Who Went First in the NFL Draft?

It’s a question that’s been debated for years: who went first in the NFL draft? We take a look at the history of the NFL draft and the answer to this burning question.

Introduction

In the NFL Draft, the team with the worst record from the previous season gets to pick first. This is often referred to as the “first pick” or “first overall pick.” The order then continues in reverse order of finish for the rest of the first round. In subsequent rounds, the draft order reverses so that the team with the second-worst record picks first and so on.

NFL Draft

What is the NFL Draft?

The National Football League Draft, also called the NFL Draft or the Player Selection Meeting, is an annual event in which the 32 franchises of the National Football League (NFL) select eligible college football players. It serves as the league’s most common source of player recruitment.

The basic design of the draft is that each team is given a certain number of draft picks in each round. The team with the first pick in the first round (1st overall pick) gets to choose a player first, followed by the team with the second pick (2nd overall pick), and so on. The order of these selections is known as “the draft order” or “the order of selection”.

How does the NFL Draft work?

The National Football League Draft is an annual event in which the 32 NFL teams select new players for their rosters. The draft order is determined by the previous year’s standings, with the team with the worst record selecting first and the Super Bowl champion selecting last.

In each round, each team gets one pick. The number of rounds has varied over the years, but it is currently seven rounds. In total, 256 players are drafted each year.

Players can be drafted out of college or from professional leagues in other countries. However, most players who are drafted into the NFL are college players.

After the draft is complete, teams will often sign undrafted free agents, meaning players who were eligible for the draft but were not selected by any team.

Who went first in the NFL Draft?

The answer to this question is a little complicated. The NFL Draft is not like the drafts for other professional sports. In the NFL, the draft order is determined by a combination of factors, including team records, strength of schedule, and playoff results. The first overall pick in the NFL Draft is usually given to the team with the worst record from the previous season.

1930-1939

The first NFL Draft was held in 1936, but there were only nine rounds. In 1937, the draft was increased to ten rounds. It wouldn’t be until the 1950s that the draft would be increased to its current length of seven rounds.

1930-1939
1. 1936 – Jay Berwanger, HB, Chicago Bears
2. 1937 – Corbett Davis, HB, Detroit Lions
3. 1938 – Ki Aldrich, C, Chicago Bears
4. 1939 – George Christensen, E, Detroit Lions

1940-1949

The first NFL draft was held in 1936. It featured only ten rounds and consisted of just eighty-nine total picks. The very first pick in the NFL draft was Jay Berwanger, a running back from the University of Chicago. He was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles, but never played a single game in the NFL.

1950-1959

The following is a list of the NFL Draft first overall pick by year from 1950-1959.

-1950: Leo Nomellini, DT, San Francisco 49ers
-1951: Tom Fears, WR, Los Angeles Rams
-1952: Billy Cannon, HB, Los Angeles Rams
-1953: Harry Babcock, E, San Francisco 49ers
-1954: LaVern Torgeson, LB, Detroit Lions
-1955: Ron Shuler, T, Baltimore Colts
-1956: Paul Hornung, HB, Green Bay Packers
-1957: Jimmy Harris, QB, Detroit Lions
-1958: King Hill, QB, Chicago Cardinals
-1959: Billy Darell Phelpslott Williams Toshack

1960-1969

In 1960, the very first NFL Draft was held. Since that time, there have been many great players who have been drafted first overall. Here’s a look at some of the most notable names from each decade.

1960s:
-1960: Billy Cannon, RB, Houston Oilers
-1961: Ernie Davis, RB, Washington Redskins
-1962: RomanGabriel, QB, Los Angeles Rams
-1963: Terry Baker, QB, Los Angeles Rams
-1964: Bobby Bell, LB, Kansas City Chiefs
-1965: Mike Garrett, RB, Los Angeles Rams
-1966: Steve Spurrier, QB, San Francisco 49ers
-1967: Bob Griese, QB, Miami Dolphins
-1968: O.J. Simpson, RB , Buffalo Bills
-1969: Rex Grossman ,QB , Chicago Bears

1970-1979

1970-1979

The 1970 NFL Draft was held on January 28–29, 1970, at the Belmont Plaza Hotel in New York City, New York. The first overall pick was defensive tackle Mike McCoy of the University of Notre Dame, who was selected by the Baltimore Colts. McCoy had originally been drafted in the first round of the 1969 NFL Draft by the San Francisco 49ers but did not sign with the team.

1980-1989

1980: DE Bruce Smith, Virginia Tech

1981: RB George Rogers, South Carolina

1982: QB John Elway, Stanford

1983: QB Terry Bradshaw, Louisiana Tech

1984: LB Kenneth Sims, Texas

1985: LB Lawrence Taylor, Miami (Fla.)

1986: RB Bo Jackson, Auburn

1987: T Tony Mandarich, Michigan State

1988: TJake Long, Michigan

1989: QB Troy Aikman, UCLA

1990-1999

1990- Tom Gamble, QB, San Francisco 49ers
1991- Russell Maryland, DT, Dallas Cowboys
1992- Steve Emtman, DE, Indianapolis Colts
1993- Drew Bledsoe, QB, New England Patriots
1994- Dan Wilkinson, DT, Cincinnati Bengals
1995- Ki-Jana Carter, RB, Cincinnati Bengals
1996- Keyshawn Johnson, WR, New York Jets
1997- Orlando Pace, OT T/O Baltimore Ravens
1998- Peyton Manning* QB Indianapolis Colts
1999- Tim Couch* QB Cleveland Browns

2000-2009

In the 2000s, the first overall NFL Draft picks were:

2000: Tom Brady (New England Patriots)
2001: LaDainian Tomlinson (San Diego Chargers)
2002: David Carr (Houston Texans)
2003: Carson Palmer (Cincinnati Bengals)
2004: Eli Manning (San Diego Chargers)
2005: Alex Smith (San Francisco 49ers)
2006: Mario Williams (Houston Texans)
2007: JaMarcus Russell (Oakland Raiders)
2008: Jake Long (Miami Dolphins)
2009: Matthew Stafford (Detroit Lions)

2010-2019

2010: Sam Bradford, QB, St. Louis Rams
2011: Cam Newton, QB, Carolina Panthers
2012: Andrew Luck, QB, Indianapolis Colts
2013: Eric Fisher, OT, Kansas City Chiefs
2014: Jadeveon Clowney, DE, Houston Texans
2015: Jameis Winston, QB, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
2016: Jared Goff, QB, Los Angeles Rams
2017: Myles Garrett, DE, Cleveland Browns
2018: Baker Mayfield, QB, Cleveland Browns
2019: Kyler Murray, QB

Conclusion

In conclusion, there is no clear-cut answer to the question of who went first in the NFL Draft. While there are a few instances where the player selected first overall is known, such as in the case of Jim Plunkett in 1971, there are other years where the identity of the player remains a mystery. In any case, it is safe to say that the player chosen first overall in the NFL Draft has always been a talented individual with a bright future ahead of them.