2016 NFL Draft broken down by the college programs that produced each pick — first-rounders, conference totals, and the full board.
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College Football
NFL Draft History by college program
2016 NFL Draft broken down by the college programs that produced each pick — first-rounders, conference totals, and the full board.
- Draft picks
- 12,927
- Colleges
- 446
- First-rounders
- 1,427
- Hall of Famers
- 102
- Pro Bowlers
- 1,326
- Drafts covered
- 47
Showing DL picks from the 2016 draft 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
Penn State
Big Ten
3picks
Penn State team hub
-
2
Maryland
Big Ten
2picks
Maryland team hub
-
3
Nebraska
Big Ten
2picks
Nebraska team hub
| # | School | Picks | Rd 1 | Pro Bowlers | HOF | Last 10 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 |
Ohio State
Big Ten · last pick 2016
|
2 | 1 | 150% | 0 | 0 |
| 5 |
Michigan
Big Ten · last pick 2016
|
1 | 0 | 00% | 0 | 0 |
| 6 |
Michigan State
Big Ten · last pick 2016
|
1 | 0 | 00% | 0 | 0 |
| 7 |
Northwestern
Big Ten · last pick 2016
|
1 | 0 | 00% | 0 | 0 |
| 8 |
Oregon
Big Ten · last pick 2016
|
1 | 1 | 1100% | 0 | 0 |
| 9 |
UCLA
Big Ten · last pick 2016
|
1 | 1 | 1100% | 0 | 0 |
Draft pick explorer
Showing 1–14 of 14 picks · filtered.
| Pick | Player | College | Pos | NFL team | Career |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 |
Joey Bosa
5× Pro Bowl
|
Ohio State
Big Ten
|
DE | LAC San Diego Chargers | 122 games · 7 yrs as starter 62 career AV |
| 2016 |
DeForest Buckner
1× All-Pro
3× Pro Bowl
|
Oregon
Big Ten
|
DE | SF San Francisco 49ers | 151 games · 9 yrs as starter 76 career AV |
| 2016 |
Kenny Clark
3× Pro Bowl
|
UCLA
Big Ten
|
DT | GB Green Bay Packers | 157 games · 9 yrs as starter 63 career AV |
| 2016 |
Austin Johnson
Galloway, NJ
|
Penn State
Big Ten
|
NT | TEN Tennessee Titans | 145 games · 3 yrs as starter 29 career AV |
| 2016 |
Carl Nassib
West Chester, PA
|
Penn State
Big Ten
|
DE | CLE Cleveland Browns | 99 games · 1 yrs as starter 20 career AV |
| 2016 |
Maliek Collins
Kansas City, MO
|
Nebraska
Big Ten
|
DT | DAL Dallas Cowboys | 148 games · 10 yrs as starter 51 career AV |
| 2016 |
Yannick Ngakoue
1× Pro Bowl
|
Maryland
Big Ten
|
DE | JAX Jacksonville Jaguars | 134 games · 8 yrs as starter 50 career AV |
| 2016 |
Shilique Calhoun
Middletown, NJ
|
Michigan State
Big Ten
|
DE | LV Oakland Raiders | 51 games 5 career AV |
| 2016 |
Adolphus Washington
Cincinnati, OH
|
Ohio State
Big Ten
|
DT | BUF Buffalo Bills | 35 games · 2 yrs as starter 9 career AV |
| 2016 |
Vincent Valentine
Edwardsville, IL
|
Nebraska
Big Ten
|
DT | NE New England Patriots | 16 games 2 career AV |
| 2016 |
Willie Henry
Cleveland, OH
|
Michigan
Big Ten
|
DT | BAL Baltimore Ravens | 18 games 4 career AV |
| 2016 |
Dean Lowry
Rockford, IL
|
Northwestern
Big Ten
|
DE | GB Green Bay Packers | 132 games · 6 yrs as starter 38 career AV |
| 2016 |
Quinton Jefferson
Pittsburgh, PA
|
Maryland
Big Ten
|
DT | SEA Seattle Seahawks | 116 games · 4 yrs as starter 29 career AV |
| 2016 |
Anthony Zettel
West Branch, MI
|
Penn State
Big Ten
|
DT | DET Detroit Lions | 50 games · 1 yrs as starter 9 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: Penn State — 3
- 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?
Penn State leads FantasyHQ’s archive with 3 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.