Losing seasons can be tough for NFL fanbases to take, however, for the worst team in the league, there is a silverlining, with the first overall draft pick theirs for the next season.
Since 1936, the worst-performing team from the previous season, or the team who trades for the selection, has earned the right to take their pick of the College Football litter at the NFL Draft.
From a series of pioneering half backs to a string of contemporary quarterbacks, here is the full list of player to have been picked with the first pick of the NFL Draft.
| Year | Player | NFL franchise | College | Position played |
| 1936 | Jay Berwanger | Philadelphia Eagles | Chicago | HB |
| 1937 | Sam Francis | Philadelphia Eagles | Nebraska | FB |
| 1938 | Corbett Davis | Cleveland Rams | Indiana | FB |
| 1939 | Ki Aldrich | Chicago Cardinals | TCU | C |
| 1940 | George Cafego | Chicago Cardinals | Tennessee | HB |
| 1941 | Tom Harmon | Chicago Bears | Michigan | HB |
| 1942 | Bill Dudley | Pittsburgh Steelers | Virginia | HB |
| 1943 | Frank Sinkwich | Detroit Lions | Georgia | HB |
| 1944 | Angelo Bertelli | Boston Yanks | Notre Dame | QB |
| 1945 | Charley Trippi | Chicago Cardinals | Georgia | HB |
| 1946 | Frank Dancewicz | Boston Yanks | Notre Dame | QB |
| 1947 | Bob Fenimore | Chicago Bears | Oklahoma A&M | HB |
| 1948 | Harry Gilmer | Washington Redskins | Alabama | HB, WR |
| 1949 | Chuck Bednarik | Philadelphia Eagles | Penn | C, LB |
| 1950 | Leon Hart | Detroit Lions | Notre Dame | E |
| 1951 | Kyle Rote | New York Giants | SMU | HB |
| 1952 | Bill Wade | Los Angeles Rams | Vanderbilt | QB |
| 1953 | Harry Babcock | San Francisco 49ers | Georgia | E |
| 1954 | Bobby Garrett | Cleveland Browns | Stanford | QB |
| 1955 | George Shaw | Baltimore Colts | Oregon | QB |
| 1956 | Gary Glick | Pittsburgh Steelers | Colorado A&M | DB |
| 1957 | Paul Hornung | Green Bay Packers | Notre Dame | HB |
| 1958 | King Hill | Chicago Cardinals | Rice | QB |
| 1959 | Randy Duncan | Green Bay Packers | Iowa | QB |
| 1960 | Billy Cannon | Los Angeles Rams | LSU | HB |
| 1961 | Tommy Mason | Minnesota Vikings | Tulane | HB |
| 1962 | Ernie Davis | Washington Redskins | Syracuse | HB |
| 1963 | Terry Baker | Los Angeles Rams | Oregon State | QB |
| 1964 | Dave Parks | San Francisco 49ers | Texas Tech | WR |
| 1965 | Tucker Frederickson | New York Giants | Auburn | HB |
| 1966 | Tommy Nobis | Atlanta Falcons | Texas | LB |
| 1967 | Bubba Smith | Baltimore Colts | Michigan State | DE |
| 1968 | Ron Yary | Minnesota Vikings | USC | T |
| 1969 | O.J. Simpson | Buffalo Bills | USC | HB |
| 1970 | Terry Bradshaw | Pittsburgh Steelers | Louisiana Tech | QB |
| 1971 | Jim Plunkett | New England Patriots | Stanford | QB |
| 1972 | Walt Patulski | Buffalo Bills | Notre Dame | DE |
| 1973 | John Matuszak | Houston Oilers | Tampa | DE |
| 1974 | Ed Jones | Dallas Cowboys | Tennessee State | DE |
| 1975 | Steve Bartkowski | Atlanta Falcons | California | QB |
| 1976 | Lee Roy Selmon | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | Oklahoma | DE |
| 1977 | Ricky Bell | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | USC | HB |
| 1978 | Earl Campbell | Houston Oilers | Texas | HB |
| 1979 | Tom Cousineau | Buffalo Bills | Ohio State | LB |
| 1980 | Billy Sims | Detroit Lions | Oklahoma | HB |
| 1981 | Geroge Rogers | New Orleans Saints | South Carolina | HB |
| 1982 | Kenneth Sims | New England Patriots | Texas | DE |
| 1983 | John Elway | Baltimore Colts | Stanford | QB |
| 1984 | Irving Fryar | New England Patriots | Nebraska | WR |
| 1985 | Bruce Smith | Buffalo Bills | Virginia Tech | DE |
| 1986 | Bo Jackson | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | Auburn | HB |
| 1987 | Vinny Testaverde | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | Miami | QB |
| 1988 | Aundray Bruce | Atlanta Falcons | Auburn | LB |
| 1989 | Troy Aikman | Dallas Cowboys | UCLA | QB |
| 1990 | Jeff George | Indianapolis Colts | Illinois | QB |
| 1991 | Russell Maryland | Dallas Cowboys | Miami | DT |
| 1992 | Steve Emtman | Indianapolis Colts | Washington | DE |
| 1993 | Drew Bledsoe | New England Patriots | Washington State | QB |
| 1994 | Dan Wilkinson | Cincinnati Bengals | Ohio State | DT |
| 1995 | Ki-Jana Carter | Cincinnati Bengals | Penn State | HB |
| 1996 | Keyshawn Johnson | New York Jets | USC | WR |
| 1997 | Orlando Pace | St. Louis Rams | Ohio State | T |
| 1998 | Peyton Manning | Indianapolis Colts | Tennessee | QB |
| 1999 | Tim Couch | Cleveland Browns | Kentucky | QB |
| 2000 | Courtney Brown | Cleveland Browns | Penn State | DE |
| 2001 | Michael Vick | Atlanta Falcons | Virginia Tech | QB |
| 2002 | David Carr | Houston Texans | Fresno State | QB |
| 2003 | Carson Palmer | Cincinnati Bengals | USC | QB |
| 2004 | Eli Manning | San Diego Chargers | Ole Miss | QB |
| 2005 | Alex Smith | San Francisco 49ers | Utah | QB |
| 2006 | Mario Williams | Houston Texans | North Carolina State | DE |
| 2007 | JaMarcus Russell | Oakland Raiders | LSU | QB |
| 2008 | Jake Long | Miami Dolphins | Michigan | T |
| 2009 | Matthew Stafford | Detroit Lions | Georgia | QB |
| 2010 | Sam Bradford | St. Louis Rams | Oklahoma | QB |
| 2011 | Cam Newton | Carolina Panthers | Auburn | QB |
| 2012 | Andrew Luck | Indianapolis Colts | Stanford | QB |
| 2013 | Eric Fisher | Kansas City Chiefs | Central Michigan | T |
| 2014 | Jadeveon Clowney | Houston Texans | South Carolina | DE |
| 2015 | Jameis Winston | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | Florida State | QB |
| 2016 | Jared Goff | Los Angeles Rams | California | QB |
| 2017 | Myles Garrett | Cleveland Browns | Texas A&M | DE |
| 2018 | Baker Mayfield | Cleveland Browns | Oklahoma | QB |
| 2019 | Kyler Murray | Arizona Cardinals | Oklahoma | QB |
| 2020 | Joe Burrow | Cincinnati Bengals | LSU | QB |
| 2021 | Trevor Lawrence | Jacksonville Jaguars | Clemson | QB |
| 2022 | Travon Walker | Jacksonville Jaguars | Georgia | DE |
| 2023 | Bryce Young | Carolina Panthers | Alabama | QB |
| 2024 | Caleb Williams | Chicago Bears | USC | QB |
