Number 1 Overall Draft Choices
| Season | Date | Team | Player | Position | College |
| 2019 | April 25-27 | Arizona | Kyler Murray | QB | Oklahoma |
| 2018 | April 26-28 | Cleveland | Baker Mayfield | QB | Oklahoma |
| 2017 | April 27-29 | Cleveland | Myles Garrett | DE | Texas A&M |
| 2016 | April 28-30 | Los Angeles | Jared Goff | QB | California |
| 2015 | April 30-May 2 | Tampa Bay | Jameis Winston | QB | Florida State |
| 2014 | May 8-10 | Houston | Jadeveon Clowney | DE | South Carolina |
| 2013 | Apr. 25-27 | Kansas City | Eric Fisher | T | Central Michigan |
| 2012 | Apr. 26-28 | Indianapolis | Andrew Luck | QB | Stanford |
| 2011 | Apr. 28-30 | Carolina | Cam Newton | QB | Auburn |
| 2010 | Apr. 22-24 | St. Louis | Sam Bradford | QB | Oklahoma |
| 2009 | Apr. 25-26 | Detroit | Matthew Stafford | QB | Georgia |
| 2008 | Apr. 26-27 | Miami | Jake Long | T | Michigan |
| 2007 | Apr. 28-29 | Oakland | JaMarcus Russell | QB | Louisiana State |
| 2006 | Apr. 29-30 | Houston | Mario Williams | DE | North Carolina State |
| 2005 | Apr. 23-24 | San Francisco | Alex Smith | QB | Utah |
| 2004 | Apr. 24-25 | San Diego | Eli Manning | QB | Mississippi |
| 2003 | Apr. 26-27 | Cincinnati | Carson Palmer | QB | Southern California |
| 2002 | Apr. 20-21 | Houston | David Carr | QB | Fresno State |
| 2001 | Apr. 21-22 | Atlanta | Michael Vick | QB | Virginia Tech |
| 2000 | Apr. 15-16 | Cleveland | Courtney Brown | DE | Penn State |
| 1999 | Apr. 17-18 | Cleveland | Tim Couch | QB | Kentucky |
| 1998 | Apr. 18-19 | Indianapolis | Peyton Manning | QB | Tennessee |
| 1997 | Apr. 19-20 | St. Louis | Orlando Pace | T | Ohio State |
| 1996 | Apr. 20-21 | New York Jets | Keyshawn Johnson | WR | Southern California |
| 1995 | Apr. 22-23 | Cincinnati | Ki-Jana Carter | RB | Penn State |
| 1994 | Apr. 24-25 | Cincinnati | Dan Wilkinson | DT | Ohio State |
| 1993 | Apr. 25-26 | New England | Drew Bledsoe | QB | Washington State |
| 1992 | Apr. 26-27 | Indianapolis | Steve Emtman | DT | Washington |
| 1991 | Apr. 21-22 | Dallas | Russell Maryland | DT | Miami (FL) |
| 1990 | Apr. 22-23 | Indianapolis | Jeff George | QB | Illinois |
| 1989 | Apr. 23-24 | Dallas | Troy Aikman | QB | UCLA |
| 1988 | Apr. 24-25 | Atlanta | Aundray Bruce | LB | Auburn |
| 1987 | Apr. 28-29 | Tampa Bay | Vinny Testaverde | QB | Miami (FL) |
| 1986 | Apr. 29-30 | Tampa Bay | Bo Jackson | RB | Auburn |
| 1985 | Apr. 30-May 1 | Buffalo | Bruce Smith | DE | Virginia Tech |
| 1984 | May 1-2 | New England | Irving Fryar | WR | Nebraska |
| 1983 | Apr. 26-27 | Baltimore | John Elway | QB | Stanford |
| 1982 | Apr. 27-28 | New England | Kenneth Sims | DT | Texas |
| 1981 | Apr. 28-29 | New Orleans | George Rogers | RB | South Carolina |
| 1980 | Apr. 29-30 | Detroit | Billy Sims | RB | Oklahoma |
| 1979 | May 3-4 | Buffalo | Tom Cousineau | LB | Ohio State |
| 1978 | May 2-3 | Houston | Earl Campbell | RB | Texas |
| 1977 | May 3-4 | Tampa Bay | Ricky Bell | RB | Southern California |
| 1976 | Apr. 8-9 | Tampa Bay | Lee Roy Selmon | DE | Oklahoma |
| 1975 | Jan. 28-29 | Atlanta | Steve Bartkowski | QB | California |
| 1974 | Jan. 29-30 | Dallas | Ed Jones | DE | Tennessee State |
| 1973 | Jan. 30-31 | Houston | John Matuszak | DE | Tampa |
| 1972 | Feb. 1-2 | Buffalo | Walt Patulski | DE | Notre Dame |
| 1971 | Jan. 28-29 | New England | Jim Plunkett | QB | Stanford |
| 1970 | Jan. 27-28 | Pittsburgh | Terry Bradshaw | QB | Louisiana Tech |
| 1969 | Jan. 28-29 | Buffalo (AFL) | O.J. Simpson | RB | Southern California |
| 1968 | Jan. 30-31 | Minnesota | Ron Yary | T | Southern California |
| 1967 | Mar. 14 | Baltimore | Bubba Smith | DT | Michigan State |
| 1966 | Nov. 27, 1965 | Atlanta | Tommy Nobis | LB | Texas |
| Nov. 28, 1965 | Miami (AFL) | Jim Grabowski | RB | Illinois | |
| 1965 | Nov. 28, 1964 | New York Giants | Tucker Frederickson | RB | Auburn |
| Nov. 28, 1964 | Houston (AFL) | Lawrence Elkins | E | Baylor | |
| 1964 | Dec. 2, 1963 | San Francisco | Dave Parks | E | Texas Tech |
| Nov. 30, 1963 | Boston (AFL) | Jack Concannon | QB | Boston College | |
| 1963 | Dec. 3, 1962 | Los Angeles | Terry Baker | QB | Oregon State |
| Dec. 1, 1962 | Kansas City (AFL) | Junious (Buck) Buchanan | DT | Grambling | |
| 1962 | Dec. 4, 1961 | Washington | Ernie Davis | RB | Syracuse |
| Dec. 2, 1961 | Oakland (AFL) | Roman Gabriel | QB | North Carolina State | |
| 1961 | Dec. 27-28, 1960 | Minnesota | Tommy Mason | RB | Tulane |
| Nov. 23, 1960 | Buffalo (AFL) | Ken Rice | G | Auburn | |
| 1960 | Secret Draft | Los Angeles | Billy Cannon | RB | Louisiana State |
| Nov. 22, Dec. 2, 1959 | AFL had no formal first pick | ||||
| 1959 | Dec. 2, 1958 | Green Bay | Randy Duncan | QB | Iowa |
| 1958 | Dec. 2, 1957 | Chicago Cardinals | King Hill | QB | Rice |
| 1957 | Nov. 27, 1956 | Green Bay | Paul Hornung | HB | Notre Dame |
| 1956 | Nov. 29, 1956 | Pittsburgh | Gary Glick | DB | Colorado A&M |
| 1955 | Jan. 27-28 | Baltimore | George Shaw | QB | Oregon |
| 1954 | Jan. 28 | Cleveland | Bobby Garrett | QB | Stanford |
| 1953 | Jan. 22 | San Francisco | Harry Babcock | E | Georgia |
| 1952 | Jan. 17 | Los Angeles | Bill Wade | QB | Vanderbilt |
| 1951 | Jan. 18-19 | New York Giants | Kyle Rote | HB | Southern Methodist |
| 1950 | Jan. 21-22 | Detroit | Leon Hart | E | Notre Dame |
| 1949 | Dec. 21, 1948 | Philadelphia | Chuck Bednarik | C | Pennsylvania |
| 1948 | Dec. 19, 1947 | Washington | Harry Gilmer | QB | Alabama |
| 1947 | Dec. 16, 1946 | Chicago Bears | Bob Fenimore | HB | Oklahoma A&M |
| 1946 | Jan. 14 | Boston | Frank Dancewicz | QB | Notre Dame |
| 1945 | Apr. 6 | Chicago Cardinals | Charley Trippi | HB | Georgia |
| 1944 | Apr. 19 | Boston | Angelo Bertelli | QB | Notre Dame |
| 1943 | Apr. 8 | Detroit | Frank Sinkwich | HB | Georgia |
| 1942 | Dec. 22, 1941 | Pittsburgh | Bill Dudley | HB | Virginia |
| 1941 | Dec. 10, 1940 | Chicago Bears | Tom Harmon | HB | Michigan |
| 1940 | Dec. 9, 1939 | Chicago Cardinals | George Cafego | HB | Tennessee |
| 1939 | Dec. 8, 1938 | Chicago Cardinals | Ki Aldrich | C | Texas Christian |
| 1938 | Dec. 12, 1937 | Cleveland | Corbett Davis | FB | Indiana |
| 1937 | Dec. 12, 1936 | Philadelphia | Sam Francis | FB | Nebraska |
| 1936 | Feb. 8 | Philadelphia | Jay Berwanger | HB | Chicago |
| Note: From 1947 through 1958, the first selection in the draft was a Bonus pick, awarded to the winner of a random draw. That club, in turn, forfeited its last-round draft choice. The winner of the Bonus choice was eliminated from future draws. The system was abolished after 1958, by which time all clubs had received a Bonus choice. | |||||
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