The National Football League (NFL) draft is an annual event where NFL teams select new players for their rosters. To be eligible, a player must be out of high school for at least three years.
Teams with the worst records from the previous season pick first, followed by the next-worst teams, and so on. Teams can also trade their draft positions. Non-playoff teams are ordered by their regular-season record, with ties broken by strength of schedule, while playoff teams are ordered by how far they advanced.
From 1947 to 1958, the first overall pick was determined by a random draw, called the “bonus pick,” and each team had one chance to win it. This system was abolished after each team had received a bonus pick.
Before merging in 1970, the NFL and the American Football League (AFL) held separate drafts, leading to competition for top players. In 1966, they agreed to a “common draft,” which continued after the merger.
The draft is a major event in American sports, broadcast live by ESPN, Fox, and ABC. Through the 2024 draft, 89 players have been selected first overall. The Indianapolis Colts and Los Angeles Rams each have the most first overall picks with seven.
Of these top picks, 43 have made the Pro Bowl, and 14 have been inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. The most recent first overall pick is Caleb Williams.
NFL #1 Draft Picks List
Below is a list of the players who were selected first overall in the NFL Draft, organized by year.
| Year | Player | Position | Team |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Bryce Young | QB | Carolina Panthers |
| 2022 | Travon Walker | DE | Jacksonville Jaguars |
| 2021 | Trevor Lawrence | QB | Jacksonville Jaguars |
| 2020 | Joe Burrow | QB | Cincinnati Bengals |
| 2019 | Kyler Murray | QB | Arizona Cardinals |
| 2018 | Baker Mayfield | QB | Cleveland Browns |
| 2017 | Myles Garrett | DE | Cleveland Browns |
| 2016 | Jared Goff | QB | Los Angeles Rams |
| 2015 | Jameis Winston | QB | Tampa Bay Buccaneers |
| 2014 | Jadeveon Clowney | DE | Houston Texans |
| 2013 | Eric Fisher | OT | Kansas City Chiefs |
| 2012 | Andrew Luck | QB | Indianapolis Colts |
| 2011 | Cam Newton | QB | Carolina Panthers |
| 2010 | Sam Bradford | QB | St. Louis Rams |
| 2009 | Matthew Stafford | QB | Detroit Lions |
| 2008 | Jake Long | OT | Miami Dolphins |
| 2007 | JaMarcus Russell | QB | Oakland Raiders |
| 2006 | Mario Williams | DE | Houston Texans |
| 2005 | Alex Smith | QB | San Francisco 49ers |
| 2004 | Eli Manning | QB | San Diego Chargers |
| 2003 | Carson Palmer | QB | Cincinnati Bengals |
| 2002 | David Carr | QB | Houston Texans |
| 2001 | Michael Vick | QB | Atlanta Falcons |
| 2000 | Courtney Brown | DE | Cleveland Browns |
| 1999 | Tim Couch | QB | Cleveland Browns |
| 1998 | Peyton Manning | QB | Indianapolis Colts |
| 1997 | Orlando Pace | OT | St. Louis Rams |
| 1996 | Keyshawn Johnson | WR | New York Jets |
| 1995 | Ki-Jana Carter | RB | Cincinnati Bengals |
| 1994 | Dan Wilkinson | DT | Cincinnati Bengals |
| 1993 | Drew Bledsoe | QB | New England Patriots |
| 1992 | Steve Emtman | DT | Indianapolis Colts |
| 1991 | Russell Maryland | DT | Dallas Cowboys |
| 1990 | Jeff George | QB | Indianapolis Colts |
| 1989 | Troy Aikman | QB | Dallas Cowboys |
| 1988 | Aundray Bruce | LB | Atlanta Falcons |
| 1987 | Vinny Testaverde | QB | Tampa Bay Buccaneers |
| 1986 | Bo Jackson | RB | Tampa Bay Buccaneers |
| 1985 | Bruce Smith | DE | Buffalo Bills |
| 1984 | Irving Fryar | WR | New England Patriots |
| 1983 | John Elway | QB | Baltimore Colts |
| 1982 | Kenneth Sims | DE | New England Patriots |
| 1981 | George Rogers | RB | New Orleans Saints |
| 1980 | Billy Sims | RB | Detroit Lions |
| 1979 | Tom Cousineau | LB | Buffalo Bills |
| 1978 | Earl Campbell | RB | Houston Oilers |
| 1977 | Ricky Bell | RB | Tampa Bay Buccaneers |
| 1976 | Lee Roy Selmon | DE | Tampa Bay Buccaneers |
| 1975 | Steve Bartkowski | QB | Atlanta Falcons |
| 1974 | Ed “Too Tall” Jones | DE | Dallas Cowboys |
| 1973 | John Matuszak | DE | Houston Oilers |
| 1972 | Walt Patulski | DE | Buffalo Bills |
| 1971 | Jim Plunkett | QB | New England Patriots |
| 1970 | Terry Bradshaw | QB | Pittsburgh Steelers |
| 1969 | O.J. Simpson | RB | Buffalo Bills |
| 1968 | Ron Yary | OT | Minnesota Vikings |
| 1967 | Bubba Smith | DE | Baltimore Colts |
| 1966 | Tommy Nobis | LB | Atlanta Falcons |
| 1965 | Tucker Frederickson | RB | New York Giants |
| 1964 | Dave Parks | WR | San Francisco 49ers |
| 1963 | Terry Baker | QB | Los Angeles Rams |
| 1962 | Ernie Davis | RB | Washington Redskins |
| 1961 | Tommy Mason | RB | Minnesota Vikings |
| 1960 | Billy Cannon | RB | Los Angeles Rams |
| 1959 | Randy Duncan | QB | Green Bay Packers |
| 1958 | King Hill | QB | Chicago Cardinals |
| 1957 | Paul Hornung | HB | Green Bay Packers |
| 1956 | Gary Glick | DB | Pittsburgh Steelers |
| 1955 | George Shaw | QB | Baltimore Colts |
| 1954 | Bobby Garrett | QB | Cleveland Browns |
| 1953 | Harry Babcock | E | San Francisco 49ers |
| 1952 | Bill Wade | QB | Los Angeles Rams |
| 1951 | Kyle Rote | RB | New York Giants |
| 1950 | Leon Hart | E | Detroit Lions |
| 1949 | Chuck Bednarik | C/LB | Philadelphia Eagles |
| 1948 | Harry Gilmer | HB | Washington Redskins |
| 1947 | Bob Fenimore | HB | Chicago Bears |
| 1946 | Frank Dancewicz | QB | Boston Yanks |
| 1945 | Charley Trippi | HB | Chicago Cardinals |
| 1944 | Angelo Bertelli | QB | Boston Yanks |
| 1943 | Frank Sinkwich | HB | Detroit Lions |
| 1942 | Bill Dudley | HB | Pittsburgh Steelers |
| 1941 | Tom Harmon | HB | Chicago Bears |
| 1940 | George Cafego | HB | Chicago Cardinals |
| 1939 | Ki Aldrich | C | Chicago Cardinals |
| 1938 | Corbett Davis | FB | Cleveland Rams |
| 1937 | Sam Francis | FB | Philadelphia Eagles |
| 1936 | Jay Berwanger | HB | Philadelphia Eagles |
This NFL #1 Draft Picks list will be updated following the end of each NFL season.
Check out a list of NFL Super Bowl MVPs and Super Bowl Winners.
