Since the first National Football League Draft was held in 1936, Texas high school football has had the most overall No. 1 draft picks. Beginning with center Ki Aldrich of Temple High School being taken No. 1 in the 1939 NFL Draft, sixteen former Lone Star State high school football players have been the overall top pick.
In recent times, between 2017 and 2019, three former Texas high schoolers were picked No. 1 in consecutive years.
Arlington Martin High School defensive end Myles Garrett was the top overall pick by the Cleveland Browns in 2017. The following year, the Browns chose quarterback Baker Mayfield of Lake Travis. In 2019, the Arizona Cardinals picked former High School Football America Player of the Year Kyler Murray of Allen High as the No. 1 overall selection.
Falling-in behind Texas is California with 12 overall No. 1’s, followed by Alabama with seven and Ohio with six. Louisiana has had five No. 1’s.
There have been two high schools with two No. 1 picks.
San Antonio’s Thomas Jefferson High has two No. 1’s — Tommy Nobis in 1965 and Kyle Rote in 1951.
Isidore Newman in Louisiana also had two top picks. Both have the last name Manning. Peyton was selected No. 1 by the Indianapolis Colts in 1998. Brother Eli was taken first overall in 2004 by the New York Giants.
Peyton Manning is one of 15 former No. 1 picks to be enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio.
NFL Draft Overall No. 1 Draft Picks
| Year | Player | Position | High School | NFL Team |
| 2021 | Trevor Lawrence | QB | Cartersville (Georgia) | Jacksonville Jaguars |
| 2020 | Joe Burrow | QB | Athens (Ohio) | Cincinnati Bengals |
| 2019 | Kyler Murray | QB | Allen (TX) | Arizona Cardinals |
| 2018 | Baker Mayfield | QB | Lake Travis (TX) | Cleveland Browns |
| 2017 | Myles Garrett | DE | Arlington Martin (TX) | Cleveland Browns |
| 2016 | Jared Goff | QB | Marin Catholic (CA) | Los Angeles Rams |
| 2015 | Jameis Winston | QB | Hueytown (AL) | Tampa Bay Buccaneers |
| 2014 | Jadeveon Clowney | DE | South Pointe (SC) | Houston Texans |
| 2013 | Eric Fisher | OT | Stoney Creek (MI) | Kansas City Chiefs |
| 2012 | Andrew Luck | QB | Stratford (TX) | Indianapolis Colts |
| 2011 | Cam Newton | QB | Westlake (GA) | Carolina Panthers |
| 2010 | Sam Bradford | QB | Putnam City North (OK) | St. Louis Rams |
| 2009 | Matthew Stafford | QB | Highland Park (TX) | Detroit Lions |
| 2008 | Jake Long | OT | Lapeer East (MI) | Miami Dolphins |
| 2007 | JaMarcus Russell | QB | Williamson (AL) | Oakland Raiders |
| 2006 | Mario Williams | DE | Richlands (NC) | Houston Texans |
| 2005 | Alex Smith | QB | Helix (CA) | San Francisco 49ers |
| 2004 | Eli Manning | QB | Isidore Newman (LA) | San Diego Chargers |
| 2003 | Carson Palmer | QB | Santa Margarita (CA) | Cincinnati Bengals |
| 2002 | David Carr | QB | Clements (TX) | Houston Texans |
| 2001 | Michael Vick | QB | Ferguson (VA) | Atlanta Falcons |
| 2000 | Courtney Brown | DE | Macdeonia (SC) | Cleveland Browns |
| 1999 | Tim Couch | QB | Leslie County (KY) | Cleveland Browns |
| 1998 | *Peyton Manning | QB | Isidore Newman (LA) | Indianapolis Colts |
| 1997 | *Orlando Pace | OT | Sandusky (OH) | St. Louis Rams |
| 1996 | Keyshawn Johnson | WR | Dorsey (CA) | New York Jets |
| 1995 | Ki-Jana Carter | RB | Westerville South (OH) | Cincinnati Bengals |
| 1994 | Dan Wilkinson | DT | Dunbar (OH) | Cincinnati Bengals |
| 1993 | Drew Bledsoe | QB | Walla Walla (WA) | New England Patriots |
| 1992 | Steve Emtman | DT | Cheney (WA) | Indianapolis Colts |
| 1991 | Russell Maryland | DT | Whitney Young (IL) | Dallas Cowboys |
| 1990 | Jeff George | QB | Warren Central (IN) | Indianapolis Colts |
| 1989 | *Troy Aikman | QB | Henryetta (OK) | Dallas Cowboys |
| 1988 | Aundray Bruce | LB | Carver (Montgomery, AL) | Atlanta Falcons |
| 1987 | Vinny Testaverde | QB | Sewankaka (NY) | Tampa Bay Buccaneers |
| 1986 | Bo Jackson | RB | McAdory (AL) | Tampa Bay Buccaneers |
| 1985 | *Bruce Smith | DE | Booker T. Washington (VA) | Buffalo Bills |
| 1984 | Irving Fryar | WR | Rancocas Valley (NJ) | New England Patriots |
| 1983 | *John Elway | QB | Granada Hills (CA) | Baltimore Colts |
| 1982 | Kenneth Sims | DT | Groesbeck (TX) | New England Patriots |
| 1981 | George Rogers | RB | Duluth (GA) | New Orleans Saints |
| 1980 | Bill Sims | RB | Hooks (TX) | Detroit Lions |
| 1979 | Tom Cousineau | LB | St. Edward (OH) | Buffalo Bills |
| 1978 | *Earl Campbell | RB | John Tyler (TX) | Houston Oilers |
| 1977 | Ricky Bell | RB | Fremont (CA) | Tampa Bay Buccaneers |
| 1976 | *Lee Roy Selmon | DE | Eufaula (OK) | Tampa Bay Buccaneers |
| 1975 | Steve Bartkowski | QB | Buchser (CA) | Atlanta Falcons |
| 1974 | Ed ‘Too Tall’ Jones | DE | Jackson Central Merry (TN) | Dallas Cowboys |
| 1973 | John Matuszak | DE | Oak Creek (WI) | Houston Oilers |
| 1972 | Walt Patulski | DT | Christian Brothers Academy (NY) | Buffalo Bills |
| 1971 | Jim Plunkett | QB | James Lick (CA) | New England Patriots |
| 1970 | *Terry Bradshaw | QB | Woodlawn (LA) | Pittsburgh Steelers |
| 1969 | *O.J. Simpson | RB | Galileo (CA) | Buffalo Bills |
| 1968 | *Ron Yary | OT | Bellflower (CA) | Minnesota Vikings |
| 1967 | Bubba Smith | DE | Charlton-Pollard (TX) | Baltimore Colts |
| 1966 | Jim Grabowski | RB | Taft (IL) | Miami Dolphins (AFL) |
| 1966 | Tommy Nobis | LB | Thomas Jefferson (San Antonio, TX) | Atlanta Falcons (NFL) |
| 1965 | Lawrence Elkins | WR | Brownwood (TX) | Houston Oilers (AFL) |
| 1965 | Tucker Frederickson | RB | South Broward (FL) | New York Giants (NFL) |
| 1964 | Jack Concannon | QB | Matignon (MA) | Boston Patriots (AFL) |
| 1964 | Dave Parks | WR | Abilene (TX) | San Francisco 49ers (NFL) |
| 1963 | *Buck Buchanan | DT | Parker (Birmingham, AL) | Kansas City Chiefs (AFL) |
| 1963 | Terry Baker | QB | Jefferson (OR) | Los Angeles Rams (NFL) |
| 1962 | Roman Gabriel | QB | New Hanover (NC) | Oakland Raiders (AFL) |
| 1962 | Ernie Davis | RB | Elmire Free Academy (NY) | Washington Redskins (NFL) |
| 1961 | Ken Rice | G | Bainbridge (GA) | Buffalo Bills (AFL) |
| 1961 | Tommy Mason | RB | Lake Charles (LA) | Minnesota Vikings (NFL) |
| 1960 | Billy Cannon | RB | Istrouma (LA) | Los Angeles Rams |
| 1959 | Randy Duncan | QB | Roosevelt (Des Moines, IA) | Green Bay Packers |
| 1958 | King Hill | QB | Brazosport (TX) | Chicago Cardinals |
| 1957 | *Paul Hornung | HB | Flaget (Louisville, KY) | Green Bay Packers |
| 1956 | Gary Glick | DB | Cache La Poudre (CO) | Pittsburgh Steelers |
| 1955 | George Shaw | QB | Denton (TX) | Baltimore Colts |
| 1954 | Bobby Garrett | QB | South Pasadena (CA) | Cleveland Browns |
| 1953 | Harry Babcock | E | Pearl River (NY) | San Francisco 49ers |
| 1952 | Bill Wade | QB | Montgomery Bell Academy (TN) | Los Angeles Rams |
| 1951 | Kyle Rote | HB | Thomas Jefferson (San Antonio, TX) | New York Giants |
| 1950 | Leon Hart | E | Turtle Creek (PA) | Detroit Lions |
| 1949 | *Chuck Bednarik | C/LB | Bethlehem Liberty (PA) | Philadelphia Eagles |
| 1948 | Harry Gilmer | QB | Woodlawn (AL) | Washington Redskins |
| 1947 | Bob Fenimore | HB | Woodward (OK) | Chicago Bears |
| 1946 | Frank Dancewicz | QB | Lynn Classical (MA) | Boston Yanks |
| 1945 | *Charley Trippi | HB | Pittston (PA) | Chicago Cardinals |
| 1944 | Angelo Bertelli | QB | Springfield Catholic (MA) | Boston Yanks |
| 1943 | Frank Sinkwich | HB | Chaney (Youngstown, OH) | Detroit Lions |
| 1942 | *Bill Dudley | HB | Graham HS (Bluefield, VA) | Pittsburgh Steelers |
| 1941 | Tom Harmon | HB | Mann (IN) | Chicago Bears |
| 1940 | George Cafego | HB | Oak Hill (WV) | Chicago Cardinals |
| 1939 | Ki Aldrich | C | Temple (TX) | Chicago Cardinals |
| 1938 | Corbett Davis | FB | Lowell (IN) | Cleveland Rams |
| 1937 | Sam Francis | FB | Decatur County (KS) | Philadelphia Eagles |
| 1936 | Jay Berwanger | HB | Dubuque (IA) | Philadelphia Eagles |
*Inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame
State-by-State NFL Overall No. 1 Draft Picks
Texas – 16
California – 12
Alabama – 7
Ohio – 6
Louisiana – 5
Georgia, New York, Oklahoma – 4
Indiana, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Virginia – 3
Kentucky, Illinois, Iowa, Michigan, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Washington – 2
Colorado, Florida, Kansas, New Jersey, Oregon, West Virginia, Wisconsin – 1
