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.
-
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 251–297 of 297 picks · filtered.
| Pick | Player | College | Pos | NFL team | Career |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1986 | Mike Sherrard |
UCLA
Big Ten
|
WR | DAL Dallas Cowboys | 105 games · 2 yrs as starter 33 career AV |
| 1986 | Lew Barnes |
Oregon
Big Ten
|
WR | CHI Chicago Bears | 31 games 1 career AV |
| 1986 | Mark Jackson |
Purdue
Big Ten
|
WR | DEN Denver Broncos | 130 games · 6 yrs as starter 44 career AV |
| 1986 | Steve Griffin |
Purdue
Big Ten
|
WR | ATL Atlanta Falcons | 2 games |
| 1985 | Al Toon 1× All-Pro 3× Pro Bowl |
Wisconsin
Big Ten
|
WR | NYJ New York Jets | 107 games · 8 yrs as starter 56 career AV |
| 1985 | Danny Greene |
Washington
Big Ten
|
WR | SEA Seattle Seahawks | 4 games |
| 1985 | Mike Young |
UCLA
Big Ten
|
WR | LAR Los Angeles Rams | 114 games · 1 yrs as starter 18 career AV |
| 1985 | Mark Pattison |
Washington
Big Ten
|
WR | LV Los Angeles Raiders | 18 games 2 career AV |
| 1985 | Steve Tasker 7× Pro Bowl |
Northwestern
Big Ten
|
WR | TEN Houston Oilers | 169 games 7 career AV |
| 1985 | Shane Swanson |
Nebraska
Big Ten
|
WR | CLE Cleveland Browns | 3 games 1 career AV |
| 1984 | Irving Fryar 5× Pro Bowl |
Nebraska
Big Ten
|
WR | NE New England Patriots | 255 games · 13 yrs as starter 80 career AV |
| 1984 | Kenny Jackson |
Penn State
Big Ten
|
WR | PHI Philadelphia Eagles | 102 games · 4 yrs as starter 15 career AV |
| 1984 | Daryl Turner |
Michigan State
Big Ten
|
WR | SEA Seattle Seahawks | 59 games · 4 yrs as starter 17 career AV |
| 1984 | Kevin Baugh |
Penn State
Big Ten
|
WR | TEN Houston Oilers | No regular-season snaps |
| 1984 | Dave Moritz |
Iowa
Big Ten
|
WR | SF San Francisco 49ers | No regular-season snaps |
| 1984 | Michael Harper |
USC
Big Ten
|
WR | LAR Los Angeles Rams | 35 games 4 career AV |
| 1984 | Thad Jemison |
Ohio State
Big Ten
|
WR | TB Tampa Bay Buccaneers | No regular-season snaps |
| 1984 | Russell Davis |
Maryland
Big Ten
|
WR | BUF Buffalo Bills | No regular-season snaps |
| 1983 | Jo-Jo Townsell |
UCLA
Big Ten
|
WR | NYJ New York Jets | 83 games 10 career AV |
| 1983 | Paul Skansi |
Washington
Big Ten
|
WR | PIT Pittsburgh Steelers | 115 games 17 career AV |
| 1983 | Otis Grant |
Michigan State
Big Ten
|
WR | LAR Los Angeles Rams | 33 games 5 career AV |
| 1983 | Dokie Williams |
UCLA
Big Ten
|
WR | LV Los Angeles Raiders | 74 games · 2 yrs as starter 23 career AV |
| 1983 | Gregg Garrity |
Penn State
Big Ten
|
WR | PIT Pittsburgh Steelers | 79 games 12 career AV |
| 1983 | Todd Brown |
Nebraska
Big Ten
|
WR | DET Detroit Lions | No regular-season snaps |
| 1983 | Anthony Allen |
Washington
Big Ten
|
WR | ATL Atlanta Falcons | 45 games 7 career AV |
| 1983 | Jeff Simmons |
USC
Big Ten
|
WR | LAR Los Angeles Rams | 3 games |
| 1983 | Aaron Williams |
Washington
Big Ten
|
WR | ARI St. Louis Cardinals | No regular-season snaps |
| 1983 | Gary Williams |
Ohio State
Big Ten
|
WR | CIN Cincinnati Bengals | 8 games |
| 1983 | Anthony Carter 3× Pro Bowl |
Michigan
Big Ten
|
WR | MIA Miami Dolphins | 140 games · 9 yrs as starter 61 career AV |
| 1982 | Steve Bryant |
Purdue
Big Ten
|
WR | TEN Houston Oilers | 42 games 4 career AV |
| 1982 | Chester Cooper |
Minnesota
Big Ten
|
WR | SEA Seattle Seahawks | No regular-season snaps |
| 1982 | Ricky Coffman |
UCLA
Big Ten
|
WR | LAR Los Angeles Rams | No regular-season snaps |
| 1981 | Doug Donley |
Ohio State
Big Ten
|
WR | DAL Dallas Cowboys | 43 games 7 career AV |
| 1981 | Kevin Williams |
USC
Big Ten
|
WR | NO New Orleans Saints | 11 games |
| 1981 | David Dorn |
Rutgers
Big Ten
|
WR | KC Kansas City Chiefs | No regular-season snaps |
| 1981 | John Noonan |
Nebraska
Big Ten
|
WR | MIA Miami Dolphins | No regular-season snaps |
| 1981 | Keith Chappelle |
Iowa
Big Ten
|
WR | ATL Atlanta Falcons | No regular-season snaps |
| 1981 | Nate Lundy |
Indiana
Big Ten
|
WR | DAL Dallas Cowboys | No regular-season snaps |
| 1980 | Ralph Clayton |
Michigan
Big Ten
|
WR | NYJ New York Jets | 7 games |
| 1980 | Mike Friede |
Indiana
Big Ten
|
WR | DET Detroit Lions | 27 games · 1 yrs as starter 5 career AV |
| 1980 | Tim Smith |
Nebraska
Big Ten
|
WR | TEN Houston Oilers | 90 games · 3 yrs as starter 23 career AV |
| 1980 | Ray Butler |
USC
Big Ten
|
WR | IND Baltimore Colts | 120 games · 6 yrs as starter 33 career AV |
| 1980 | Elmer Bailey |
Minnesota
Big Ten
|
WR | MIA Miami Dolphins | 31 games 1 career AV |
| 1980 | Eugene Byrd |
Michigan State
Big Ten
|
WR | MIA Miami Dolphins | No regular-season snaps |
| 1980 | Don Coleman |
Oregon
Big Ten
|
WR | DEN Denver Broncos | No regular-season snaps |
| 1980 | Tom Donovan |
Penn State
Big Ten
|
WR | KC Kansas City Chiefs | 5 games |
| 1980 | Kenny Brown |
Nebraska
Big Ten
|
WR | MIN Minnesota Vikings | No regular-season snaps |
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.