With the NFL draft about two weeks away, the Detroit Lions have a large task at hand.
Just like the 72 teams that have picked first overall before them, the Lions must make a detailed analysis of their team and select first overall.
In the vast and captivating history of the National Football League, 72 players have been selected first overall.
The first overall pick is the pick that is awarded to the worst team the NFL has to offer. This pick allows the team to rebuild for the future.
It allows the team’s fanbase to be excited about the upcoming season and forget the previous season.
The player that is selected first overall is supposed to be the new face of the franchise, a combination of the team’s position needs and the best player available.
Much to the dismay of the teams that select them, few of these players turn out to be the players that the teams, the league, and the general public thought they would be.
However, a select few have, in fact, turned out to be what we thought they would be or even exceeded expectations.
I have devised a list of the greatest first overall draft picks in NFL History.
I graded these players on how great their careers were and whether or not they were Hall of Famers.
Unlike my last article, I included players that didn’t make their career with the team that were drafted by, for the simple reasoning that although you played for another team, you were still a first overall draft pick.
Honorable Mention: Ron Yary
Ron Yary was the first overall pick of the Minnesota Vikings in the 1968 NFL Draft.
He had a spectacular career with the Vikings and Rams. He was a phenomenal offensive tackle.
He was voted to the Pro Bowl seven times (1971-1977).
He was selected First Team All-Pro six times (1971-1976).
He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2001.
10. Bill Dudley
Statistical Analysis
Rushing: 765 Att, 3,057 Yds, 18 TD, 36 Fmb
Receiving: 123 Rec, 1,383 Yds, 18 TD
Passing: 81/222, 985 Yds, 6 TD, 17 INT
Kicking: 66 FGA, 33 FGM, 127 XPA, 121 XPM
Punting: 193 punts, 7,304 Yds
Kickoff and Punt Returns: 3,258 Yds, 4 TD
Defense: 23 INT
Bill Dudley was drafted first overall by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the 1942 NFL Draft.
Dudley proved to be a very good pick. He played almost every position the NFL had to offer. He passed, rushed, received, punted, returned punts and kickoffs, and played defense.
The guy personified versatility.
He was a part of the “60-Minute Men,” a breed of players that played both offense and defense, a practice that’s becoming extinct in today’s NFL.
Although Dudley played for two other teams (the Detroit Lions and Washington Redskins), he was still very productive.
Dudley was selected to three Pro Bowls (1942, 1950, 1951).
He selected First Team-All Pro in 1942.
He led the league in rushing yards in 1942 and 1946. In those same years he led the league in all-purpose yards.
In 1942, he led the league in kick return touchdowns.
In 1946, he had an extraordinary year when he led the league in interceptions, punt returns, and rushing yards.
He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1966.
9. Troy Aikman Statistical Analysis: 2,898/4,715 (61.5%), 32,942 Yds, 165 TD, 141 INT
The Dallas Cowboys selected Troy Aikman first overall in the 1989 NFL Draft.
Aikman proved to be a very good selection. He led the Dallas Cowboys to three Super Bowl victories (Super Bowls XXVII, XXVIII, and XXX), winning the Super Bowl XXVII MVP.
Aikman was selected to six Pro Bowls (‘91, ‘92, ‘93, ‘94, ‘95, ‘96).
He led the league in completion percentage in 1993.
Aikman was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2006.
8. Terry Bradshaw Statistical Analysis: 2,025/3,901(51.9%), 27,989 Yds, 212 TD, 210 INT
Terry Bradshaw was voted to the Pro Bowl four times (1975, 1978, 1979).
He was voted First Team All-Pro in 1978.
Bradshaw led the league in passing touchdowns in 1978.
He led the Steelers to four Super Bowl victories, a record he holds with Joe Montana.
The Steelers always could count on Bradshaw to perform in the big games.
Bradshaw was very talented, but he had overwhelming talent around him.
Bradshaw was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1989.
7. Paul Hornung Statistical Analysis Rushing: 893 Att, 3,711 Yds, 50 TD, 22 Fmb Receiving: 130 Rec, 1,480 Yds, 12 TD Kicking: 140 FGA, 66 FGM, 194 XPA, 190 XPM Passing: 24/55 (43.6%) 383 Yds, 5 TD, 4 INT
Paul Hornung, “The Golden Boy” of the Green Bay Packers dynasty, was an explosive player. Hornung truly had a “nose for the end zone” as he made big plays in crucial situations.
His most notable clutch play came in the 1965 Championship game against the Cleveland Browns. With the score 13-12 in the third quarter, Hornung made a 13-yard touchdown run to give Green Bay a 20-12 lead, a lead they didn’t relinquish.
The victory gave Green Bay their ninth overall NFL title.
Hornung was a phenomenal tailback. In the 1961 NFL Championship game against the New York Giants, Hornung showed his clutch abilities, demonstrating why his teammates and coach trusted him with the ball in big games. He scored a then-record 19 points as the Packers won one of their many NFL titles.
Hornung was also a very good punter, wide receiver, and kicker.
Hornung was also a very effective blocker.
In 1961 Hornung was voted the NFL’s MVP.
He was selected to the Pro Bowl in 1959 and 1960.
He was voted First Team All-Pro in 1960 and 1961.
In 1960 he led the league in total touchdowns with 15.
He led the league in total points scored (including extra points and field goals) in 1959, 1960, and 1961.
He inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1986.
6. O.J. Simpson
Statistical Analysis
Rushing: 2,404 Att, 11,236 Yds, 61 TD
Receiving: 203 Rec, 2,142 Yds, 14 TD
Before O.J. Simpson went crazy and became known for the alleged murder of his wife and conviction of robbery, Simpson was a fantastic NFL player.
The Buffalo Bills drafted him first overall in the 1969 NFL Draft.
O.J. proved to be a phenomenal running back.
O.J. was voted to the Pro Bowl six times (1969, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1976).
He was voted First Team All-Pro five times (1972-1976).
He led the league in rushing touchdowns twice (1973, 1975).
He led the league in rushing four times (1972, 1973, 1975, 1976).
He was named NFL Player of the Year three times (1972, 1973, and 1975).
Simpson was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1985.
5. Earl Campbell
Statistical Analysis: 2,187 Att, 9,407 Yds, 74 TD
The Houston Oilers selected Earl Campbell first overall in the 1978 NFL Draft.
During the 1970s and early 1980s, NFL defenders felt the shoulder pads of Earl Campbell every time they played him.
Campbell was an absolute beast and was extremely hard to stop.
Campbell was selected to five Pro Bowls (1978, 1979, 1980, 1981, 1983).
He was selected First Team All-Pro three times (1978, 1979, 1980).
He led the league in rushing yards in 1978, 1979, and 1980. In those same years he led the league in rushing yards per game.
He led the league in rushing touchdowns twice (1979, 1980).
In 1979 he led the league in total touchdowns with 19.
He was named the NFL Offensive Player of the Year three times (1978, 1979, 1980).
He was voted the NFL MVP three straight years (1978, 1979, 1980).
He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1991.
4. John Elway
Statistical Analysis: 4,123/7,250 (56.9%) 51,475 Yds, 300 TD, 226 INT
Yes, I know that he abandoned the Colts and demanded a trade, and in doing so left the Colts in turmoil.
However, he was still a first overall draft pick no matter the team he played for, and with that reasoning I had to include him in the list.
John Elway was the leader of the Denver Broncos in the 1980s and '90s.
Elway was a very clutch quarterback. He led the Broncos to 47 fourth quarter comeback victories.
He led the league in passing yards in 1993.
He was selected to the Pro Bowl nine times (1986, 1987, 1989, 1991, 1993, 1994, 1996, 1997, 1998).
He was voted the 1987 NFL MVP.
He led the Broncos to victories in Super Bowl XXXII and XXXIII.
He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2004.
3. Chuck Bednarik
Statistical Analysis: 20 INT, 268 Yds, 1 TD
There aren't a lot of stats that are recorded regarding Chuck Bednarik, but the guy was one of the greatest football players to ever put on pads.
He was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in the 1949 NFL Draft. The guy didn’t disappoint.
He was the last “60-Minute Man.” He played both as a linebacker on defense and as a center on offense.
Bednarik was one of the toughest men to ever play football. In 14 NFL seasons Bednarik only missed three games.
Bednarik was made famous by one of the biggest hits in NFL history. In a game against he New York Giants, he hit Frank Gifford so hard he ended Gifford’s season.
In the 1960 NFL Championship game against the Green Bay Packers, Bednarik had the best game of his career.
During the game he knocked Paul Hornung, who is ranked seventh on this list, out of the game. After playing both sides of the ball the whole game, he made the most crucial play in the game when he stopped Jim Taylor at the eight-yard line as time ran out, giving the Eagles the NFL Championship victory.
Bednarik was voted to the Pro Bowl eight times (1950-1956, 1960).
He was voted First Team All-Pro five times (1950-1954).
He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1967.
2. Bruce Smith
Statistical Analysis: 200 Sacks, 2 INT, 43 FF
Bruce Smith is perhaps the greatest defensive player in our generation (1980-present).
The guy was a monster. You couldn't block him one on one no matter who you were.
When you hear his name, the first thing you think about is the NFL’s all-time sack leader.
The guy dominated the league almost every year that he played.
Bruce Smith was selected to 11 Pro Bowls (1987-1990, 1992-1998).
He was selected First Team All-Pro eight times (1987, 1988, 1990, 1993-1997).
He was named Defensive Player of the Year twice, in 1990 and 1996.
He is going to be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame this year.
Statistical Analysis: 3,839/5,960 (64.4%), 45,628 Yds, 333 TD, 165 INT
As much as I dislike the guy, I have to give credit where credit is due
To this day, Peyton Manning is the greatest first overall pick of all time.
No other player on this list matches the statistical performance, the way he turned the franchise around, and his impact on the National Football league.
Manning destroys the competition with his statistical performance, and his Super Bowl victory destroys all questions that he couldn’t win the big one.
When he retires, Manning will probably be the best statistical quarterback the NFL has ever witnessed.
Manning has been to nine Pro Bowls (1999, 2000, 2002-2008).
Manning has been voted First Team All-Pro four times (2003-2005, 2008).
Manning has won three NFL MVP awards.
He has led the league in passing yards twice (2000, 2003).
He has led the league in passing touchdowns three times (2000, 2004, 2006).
He has led the league in passer rating three times (2004-2006).
Plus he is a certain first ballot Hall of Famer.
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