | 0 | 6 |
| 5 |
Michigan
Big Ten · last pick 2026
|
30 | 3 | 310% | 0 | 11 |
| 6 |
UCLA
Big Ten · last pick 2025
|
29 | 3 | 517% | 0 | 5 |
| 7 |
Nebraska
Big Ten · last pick 2015
|
28 | 4 | 14% | 0 | 0 |
| 8 |
Wisconsin
Big Ten · last pick 2023
|
26 | 1 | 415% | 0 | 9 |
| 9 |
Minnesota
Big Ten · last pick 2025
|
18 | 0 | 16% | 0 | 4 |
| 10 |
Michigan State
Big Ten · last pick 2011
|
17 | 5 | 318% | 0 | 0 |
| 11 |
Oregon
Big Ten · last pick 2026
|
17 | 0 | 00% | 0 | 7 |
| 12 |
Iowa
Big Ten · last pick 2026
|
16 | 2 | 319% | 1 | 4 |
| 13 |
Purdue
Big Ten · last pick 2020
|
15 | 0 | 213% | 0 | 2 |
| 14 |
Maryland
Big Ten · last pick 2025
|
14 | 1 | 321% | 0 | 2 |
| 15 |
Northwestern
Big Ten · last pick 2017
|
12 | 1 | 00% | 0 | 1 |
| 16 |
Rutgers
Big Ten · last pick 2018
|
7 | 0 | 00% | 0 | 1 |
| 17 |
Indiana
Big Ten · last pick 2026
|
4 | 0 | 00% | 0 | 3 |
Draft pick explorer
Showing 251–300 of 389 picks · filtered.
| Pick | Player | College | Pos | NFL team | Career |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1992 | Andre Powell |
Penn State
Big Ten
|
LB | MIA Miami Dolphins | 16 games 2 career AV |
| 1992 | Chuck Bullough |
Michigan State
Big Ten
|
LB | PHI Philadelphia Eagles | 4 games |
| 1992 | Elnardo Webster |
Rutgers
Big Ten
|
LB | PIT Pittsburgh Steelers | 3 games |
| 1992 | Don Jones |
Washington
Big Ten
|
LB | NO New Orleans Saints | 8 games 1 career AV |
| 1992 | Brian Townsend |
Michigan
Big Ten
|
LB | LAR Los Angeles Rams | 3 games |
| 1992 | Mike Petko |
Nebraska
Big Ten
|
LB | NE New England Patriots | No regular-season snaps |
| 1992 | Brett Collins |
Washington
Big Ten
|
LB | GB Green Bay Packers | 27 games 2 career AV |
| 1992 | Chico Fraley |
Washington
Big Ten
|
LB | SEA Seattle Seahawks | No regular-season snaps |
| 1991 | Mike Croel |
Nebraska
Big Ten
|
LB | DEN Denver Broncos | 102 games · 6 yrs as starter 34 career AV |
| 1991 | Roman Phifer |
UCLA
Big Ten
|
LB | LAR Los Angeles Rams | 212 games · 12 yrs as starter 64 career AV |
| 1991 | Dixon Edwards |
Michigan State
Big Ten
|
LB | DAL Dallas Cowboys | 119 games · 6 yrs as starter 38 career AV |
| 1991 | Carlos Jenkins |
Michigan State
Big Ten
|
LB | MIN Minnesota Vikings | 80 games · 5 yrs as starter 32 career AV |
| 1991 | Pat Tyrance |
Nebraska
Big Ten
|
LB | LAR Los Angeles Rams | No regular-season snaps |
| 1991 | Rocen Keeton |
UCLA
Big Ten
|
LB | NYJ New York Jets | No regular-season snaps |
| 1991 | Scott Ross |
USC
Big Ten
|
LB | NO New Orleans Saints | 4 games |
| 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 | Percy Snow |
Michigan State
Big Ten
|
LB | KC Kansas City Chiefs | 40 games · 1 yrs as starter 10 career AV |
| 1990 | Andre Collins |
Penn State
Big Ten
|
LB | WAS Washington Commanders | 144 games · 5 yrs as starter 42 career AV |
| 1990 | Jeff Mills |
Nebraska
Big Ten
|
LB | LAC San Diego Chargers | 46 games 6 career AV |
| 1990 | Marvcus Patton |
UCLA
Big Ten
|
LB | BUF Buffalo Bills | 208 games · 10 yrs as starter 66 career AV |
| 1990 | Brad Quast |
Iowa
Big Ten
|
LB | NYJ New York Jets | No regular-season snaps |
| 1990 | Eddie Miles |
Minnesota
Big Ten
|
LB | PIT Pittsburgh Steelers | 1 games |
| 1990 | Jon Leverenz |
Minnesota
Big Ten
|
LB | WAS Washington Commanders | No regular-season snaps |
| 1990 | Ron Goetz |
Minnesota
Big Ten
|
LB | MIN Minnesota Vikings | No regular-season snaps |
| 1989 | Broderick Thomas |
Nebraska
Big Ten
|
LB | TB Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 144 games · 6 yrs as starter 40 career AV |
| 1989 | Scott Kozak |
Oregon
Big Ten
|
LB | TEN Houston Oilers | 80 games 5 career AV |
| 1989 | Joe Mott |
Iowa
Big Ten
|
LB | NYJ New York Jets | 34 games · 1 yrs as starter 7 career AV |
| 1989 | Jerrol Williams |
Purdue
Big Ten
|
LB | PIT Pittsburgh Steelers | 85 games · 1 yrs as starter 23 career AV |
| 1989 | Quintus McDonald |
Penn State
Big Ten
|
LB | IND Indianapolis Colts | 40 games 6 career AV |
| 1989 | Mark Messner |
Michigan
Big Ten
|
LB | LAR Los Angeles Rams | 4 games |
| 1989 | Kevin Peterson |
Northwestern
Big Ten
|
LB | DAL Dallas Cowboys | No regular-season snaps |
| 1989 | Kurt Larson |
Michigan State
Big Ten
|
LB | IND Indianapolis Colts | 42 games 4 career AV |
| 1989 | Ricky Andrews |
Washington
Big Ten
|
LB | LAC San Diego Chargers | 15 games 1 career AV |
| 1989 | Keith Karpinski |
Penn State
Big Ten
|
LB | DET Detroit Lions | 16 games 1 career AV |
| 1989 | Eric Smith |
UCLA
Big Ten
|
LB | NYG New York Giants | No regular-season snaps |
| 1988 | Marcus Cotton |
USC
Big Ten
|
LB | ATL Atlanta Falcons | 44 games 5 career AV |
| 1988 | Chris Spielman 1× All-Pro 4× Pro Bowl |
Ohio State
Big Ten
|
LB | DET Detroit Lions | 148 games · 10 yrs as starter 74 career AV |
| 1988 | Ken Norton Jr. 1× All-Pro 3× Pro Bowl |
UCLA
Big Ten
|
LB | DAL Dallas Cowboys | 191 games · 12 yrs as starter 81 career AV |
| 1988 | Fred Strickland |
Purdue
Big Ten
|
LB | LAR Los Angeles Rams | 161 games · 8 yrs as starter 46 career AV |
| 1988 | Kevin Walker |
Maryland
Big Ten
|
LB | CIN Cincinnati Bengals | 44 games · 1 yrs as starter 9 career AV |
| 1988 | Van Waiters |
Indiana
Big Ten
|
LB | CLE Cleveland Browns | 80 games · 1 yrs as starter 13 career AV |
| 1988 | Tim Moore |
Michigan State
Big Ten
|
LB | ARI Phoenix Cardinals | No regular-season snaps |
| 1988 | Brian Bonner |
Minnesota
Big Ten
|
LB | SF San Francisco 49ers | 6 games |
| 1988 | O'Brien Alston |
Maryland
Big Ten
|
LB | IND Indianapolis Colts | 19 games · 1 yrs as starter 7 career AV |
| 1988 | Steve Forch |
Nebraska
Big Ten
|
LB | CHI Chicago Bears | No regular-season snaps |
| 1988 | Tom Erlandson |
Washington
Big Ten
|
LB | BUF Buffalo Bills | 4 games |
| 1988 | Ben Hummel |
UCLA
Big Ten
|
LB | DAL Dallas Cowboys | No regular-season snaps |
| 1987 | Shane Conlan 3× Pro Bowl |
Penn State
Big Ten
|
LB | BUF Buffalo Bills | 120 games · 8 yrs as starter 61 career AV |
| 1987 | Rick Graf |
Wisconsin
Big Ten
|
LB | MIA Miami Dolphins | 73 games · 1 yrs as starter 14 career AV |
| 1987 | Don Graham |
Penn State
Big Ten
|
LB | TB Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 13 games 1 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 — 42
- 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 42 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.