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 RB 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.
-
1
Penn State
Big Ten
8picks
Penn State team hub
-
2
Michigan
Big Ten
5picks
Michigan team hub
-
3
Ohio State
Big Ten
5picks
Ohio State team hub
| # | School | Picks | Rd 1 | Pro Bowlers | HOF | Last 10 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 |
USC
Big Ten · last pick 2006
|
3 | 3 | 267% | 1 | 0 |
| 5 |
Wisconsin
Big Ten · last pick 2015
|
3 | 3 | 267% | 0 | 0 |
| 6 |
Michigan State
Big Ten · last pick 2002
|
2 | 2 | 150% | 0 | 0 |
| 7 |
Minnesota
Big Ten · last pick 2006
|
2 | 2 | 00% | 0 | 0 |
| 8 |
UCLA
Big Ten · last pick 1988
|
2 | 2 | 2100% | 0 | 0 |
| 9 |
Indiana
Big Ten · last pick 1992
|
1 | 1 | 00% | 0 | 0 |
| 10 |
Iowa
Big Ten · last pick 1986
|
1 | 1 | 1100% | 0 | 0 |
| 11 |
Nebraska
Big Ten · last pick 1996
|
1 | 1 | 00% | 0 | 0 |
| 12 |
Oregon
Big Ten · last pick 2008
|
1 | 1 | 1100% | 0 | 0 |
| 13 |
Washington
Big Ten · last pick 1995
|
1 | 1 | 00% | 0 | 0 |
Draft pick explorer
Showing 1–35 of 35 picks · filtered.
| Pick | Player | College | Pos | NFL team | Career |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 |
Saquon Barkley
1× All-Pro
3× Pro Bowl
|
Penn State
Big Ten
|
RB | NYG New York Giants | 106 games · 7 yrs as starter 65 career AV |
| 2016 |
Ezekiel Elliott
1× All-Pro
3× Pro Bowl
|
Ohio State
Big Ten
|
RB | DAL Dallas Cowboys | 135 games · 7 yrs as starter 68 career AV |
| 2015 |
Melvin Gordon
2× Pro Bowl
|
Wisconsin
Big Ten
|
RB | LAC San Diego Chargers | 112 games · 7 yrs as starter 51 career AV |
| 2009 |
Beanie Wells
|
Ohio State
Big Ten
|
RB | ARI Arizona Cardinals | 51 games · 2 yrs as starter 14 career AV |
| 2008 |
Jonathan Stewart
1× Pro Bowl
|
Oregon
Big Ten
|
RB | CAR Carolina Panthers | 134 games · 5 yrs as starter 48 career AV |
| 2006 |
Reggie Bush
|
USC
Big Ten
|
RB | NO New Orleans Saints | 134 games · 8 yrs as starter 61 career AV |
| 2006 |
Laurence Maroney
|
Minnesota
Big Ten
|
RB | NE New England Patriots | 49 games 26 career AV |
| 2004 |
Chris Perry
|
Michigan
Big Ten
|
RB | CIN Cincinnati Bengals | 35 games 9 career AV |
| 2003 | Larry Johnson 1× All-Pro 2× Pro Bowl |
Penn State
Big Ten
|
RB | KC Kansas City Chiefs | 85 games · 4 yrs as starter 51 career AV |
| 2002 | T.J. Duckett |
Michigan State
Big Ten
|
RB | ATL Atlanta Falcons | 93 games · 1 yrs as starter 22 career AV |
| 2001 | Michael Bennett 1× Pro Bowl |
Wisconsin
Big Ten
|
RB | MIN Minnesota Vikings | 107 games · 3 yrs as starter 34 career AV |
| 2000 | Ron Dayne |
Wisconsin
Big Ten
|
RB | NYG New York Giants | 96 games · 1 yrs as starter 23 career AV |
| 1998 | Curtis Enis |
Penn State
Big Ten
|
RB | CHI Chicago Bears | 36 games · 2 yrs as starter 10 career AV |
| 1996 | Lawrence Phillips |
Nebraska
Big Ten
|
RB | LAR St. Louis Rams | 35 games · 2 yrs as starter 11 career AV |
| 1996 | Tim Biakabutuka |
Michigan
Big Ten
|
RB | CAR Carolina Panthers | 50 games · 2 yrs as starter 26 career AV |
| 1996 | Eddie George 1× All-Pro 4× Pro Bowl |
Ohio State
Big Ten
|
RB | TEN Houston Oilers | 141 games · 8 yrs as starter 76 career AV |
| 1995 | Ki-Jana Carter |
Penn State
Big Ten
|
RB | CIN Cincinnati Bengals | 59 games 11 career AV |
| 1995 | Tyrone Wheatley |
Michigan
Big Ten
|
RB | NYG New York Giants | 124 games · 4 yrs as starter 39 career AV |
| 1995 | Napoleon Kaufman |
Washington
Big Ten
|
RB | LV Oakland Raiders | 91 games · 3 yrs as starter 39 career AV |
| 1993 | Robert Smith 2× Pro Bowl |
Ohio State
Big Ten
|
RB | MIN Minnesota Vikings | 98 games · 6 yrs as starter 60 career AV |
| 1992 | Vaughn Dunbar |
Indiana
Big Ten
|
RB | NO New Orleans Saints | 39 games · 1 yrs as starter 7 career AV |
| 1991 | Jarrod Bunch |
Michigan
Big Ten
|
FB | NYG New York Giants | 48 games · 2 yrs as starter 7 career AV |
| 1990 | Blair Thomas |
Penn State
Big Ten
|
RB | NYJ New York Jets | 64 games · 3 yrs as starter 20 career AV |
| 1990 | Darrell Thompson |
Minnesota
Big Ten
|
RB | GB Green Bay Packers | 60 games · 2 yrs as starter 16 career AV |
| 1988 | Gaston Green 1× Pro Bowl |
UCLA
Big Ten
|
RB | LAR Los Angeles Rams | 58 games · 2 yrs as starter 16 career AV |
| 1988 | Lorenzo White 1× Pro Bowl |
Michigan State
Big Ten
|
RB | TEN Houston Oilers | 107 games · 3 yrs as starter 43 career AV |
| 1987 | D.J. Dozier |
Penn State
Big Ten
|
RB | MIN Minnesota Vikings | 43 games 8 career AV |
| 1986 | Keith Byars 1× Pro Bowl |
Ohio State
Big Ten
|
RB | PHI Philadelphia Eagles | 189 games · 12 yrs as starter 60 career AV |
| 1986 | Ronnie Harmon 1× Pro Bowl |
Iowa
Big Ten
|
RB | BUF Buffalo Bills | 181 games · 1 yrs as starter 64 career AV |
| 1983 | Curt Warner 3× Pro Bowl |
Penn State
Big Ten
|
RB | SEA Seattle Seahawks | 100 games · 6 yrs as starter 60 career AV |
| 1982 | Marcus Allen HOF 2× All-Pro 6× Pro Bowl |
USC
Big Ten
|
RB | LV Los Angeles Raiders | 222 games · 12 yrs as starter 104 career AV |
| 1982 | Butch Woolfolk |
Michigan
Big Ten
|
RB | NYG New York Giants | 81 games · 4 yrs as starter 26 career AV |
| 1981 | Freeman McNeil 1× All-Pro 3× Pro Bowl |
UCLA
Big Ten
|
RB | NYJ New York Jets | 144 games · 8 yrs as starter 75 career AV |
| 1981 | Booker Moore |
Penn State
Big Ten
|
RB | BUF Buffalo Bills | 51 games · 2 yrs as starter 6 career AV |
| 1980 | Charles White 1× All-Pro 1× Pro Bowl |
USC
Big Ten
|
RB | CLE Cleveland Browns | 108 games · 3 yrs as starter 30 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 — 8
- 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 8 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.