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 DL 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
43picks
Ohio State team hub
-
2
Nebraska
Big Ten
38picks
Nebraska team hub
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3
USC
Big Ten
37picks
USC team hub
| # | School | Picks | Rd 1 | Pro Bowlers | HOF | Last 10 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 |
Michigan
Big Ten · last pick 2026
|
36 | 9 | 411% | 0 | 18 |
| 5 |
Penn State
Big Ten · last pick 2026
|
35 | 10 | 26% | 0 | 11 |
| 6 |
Washington
Big Ten · last pick 2026
|
28 | 6 | 14% | 0 | 7 |
| 7 |
Iowa
Big Ten · last pick 2026
|
26 | 2 | 28% | 0 | 9 |
| 8 |
Oregon
Big Ten · last pick 2025
|
25 | 6 | 28% | 0 | 7 |
| 9 |
Michigan State
Big Ten · last pick 2020
|
22 | 2 | 00% | 0 | 2 |
| 10 |
UCLA
Big Ten · last pick 2025
|
22 | 4 | 15% | 0 | 7 |
| 11 |
Wisconsin
Big Ten · last pick 2023
|
22 | 4 | 29% | 0 | 3 |
| 12 |
Maryland
Big Ten · last pick 2025
|
20 | 1 | 315% | 0 | 3 |
| 13 |
Purdue
Big Ten · last pick 2022
|
19 | 3 | 421% | 0 | 2 |
| 14 |
Northwestern
Big Ten · last pick 2023
|
11 | 1 | 00% | 0 | 3 |
| 15 |
Minnesota
Big Ten · last pick 2026
|
10 | 0 | 00% | 0 | 3 |
| 16 |
Indiana
Big Ten · last pick 2025
|
6 | 0 | 00% | 0 | 1 |
| 17 |
Rutgers
Big Ten · last pick 2025
|
4 | 0 | 00% | 0 | 2 |
Draft pick explorer
Showing 351–400 of 404 picks · filtered.
| Pick | Player | College | Pos | NFL team | Career |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1986 | Tony Colorito |
USC
Big Ten
|
NT | DEN Denver Broncos | 15 games 1 career AV |
| 1985 | Ron Holmes |
Washington
Big Ten
|
DE | TB Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 102 games · 6 yrs as starter 31 career AV |
| 1985 | Kevin Brooks |
Michigan
Big Ten
|
DT | DAL Dallas Cowboys | 69 games · 3 yrs as starter 21 career AV |
| 1985 | Darryl Sims |
Wisconsin
Big Ten
|
DE | PIT Pittsburgh Steelers | 58 games 9 career AV |
| 1985 | George Little |
Iowa
Big Ten
|
DE | MIA Miami Dolphins | 39 games · 1 yrs as starter 8 career AV |
| 1985 | Brian Luft |
USC
Big Ten
|
DT | NYJ New York Jets | No regular-season snaps |
| 1985 | Keith Cruise |
Northwestern
Big Ten
|
DE | CIN Cincinnati Bengals | No regular-season snaps |
| 1985 | Mark Vonder Haar |
Minnesota
Big Ten
|
DT | TEN Houston Oilers | No regular-season snaps |
| 1984 | Pete Koch |
Maryland
Big Ten
|
NT | CIN Cincinnati Bengals | 58 games · 1 yrs as starter 11 career AV |
| 1984 | Chris Scott |
Purdue
Big Ten
|
DE | IND Indianapolis Colts | 33 games · 1 yrs as starter 8 career AV |
| 1984 | Steve Baack |
Oregon
Big Ten
|
NT | DET Detroit Lions | 55 games 4 career AV |
| 1984 | Dan Ralph |
Oregon
Big Ten
|
DT | ATL Atlanta Falcons | 6 games |
| 1984 | Scott Garnett |
Washington
Big Ten
|
NT | DEN Denver Broncos | 27 games 3 career AV |
| 1984 | Mark Smythe |
Indiana
Big Ten
|
DT | ARI St. Louis Cardinals | No regular-season snaps |
| 1983 | Bill Pickel 1× All-Pro |
Rutgers
Big Ten
|
NT | LV Los Angeles Raiders | 174 games · 4 yrs as starter 49 career AV |
| 1983 | George Achica |
USC
Big Ten
|
DT | IND Baltimore Colts | 4 games |
| 1983 | Mark Duda |
Maryland
Big Ten
|
DT | ARI St. Louis Cardinals | 55 games · 2 yrs as starter 15 career AV |
| 1983 | Smiley Creswell |
Michigan State
Big Ten
|
DE | NE New England Patriots | 3 games |
| 1983 | Byron Darby |
USC
Big Ten
|
DE | PHI Philadelphia Eagles | 87 games · 1 yrs as starter 12 career AV |
| 1983 | Jerome Foster |
Ohio State
Big Ten
|
DE | TEN Houston Oilers | 44 games 3 career AV |
| 1983 | Gurnest Brown |
Maryland
Big Ten
|
DT | BUF Buffalo Bills | No regular-season snaps |
| 1983 | Mark Shumate |
Wisconsin
Big Ten
|
NT | KC Kansas City Chiefs | 8 games |
| 1983 | Jeff Merrell |
Nebraska
Big Ten
|
DT | SF San Francisco 49ers | No regular-season snaps |
| 1983 | Toby Williams |
Nebraska
Big Ten
|
NT | NE New England Patriots | 80 games · 4 yrs as starter 26 career AV |
| 1983 | Tim Krumrie 1× All-Pro 2× Pro Bowl |
Wisconsin
Big Ten
|
NT | CIN Cincinnati Bengals | 188 games · 10 yrs as starter 63 career AV |
| 1983 | John Harvey |
USC
Big Ten
|
DT | GB Green Bay Packers | No regular-season snaps |
| 1982 | Leo Wisniewski |
Penn State
Big Ten
|
NT | IND Baltimore Colts | 36 games · 3 yrs as starter 16 career AV |
| 1982 | Fletcher Jenkins |
Washington
Big Ten
|
DE | IND Baltimore Colts | 9 games · 1 yrs as starter 5 career AV |
| 1982 | Henry Waechter |
Nebraska
Big Ten
|
DE | CHI Chicago Bears | 53 games 7 career AV |
| 1982 | Martin Moss |
UCLA
Big Ten
|
DE | DET Detroit Lions | 42 games 3 career AV |
| 1982 | Dennis Edwards |
USC
Big Ten
|
DE | BUF Buffalo Bills | 3 games |
| 1982 | Joe Gary |
UCLA
Big Ten
|
DT | DAL Dallas Cowboys | No regular-season snaps |
| 1981 | John Harty |
Iowa
Big Ten
|
NT | SF San Francisco 49ers | 42 games · 1 yrs as starter 11 career AV |
| 1981 | Keith Ferguson |
Ohio State
Big Ten
|
DE | LAC San Diego Chargers | 134 games · 7 yrs as starter 40 career AV |
| 1981 | Calvin Clark |
Purdue
Big Ten
|
DE | BUF Buffalo Bills | No regular-season snaps |
| 1981 | Pete Kugler |
Penn State
Big Ten
|
NT | SF San Francisco 49ers | 81 games · 2 yrs as starter 20 career AV |
| 1981 | Rusty Olsen |
Washington
Big Ten
|
DE | DEN Denver Broncos | No regular-season snaps |
| 1981 | James Hunter |
USC
Big Ten
|
NT | PIT Pittsburgh Steelers | 9 games 1 career AV |
| 1981 | Ed Gall |
Maryland
Big Ten
|
DT | NYJ New York Jets | No regular-season snaps |
| 1981 | Frank Case |
Penn State
Big Ten
|
DE | KC Kansas City Chiefs | 7 games 1 career AV |
| 1980 | Bruce Clark 1× Pro Bowl |
Penn State
Big Ten
|
DE | GB Green Bay Packers | 113 games · 6 yrs as starter 46 career AV |
| 1980 | Curtis Greer |
Michigan
Big Ten
|
DE | ARI St. Louis Cardinals | 94 games · 6 yrs as starter 38 career AV |
| 1980 | Doug Martin |
Washington
Big Ten
|
DE | MIN Minnesota Vikings | 126 games · 7 yrs as starter 48 career AV |
| 1980 | Rod Horn |
Nebraska
Big Ten
|
NT | CIN Cincinnati Bengals | 23 games 4 career AV |
| 1980 | Myron Lapka |
USC
Big Ten
|
NT | NYG New York Giants | 16 games 1 career AV |
| 1980 | Bill Barnett |
Nebraska
Big Ten
|
DE | MIA Miami Dolphins | 77 games 12 career AV |
| 1980 | Terry Dion |
Oregon
Big Ten
|
DE | SEA Seattle Seahawks | 9 games 1 career AV |
| 1980 | Dan Pensick |
Nebraska
Big Ten
|
DT | KC Kansas City Chiefs | No regular-season snaps |
| 1980 | Tom Schremp |
Wisconsin
Big Ten
|
DE | NYJ New York Jets | No regular-season snaps |
| 1980 | Chris Linnin |
Washington
Big Ten
|
DE | NYG New York Giants | 10 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 — 43
- 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 43 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.