Power Ranking the Schools with the Most No. 1 Draft Picks

Over the years, there have been 76 players taken first in the NFL draft, with 10 schools producing more than one of those players.

The draft has come a long way since its inception in 1936. What began with 90 college football seniors and a chalkboard at the Ritz-Carlton in Philadelphia is now one of the most followed non-competitive sporting events in the country. 

Since 1936, these 10 programs have consistently produced top talent, and the NFL has taken notice. This is the power ranking for the most productive college programs in the history of the NFL draft. 

No. 10: Tennessee

No. 1 Picks: George Cafego (1940); Peyton Manning (1998)

The Volunteers have produced two No. 1 picks.

The first was Cafego, a halfback taken by the Chicago Cardinals. He played in the league for four seasons.

Then came Manning, who was picked by the Indianapolis Colts. Considered one of the best minds ever to play quarterback in the NFL, he is entering his 15th year in the league.

No. 9: Oklahoma

No. 1 Picks: Lee Roy Selmon (1976); Billy Sims (1980); Sam Bradford (2010)

Selmon was a dominating defensive lineman who began his career with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He played nine seasons in the pros and is a member of the NFL Hall of Fame

Sims was drafted as a running back by the Detroit Lions. He played five seasons and was a three-time Pro Bowl selection.

Bradford was selected by the St. Louis Rams and is entering his third season in the NFL. 

No. 8: Texas

No. 1 Picks: Tommy Nobis (1966); Earl Campbell (1978); Kenneth Sims (1982)

Nobis, a linebacker, was selected by the Atlanta Falcons. He played for 11 years and was a five-time Pro Bowl selection.

 Campbell, one of the best running backs in history, was selected by the Houston Oilers and played eight years.

Sims, a defensive end, was selected by the New England Patriots and played eight years in the NFL. 

No. 7: Ohio State

No. 1 Picks: Tom Cousineau (1979); Dan Wilkinson (1994); Orlando Pace (1997)

Cousineau, a linebacker, was selected by the Buffalo Bills. His career lasted six seasons.

Wilkinson, a defensive tackle, was selected by the Cincinnati Bengals and had a lengthy 13-year career in the NFL.

Pace, an offensive tackle, was selected by the St. Louis Rams and spent the majority of his career there. By the end of his 12-year career, Pace was a seven-time Pro Bowler. 

No. 6: Virginia Tech

No. 1 Picks: Bruce Smith (1985); Michael Vick (2001)

The Virginia Tech Hokies have put together a very impressive run under Frank Beamer over the past two decades. In that time, the Hokies helped to change the way the quarterback position is played.

In 2000, a young quarterback named Mike Vick took over college football and showed the nation that a dual-threat quarterback was the future.

Vick has had a lackluster career in the NFL, but his No. 1 draft status was all due to his unbelievable play at the college level.

Smith, a defensive end, was the Hokies' first No. 1 pick. Selected by the Buffalo Bills, he spent 18 years in the pros and was named to the Pro Bowl 11 times.

No. 5: Auburn

No. 1 Picks: Ken Rice (1961, AFL); Tucker Frederickson (1965); Bo Jackson (1986); Aundray Bruce (1988); Cam Newton (2011)

The Auburn Tigers have been a nationally renowned program since the early 1900s. In 1961, the national brand hit a new level with the selection of Rice at No. 1 by the Buffalo Bills of the AFL.

Frederickson was the second Auburn player taken as the first pick in the draft. He played six years for the Giants and made one Pro Bowl team.

Jackson, who won the Heisman Trophy as a running back, was selected by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, but refused to sign.  Bruce, a linebacker, was selected by the Atlanta Falcons and spent 11 years in the pros.

Newton, a Heisman Trophy winner as a quarterback, helped Auburn win the national title and was selected by the Carolina Panthers.

No. 4: Stanford

No. 1 Picks: Bobby Garrett (1954); Jim Plunkett (1971); John Elway (1983); Andrew Luck (2012)

The Stanford Cardinal have a history of excellent quarterback play with all four No. 1 picks playing the position.

Garrett started the trend when he was selected by the Cleveland Browns, but he only played one season in the pros.

Plunkett was selected by the New England Patriots and had a successful 15-year career.

Hall of Famer Elway, who was drafted by the Baltimore Colts but traded to the Denver Broncos, played 16 seasons, 10 of which were Pro Bowl years.

Luck was selected by the Indianapolis Colts, and after one season in the NFL, it's clear he has a bright future. He is the next in the line of quarterback excellence coming out of Palo Alto. 

No. 3: Georgia

No. 1 Picks: Frank Sinkwich (1943); Charlie Trippi (1945); Harry Babcock (1953), Matthew Stafford (2009)

The Georgia Bulldogs are among the elite of the SEC. Year after year, they produce top-level talent, and over the years they have put together an impressive run of No. 1 picks.

The first was halfback Sinkwich, who was selected by the Detroit Lions and lasted four years in the league.

Trippi was selected as a running back by the Chicago Cardinals and lasted nine seasons in the pros. He is in the NFL Hall of Fame.

Babcock, an end, was selected by the San Francisco 49ers and played three seasons, making the Pro Bowl in each.

Stafford, a quarterback, was selected by the Detroit Lions and has been solid in his three years in the league.

No. 2: Notre Dame

No. 1 Picks: Angelo Bertelli (1944); Frank Dancewicz (1946); Leon Hart (1950); Paul Hornung (1957); Walt Patulski (1972)

The Notre Dame Fighting Irish are tied with USC for the most No. 1 selections in draft history.

Bertelli, a quarterback, was the first player taken for the Irish at No. 1. He was drafted by the Boston Yanks and spent three seasons in the league.

Dancewicz, a quarterback, was also selected by the Boston Yanks. But he only spent three years in the league..

Hart, an end, was selected by the Detroit Lions. He was the first Irish player to sustain a successful career in the NFL, finishing eight seasons with one Pro Bowl selection.

Hornung, a halfback, was selected by the Packers. He earned two-time Pro Bowl selection in nine seasons in the league and is a member of the NFL Hall of Fame.

Patulski, a defensive tackle, was selected by the Buffalo Bills. His career was cut short after five seasons by a career-ending knee injury. 

No. 1: USC

No. 1 Picks: Ron Yary (1968); O.J. Simpson (1969); Ricky Bell (1977); Keyshawn Johnson (1996); Carson Palmer (2003)

The USC Trojans know how to win football games. The program is one of the most talent-laden in the country every year, and the five No. 1 selections over the years proves it.

Yary, an offensive tackle, was selected by the Minnesota Vikings. He spent 15 years in the pros, earned seven Pro Bowl selections and earned induction in the NFL Hall of Fame.

Simpson, a running back, was selected by the Buffalo Bills and put together an 11-year, Hall of Fame career.

Bell, a running back, was selected by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and played six years in the pros.

Johnson, a wide receiver, was drafted by the New York Jets. He was one of the best at his position in his time in the league, and he always makes for good television now on Sundays as an NFL analyst for ESPN.

Palmer, a quarterback, was selected by the Cincinnati Bengals and is still in the league, having been traded from the Bengals to Oakland and now Arizona.

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