# List of first overall NFL draft picks

The NFL draft is an annual sports draft in which National Football League (NFL) teams select newly eligible players for their rosters. To be eligible for the NFL draft, a player must be at least three years removed from high school. While the regulations do not explicitly require collegiate attendance, players must either exhaust their college eligibility or seek a special exemption from the league. Each NFL franchise seeks to add new players through the draft as it is the league's most common source of player recruitment. Each team is assigned a position in the drafting order based on the reverse of its record from the previous year. The team with the worst record selects first, followed by the team with the second-worst record, and so forth. Teams also have the option to trade with another team to move up to a better draft position. Teams that did not make the playoffs are ordered by their regular-season record, with any remaining ties broken by strength of schedule. Playoff participants are sequenced after non-playoff teams, based on their round of elimination (wild card, division, conference, and Super Bowl).
From 1947 through 1958, the first selection in the NFL Draft was awarded by a random draw known as the "bonus pick." The team that received the bonus pick forfeited its selection in the final round of the draft, and once a team won, it was excluded from future draws. By the 1958 draft, all twelve league teams had received a bonus pick, leading to the system’s abolition. Following this, the NFL faced competition from the American Football League (AFL), which held a separate draft prior to the merger agreements in 1966. This rivalry resulted in both leagues often drafting the same players, sparking bidding wars for top prospects. As part of the merger agreement on June 8, 1966, the two leagues adopted a unified "common draft" system. After the AFL-NFL merger was finalized in 1970, the common draft became the modern NFL Draft.
Through the 2024 NFL draft, 89 players have been selected first overall, with the first being Jay Berwanger and the most recent being Caleb Williams. The Indianapolis Colts and the Los Angeles Rams have each made the most first overall selections in history with seven, while the Baltimore Ravens (the franchise had the first pick in 1954 when they were the Cleveland Browns), the Seattle Seahawks, and the Denver Broncos have never selected a player first overall. The University of Southern California is the college with the most selections with 6, followed by the University of Notre Dame, the University of Oklahoma, and the University of Georgia with 5. Quarterbacks are most commonly selected position with 39, followed by running backs with 23. Of the first overall draft picks, 43 have been selected to a Pro Bowl and 14 have been inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

## List of first overall picks
### Key

| K | Kicker | NT | Nose tackle | C | Center |
| LB | Linebacker | FB | Fullback | DB | Defensive back |
| P | Punter | HB | Halfback | DE | Defensive end |
| QB | Quarterback | WR/E | Wide receiver/End | DT | Defensive tackle |
| G | Guard | T | Offensive tackle | TE | Tight end |
| * | Selected to a Pro Bowl/All-Star Game | Selected to a Pro Bowl/All-Star Game | Selected to a Pro Bowl/All-Star Game | Selected to a Pro Bowl/All-Star Game | Selected to a Pro Bowl/All-Star Game |
| ‡ | Inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame (all were also selected to a Pro Bowl) | Inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame (all were also selected to a Pro Bowl) | Inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame (all were also selected to a Pro Bowl) | Inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame (all were also selected to a Pro Bowl) | Inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame (all were also selected to a Pro Bowl) |
| § | Denotes an expansion team | Denotes an expansion team | Denotes an expansion team | Denotes an expansion team | Denotes an expansion team |
First overall draft picks :
| Year | Name | Position | College | Team | Notes |
| 1936 | Jay Berwanger | HB | Chicago | Philadelphia Eagles | Heisman Trophy (1935) |
| 1937 | Sam Francis | FB | Nebraska | Philadelphia Eagles | — |
| 1938 | Corbett Davis | FB | Indiana | Cleveland Rams | — |
| 1939 | Ki Aldrich* | C | TCU | Chicago Cardinals | NFL All-Star Game (1939, 1942) |
| 1940 | George Cafego | HB | Tennessee | Chicago Cardinals | — |
| 1941 | Tom Harmon | HB | Michigan | Chicago Bears | Heisman Trophy (1940) |
| 1942 | Bill Dudley$^‡$ | HB | Virginia | Pittsburgh Steelers | NFL All-Star Game (1950, 1951) Pro Football Hall of Fame (1966) NFL MVP (1946) |
| 1943 | Frank Sinkwich | HB | Georgia | Detroit Lions | Heisman Trophy (1942) NFL MVP (1944) |
| 1944 | Angelo Bertelli | QB | Notre Dame | Boston Yanks | Heisman Trophy (1943) |
| 1945 | Charley Trippi$^‡$ | HB | Georgia | Chicago Cardinals | Pro Bowl (1952, 1953) Pro Football Hall of Fame (1968) NFL Champion (1947) |
| 1946 | Frank Dancewicz | QB | Notre Dame | Boston Yanks | — |
| 1947 | Bob Fenimore | HB | Oklahoma A&M | Chicago Bears | — |
| 1948 | Harry Gilmer* | HB, WR | Alabama | Washington Redskins | Pro Bowl (1950, 1952) |
| 1949 | Chuck Bednarik$^‡$ | C, LB | Penn | Philadelphia Eagles | Pro Bowl (1950, 1951, 1952, 1953, 1954, 1955, 1956, 1960) Pro Football Hall of Fame (1967) NFL Champion (1949, 1960) |
| 1950 | Leon Hart* | E | Notre Dame | Detroit Lions | Heisman Trophy (1949) Pro Bowl (1951) |
| 1951 | Kyle Rote* | HB | SMU | New York Giants | Pro Bowl (1953, 1954, 1955, 1956) |
| 1952 | Bill Wade* | QB | Vanderbilt | Los Angeles Rams | Pro Bowl (1958, 1963) |
| 1953 | Harry Babcock | E | Georgia | San Francisco 49ers | — |
| 1954 | Bobby Garrett | QB | Stanford | Cleveland Browns | — |
| 1955 | George Shaw | QB | Oregon | Baltimore Colts | NFL Champion (1958) |
| 1956 | Gary Glick | DB | Colorado A&M | Pittsburgh Steelers | — |
| 1957 | Paul Hornung$^‡$ | HB | Notre Dame | Green Bay Packers | Heisman Trophy (1956) Pro Bowl (1959, 1960) Pro Football Hall of Fame (1986) NFL Champion (1961, 1962, 1965) Super Bowl champion (I) NFL MVP (1961) |
| 1958 | King Hill | QB | Rice | Chicago Cardinals | — |
| 1959 | Randy Duncan | QB | Iowa | Green Bay Packers | — |
| 1960 | Billy Cannon | HB | LSU | Los Angeles Rams | Heisman Trophy (1959) AFL Champion (1960, 1961, 1967) AFL All Star (1961, 1969) |
| 1961 | Tommy Mason* | HB | Tulane | Minnesota Vikings$^§$ | Pro Bowl (1962, 1963, 1964) |
| 1962 | Ernie Davis | HB | Syracuse | Washington Redskins | Heisman Trophy (1961) |
| 1963 | Terry Baker | QB | Oregon State | Los Angeles Rams | Heisman Trophy (1962) |
| 1964 | Dave Parks* | WR | Texas Tech | San Francisco 49ers | Pro Bowl (1964, 1965, 1966) |
| 1965 | Tucker Frederickson* | HB | Auburn | New York Giants | Pro Bowl (1965) |
| 1966 | Tommy Nobis* | LB | Texas | Atlanta Falcons$^§$ | Pro Bowl (1966, 1967, 1968, 1970, 1972) |
| 1967 | Bubba Smith* | DE | Michigan State | Baltimore Colts | Pro Bowl (1970, 1971) Super Bowl champion (V) |
| 1968 | Ron Yary$^‡$ | T | USC | Minnesota Vikings | Pro Bowl (1971, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1976, 1977) Pro Football Hall of Fame (2001) |
| 1969 | O. J. Simpson$^‡$ | HB | USC | Buffalo Bills | Heisman Trophy (1968) Pro Bowl (1969, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1976) Pro Football Hall of Fame (1985) NFL MVP (1973) |
| 1970 | Terry Bradshaw$^‡$ | QB | Louisiana Tech | Pittsburgh Steelers | Pro Bowl (1975, 1978, 1979) Pro Football Hall of Fame (1989) Super Bowl champion (IX, X, XIII, XIV) Super Bowl MVP (XIII, XIV) NFL MVP (1978) |
| 1971 | Jim Plunkett | QB | Stanford | New England Patriots | Heisman Trophy (1970) Super Bowl champion (XV, XVIII) Super Bowl MVP (XV) |
| 1972 | Walt Patulski | DE | Notre Dame | Buffalo Bills | — |
| 1973 | John Matuszak | DE | Tampa | Houston Oilers | Super Bowl champion (XI, XV) |
| 1974 | Ed Jones* | DE | Tennessee State | Dallas Cowboys | Pro Bowl (1981, 1982, 1983) Super Bowl champion (XII) |
| 1975 | Steve Bartkowski* | QB | California | Atlanta Falcons | Pro Bowl (1980, 1981) |
| 1976 | Lee Roy Selmon$^‡$ | DE | Oklahoma | Tampa Bay Buccaneers$^§$ | Pro Bowl (1979, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1984) Pro Football Hall of Fame (1995) |
| 1977 | Ricky Bell | HB | USC | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | — |
| 1978 | Earl Campbell$^‡$ | HB | Texas | Houston Oilers | Heisman Trophy (1977) Pro Bowl (1978, 1979, 1980, 1981, 1983) Pro Football Hall of Fame (1991) NFL MVP (1979) Offensive Rookie of the Year (1978) |
| 1979 | Tom Cousineau | LB | Ohio State | Buffalo Bills | — |
| 1980 | Billy Sims* | HB | Oklahoma | Detroit Lions | Heisman Trophy (1978) Pro Bowl (1980, 1981, 1982) Offensive Rookie of the Year (1980) |
| 1981 | George Rogers* | HB | South Carolina | New Orleans Saints | Heisman Trophy (1980) Pro Bowl (1981, 1982) Super Bowl champion (XXII) Offensive Rookie of the Year (1981) |
| 1982 | Kenneth Sims | DE | Texas | New England Patriots | — |
| 1983 | John Elway$^‡$ | QB | Stanford | Baltimore Colts | Pro Bowl (1986, 1987, 1989, 1991, 1993, 1994, 1996, 1997, 1998) Pro Football Hall of Fame (2004) Super Bowl champion (XXXII, XXXIII) Super Bowl MVP (XXXIII) NFL MVP (1987) |
| 1984 | Irving Fryar* | WR | Nebraska | New England Patriots | Pro Bowl (1985, 1993, 1994, 1996, 1997) |
| 1985 | Bruce Smith$^‡$ | DE | Virginia Tech | Buffalo Bills | Pro Bowl (1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998) Pro Football Hall of Fame (2009) |
| 1986 | Bo Jackson* | HB | Auburn | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | Heisman Trophy (1985) Pro Bowl (1990) |
| 1987 | Vinny Testaverde* | QB | Miami (FL) | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | Heisman Trophy (1986) Pro Bowl (1996, 1998) |
| 1988 | Aundray Bruce | LB | Auburn | Atlanta Falcons | — |
| 1989 | Troy Aikman$^‡$ | QB | UCLA | Dallas Cowboys | Pro Bowl (1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996) Pro Football Hall of Fame (2006) Super Bowl champion (XXVII, XXVIII, XXX) Super Bowl MVP (XXVII) |
| 1990 | Jeff George | QB | Illinois | Indianapolis Colts | — |
| 1991 | Russell Maryland* | DT | Miami (FL) | Dallas Cowboys | Pro Bowl (1993) Super Bowl champion (XXVII, XXVIII, XXX) |
| 1992 | Steve Emtman | DE | Washington | Indianapolis Colts | — |
| 1993 | Drew Bledsoe* | QB | Washington State | New England Patriots | Pro Bowl (1994, 1996, 1997, 2002) Super Bowl champion (XXXVI) |
| 1994 | Dan Wilkinson | DT | Ohio State | Cincinnati Bengals | — |
| 1995 | Ki-Jana Carter | HB | Penn State | Cincinnati Bengals | — |
| 1996 | Keyshawn Johnson* | WR | USC | New York Jets | Pro Bowl (1998, 1999, 2001) Super Bowl champion (XXXVII) |
| 1997 | Orlando Pace$^‡$ | T | Ohio State | St. Louis Rams | Pro Bowl (1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005) Pro Football Hall of Fame (2016) Super Bowl champion (XXXIV) |
| 1998 | Peyton Manning$^‡$ | QB | Tennessee | Indianapolis Colts | Pro Bowl (1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2012, 2013, 2014) Pro Football Hall of Fame (2021) Super Bowl champion (XLI, 50) Super Bowl MVP (XLI) NFL MVP (2003, 2004, 2008, 2009, 2013) |
| 1999 | Tim Couch | QB | Kentucky | Cleveland Browns | — |
| 2000 | Courtney Brown | DE | Penn State | Cleveland Browns | — |
| 2001 | Michael Vick* | QB | Virginia Tech | Atlanta Falcons | Pro Bowl (2002, 2004, 2005, 2010) |
| 2002 | David Carr | QB | Fresno State | Houston Texans$^§$ | Super Bowl champion (XLVI) |
| 2003 | Carson Palmer* | QB | USC | Cincinnati Bengals | Heisman Trophy (2002) Pro Bowl (2005, 2006, 2015) |
| 2004 | Eli Manning* | QB | Ole Miss | San Diego Chargers | Pro Bowl (2008, 2011, 2012, 2015) Super Bowl champion (XLII, XLVI) Super Bowl MVP (XLII, XLVI) |
| 2005 | Alex Smith* | QB | Utah | San Francisco 49ers | Pro Bowl (2013, 2016, 2017) |
| 2006 | Mario Williams* | DE | North Carolina State | Houston Texans | Pro Bowl (2008, 2009, 2013, 2014) |
| 2007 | JaMarcus Russell | QB | LSU | Oakland Raiders | — |
| 2008 | Jake Long* | T | Michigan | Miami Dolphins | Pro Bowl (2008, 2009, 2010, 2011) |
| 2009 | Matthew Stafford* | QB | Georgia | Detroit Lions | Pro Bowl (2014, 2023) Super Bowl champion (LVI) |
| 2010 | Sam Bradford | QB | Oklahoma | St. Louis Rams | Heisman Trophy (2008) Offensive Rookie of the Year (2010) |
| 2011 | Cam Newton* | QB | Auburn | Carolina Panthers | Heisman Trophy (2010) Pro Bowl (2011, 2013, 2015) Offensive Rookie of the Year (2011) NFL MVP (2015) |
| 2012 | Andrew Luck* | QB | Stanford | Indianapolis Colts | Pro Bowl (2012, 2013, 2014, 2018) |
| 2013 | Eric Fisher* | T | Central Michigan | Kansas City Chiefs | Pro Bowl (2018, 2020) Super Bowl champion (LIV) |
| 2014 | Jadeveon Clowney* | DE | South Carolina | Houston Texans | Pro Bowl (2016, 2017, 2018) |
| 2015 | Jameis Winston* | QB | Florida State | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | Heisman Trophy (2013) Pro Bowl (2015) |
| 2016 | Jared Goff* | QB | California | Los Angeles Rams | Pro Bowl (2017, 2018, 2022, 2024) |
| 2017 | Myles Garrett* | DE | Texas A&M | Cleveland Browns | Pro Bowl (2018, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024) |
| 2018 | Baker Mayfield* | QB | Oklahoma | Cleveland Browns | Heisman Trophy (2017) Pro Bowl (2023, 2024) |
| 2019 | Kyler Murray* | QB | Oklahoma | Arizona Cardinals | Heisman Trophy (2018) Offensive Rookie of the Year (2019) Pro Bowl (2020, 2021) |
| 2020 | Joe Burrow* | QB | LSU | Cincinnati Bengals | Heisman Trophy (2019) Pro Bowl (2022, 2024) |
| 2021 | Trevor Lawrence* | QB | Clemson | Jacksonville Jaguars | Pro Bowl (2022) |
| 2022 | Travon Walker | DE | Georgia | Jacksonville Jaguars | — |
| 2023 | Bryce Young | QB | Alabama | Carolina Panthers | Heisman Trophy (2021) |
| 2024 | Caleb Williams | QB | USC | Chicago Bears | Heisman Trophy (2022) |
| 2025 | | | | Tennessee Titans | |
* 1942 first overall pick Bill Dudley was the first named NFL MVP and inducted to the Pro Football Hall of Fame
* 1945 first overall pick Charley Trippi retired as the leader in NFL offensive yards
* 1949 first overall pick Chuck Bednarik was one of the last NFL players to play offense and defense
* 1957 first overall pick Paul Hornung was the first Heisman Trophy winner inducted to the Pro Football Hall of Fame
* 1969 first overall pick O. J. Simpson was the first running back to rush for 2,000 yards in a season and the only to do so in a 14-game season
* 1970 first overall pick Terry Bradshaw was the first quarterback to win four Super Bowls
* 1978 first overall pick Earl Campbell led the NFL in rushing yards three times and in rushing touchdowns twice
* 1983 first overall pick John Elway was the first quarterback to start in five Super Bowls
* 1985 first overall pick Bruce Smith is the NFL leader in quarterback sacks
* 1989 first overall pick Troy Aikman helped establish the Dallas Cowboys as a dynasty during the 1990s
* 1997 first overall pick Orlando Pace protected three consecutive NFL MVPs as their offensive tackle
* 1998 first overall pick Peyton Manning holds the record for NFL MVP awards

## First overall picks by NFL team

The Indianapolis Colts and Los Angeles Rams have each held the first overall pick a total of seven times, the most of any NFL team. This includes the Colts' time in Baltimore and the Rams' time in Cleveland and St. Louis. The Boston Yanks are the only defunct franchise to have held a first overall pick. The Baltimore Ravens, Denver Broncos and Seattle Seahawks are the only teams that have never had the first overall pick.
| Team | Picks | Year(s) | Notes |
| Indianapolis Colts | 7 | 1955, 1967, 1983, 1990, 1992 1998, 2012 | 3 as the Baltimore Colts 4 as the Indianapolis Colts |
| Los Angeles Rams | 7 | 1938, 1952, 1960, 1963, 1997 2010, 2016 | 1 as the Cleveland Rams 2 as the St. Louis Rams 4 as the Los Angeles Rams |
| Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 5 | 1976, 1977, 1986, 1987, 2015 | Also had first selection in the 1984 NFL supplemental draft of USFL and CFL players. |
| Cleveland Browns | 5 | 1954, 1999, 2000, 2017, 2018 | |
| Arizona Cardinals | 5 | 1939, 1940, 1945, 1958, 2019 | 4 as the Chicago Cardinals |
| Detroit Lions | 4 | 1943, 1950, 1980, 2009 | |
| Atlanta Falcons | 4 | 1966, 1975, 1988, 2001 | |
| Buffalo Bills | 4 | 1969, 1972, 1979, 1985 | Also had first selection in the 1961 AFL draft |
| Cincinnati Bengals | 4 | 1994, 1995, 2003, 2020 | |
| New England Patriots | 4 | 1971, 1982, 1984, 1993 | Also had first selection in the 1964 AFL draft (as the Boston Patriots) |
| Philadelphia Eagles | 3 | 1936, 1937, 1949 | |
| Chicago Bears | 3 | 1941, 1947, 2024 | |
| Pittsburgh Steelers | 3 | 1942, 1956, 1970 | |
| San Francisco 49ers | 3 | 1953, 1964, 2005 | |
| Dallas Cowboys | 3 | 1974, 1989, 1991 | |
| Houston Texans | 3 | 2002, 2006, 2014 | |
| Tennessee Titans | 3 | 1973, 1978, 2025 | 2 as the Houston Oilers |
| Boston Yanks | 2 | 1944, 1946 | |
| Washington Commanders | 2 | 1948, 1962 | 2 as the Washington Redskins |
| New York Giants | 2 | 1951, 1965 | |
| Green Bay Packers | 2 | 1957, 1959 | |
| Minnesota Vikings | 2 | 1961*, 1968 | |
| Carolina Panthers | 2 | 2011, 2023 | |
| Jacksonville Jaguars | 2 | 2021, 2022 | |
| New Orleans Saints | 1 | 1981 | |
| New York Jets | 1 | 1996 | Also had first selection in the 1965 AFL draft |
| Los Angeles Chargers | 1 | 2004 | 1 as the San Diego Chargers |
| Las Vegas Raiders | 1 | 2007 | 1 as the Oakland Raiders Also had first selection in the 1962 AFL draft |
| Miami Dolphins | 1 | 2008 | Also had first selection in the 1966 AFL draft |
| Kansas City Chiefs | 1 | 2013 | Also had first selection in the 1963 AFL draft |

## First overall picks by school

USC has the most first overall picks with 6. Notre Dame, Oklahoma, and Georgia are tied for second-most first overall picks with 5 each. Only two schools have had first overall picks in consecutive years: USC, with Ron Yary (1968) and O. J. Simpson (1969), and Oklahoma, with Baker Mayfield (2018) and Kyler Murray (2019).
| School | Total | Year(s) |
| USC | 6 | 1968, 1969, 1977, 1996, 2003, 2024 |
| Notre Dame | 5 | 1944, 1946, 1950, 1957, 1972 |
| Oklahoma | 5 | 1976, 1980, 2010, 2018, 2019 |
| Georgia | 5 | 1943, 1945, 1953, 2009, 2022 |
| Auburn | 4 | 1965, 1986, 1988, 2011 |
| Stanford | 4 | 1954, 1971, 1983, 2012 |
| LSU | 3 | 1960, 2007, 2020 |
| Texas | 3 | 1966, 1978, 1982 |
| Ohio State | 3 | 1979, 1994, 1997 |
| Alabama | 2 | 1948, 2023 |
| Nebraska | 2 | 1937, 1984 |
| Miami (FL) | 2 | 1987, 1991 |
| Tennessee | 2 | 1940, 1998 |
| Penn State | 2 | 1995, 2000 |
| Virginia Tech | 2 | 1985, 2001 |
| Michigan | 2 | 1941, 2008 |
| South Carolina | 2 | 1981, 2014 |
| California | 2 | 1975, 2016 |
| Chicago | 1 | 1936 |
| Indiana | 1 | 1938 |
| TCU | 1 | 1939 |
| Virginia | 1 | 1942 |
| Oklahoma State | 1 | 1947 |
| Penn | 1 | 1949 |
| SMU | 1 | 1951 |
| Vanderbilt | 1 | 1952 |
| Oregon | 1 | 1955 |
| Colorado State | 1 | 1956 |
| Rice | 1 | 1958 |
| Iowa | 1 | 1959 |
| Tulane | 1 | 1961 |
| Syracuse | 1 | 1962 |
| Oregon State | 1 | 1963 |
| Texas Tech | 1 | 1964 |
| Michigan State | 1 | 1967 |
| Louisiana Tech | 1 | 1970 |
| Tampa | 1 | 1973 |
| Tennessee State | 1 | 1974 |
| UCLA | 1 | 1989 |
| Illinois | 1 | 1990 |
| Washington | 1 | 1992 |
| Washington State | 1 | 1993 |
| Kentucky | 1 | 1999 |
| Fresno State | 1 | 2002 |
| Ole Miss | 1 | 2004 |
| Utah | 1 | 2005 |
| North Carolina State | 1 | 2006 |
| Central Michigan | 1 | 2013 |
| Florida State | 1 | 2015 |
| Texas A&M | 1 | 2017 |
| Clemson | 1 | 2021 |

## First overall picks by position

First overall selections by position played$^{:545}$ :
| Position | Number of selections | Last year selected |
| Quarterbacks | 39 | 2024 |
| Running backs | 23 | 1995 |
| Defensive linemen | 15 | 2022 |
| Offensive linemen | 7 | 2013 |
| Wide receivers | 6 | 1996 |
| Linebackers | 4 | 1988 |
| Defensive backs | 1 | 1956 |