| Players Picked at #1 | ||||||||||
| Season | Pick # | Team | Name | Position | College | |||||
| 2025 | 1 | Tennessee Titans | Cam Ward | QB | Miami (FL) | |||||
| 2024 | 1 | Chicago Bears | Caleb Williams | QB | USC | |||||
| 2023 | 1 | Carolina Panthers | Bryce Young | QB | Alabama | |||||
| 2022 | 1 | Jacksonville Jaguars | Travon Walker | DE | Georgia | |||||
| 2021 | 1 | Jacksonville Jaguars | Trevor Lawrence | QB | Clemson | |||||
| 2020 | 1 | Cincinnati Bengals | Joe Burrow | QB | LSU | |||||
| 2019 | 1 | Arizona Cardinals | Kyler Murray | QB | Oklahoma | |||||
| 2018 | 1 | Cleveland Browns | Baker Mayfield | QB | Oklahoma | |||||
| 2017 | 1 | Cleveland Browns | Myles Garrett | DE | Texas A&M | |||||
| 2016 | 1 | Los Angeles Rams | Jared Goff | QB | California | |||||
| 2015 | 1 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | Jameis Winston | QB | Florida State | |||||
| 2014 | 1 | Houston Texans | Jadeveon Clowney | DE | South Carolina | |||||
| 2013 | 1 | Kansas City Chiefs | Eric Fisher | T | Central Michigan | |||||
| 2012 | 1 | Indianapolis Colts | Andrew Luck | QB | Stanford | |||||
| 2011 | 1 | Carolina Panthers | Cam Newton | QB | Auburn | |||||
| 2010 | 1 | St Louis Rams | Sam Bradford | QB | Oklahoma | |||||
| 2009 | 1 | Detroit Lions | Matthew Stafford | QB | Georgia | |||||
| 2008 | 1 | Miami Dolphins | Jake Long | T | Michigan | |||||
| 2007 | 1 | Oakland Raiders | JaMarcus Russell | QB | LSU | |||||
| 2006 | 1 | Houston Texans | Mario Williams | DE | North Carolina State | |||||
| 2005 | 1 | San Francisco 49ers | Alex Smith | QB | Utah | |||||
| 2004 | 1 | San Diego Chargers | Eli Manning | QB | Mississippi | |||||
| 2003 | 1 | Cincinnati Bengals | Carson Palmer | QB | USC | |||||
| 2002 | 1 | Houston Texans | David Carr | QB | Fresno State | |||||
| 2001 | 1 | Atlanta Falcons | Michael Vick | QB | Virginia Tech | |||||
| 2000 | 1 | Cleveland Browns | Courtney Brown | DE | Penn State | |||||
| 1999 | 1 | Cleveland Browns | Tim Couch | QB | Kentucky | |||||
| 1998 | 1 | Indianapolis Colts | Peyton Manning | QB | Tennessee | HOF - 2021 | ||||
| 1997 | 1 | St Louis Rams | Orlando Pace | T | Ohio State | HOF - 2016 | ||||
| 1996 | 1 | New York Jets | Keyshawn Johnson | WR | USC | |||||
| 1995 | 1 | Cincinnati Bengals | Ki-Jana Carter | RB | Penn State | |||||
| 1994 | 1 | Cincinnati Bengals | Dan Wilkinson | DT | Ohio State | |||||
| 1993 | 1 | New England Patriots | Drew Bledsoe | QB | Washington State | |||||
| 1992 | 1 | Indianapolis Colts | Steve Emtman | DE | Washington | |||||
| 1991 | 1 | Dallas Cowboys | Russell Maryland | DT | Miami (FL) | |||||
| 1990 | 1 | Indianapolis Colts | Jeff George | QB | Illinois | |||||
| 1989 | 1 | Dallas Cowboys | Troy Aikman | QB | UCLA | HOF - 2006 | ||||
| 1988 | 1 | Atlanta Falcons | Aundray Bruce | LB | Auburn | |||||
| 1987 | 1 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | Vinny Testaverde | QB | Miami (FL) | |||||
| 1986 | 1 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | Bo Jackson | RB | Auburn | |||||
| 1985 | 1 | Buffalo Bills | Bruce Smith | DE | Virginia Tech | |||||
| 1984 | 1 | New England Patriots | Irving Fryar | WR | Nebraska | |||||
| 1983 | 1 | Baltimore Colts | John Elway | QB | Stanford | HOF - 2004 | ||||
| 1982 | 1 | New England Patriots | Kenneth Sims | DE | Texas | |||||
| 1981 | 1 | New Orleans Saints | George Rogers | RB | South Carolina | |||||
| 1980 | 1 | Detroit Lions | Billy Sims | RB | Oklahoma | |||||
| 1979 | 1 | Buffalo Bills | Tom Cousineau | LB | Ohio State | |||||
| 1978 | 1 | Houston Oilers | Earl Campbell | RB | Texas | HOF - 1991 | ||||
| 1977 | 1 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | Ricky Bell | RB | USC | |||||
| 1976 | 1 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | Lee Roy Selmon | DE | Oklahoma | HOF - 1995 | ||||
| 1975 | 1 | Atlanta Falcons | Steve Bartkowski | QB | California | |||||
| 1974 | 1 | Dallas Cowboys | Ed Jones | DE | Tennessee State | |||||
| 1973 | 1 | Houston Oilers | John Matuszak | DE | Tampa | |||||
| 1972 | 1 | Buffalo Bills | Walt Patulski | DE | Notre Dame | |||||
| 1971 | 1 | New England Patriots | Jim Plunkett | QB | Stanford | |||||
| 1970 | 1 | Pittsburgh Steelers | Terry Bradshaw | QB | Louisiana Tech | HOF - 1989 | ||||
| 1969 | 1 | Buffalo Bills | O.J. Simpson | RB | USC | HOF - 1985 | ||||
| 1968 | 1 | Minnesota Vikings | Ron Yary | T | USC | HOF - 2001 | ||||
| 1967 | 1 | Baltimore Colts | Bubba Smith | DT | Michigan State | |||||
| 1966 | 1 | Atlanta Falcons | Tommy Nobis | LB | Texas | |||||
| 1965 | 1 | New York Giants | Tucker Frederickson | B | Auburn | |||||
| 1964 | 1 | San Francisco 49ers | Dave Parks | E | Texas Tech | |||||
| 1963 | 1 | Los Angeles Rams | Terry Baker | QB | Oregon State | |||||
| 1962 | 1 | Washington Redskins | Ernie Davis | B | Syracuse | |||||
| 1961 | 1 | Minnesota Vikings | Tommy Mason | HB | Tulane | |||||
| 1960 | 1 | Los Angeles Rams | Billy Cannon | RB | LSU | |||||
| 1959 | 1 | Green Bay Packers | Randy Duncan | QB | Iowa | |||||
| 1958 | 1 | Chicago Cardinals | King Hill | QB | Rice | |||||
| 1957 | 1 | Green Bay Packers | Paul Hornung | HB | Notre Dame | HOF - 1986 | ||||
| 1956 | 1 | Pittsburgh Steelers | Gary Glick | S | Colorado A&M | |||||
| 1955 | 1 | Baltimore Colts | George Shaw | QB | Oregon | |||||
| 1954 | 1 | Cleveland Browns | Bobby Garrett | QB | Stanford | |||||
| 1953 | 1 | San Francisco 49ers | Harry Babcock | E | Georgia | |||||
| 1952 | 1 | Los Angeles Rams | Bill Wade | QB | Vanderbilt | |||||
| 1951 | 1 | New York Giants | Kyle Rote | HB | SMU | |||||
| 1950 | 1 | Detroit Lions | Leon Hart | E | Notre Dame | |||||
| 1949 | 1 | Philadelphia Eagles | Chuck Bednarik | C | Pennsylvania | HOF - 1967 | ||||
| 1948 | 1 | Washington Redskins | Harry Gilmer | HB | Alabama | |||||
| 1947 | 1 | Chicago Bears | Bob Fenimore | B | Oklahoma A&M | |||||
| 1946 | 1 | Boston Yanks | Frank Dancewicz | QB | Notre Dame | |||||
| 1945 | 1 | Chicago Cardinals | Charley Trippi | HB | Georgia | HOF - 1968 | ||||
| 1944 | 1 | Boston Yanks | Angelo Bertelli | QB | Notre Dame | |||||
| 1943 | 1 | Detroit Lions | Frank Sinkwich | RB | Georgia | |||||
| 1942 | 1 | Pittsburgh Steelers | Bill Dudley | HB | Virginia | HOF - 1966 | ||||
| 1941 | 1 | Chicago Bears | Tom Harmon | HB | Michigan | |||||
| 1940 | 1 | Chicago Cardinals | George Cafego | TB | Tennessee | |||||
| 1939 | 1 | Chicago Cardinals | Charles Aldrich | C | TCU | |||||
| 1938 | 1 | Cleveland Rams | Corbett Davis | B | Indiana | |||||
| 1937 | 1 | Philadelphia Eagles | Sam Francis | B | Nebraska | |||||
| 1936 | 1 | Philadelphia Eagles | Jay Berwanger | B | Chicago | |||||
NFL Draft - Overall Pick #1 Only