A recap of every #1 pick in NFL and AFL Draft History, along with their conference affiliations:
| Year | Draft | Player | Team | Pos | School | Conf (Then) | Conf (Now) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | NFL | Eric Fisher | KAN | T | Central Michigan | MAC | MAC |
| 2012 | NFL | Andrew Luck | IND | QB | Stanford | Pac-12 | Pac-12 |
| 2011 | NFL | Cam Newton | CAR | QB | Auburn | SEC | SEC |
| 2010 | NFL | Sam Bradford | STL | QB | Oklahoma | Big 12 | Big 12 |
| 2009 | NFL | Matthew Stafford | DET | QB | Georgia | SEC | SEC |
| 2008 | NFL | Jake Long | MIA | T | Michigan | Big Ten | Big Ten |
| 2007 | NFL | JaMarcus Russell | OAK | QB | LSU | SEC | SEC |
| 2006 | NFL | Mario Williams | HOU | DE | North Carolina St. | ACC | ACC |
| 2005 | NFL | Alex Smith | SFO | QB | Utah | MWC | Pac-12 |
| 2004 | NFL | Eli Manning | SDG | QB | Mississippi | SEC | SEC |
| 2003 | NFL | Carson Palmer | CIN | QB | USC | Pac-10 | Pac-12 |
| 2002 | NFL | David Carr | HOU | QB | Fresno St. | WAC | WAC |
| 2001 | NFL | Michael Vick | ATL | QB | Virginia Tech | Big East | ACC |
| 2000 | NFL | Courtney Brown | CLE | DE | Penn St. | Big Ten | Big Ten |
| 1999 | NFL | Tim Couch | CLE | QB | Kentucky | SEC | SEC |
| 1998 | NFL | Peyton Manning | IND | QB | Tennessee | SEC | SEC |
| 1997 | NFL | Orlando Pace | STL | T | Ohio St. | Big Ten | Big Ten |
| 1996 | NFL | Keyshawn Johnson | NYJ | WR | USC | Pac-10 | Pac-12 |
| 1995 | NFL | Ki-Jana Carter | CIN | RB | Penn St. | Big Ten | Big Ten |
| 1994 | NFL | Dan Wilkinson | CIN | DT | Ohio St. | Big Ten | Big Ten |
| 1993 | NFL | Drew Bledsoe | NWE | QB | Washington St. | Pac-10 | Pac-12 |
| 1992 | NFL | Steve Emtman | IND | DE | Washington | Pac-10 | Pac-12 |
| 1991 | NFL | Russell Maryland | DAL | DT | Miami (FL) | Independent | ACC |
| 1990 | NFL | Jeff George | IND | QB | Illinois | Big Ten | Big Ten |
| 1989 | NFL | Troy Aikman | DAL | QB | UCLA | Pac-10 | Pac-12 |
| 1988 | NFL | Aundray Bruce | ATL | LB | Auburn | SEC | SEC |
| 1987 | NFL | Vinny Testaverde | TAM | QB | Miami (FL) | Independent | ACC |
| 1986 | NFL | Bo Jackson | TAM | RB | Auburn | SEC | SEC |
| 1985 | NFL | Bruce Smith | BUF | DE | Virginia Tech | Independent | ACC |
| 1984 | NFL | Irving Fryar | NWE | WR | Nebraska | Big 8 | Big Ten |
| 1983 | NFL | John Elway | BAL | QB | Stanford | Pac-10 | Pac-12 |
| 1982 | NFL | Kenneth Sims | NWE | DE | Texas | SWC | Big 12 |
| 1981 | NFL | George Rogers | NOR | RB | South Carolina | Independent | SEC |
| 1980 | NFL | Billy Sims | DET | RB | Oklahoma | Big 8 | Big 12 |
| 1979 | NFL | Tom Cousineau | BUF | LB | Ohio St. | Big Ten | Big Ten |
| 1978 | NFL | Earl Campbell | HOU | RB | Texas | SWC | Big 12 |
| 1977 | NFL | Ricky Bell | TAM | RB | USC | Pac-8 | Pac-12 |
| 1976 | NFL | Lee Roy Selmon | TAM | DE | Oklahoma | Big 8 | Big 12 |
| 1975 | NFL | Steve Bartkowski | ATL | QB | California | Pac-8 | Pac-12 |
| 1974 | NFL | Too Tall Jones | DAL | DE | Tennessee St. | -- | -- |
| 1973 | NFL | John Matuszak | HOU | DE | Tampa | Independent | -- |
| 1972 | NFL | Walt Patulski | BUF | DE | Notre Dame | Independent | Independent |
| 1971 | NFL | Jim Plunkett | NWE | QB | Stanford | Pac-8 | Pac-12 |
| 1970 | NFL | Terry Bradshaw | PIT | QB | Louisiana Tech | -- | WAC |
| 1969 | NFL | O.J. Simpson | BUF | RB | USC | Pac-8 | Pac-12 |
| 1968 | NFL | Ron Yary | MIN | T | USC | AAWU | Pac-12 |
| 1967 | NFL | Bubba Smith | BAL | DE | Michigan St. | Big Ten | Big Ten |
| 1966 | NFL | Tommy Nobis | ATL | LB | Texas | SWC | Big 12 |
| 1966 | AFL | Jim Grabowski | MIA | RB | Illinois | Big Ten | Big Ten |
| 1965 | NFL | Tucker Frederickson | NYG | RB | Auburn | SEC | SEC |
| 1965 | AFL | Joe Namath | NYJ | QB | Alabama | SEC | SEC |
| 1964 | AFL | Jack Concannon | BOS | QB | Boston Col. | Independent | ACC |
| 1964 | NFL | Dave Parks | SFO | WR | Texas Tech | SWC | Big 12 |
| 1963 | AFL | Buck Buchanan | KAN | DT | Grambling St. | -- | -- |
| 1963 | NFL | Terry Baker | RAM | QB | Oregon St. | Independent | Pac-12 |
| 1962 | AFL | Roman Gabriel | OAK | QB | North Carolina St. | ACC | ACC |
| 1962 | NFL | Ernie Davis | WAS | RB | Syracuse | Independent | Big East |
| 1961 | NFL | Tommy Mason | MIN | RB | Tulane | SEC | CUSA |
| 1961 | AFL | Bob Gaiters | DEN | RB | New Mexico St. | Border | WAC |
| 1960 | NFL | Billy Cannon | RAM | TE | LSU | SEC | SEC |
| 1959 | NFL | Randy Duncan | GNB | QB | Iowa | Big Ten | Big Ten |
| 1958 | NFL | King Hill | CRD | QB | Rice | SWC | CUSA |
| 1957 | NFL | Paul Hornung | GNB | RB | Notre Dame | Independent | Independent |
| 1956 | NFL | Gary Glick | PIT | DB | Colorado St. | Skyline | MWC |
| 1955 | NFL | George Shaw | BAL | QB | Oregon | PCC | Pac-12 |
| 1954 | NFL | Bobby Garrett | CLE | QB | Stanford | PCC | Pac-12 |
| 1953 | NFL | Harry Babcock | SFO | WR | Georgia | SEC | SEC |
| 1952 | NFL | Billy Wade | RAM | QB | Vanderbilt | SEC | SEC |
| 1951 | NFL | Kyle Rote | NYG | WR | SMU | SWC | CUSA |
| 1950 | NFL | Leon Hart | DET | WR | Notre Dame | Independent | Independent |
| 1949 | NFL | Chuck Bednarik | PHI | LB | Pennsylvania | Independent | -- |
| 1948 | NFL | Harry Gilmer | WAS | QB | Alabama | SEC | SEC |
| 1947 | NFL | Bob Fenimore | CHI | RB | Oklahoma St. | MVC | Big 12 |
| 1946 | NFL | Boley Dancewicz | BOS | QB | Notre Dame | Independent | Independent |
| 1945 | NFL | Charlie Trippi | CRD | RB | Georgia | SEC | SEC |
| 1944 | NFL | Angelo Bertelli | BOS | QB | Notre Dame | Independent | Independent |
| 1943 | NFL | Frankie Sinkwich | DET | RB | Georgia | SEC | SEC |
| 1942 | NFL | Bill Dudley | PIT | RB | Virginia | Independent | ACC |
| 1941 | NFL | Tom Harmon | CHI | RB | Michigan | Western | Big Ten |
| 1940 | NFL | George Cafego | CRD | FB | Tennessee | SEC | SEC |
| 1939 | NFL | Ki Aldrich | CRD | C | TCU | SWC | Big 12 |
| 1938 | NFL | Corby Davis | RAM | RB | Indiana | Western | Big Ten |
| 1937 | NFL | Sam Francis | PHI | FB | Nebraska | Big 6 | Big Ten |
| 1936 | NFL | Jay Berwanger | PHI | RB | Chicago | Western | -- |