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 QB first-round 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
Oregon
Big Ten
6picks
Oregon team hub
-
2
USC
Big Ten
6picks
USC team hub
-
3
Ohio State
Big Ten
4picks
Ohio State team hub
| # | School | Picks | Rd 1 | Pro Bowlers | HOF | Last 10 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 |
UCLA
Big Ten · last pick 2018
|
4 | 4 | 125% | 1 | 1 |
| 5 |
Michigan
Big Ten · last pick 2024
|
2 | 2 | 150% | 0 | 1 |
| 6 |
Penn State
Big Ten · last pick 1995
|
2 | 2 | 150% | 0 | 0 |
| 7 |
Washington
Big Ten · last pick 2024
|
2 | 2 | 00% | 0 | 1 |
| 8 |
Indiana
Big Ten · last pick 2026
|
1 | 1 | 00% | 0 | 1 |
| 9 |
Iowa
Big Ten · last pick 1986
|
1 | 1 | 00% | 0 | 0 |
| 10 |
Purdue
Big Ten · last pick 1986
|
1 | 1 | 1100% | 0 | 0 |
Draft pick explorer
Showing 1–29 of 29 picks · filtered.
| Pick | Player | College | Pos | NFL team | Career |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 |
Fernando Mendoza
Miami, FL
|
Indiana
Big Ten
|
QB | LV Las Vegas Raiders | Awaiting debut |
| 2024 |
Caleb Williams
Washington, DC
|
USC
Big Ten
|
QB | CHI Chicago Bears | 34 games · 2 yrs as starter 26 career AV |
| 2024 |
Michael Penix
Tampa, FL
|
Washington
Big Ten
|
QB | ATL Atlanta Falcons | 14 games · 1 yrs as starter 8 career AV |
| 2024 |
J.J. McCarthy
La Grange Park, IL
|
Michigan
Big Ten
|
QB | MIN Minnesota Vikings | 10 games · 1 yrs as starter 4 career AV |
| 2024 |
Bo Nix
Pinson, AL
|
Oregon
Big Ten
|
QB | DEN Denver Broncos | 34 games · 2 yrs as starter 25 career AV |
| 2023 |
C.J. Stroud
1× Pro Bowl
|
Ohio State
Big Ten
|
QB | HOU Houston Texans | 46 games · 3 yrs as starter 33 career AV |
| 2021 |
Justin Fields
Kennesaw, GA
|
Ohio State
Big Ten
|
QB | CHI Chicago Bears | 59 games · 4 yrs as starter 44 career AV |
| 2020 |
Justin Herbert
2× Pro Bowl
|
Oregon
Big Ten
|
QB | LAC Los Angeles Chargers | 95 games · 6 yrs as starter 74 career AV |
| 2019 |
Dwayne Haskins
Potomac, MD
|
Ohio State
Big Ten
|
QB | WAS Washington Commanders | 16 games 4 career AV |
| 2018 |
Sam Darnold
2× Pro Bowl
|
USC
Big Ten
|
QB | NYJ New York Jets | 100 games · 6 yrs as starter 49 career AV |
| 2018 |
Josh Rosen
Manhattan Beach, CA
|
UCLA
Big Ten
|
QB | ARI Arizona Cardinals | 24 games · 1 yrs as starter 3 career AV |
| 2015 |
Marcus Mariota
Honolulu, HI
|
Oregon
Big Ten
|
QB | TEN Tennessee Titans | 104 games · 5 yrs as starter 60 career AV |
| 2011 |
Jake Locker
Ferndale, WA
|
Washington
Big Ten
|
QB | TEN Tennessee Titans | 30 games · 1 yrs as starter 15 career AV |
| 2009 |
Mark Sanchez
|
USC
Big Ten
|
QB | NYJ New York Jets | 79 games · 4 yrs as starter 32 career AV |
| 2006 |
Matt Leinart
|
USC
Big Ten
|
QB | ARI Arizona Cardinals | 33 games · 1 yrs as starter 12 career AV |
| 2003 |
Carson Palmer
3× Pro Bowl
|
USC
Big Ten
|
QB | CIN Cincinnati Bengals | 182 games · 12 yrs as starter 107 career AV |
| 2002 | Joey Harrington |
Oregon
Big Ten
|
QB | DET Detroit Lions | 81 games · 6 yrs as starter 31 career AV |
| 1999 | Akili Smith |
Oregon
Big Ten
|
QB | CIN Cincinnati Bengals | 22 games · 1 yrs as starter 2 career AV |
| 1999 | Cade McNown |
UCLA
Big Ten
|
QB | CHI Chicago Bears | 25 games · 1 yrs as starter 8 career AV |
| 1995 | Kerry Collins 2× Pro Bowl |
Penn State
Big Ten
|
QB | CAR Carolina Panthers | 198 games · 11 yrs as starter 83 career AV |
| 1992 | Tommy Maddox |
UCLA
Big Ten
|
QB | DEN Denver Broncos | 92 games · 2 yrs as starter 24 career AV |
| 1991 | Todd Marinovich |
USC
Big Ten
|
QB | LV Los Angeles Raiders | 8 games 3 career AV |
| 1989 | Troy Aikman HOF 6× Pro Bowl |
UCLA
Big Ten
|
QB | DAL Dallas Cowboys | 165 games · 12 yrs as starter 96 career AV |
| 1987 | Chris Miller 1× Pro Bowl |
Oregon
Big Ten
|
QB | ATL Atlanta Falcons | 98 games · 7 yrs as starter 51 career AV |
| 1987 | Jim Harbaugh 1× Pro Bowl |
Michigan
Big Ten
|
QB | CHI Chicago Bears | 177 games · 10 yrs as starter 79 career AV |
| 1986 | Jim Everett 1× Pro Bowl |
Purdue
Big Ten
|
QB | TEN Houston Oilers | 158 games · 10 yrs as starter 87 career AV |
| 1986 | Chuck Long |
Iowa
Big Ten
|
QB | DET Detroit Lions | 27 games · 1 yrs as starter 11 career AV |
| 1983 | Todd Blackledge |
Penn State
Big Ten
|
QB | KC Kansas City Chiefs | 46 games 12 career AV |
| 1982 | Art Schlichter |
Ohio State
Big Ten
|
QB | IND Baltimore Colts | 13 games 4 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: Oregon — 6
- 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?
Oregon leads FantasyHQ’s archive with 6 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.