Which colleges have the most No. 1 NFL draft picks?

ByKeith Jenkins ESPN logo
Saturday, September 7, 2024


The NFL draft has been held annually since 1936. USC has produced the most No. 1 picks with six, including Heisman Trophy winners O.J. Simpson, Carson Palmerand Caleb Williams.



Here's a look at the schools that have produced the most top NFL draft picks.



USC: 6



OT Ron Yary (1968), HB O.J. Simpson (1969), HB Ricky Bell (1977), WR Keyshawn Johnson (1996), QB Carson Palmer (2003), QB Caleb Williams (2024)



Georgia: 5



HB Frank Sinkwich (1943), HB Charley Trippi (1945), OE Harry Babcock (1953), QB Matthew Stafford (2009), DE Travon Walker (2022)



Notre Dame: 5



QB Angelo Bertelli (1944), QB Frank Dancewicz (1946), OE Leon Hart (1950), HB Paul Hornung (1957), DE Walt Patulski (1972)



Oklahoma: 5



DE Lee Roy Selmon (1976), HB Billy Sims (1980), QB Sam Bradford (2010), QB Baker Mayfield (2018), QB Kyler Murray (2019)



Auburn: 4



HB Tucker Frederickson (1965), HB Bo Jackson (1986), LB Aundray Bruce (1988), QB Cam Newton (2011)



Stanford: 4



QB Bobby Garrett (1954), QB Jim Plunkett (1971), QB John Elway (1983), QB Andrew Luck (2012)



LSU: 3



TE Billy Cannon (1960), QB JaMarcus Russell (2007), QB Joe Burrow (2020)



Ohio State: 3



LB Tom Cousineau (1979), DT Dan Wilkinson (1994), OT Orlando Pace (1997)



Texas: 3



LB Tommy Nobis (1966), HB Earl Campbell (1978), DE Kenneth Sims (1982)



9 schools tied with 2



Here's the full list of players who have been selected first overall in the NFL draft:



2024: QB Caleb Williams, USC, Chicago Bears



2023: QB Bryce Young, Alabama, Carolina Panthers



2022: DE Travon Walker, Georgia, Jacksonville Jaguars



2021: QB Trevor Lawrence, Clemson, Jacksonville Jaguars



2020: QB Joe Burrow, LSU, Cincinnati Bengals



2019: QB Kyler Murray, Oklahoma, Arizona Cardinals



2018: QB Baker Mayfield, Oklahoma, Cleveland Browns



2017: DE Myles Garrett, Texas A&M, Cleveland Browns



2016: QB Jared Goff, Cal, Los Angeles Rams



2015: QB Jameis Winston, Florida State, Tampa Bay Buccaneers



2014: DE Jadeveon Clowney, South Carolina, Houston Texans



2013: OT Eric Fisher, Central Michigan, Kansas City Chiefs



2012: QB Andrew Luck, Stanford, Indianapolis Colts



2011: QB Cam Newton, Auburn, Carolina Panthers



2010: QB Sam Bradford, Oklahoma, St. Louis Rams



2009: QB Matthew Stafford, Georgia, Detroit Lions



2008: OT Jake Long, Michigan, Miami Dolphins



2007: QB JaMarcus Russell, LSU, Oakland Raiders



2006: DE Mario Williams, North Carolina State, Houston Texans



2005: QB Alex Smith, Utah, San Francisco 49ers



2004: QB Eli Manning, Ole Miss, San Diego Chargers



2003: QB Carson Palmer, USC, Cincinnati Bengals



2002: QB David Carr, Fresno State, Houston Texans



2001: QB Michael Vick, Virginia Tech, Atlanta Falcons



2000: DE Courtney Brown, Penn State, Cleveland Browns



1999: QB Tim Couch, Kentucky, Cleveland Browns



1998: QB Peyton Manning, Tennessee, Indianapolis Colts



1997: OT Orlando Pace, Ohio State, St. Louis Rams



1996: WR Keyshawn Johnson, USC, New York Jets



1995: HB Ki-Jana Carter, Penn State, Cincinnati Bengals



1994: DT Dan Wilkinson, Ohio State, Cincinnati Bengals



1993: QB Drew Bledsoe, Washington State, New England Patriots



1992: DE Steve Emtman, Washington, Indianapolis Colts



1991: DT Russell Maryland, Miami, Dallas Cowboys



1990: QB Jeff George, Illinois, Indianapolis Colts



1989: QB Troy Aikman, UCLA, Dallas Cowboys



1988: LB Aundray Bruce, Auburn, Atlanta Falcons



1987: QB Vinny Testaverde, Miami, Tampa Bay Buccaneers



1986: HB Bo Jackson, Auburn, Tampa Bay Buccaneers



1985: DE Bruce Smith, Virginia Tech, Buffalo Bills



1984: WR Irving Fryar, Nebraska, New England Patriots



1983: QB John Elway, Stanford, Baltimore Colts



1982: DE Kenneth Sims, Texas, New England Patriots



1981: HB George Rogers, South Carolina, New Orleans Saints



1980: HB Billy Sims, Oklahoma, Detroit Lions



1979: LB Tom Cousineau, Ohio State, Buffalo Bills



1978: HB Earl Campbell, Texas, Houston Oilers



1977: HB Ricky Bell, USC, Tampa Bay Buccaneers



1976: DE Lee Roy Selmon, Oklahoma, Tampa Bay Buccaneers



1975: QB Steve Bartkowski, Cal, Atlanta Falcons



1974: DE Ed Jones, Tennessee State, Dallas Cowboys



1973: DE John Matuszak, Tampa, Houston Oilers



1972: DE Walt Patulski, Notre Dame, Buffalo Bills



1971: QB Jim Plunkett, Stanford, New England Patriots



1970: QB Terry Bradshaw, Louisiana Tech, Pittsburgh Steelers



1969: HB O.J. Simpson, USC, Buffalo Bills



1968: OT Ron Yary, USC, Minnesota Vikings



1967: DE Bubba Smith, Michigan State, Baltimore Colts



1966: LB Tommy Nobis, Texas, Atlanta Falcons



1965: HB Tucker Frederickson, Auburn, New York Giants



1964: WR Dave Parks, Texas Tech, San Francisco 49ers



1963: QB Terry Baker, Oregon State, Los Angeles Rams



1962: HB Ernie Davis, Syracuse, Washington



1961: HB Tommy Mason, Tulane, Minnesota Vikings



1960: TE Billy Cannon, LSU, Los Angeles Rams



1959: QB Randy Duncan, Iowa, Green Bay Packers



1958: QB King Hill, Rice, Chicago Cardinals



1957: HB Paul Hornung, Notre Dame, Green Bay Packers



1956: DB Gary Glick, Colorado A&M, Pittsburgh Steelers



1955: QB George Shaw, Oregon, Baltimore Colts



1954: QB Bobby Garrett, Stanford, Cleveland Browns



1953: OE Harry Babcock, Georgia, San Francisco 49ers



1952: QB Billy Wade, Vanderbilt, Los Angeles Rams



1951: HB Kyle Rote, SMU, New York Giants



1950: OE Leon Hart, Notre Dame, Detroit Lions



1949: C/LB Chuck Bednarik, Penn, Philadelphia Eagles



1948: HB/WR Harry Gilmer, Alabama, Washington



1947: HB Bob Fenimore, Oklahoma A&M, Chicago Bears



1946: QB Frank Dancewicz, Notre Dame, Boston Yanks



1945: HB Charley Trippi, Georgia, Chicago Cardinals



1944: QB Angelo Bertelli, Notre Dame, Boston Yanks



1943: HB Frank Sinkwich, Georgia, Detroit Lions



1942: HB Bill Dudley, Virginia, Pittsburgh Steelers



1941: HB Tom Harmon, Michigan, Chicago Bears



1940: FB/HB George Cafego, Tennessee, Chicago Cardinals



1939: C Ki Aldrich, TCU, Chicago Cardinals



1938: FB Corbett Davis, Indiana, Cleveland Rams



1937: FB Sam Francis, Nebraska, Philadelphia Eagles



1936: HB Jay Berwanger, Chicago, Philadelphia Eagles



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