# List of BC Lions first-round draft picks

The following is a complete list of first-round draft picks selected by the BC Lions of the Canadian Football League. The Lions began participating in the Canadian College Draft in 1956 when western teams were permitted to make selections. From 1960-1962, only eastern teams and the Calgary Stampeders participated in the draft as the other western clubs signed players from universities in their area. This list also includes all territorial exemptions from 1973, when teams were first permitted to selected players within their designated area, until 1985 when these exemptions were abolished.
The BC Lions have had the first overall selection in the draft seven times, most recently in the 2020 CFL Draft. Since 1966, the Lions have only ever lost their first round pick six times, in the 1959, 1963, 1966, 1997, 2014, and 2019 CFL Drafts, due to trades. Not including territorial exemptions, the most first-round picks the Lions have had in one year is three, which first occurred in the 2006 CFL Draft and then again in the 2009 CFL Draft.

## Player selections

| = CFL Division All-Star | = CFL All-Star | = Hall of Famer |
| Year | Pick | Player name | Position | College | Notes |
| 1956 | 4 | Al Kochman | Halfback | Queen's | |
| 1957 | 1 | Jim Hughes | Tackle | Queen's | |
| 1957 | 2 | Ed Skrzypek | Quarterback | Toronto | |
| 1958 | 3 | Bill Britton | Halfback | Western Ontario | |
| 1959 | - | No pick | - | - | Traded to Hamilton |
| 1960 | - | Did not participate | - | - | |
| 1961 | - | Did not participate | - | - | |
| 1962 | - | Did not participate | - | - | |
| 1963 | - | No pick | - | - | |
| 1964 | 9 | Dick Aldridge | Halfback | Waterloo | |
| 1965 | 9 | Bayne Norrie | Halfback | Queen's | |
| 1966 | - | No pick | - | - | Traded to Calgary for Roy Shatzko |
| 1967 | 2 | Dick Kohler | End/Placekicker | Manitoba | |
| 1968 | 1 | Mike Eben | Wide receiver | Toronto | |
| 1969 | 7 | Ted Warkentin | End | Simon Fraser | |
| 1970 | 3 | John McManus | End | Alberta | |
| 1971 | 3 | Archie McCord | Offensive lineman | Simon Fraser | |
| 1972 | 3 | Steve Szapka | Offensive lineman | Simon Fraser | |
| 1973 | Ex | Harold Grozdanich | Offensive lineman | Boise State | |
| 1973 | Ex | Robbie Allen | Offensive lineman | Bishop's | |
| 1973 | Ex | Ross Clarkson | Wide receiver | Simon Fraser | |
| 1973 | 1 | Brian Sopatyk | Offensive lineman | Boise State | |
| 1974 | Ex | Terry Bailey | Running back | Simon Fraser | |
| 1974 | Ex | Lorne Sherbina | Defensive tackle | Idaho | |
| 1974 | 4 | Bob Hornes | Defensive back | Idaho State | |
| 1975 | Ex | Barry Houlihan | Running back | Simon Fraser | |
| 1975 | Ex | Mark McDonald | Wide receiver | Washington | |
| 1976 | Ex | Bill Norton | Defensive tackle | Weber State | |
| 1976 | Ex | Glen Jackson | Linebacker | Simon Fraser | |
| 1976 | Ex | Mitch Davies | Defensive end | Calgary | |
| 1976 | 2 | Randy Graham | Defensive back | Simon Fraser | |
| 1976 | 5 | Lui Passaglia | Wide receiver | Simon Fraser | |
| 1977 | Ex | John Blain | Offensive tackle | San Jose State | |
| 1978 | Ex | John Blake | Offensive guard | San Jose State | |
| 1978 | Ex | Phil Luke | Defensive end | Simon Fraser | |
| 1978 | 6 | Rick Goltz | Defensive tackle | Simon Fraser | |
| 1979 | Ex | Nick Hebeler | Defensive tackle | Simon Fraser | |
| 1979 | Ex | Ron Morehouse | Linebacker | San Diego State | |
| 1979 | 3 | Mark Houghton | Running back | California | |
| 1980 | Ex | Derek Innes | Linebacker | Simon Fraser | |
| 1980 | Ex | John Pankratz | Wide receiver | Simon Fraser | |
| 1980 | 5 | Kevin Konar | Linebacker | British Columbia | |
| 1981 | Ex | Rob Smith | Offensive lineman | Utah State | |
| 1981 | Ex | Rick Klassen | Defensive lineman | Simon Fraser | |
| 1981 | 5 | Nelson Martin | Defensive back | Seneca | |
| 1982 | Ex | Dennis Guevin | Offensive lineman | Simon Fraser | |
| 1982 | Ex | Gerald Roper | Offensive lineman | Simon Fraser | |
| 1982 | 5 | Bernie Glier | Defensive back | British Columbia | |
| 1983 | Ex | Jim Mills | Offensive lineman | Hawaii | |
| 1983 | 5 | Jacques Chapdelaine | Wide receiver | Simon Fraser | |
| 1984 | Ex | Laurent DesLauriers | Linebacker | British Columbia | |
| 1984 | 1 | Frank Balkovec | Defensive end | Toronto | |
| 1985 | 3 | John Ulmer | Running back | North Dakota | |
| 1986 | 9 | Paul Nastasiuk | Running back | Wilfrid Laurier | |
| 1987 | 4 | Tony Visco | Defensive lineman | Purdue | |
| 1988 | 7 | Tony Martino | Punter | Kent State | |
| 1989 | 6 | Derek MacCready | Defensive end | Ohio State | |
| 1990 | 2 | Ian Beckles | Offensive lineman | Indiana | |
| 1991 | 4 | Bart Hull | Running back | Boise State | |
| 1992 | 4 | Lorne King | Running back | Toronto | |
| 1993 | 1 | Patrick Burke | Defensive back | Fresno State | |
| 1994 | 6 | Trevor Shaw | Wide receiver | Weber State | |
| 1995 | 8 | Mark Hatfield | Offensive tackle | Bishop's | |
| 1996 | 6 | Mike Pimiskern | Linebacker | Washington State | |
| 1997 | - | No pick | - | - | |
| 1998 | 3 | Steve Hardin | Offensive lineman | Oregon | |
| 1999 | 1 | Rob Meier | Defensive end | Washington State | |
| 1999 | 3 | Greg Lotysz | Offensive lineman | North Dakota | |
| 2000 | 6 | Adriano Belli | Defensive lineman | Houston | |
| 2001 | 2 | Ian Williams | Linebacker | Memphis | |
| 2001 | 8 | Lyle Green | Fullback | Toledo | |
| 2002 | 4 | Jason Clermont | Slotback | Regina | |
| 2002 | 6 | Paul Cheng | Defensive end | Simon Fraser | |
| 2003 | 6 | Paris Jackson | Wide receiver | Utah | |
| 2004 | 5 | Oshiomogho Atogwe | Safety | Stanford | |
| 2005 | 8 | Alexis Bwenge | Running back | Kentucky | |
| 2006 | 2 | Jason Pottinger | Linebacker | McMaster | |
| 2006 | 4 | Ricky Foley | Linebacker | York | |
| 2006 | 6 | Dean Valli | Offensive tackle | Simon Fraser | |
| 2007 | 8 | Adam Nicolson | Wide receiver | Ottawa | |
| 2008 | 5 | Justin Sorensen | Offensive lineman | South Carolina | |
| 2009 | 3 | Jamall Lee | Running back | Bishop's | |
| 2009 | 4 | James Yurichuk | Linebacker | Bishop's | |
| 2009 | 5 | Matt Carter | Slotback | Acadia | |
| 2010 | 4 | Danny Watkins | Offensive tackle | Baylor | |
| 2011 | 6 | Marco Iannuzzi | Wide receiver | Harvard | |
| 2012 | 2 | Jabar Westerman | Defensive lineman | Eastern Michigan | |
| 2012 | 7 | Kirby Fabien | Offensive lineman | Calgary | |
| 2013 | 6 | Hunter Steward | Offensive lineman | Liberty | |
| 2014 | - | No pick | - | - | Traded to Ottawa for Kevin Glenn |
| 2015 | 5 | Ese Mrabure-Ajufo | Defensive lineman | Wilfrid Laurier | |
| 2016 | 5 | Charles Vaillancourt | Offensive lineman | Laval | |
| 2017 | 3 | Daniel Vandervoort | Wide receiver | McMaster | |
| 2017 | 7 | Junior Luke | Defensive lineman | Montreal | |
| 2018 | 3 | Peter Godber | Offensive lineman | Rice | |
| 2018 | 7 | Julien Laurent | Defensive lineman | Georgia State | |
| 2019 | - | No pick | - | - | Traded to Winnipeg for 2018 pick |
| 2020 | 1 | Jordan Williams | Linebacker | East Carolina | |
| 2021 | 4 | Daniel Joseph | Defensive lineman | North Carolina State | |
| 2022 | 3 | Nathan Cherry | Defensive lineman | Saskatchewan | |
| 2023 | 9 | Francis Bemiy | Offensive lineman | Southern Utah | |
| 2024 | 6 | George Una | Offensive lineman | Windsor | |