Big Ten programs ranked by NFL draft picks since 1980 — first-rounders, Pro Bowl alumni, and recent draft classes.
FantasyHQ
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.
-
1
Ohio State
Big Ten
42picks
Ohio State team hub
-
2
Penn State
Big Ten
42picks
Penn State team hub
-
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 351–389 of 389 picks · filtered.
| Pick | Player | College | Pos | NFL team | Career |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1983 | Mark Stewart |
Washington
Big Ten
|
LB | MIN Minnesota Vikings | 4 games |
| 1983 | Keith Woetzel |
Rutgers
Big Ten
|
LB | MIA Miami Dolphins | No regular-season snaps |
| 1983 | Robert Thompson |
Michigan
Big Ten
|
LB | TEN Houston Oilers | 22 games 4 career AV |
| 1983 | Mark Brown |
Purdue
Big Ten
|
LB | MIA Miami Dolphins | 107 games · 5 yrs as starter 28 career AV |
| 1983 | Howard McAdoo |
Michigan State
Big Ten
|
LB | CLE Cleveland Browns | No regular-season snaps |
| 1983 | Karl Mecklenburg 3× All-Pro 6× Pro Bowl |
Minnesota
Big Ten
|
LB | DEN Denver Broncos | 180 games · 10 yrs as starter 93 career AV |
| 1982 | Chip Banks 1× All-Pro 4× Pro Bowl |
USC
Big Ten
|
LB | CLE Cleveland Browns | 138 games · 10 yrs as starter 73 career AV |
| 1982 | Jimmy Williams |
Nebraska
Big Ten
|
LB | DET Detroit Lions | 152 games · 10 yrs as starter 49 career AV |
| 1982 | Andre Tippett HOF 2× All-Pro 5× Pro Bowl |
Iowa
Big Ten
|
LB | NE New England Patriots | 151 games · 10 yrs as starter 90 career AV |
| 1982 | Jim Fahnhorst |
Minnesota
Big Ten
|
LB | MIN Minnesota Vikings | 82 games · 2 yrs as starter 23 career AV |
| 1982 | Anthony Griggs |
Ohio State
Big Ten
|
LB | PHI Philadelphia Eagles | 90 games · 4 yrs as starter 30 career AV |
| 1982 | Mark Jerue |
Washington
Big Ten
|
LB | NYJ New York Jets | 86 games · 2 yrs as starter 17 career AV |
| 1982 | Chet Parlavecchio |
Penn State
Big Ten
|
LB | GB Green Bay Packers | 12 games 1 career AV |
| 1982 | Ben Needham |
Michigan
Big Ten
|
LB | CIN Cincinnati Bengals | No regular-season snaps |
| 1982 | Darnell Dailey |
Maryland
Big Ten
|
LB | ARI St. Louis Cardinals | No regular-season snaps |
| 1982 | Rich D'Amico |
Penn State
Big Ten
|
LB | LV Los Angeles Raiders | No regular-season snaps |
| 1982 | Roosevelt Barnes |
Purdue
Big Ten
|
LB | DET Detroit Lions | 57 games 7 career AV |
| 1982 | Guy Boliaux |
Wisconsin
Big Ten
|
LB | CHI Chicago Bears | No regular-season snaps |
| 1982 | Dave Levenick |
Wisconsin
Big Ten
|
LB | ATL Atlanta Falcons | 24 games 1 career AV |
| 1981 | Mel Owens |
Michigan
Big Ten
|
LB | LAR Los Angeles Rams | 122 games · 6 yrs as starter 42 career AV |
| 1981 | Al Washington |
Ohio State
Big Ten
|
LB | NYJ New York Jets | 16 games 1 career AV |
| 1981 | Derrie Nelson |
Nebraska
Big Ten
|
LB | DAL Dallas Cowboys | 48 games 3 career AV |
| 1981 | Dave Ahrens |
Wisconsin
Big Ten
|
LB | ARI St. Louis Cardinals | 130 games · 3 yrs as starter 26 career AV |
| 1981 | Larry Kubin |
Penn State
Big Ten
|
LB | WAS Washington Commanders | 43 games 4 career AV |
| 1981 | Bryan Hinkle |
Oregon
Big Ten
|
LB | PIT Pittsburgh Steelers | 163 games · 8 yrs as starter 57 career AV |
| 1981 | Jeff Schuh |
Minnesota
Big Ten
|
LB | CIN Cincinnati Bengals | 87 games · 2 yrs as starter 13 career AV |
| 1981 | Steve Busick |
USC
Big Ten
|
LB | DEN Denver Broncos | 78 games · 3 yrs as starter 26 career AV |
| 1981 | Gene Gladys |
Penn State
Big Ten
|
LB | NO New Orleans Saints | No regular-season snaps |
| 1981 | Avon Riley |
UCLA
Big Ten
|
LB | TEN Houston Oilers | 91 games · 4 yrs as starter 25 career AV |
| 1981 | Andy Cannavino |
Michigan
Big Ten
|
LB | DET Detroit Lions | No regular-season snaps |
| 1981 | Eric Scoggins |
USC
Big Ten
|
LB | IND Baltimore Colts | 3 games |
| 1980 | Keena Turner 1× Pro Bowl |
Purdue
Big Ten
|
LB | SF San Francisco 49ers | 153 games · 9 yrs as starter 57 career AV |
| 1980 | Matt Millen 1× Pro Bowl |
Penn State
Big Ten
|
LB | LV Oakland Raiders | 180 games · 12 yrs as starter 67 career AV |
| 1980 | Larry McGrew |
USC
Big Ten
|
LB | NE New England Patriots | 133 games · 7 yrs as starter 45 career AV |
| 1980 | Lance Mehl 1× Pro Bowl |
Penn State
Big Ten
|
LB | NYJ New York Jets | 97 games · 6 yrs as starter 51 career AV |
| 1980 | Jim Laughlin |
Ohio State
Big Ten
|
LB | ATL Atlanta Falcons | 88 games 13 career AV |
| 1980 | Dennis Johnson |
USC
Big Ten
|
LB | MIN Minnesota Vikings | 85 games · 3 yrs as starter 27 career AV |
| 1980 | Ron Simpkins |
Michigan
Big Ten
|
LB | CIN Cincinnati Bengals | 91 games · 2 yrs as starter 14 career AV |
| 1980 | Larry Savage |
Michigan State
Big Ten
|
LB | DAL Dallas Cowboys | 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 — 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.