Revisiting every QB who went first overall in the NFL Draft since 1970

It seems like a pretty good bet that the first player selected in the 2024 NFL Draft will be a quarterback. With this in mind, we’ll take a look back at every signal-caller picked at the top of the draft since 1970. All statistics are sourced from Football Reference.

The Carolina Panthers took Bryce Young first overall in the 2023 NFL Draft, and the narrative that they made a huge mistake has already written itself. C.J. Stroud (who went second overall) had a far better season en route to winning Offensive Rookie of The Year. However, there's still time for Young to find his footing in the NFL.

Throughout his college career at Clemson University, NFL scouts fawned over quarterback Trevor Lawrence. He had the arm talent to make all the throws, and the athleticism to pick up first downs on the ground. Lawrence may be starting to deliver on that potential, having led the Jacksonville Jaguars to a historic comeback in the 2022 NFL playoffs.

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So far in his four-year NFL career, Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow has made the AFC championship game twice, and the Super Bowl once. He seems to embrace big moments, and does not flinch when a play has to be made when the game is on the line. Burrow’s cool and collected nature makes him a favorite in the locker room, according to NBC Sports.

It’s pretty amazing to think that Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray could have been a star in either professional baseball or professional football. He ultimately chose the latter, and is hoping that his talent can revive the Cardinals franchise. It appears as if the Cardinals will stick by Murray as their starter for a while longer, as confirmed by Sports Illustrated.

With a bevy of options at the top of the draft board, the Cleveland Browns elected to take Baker Mayfield first in the 2018 NFL Draft. He had some impressive moments, especially after the team hired Kevin Stefanski as head coach. After bouncing around the NFL, Mayfield has found a new home with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

It seemed like Jared Goff was going to crash and burn in the NFL, until he linked up with offensive guru Sean McVay. The latter put Goff in tremendous positions to succeed, and the Los Angeles Rams made a Super Bowl appearance in 2018. He would fall out of favor in Los Angeles, but has been impressive as the leader of the Detroit Lions offensive attack.

Jameis Winston will likely forever be known as a quarterback who kept everyone in the field involved. Fortunately and unfortunately, that includes his own teammates, and opposing defensive backs. Winston has effectively moved offenses down the field, but will be remembered for his 33 touchdown, 30 interception season with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2019.

When it became clear that Andrew Luck was going to be at the very top of the 2012 NFL Draft, narratives began around the league that teams would try to lose on purpose to select him. Luck would throw 171 touchdowns and 83 interceptions in six NFL seasons, before shockingly calling it a career ahead of the 2019 campaign.

The Carolina Panthers are hoping that the number one pick in the 2023 NFL Draft serves them as well as the first selection in 2011 did. They took Cam Newton that year, and his rare ability of size and strength made him a unique weapon for a long time. He would win the 2015 NFL MVP award, as he sliced and diced defenses with his arm and his legs.

Back when they were still in St. Louis, the Rams felt like they had an answer under center that would remind fans of their Greatest Show On Turf days in the early 2000s. Sam Bradford was taken first in the 2010 draft, but experienced one setback after another. Most NFL evaluators believed in his talent, but he had a tough time staying healthy.

For a very long time, it seemed like Matthew Stafford was going to be a quarterback who would compile some impressive career numbers, but never plays in big games. He spent 12 seasons with the Detroit Lions, totaling a career record of 74-90. He was traded to the Los Angeles Rams in 2021, and won a Super Bowl ring in his first year with the team.

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Unfortunately, the Oakland Raiders have the distinction of selecting the quarterback who flopped the most relative to the expectations of the first overall pick. JaMarcus Russell only played in the NFL for three years, finishing with a depressing career passing line for 18 touchdowns and 23 interceptions. It could not have gone much worse for the former LSU star.

Alex Smith was an afterthought in the league for a long time, as he many believed he was incorrectly picked first overall in the 2005 Draft. That narrative might still hold some weight, but Smith deserves a ton of credit for fighting through adversity. After linking up with Jim Harbaugh in San Francisco and Andy Reid in Kansas City, Smith had some very solid seasons.

Most people forget that Eli Manning was actually selected by the San Diego Chargers in the 2004 draft, but he never wanted to play there. He was immediately traded to the New York Giants, where he was front and center for some of the biggest moments in NFL history. He won two Super Bowls with New York, defeating the mighty New England Patriots on each of those occasions.

After a stellar career at USC, it felt like Carson Palmer was destined to become the NFL’s next great quarterback. He threw the ball all over the field as a young player with the Cincinnati Bengals, but tore his ACL in 2005. He never did quite regain his form, but had an eye-opening season at age 36 with the Arizona Cardinals in 2015, as highlighted by the New York Times.

For as long as he shall live, David Carr will be known for two things; being the brother of Derek Carr, and being selected as the first pick in Houston Texans franchise history. Unfortunately, the elder Carr was never able to find his footing in the NFL. Much of that was probably not his fault, as he was sacked over and over again on an expansion Houston team.

Every time it seemed like Michael Vick was on the precipice of being thrown down, he would go from zero to sixty in an instant. He wasn’t just one of the fastest quarterbacks in the league; he was one of the fastest players, period. Pro Football Network highlighted his combine stats to this end.

The NFL was in a strange position in the late 1990s, having relocated the Cleveland Browns to Baltimore. However, that market clamored for another chance, which the league granted. In their revived state, the franchise drafted Tim Couch to usher in a new era of Browns football. It never got off the ground, as Couch played five seasons with the Browns before his departure from the league.

In the 1998 NFL Draft, the Indianapolis Colts knew that they were either going to take Ryan Leaf or Peyton Manning. Fortunately for them, they took the latter, who became one of the greatest quarterbacks in NFL history. In addition to his physical talent, Manning also seemed to be the smartest player on the field.

Drew Bledsoe will forever be known as the player that opened the door for Tom Brady thanks to the injury he suffered against the New York Jets in 2001. What most people forget is that Bledsoe was actually a pretty good quarterback before that point, and led the New England Patriots to a Super Bowl appearance in 1996.

It’s not an exaggeration to say that Jeff George had one of the strongest throwing arms in league history, as Bleacher Report suggests. He could fire the football through any tight window. However, consistency and camaraderie in the locker room was something George struggled with, which plagued him throughout his NFL career.

It’s easy to look back at NFL history and think that the Dallas Cowboys had it easy in the 1990s. They did face some adversity in the late 1980s, as legendary coach Tom Landry retired, and the team had to rebuild. Head coach Jimmy Johnson took Troy Aikman at the top of the 1989 draft, and the pair would end up winning two Super Bowls together. Aikman would win three titles in his career.

The University of Miami football team was a force to be reckoned with in the 1980s, and Vinny Testaverde was their quarterback. He didn’t exactly light it up as an NFL player, but had some consistent years later in his career as a veteran with the New York Jets. Testaverde hung around the NFL until he was 44 years old.

John Elway was a prime example of a great player who would win a bunch of games but had trouble getting over the hump. He lost a lot of high-profile games throughout his career with the Denver Broncos, but ended his career in style. His final two NFL seasons were punctuated with back-to-back Super Bowl victories.

Many will say that Matt Ryan or Michael Vick is the greatest quarterback to ever wear an Atlanta Falcons uniform, and that would be accurate. However, this generation may not remember that Steve Bartkowski spent 11 years as a Falcon. He wasn’t spectacular by any means, but stabilized the position in the early days of the franchise.

Jim Plunkett was selected first overall by the New England Patriots in 1971. He was a mediocre player at best there, and things did not get much better for him with the San Francisco 49ers. However, he revitalized his career after joining the Raiders franchise in 1979, where he won two Super Bowls, and a Super Bowl MVP.

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Everyone knows Terry Bradshaw today as the lively commentator on FOX Sports’ coverage of the NFL. Before that, he was a Hall Of Fame quarterback with the Pittsburgh Steelers. Bradshaw won four Super Bowls with the organization, including two Super Bowl MVP’s. He was also the league MVP in the 1978 season.