Quarterback is the most important position on the football field, but finding the right one in the NFL Draft is an inexact science. Here's the last quarterback drafted in the first round by all 32 teams.
Joe Nicholson / USA Today Sports Images
Just one year after selecting Josh Rosen in the first round, Arizona went back to the well and drafted Oklahoma Heisman Trophy winner Kyler Murray first overall. Murray had some hiccups in his rookie season but was able to throw for more than 3,700 yards and rush for 544 yards.
Brett Davis / USA Today Sports Images
Ryan was the third-overall pick in the 2008 draft and made a huge impact early on for the Falcons. He's had a strong career, over 11 seasons so far, making four Pro Bowls, winning the 2016 MVP and nearly leading the Falcons to a Super Bowl victory. Ryan currently has a streak of nine straight seasons with at least 4,000 passing yards.
Kirby Lee / USA Today Sports Images
Baltimore traded up to take Jackson 32nd overall in the 2018 draft, and the former Heisman Trophy winner at Louisville helped lead his team to the playoffs in his first season after going 6-1 in seven regular-season starts. His first full season as a starter, in 2019, was historic, as Jackson won the NFL MVP, throwing 36 touchdowns and running for more than 1,200 yards.
Rich Barnes / USA Today Sports Images
Buffalo selected Allen seventh overall out of Wyoming in 2018. His performance has been up and down through two seasons, but he did lead the Bills to the playoffs in 2019 with a 10-6 record.
Stephen Lew / USA Today Sports Images
The 2010 Heisman Trophy winner at Auburn, Newton went first overall to the Panthers the following year. He made the Pro Bowl in his rookie season but has had ups and downs since then. Over his eight seasons, Newton has made three Pro Bowls and won the 2015 MVP, but he fell short in Super Bowl 50 to the Broncos.
Bill Streicher / USA Today Sports Images
Trubisky was the first quarterback taken in the 2017 draft, going second overall to the Bears. The pick has consistently been panned, with the Bears bypassing Patrick Mahomes and Deshaun Watson to take Trubisky. He led the Bears to the playoffs in his second season but struggled in his third year.
Ezra Shaw / Getty Images
The first-overall pick in the 2003 draft out of USC, Palmer played a huge role in breaking the Bengals out of a long spell of losing. He sat on the bench until his second season and had one of his best years in 2005, throwing for a league-high 32 touchdowns as the Bengals went 11-5. Palmer had a falling out with the organization after the 2010 season and spent his final seven years in Oakland and Arizona. He retired after the 2017 season with more than 46,000 passing yards and 294 touchdown passes in his career.
Isaiah J. Downing / USA Today Sports Images
A Heisman Trophy winner at Oklahoma, Mayfield went first overall in the 2018 draft. After flashing well in his rookie season, Mayfield thew 21 interceptions and went 6-10 as the team's starter in 2019.
Bettman / USA Today Sports Images
Head coach Jimmy Johnson made Aikman his first draft choice when he took over the Cowboys in 1989, and the pair helped turn Dallas into a winner again. Aikman made six straight Pro Bowls from 1991-96 and won three Super Bowls with the Cowboys. He retired after 12 seasons and was later enshrined in Canton with nearly 33,000 yards passing and 165 touchdowns.
Neville E. Guard / USA Today Sports Images
The Broncos opted to take Lynch with the 26th overall pick in the 2016 draft after Peyton Manning retired and Brock Osweiler walked in free agency. After only four starts in two seasons, the Broncos released him.
David Kohl / USA Today Sports Images
Stafford had some injuries early in his career after going first overall in 2009 out of Georgia, but he's turned into one of the league's top quarterbacks. He threw for at least 4,200 yards in seven straight seasons and has 256 touchdowns during his 11-year career.
Matthew Emmons / USA Today Sports Images
Rodgers watched helplessly as he fell down the first round of the 2005 draft, eventually going 24th overall to the Packers. He soon replaced Brett Favre and has been an elite quarterback for most of his career. The Cal alumnus won two MVPs and one Super Bowl while producing a staggering 364/84 TD/INT. He's easily had a Hall of Fame career and is arguably the best quarterback of his generation.
Troy Taormina / USA Today Sports Images
Watson went 12th overall to the Texans in 2017 after winning the national championship at Clemson. The mobile quarterback worked his way into the lineup early in his rookie season after Tom Savage was injured, and he threw for 1,699 yards and 19 touchdowns in only seven games before tearing his ACL in practice. Watson successfully rebounded to make consecutive Pro Bowls following the injury.
Brian Spurlock / USA Today Sports Images
Luck went first overall to Indianapolis in 2012, effectively replacing the legendary Peyton Manning. He made the Pro Bowl in each of his first three seasons, as the Colts went 11-5 in all three years but then struggled to stay on the field. Luck did rebound in 2018 after missing all of 2017 to a shoulder injury but in the 2019 preseason, he shockingly retired after another injury.
Mark J. Rebilas / USA Today Sports Images
The third-overall pick in the 2014 draft out of UCF, Bortles helped the Jags to a 10-6 regular season in 2017 but regressed to 3-9 as a starter during his final year with the team in 2018. He finished his Jaguars career completing less than 60 percent of his passes in total.
Mark J. Rebilas / USA Today Sports Images
The Chiefs traded up to take Mahomes 10th overall in 2017, and he's well been worth the gamble. Mahomes won NFL MVP in his first full season as a starter in 2018 and led the franchise to its second Super Bowl title in his second year as a starter.
Chris Trotman / Getty Images
Manning was taken first overall by the Chargers in 2004 but was promptly traded to the Giants for Philip Rivers due to his refusal to play in San Diego. The move has worked out for both teams. Manning has won two Super Bowls for the Giants and made four Pro Bowls during his career, throwing for more than 57,000 yards over 16 seasons.
Jerry Lai / USA Today Sports Images
Taken first overall by the Rams in 2016 out of Cal, Goff looked lost in his rookie season. He went 0-7 as a starter, but he's been a different player since the Rams hired Sean McVay in 2017. Goff made two Pro Bowls and has quarterbacked three straight winning seasons.
Jasen Vinlove / USA Today Sports Images
A wide receiver for part of his time at Texas A&M, Tannehill went eighth overall to the Dolphins in 2012. He started every game of his first four seasons but struggled with injuries over his last three years. Tannehill was able to get on track in 2019 after signing with the Titans.
Adam Hunger / USA Today Sports Images
The 32nd-overall pick in the 2014 draft out of Louisville, Bridgewater started 12 games in his rookie season and all 16 games of his sophomore campaign. A freak and severe knee injury suffered before the 2016 season sidelined him for more than a year. He served as Drew Brees' backup in New Orleans but recently signed with the Panthers.
Focus on Sport / Getty Images
Bledsoe went first overall to the Patriots in 1993 and had a solid career with the team before the legend that is Tom Brady replaced him. The Washington State alumnus started 123 games over nine seasons in New England, throwing for nearly 30,000 yards with the Pats. After being replaced by Brady, Bledsoe played for the Bills and Cowboys. He made four Pro Bowls during his career.
Focus on Sport / Getty Images
The best quarterback in the history of the Saints until Drew Brees arrived, Manning was drafted second overall out of Ole Miss in 1971. He went 35-91-3 as a starter over 11 seasons for some terrible Saints teams, but Manning also made two Pro Bowls during his career. These days he's more widely known as the father of Peyton and Eli.
Brad Penner / USA Today Sports Images
Despite having Eli Manning on the roster, the Giants selected Jones with the the sixth-overall pick in the 2019 draft. The Duke alum showed flashes in his rookie season with 24 touchdowns in 13 games, but the Giants went only 3-9 during his starts.
Vincent Carchietta / USA Today Sports Images
The Jets traded up to third overall to take Darnold in 2018 and saw promising first-year results. The former USC Trojan has been inconsistent in his first two seasons, going 11-15 and completing less than 60 percent of his passes as a starter.
Nick Laham / Getty Images
Russell parlayed a great 2007 Sugar Bowl performance into going first overall to the Raiders that same year. The LSU alumnus featured an incredible arm, but he never could put it together in the NFL. He went 7-18 in 25 career starts for the Raiders, lasting only three seasons in the league.
Kamil Krzaczynski / USA Today Sports Images
Wentz was taken second overall by the Eagles in 2016 and was the front-runner to win NFL MVP in his second year until suffering a knee injury late in the 2017 season. He was replaced as the starter by Nick Foles, and the Eagles went on to win a Super Bowl. Wentz rebounded from more injury issues in 2018 to throw for more than 4,000 yards in 2019.
Winslow Townson / USA Today Sports Images
Big Ben has had a Hall of Fame career in Pittsburgh with two Super Bowl victories and six Pro Bowls during his 15-year career. The Miami of Ohio alumnus went 11th overall to the Steelers in 2004, finally giving head coach Bill Cowher the talented quarterback he long desired. Roethlisberger went 13-0 as a starter during his rookie season and won the Super Bowl in his second season. He's thrown for more than 56,000 yards and 363 touchdowns.
28 of 32
San Francisco 49ers: Alex Smith
Chris Trotman / Getty Images
Smith was the first overall pick in the 2005 draft after playing for Urban Meyer at Utah. He was oft-injured early in his career but eventually found success in San Francisco under head coach Jim Harbaugh. After Colin Kaepernick replaced Smith as the starter in 2012, he was traded to Kansas City and went 50-26 over five seasons. Smith was traded to Washington in 2018, but his football future is in doubt following a severe leg injury.
George Rose / Getty Images
A hyped quarterback out of Notre Dame, Mirer went second overall to the Seahawks in 1993. He was just 20-31 as a starter over four seasons in Seattle and also played for the Bears, Jets, 49ers and Raiders during his career.
Reinhold Matay / USA Today Sports Images
Winston won the Heisman Trophy and helped lead Florida State to a national championship, but the jury is still out on him in the NFL. The first overall pick in 2015, he's just 28-42 as a starter. He did lead the NFL with 5,109 yards passing in 2019 but also threw 30 interceptions.
Jim Brown / USA Today Sports Images
Mariota went second overall in 2015 out of Oregon after winning the Heisman Trophy. After four inconsistent seasons, he was finally benched in 2019 by the Titans. He recently signed with the Raiders.
32 of 32
Washington Redskins: Dwayne Haskins
Geoff Burke / USA Today Sports Images
Desperate for a spark following Alex Smith's injury, the Redskins selected Haskins 15th overall in the 2019 draft. He went 2-5 as a starter in his rookie season for a bad Washington squad.