Cam Ward is the latest No. 1 pick to enter the NFL, having been selected by the Tennessee Titans in April. He’s one of 13 No. 1 picks currently in the league.
The Titans’ 2-12 record shows winning is not always easy for top picks, and Ward has been scrambling for small signs of progress for himself and the team.
“Eventually the storm’s going to end and all of us in the locker room, we’ll remember all this moment,” Ward said in October. “Someone in the world has it a lot worse than I have. So that’s just how I put it in perspective. I’m very blessed. God’s blessed me with the ability to do what I love for a living.”
These are the breaks for most players who are chosen first and are also often tasked with being assigned to the worst team. Ward is the fourth quarterback in five years to be chosen first overall only to see their head coach get fired during their rookie year.
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Sometimes the story plays out for the good over a longer time period. That’s especially the case for 2009 No. 1 pick Matthew Stafford, who put up spectacular numbers for the Detroit Lions but made only two playoff appearances over 12 years. Stafford was traded to the Los Angeles Rams in 2021 for 2016 No. 1 pick Jared Goff and won his first Super Bowl trophy in his initial season with L.A. Despite being one of the NFL’s oldest quarterbacks at 37, Stafford is the favorite to win MVP in his 17th season. Over his career, he has earned over $364 million, the most among the past 20 first overall picks.
2018 No.1 pick Baker Mayfield demanded a trade after four years with the Cleveland Browns when the team inquired about a swap for former Houston Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson. Mayfield was traded shortly afterward to the Carolina Panthers in 2022 before being released and signing with the Rams for the final five games of the season. He would go on to sign a one-year deal with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers before seemingly finding his new home, as he’s currently trying to lead them to the playoffs for the third straight year.
Like Mayfield, 2014 No.1 pick Jadeveon Clowney bounced around the league. Clowney went to six different teams in seven seasons after spending his first five with the Texans. His seven teams are the most of any former No. 1 still in the league. Clowney was a 2016 second-team All-Pro and was named to the Pro Bowl from 2016 to 2018.
The responsibilities that come with being the first pick are heavy and have produced mixed results. We took a look at how all of the No. 1 picks currently playing are doing in the varying stages of their careers, and NFL analyst Ben Solak rated how they’ve handled the hype since entering the league:
From left, Baker Mayfield, Cam Ward, Matthew Stafford and Jadeveon Clowney are No. 1 picks who are still active in the league. ESPN Illustration
Jump to:
Ward | Williams | Young
Walker | Lawrence | Burrow
Murray | Mayfield | Garrett
Goff | Winston | Clowney | Stafford
Drafted by: Tennessee Titans
Plays for: Titans
Other teams played for: None
Notable career moments: Only 14 games in, the sample is small, but Ward’s wizard-like ability to go off schedule was showcased on his first career touchdown pass when he scrambled to his right and launched a throw across his body to fellow rookie Elic Ayomanor in the back left corner of the end zone. “I know just from watching film with Cam, if you’ve got a scramble drill — because of the way his mind works and how good his arm is — it is not out of the question to just go to the opposite side of the field,” Ayomanor said.
Impact this season: Ward’s impact can’t really be measured in wins and losses because the Titans are bad. But he has been a steady influence for a locker room that could easily splinter from all of the losing. “You just have to wake up with the right mindset every day to get better,” Ward said. “I live the life of a quarterback by never getting too low or too high.” — Turron Davenport
Solak’s meet-the-hype rating (1-10): 6
Ward’s numbers look rough (11 touchdowns to seven interceptions, and he is tied for the most-sacked QB in the NFL), but the on-field play has been encouraging. Ward had one of the sleepiest hype trains for first overall picks at quarterback, and accordingly his weekly achievements of processing, ball placement and escapability go largely unnoticed. The Titans believe they have a player worth building around, and with the correct offseason moves Ward can blossom into an above-average NFL starter at the very least. So far, so good.
Drafted by: Chicago Bears
Plays for: Bears
Other teams played for: None
Notable career moments: The 2022 Heisman Trophy winner known for his creativity and arm strength has wowed with his Houdini-like ability to avoid sacks (he has been sacked 22 times this season after taking 68 as a rookie) and make off-schedule throws. That showed up in a 31-3 win over the Browns where Williams’ 22-yard touchdown pass to DJ Moore was the most improbable completion (16.1%) by a Bears quarterback in five seasons. “It just shows off why he was the No. 1 overall pick,” tight end Cole Kmet said. “I don’t know how many guys in the league could be able to make that throw.” Williams’ five game-winning drives in the fourth quarter or overtime are tied for the second most in 2025, highlighted by one of his biggest throws of the season — a 58-yard TD pass to Colston Loveland to beat the Bengals.
Impact this season: Williams’ growth in his first season under coach Ben Johnson is a big reason the 10-win Bears are off to their best start since 2018 and on the cusp of a playoff berth. Williams has the 12th-most passing yards (3,150) and has mastered the art of playing under center while also discovering that his legs are one of his biggest assets, and not just on scramble-drill plays. Williams has three games this season with 200 passing yards and 50 rushing yards (tied for the most), two of which catalyzed come-from-behind wins. “That’s the best thing about him — he’s built for the big stage, the big moments,” Johnson said. “He rises to that occasion, and on the bigger the stage I think he really comes to life as a player.” — Courtney Cronin
Solak’s meet-the-hype rating: 7
Williams’ rookie season looked as if this ranking might be a 1. His sophomore campaign has proved just how bad the offensive system was around him as a rookie. Williams has massively improved in a few areas of his game over the past year and still gets better week over week, but it’s the peak plays — the unbelievable scrambles, the downfield throws — that clearly give him a path into the tier of elite quarterbacks. He isn’t there yet, but signs indicate that the Bears might have gotten a franchise-altering player.
Drafted by: Carolina Panthers
Plays for: Panthers
Other teams played for: None
Notable career moments: After a rocky beginning to his career, Young was benched following an 0-2 start in Year 2 before returning as the starter in Week 8. He went 6-22 in that time but has improved to 7-6 this season, and his team has a chance at winning the division. Young had arguably his best NFL game yet in Week 13 with three touchdown passes and a career-high 147.1 passer rating in a 31-28 upset of the Los Angeles Rams. Two of the TDs came on fourth down. “The bigger the stakes, the higher the moments,” coach Dave Canales said of Young afterward. It was Young’s 11th game-winning drive since being the top pick. “It’s the consistency of play, and the thing that I appreciate the most about Bryce is regardless of the moment, regardless of the time in the game or the score, when I put the ball in his hands, he stays the same. He stays even,” Canales added.
Impact this season: As Young and the running game go, so does the Carolina offense. And for the most part, Young is at his best when the run game is going well so he can utilize play-action. When the running game has struggled, Young has too (as in the Panthers’ 0-2 start against Jacksonville and Arizona and in a later season home loss to the one-win New Orleans Saints). Once Rico Dowdle and the run game gave Young balance in Week 5 against Miami Dolphins, the Panthers ran off four straight wins in which he had six touchdown passes to two interceptions. — David Newton
Solak’s meet-the-hype rating: 3
It’s weirdly too early to say just how Young will meet his draft hype despite the fact that we are in Year 3 of his career. Young’s rookie season was disastrous, but the environment was a big part of that. Year 2 included a benching that seemed to fix his mindset. Year 3 has the Panthers in reach of the division title, but Young still has as many head-scratching games as he has quality ones. He doesn’t look like a clear second-contract quarterback, but he still has time to play himself into that range.
Drafted by: Jacksonville Jaguars
Plays for: Jaguars
Other teams played for: None
Notable career moments: Walker had a sack and interception in his first game and a 35-yard fumble return for a touchdown in Week 9 in 2024 against Philadelphia. He had 3.5 sacks as a rookie followed by back-to-back double-digit sacks seasons in 2023 (10) and 2024 (10.5), including his lone three-sack game in Week 5 in 2024 against Indianapolis. The Jaguars picked up his fifth-year option this spring, but there has been no movement on an extension.
Impact this season: Walker has dealt with a broken left hand and a right knee injury that has cost him a combined three games. He has 2.5 sacks but has still been good against the run. “It’s the most banged up I’ve been since early college,” Walker said. “But I mean, what is life without lessons? That’s just how I look at it. God put me in this position for a reason. I’m not running from it.” — Michael DiRocco
Solak’s meet-the-hype rating: 4
The 2022 draft was a rough one for owning the first pick, and the Jaguars took a big swing by going for an incomplete athlete in Walker. He has the misfortune of a rough relative measure, as Aidan Hutchinson was drafted one pick later, plays the same position and has been far more productive. But Walker is still a starting-caliber edge rusher with splash plays against both the run and the pass. So although he might be a relative disappointment, there’s a lot to like about him.
2:18
Warner to Eisen: Lawrence is locked in and throwing the ball really well
Kurt Warner joins Rich Eisen and explains what is working for Trevor Lawerence in Jacksonville.
Drafted by: Jacksonville Jaguars
Plays for: Jaguars
Other teams played for: None
Notable career moments: After a rough rookie season under former Jags coach Urban Meyer, Lawrence flourished in Year 2 under Doug Pederson (25 TDs, 8 interceptions and 4,113 yards) and led the Jaguars to the playoffs. He threw four first-half interceptions and trailed 27-0 against the Chargers but rebounded with four TDs to spark the 31-30 victory. The Jaguars signed him to a five-year, $275 million extension in 2024. He missed seven games with a shoulder injury and concussion that season.
Impact this season: Lawrence is coming off the best game of his career — six total TDs (one rushing), 136.7 rating, 330 yards — in a stretch where he’s playing the best football of his career: at least 225 yards and two or more TDs in four consecutive games for the first time. His 23 TD passes in 2025 give him 92 in his career, which is third on the Jaguars’ all-time list. “It’s not anything necessarily that’s changed about anything that we’ve done with him,” Jags coach Liam Coen said. “I think he’s just starting to feel more and more comfortable within the system.” — DiRocco
Solak’s meet-the-hype rating: 3
Lawrence has perhaps the highest pre-NFL bar of any top overall pick on this list, as he was ordained the next Peyton Manning or Andrew Luck (also former No. 1 picks) coming out of Clemson. To that end, he has dramatically underachieved relative to expectations. The good news is that the Jaguars are finally coalescing into a top offense under Lawrence, whose early career was marred with bad coaching staffs and supporting casts. If Lawrence finishes the season (and postseason) with the same caliber of play as we’ve seen since the Week 8 bye and then picks up where he left off next year, this number will start to rise.
Drafted by: Cincinnati Bengals
Plays for: Bengals
Other teams played for: None
Notable career moments: Burrow has done a lot of living in six seasons. Two Pro Bowl nods. Two-time MVP finalist. Led the Bengals to their first playoff win in 31 seasons. A Super Bowl appearance. Two-time Comeback Player of the Year. Five major injuries. And a $275 million contract extension. Burrow has arguably impacted his more than any No. 1 pick in the past 10 years.
Impact this season: About those injuries. Burrow was placed on injured reserve for the third time in his career after a turf toe injury in Week 2 that required surgery. But Burrow worked hard to return early, missing only nine games. Peyton Manning sees Burrow carry the same mindset he had as a player. “I’m always trying to work to justify being that pick and give them their return on investment they made in me,” Manning told ESPN. “Whether it’s your draft or if they sign you to another contract, I think you’re always trying to earn it.” — Ben Baby
Solak’s meet-the-hype rating: 10
Burrow was billed as a football savant and unflinching playmaker out of LSU, and he has been precisely that in the NFL, vaulting himself into the top tier of passers despite not having the physical tools as Patrick Mahomes and Josh Allen. Injuries have limited his accolades, and poor teams around him have affected his postseason success, but he has already been to a Super Bowl and two AFC Championship Games. He does what first overall picks at quarterback ideally do: give his team a chance to win it all every year.
Drafted by: Arizona Cardinals
Plays for: Cardinals
Other teams played for: None
Notable career moments: When Murray was at his best, he looked like a video game on the field. The times he made defenders not only miss but look silly because of his ability to scramble, run and evade tackles are too many to count. There was Murray’s scramble for a 2-point conversion in Las Vegas in 2022 that took 20.8 seconds, during which he covered 84.9 yards before scoring on the play. There was the “Hail Murray” to DeAndre Hopkins in 2020 to beat the Buffalo Bills in Arizona. Murray’s steady play early in his career earned him a five-year extension in 2022 worth up to $230.5 million that could keep him under contract in Arizona through the 2028 season.
Impact this season: Very little. Murray got hurt in Week 5 and hasn’t returned. The Cardinals shut down his season in early December because of a foot injury that’s still lingering. However, before he got hurt, the Cardinals were 2-3 and struggling to close out games. — Josh Weinfuss
Solak’s meet-the-hype rating: 3
Murray has always been a fun watch when at his best, but there’s no doubt that he has disappointed relative to expectations. Murray won Offensive Rookie of the Year in 2019 and made two subsequent Pro Bowls, but he saw diminished play out of Kliff Kingsbury’s offense and as injuries accumulated. Especially now on his hefty second contract, Murray doesn’t provide the sort of offense-altering talent that clear stars do. If, and when, he gets out of Arizona this offseason, he might get a Goff-esque bump — but we have to see it happen first.
Drafted by: Cleveland Browns
Plays for: Buccaneers
Other teams played for: Panthers, Rams
Notable career moments: In 2020, Mayfield led the Browns to their first playoff win in 27 years. He then led the Bucs to consecutive NFC South titles and a playoff victory in 2023. He was awarded a three-year, $100 million contract ($115 million with incentives) after the 2023 season, and after the 2024 season, the team reworked his deal to give him $30 million guaranteed in 2026. He also has been named to the Pro Bowl twice.
Impact this season: Things have cooled since the Bucs’ 5-1 start — including Mayfield dealing with a sprained AC joint in his left non-throwing shoulder. Plus, he didn’t get to have his top four wide receivers on the field at the same time until Week 15 — which has dropped Tampa Bay to 7-7 and into a first-place tie in the NFC South with the Carolina Panthers. Still, as offensive coordinator Josh Grizzard put it, “He never flinches in that moment,” and that’s something the Bucs will hold on to as they fight to win these last three games. — Jenna Laine
Solak’s meet-the-hype rating: 5
It’s tough to calibrate how well Mayfield met the hype because Mayfield has always generated so much ancillary hype via his personality and playing style. The Browns made him the selection with the first pick over other likelier options in part because of his demeanor. He has been a bad starting quarterback and a great starting quarterback in extreme fluctuations over his career. Mayfield is 30 and still has not sniffed the conference championship game, so he’s probably still a disappointment relative to the first pick — but we are currently in an upswing moment for his career. Let’s see what a couple more years in Tampa Bay bring.
Drafted by: Cleveland Browns
Plays for: Browns
Other teams played for: None
Notable career moments: In his ninth season, Garrett is closing in on the NFL’s single-season sack record. With 21.5 sacks this season, Garrett is one sack from tying the record shared by Pro Football Hall of Famer Michael Strahan and Pittsburgh Steelers edge rusher T.J. Watt. Garrett’s 124 career sacks rank 21st all time and are nine more than the next-closest player (Watt, 115) since he entered the league.
Impact this season: “There’s no one that I can think of that can do some of the things that he does,” Browns defensive line coach Jacques Cesaire said. “He’s routinely getting chipped from tight ends, backs. He’s routinely getting the slide coming to him, a guard coming off and helping out. When you got that much attention for you every week, and you’re still putting up the numbers that he’s putting up, that’s pretty special. … I think he’s the best defensive player I’ve ever seen.” — Daniel Oyefusi
Solak’s meet-the-hype rating: A billion.
In my book, Garrett is the best first pick since Peyton Manning (1998). He’s about to set the single-season record, make the first-team All-Pro list for the fifth time in six years and win his second Defensive Player of the Year award in three years. He has gotten better with age and overcome early-career injuries to do so. Coming out of college, Garrett was billed as a once-in-a-lifetime phenom at pass rusher, and he has been exactly that in Cleveland.
Drafted by: Los Angeles Rams
Plays for: Lions
Other teams played for: None
Notable career moments: Goff, 31, is arguably in the prime of his career and continues to produce at a high level, although this year’s Lions team hasn’t lived up to expectations so far at 8-6. He earned a four-year, $212 million extension in Detroit during the 2024 offseason after leading the Lions to two playoff victories in a single postseason for the first time since 1957, as well as back-to-back NFC North division titles in 2023 and 2024. Last season, he finished fifth in the MVP voting after leading Detroit to a franchise-record 15 victories.
Impact this season: Goff has the second-most passing touchdowns (29) while producing the third-most passing yards (3,672) this season. He also has thrown a touchdown pass in 20 straight games and has completely revitalized his career with the Lions after being traded from the Rams. Receiver Jameson Williams describes Goff as being “real competitive” and “a winner.” “We only got one choice to push behind him, and he leads us all the way and we’re going to go as far as he pushes us,” Williams said following practice last week. — Eric Woodyard
Solak’s meet-the-hype rating: 6
Goff has been to two conference championship games and one Super Bowl, which is nothing to sneeze at. His four Pro Bowl nods have been split (two with Los Angeles, two with Detroit), and his dramatic improvement as a player in Detroit is a testament to his arm talent and sharpened mental game. Teams hope that top picks become great starters, and Goff didn’t quite become that — though he’s been close. But it’s still fair to say he was a hit of a pick.
Drafted by: Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Plays for: New York Giants
Other teams played for: Saints, Browns
Notable career moments: Winston threw for over 4,000 yards in each of his first two seasons in the league. At the time, he was one of just three quarterbacks to top 4K yards as a rookie. In 2019, his final season as a full-time starter, he threw a league-best 33 touchdown passes. But he also threw a league-worst 30 interceptions, becoming the first quarterback in NFL history to go 30-30. Winston hasn’t started more than seven games in a season since, given his boom-or-bust nature. The Bucs let him walk and signed Tom Brady instead.
Impact this season: Winston began the season behind Russell Wilson and rookie Jaxson Dart. He eventually jumped Wilson on the depth chart and started two games in place of the injured Dart. He showcased his ability respectably, throwing for 366 yards and a pair of touchdowns in a loss in Detroit. He also has proved to be a good influence and mentor for Dart. — Jordan Raanan
Solak’s meet-the-hype rating: 3
Every top pick enters the league with huge fanfare and high expectations, but on the scale of top selections, Winston didn’t have crazy buzz — not like some of the quarterbacks taken more recently. Still, Winston was never franchise quarterback material. His play style is too volatile. Perhaps if he had worked with Bruce Arians sooner, he would have developed into a viable second-contract starter. Winston has shown during the second stage of his career — that of a journeying backup — he still has high-tier games that make him a valuable QB2.
Drafted by: Houston Texan
Plays for: Cowboys
Other teams played for: Seahawks, Titans, Browns, Ravens, Panthers
Notable career moments: The Cowboys are Clowney’s seventh team, an amazing feat for a former No. 1 pick. He has been traded once (to Seattle), released twice (by the Browns and Panthers). He has never had a double-digit sack season, but he has 62 sacks for his career. He was named to the Pro Bowl three times (2016-18) with the Texans.
Impact this season: He signed with the Cowboys after the second game of the season as their pass rush was struggling to find its rhythm after losing Micah Parsons via trade right before the season. He has improved steadily since his arrival and had a two-sack game against the Kansas City Chiefs. He missed the Detroit Lions game with a hamstring issue, and the Cowboys sacked Jared Goff just once. “His countermoves and feel for the game is what you would expect from an elite player that’s a veteran that’s been around,” coach Brian Schottenheimer said, adding he has had a positive influence on young rushers such as 2025 second-round pick Donovan Ezeiruaku. — Todd Archer
Solak’s meet-the-hype rating: 4
Clowney came into the league with generational buzz, and although he has carved out a respectable career, he has never made the dominant impact that was expected of him. The athleticism, which is what gave Clowney such juice as a prospect, was as promised — but for whatever reason, it never translated into elite sack production. Clowney will retire likely having never achieved a 10-sack season (though he had 9 twice and 9.5 twice). Still, Clowney made three Pro Bowls and one All-Pro list during his prime in Houston. Despite never coming close to reaching his lofty expectations, it would be wrong to call him an outright bust.
1:02
Matthew Stafford to Rich Eisen: I’m humbled to be in MVP consideration
Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford joins Rich Eisen to talk about his MVP buzz and his level of play this season.
Drafted by: Detroit Lions
Plays for: Los Angeles Rams
Other teams played for: None
Notable career moments: Stafford spent his first 12 seasons in Detroit, but he did not win his first playoff game until he was traded to the Rams. In 2021, his first season in Los Angeles, Stafford led the Rams to a Super Bowl LVI victory. This season, Stafford became the 10th NFL quarterback to throw for 60,000 regular-season passing yards. He is quickly moving up the career list, now No. 8 with 63,531 yards.
Impact this season: Stafford is playing some of the best football of his career and is in the conversation for 2025 MVP, an award he has never won. Stafford has thrown 32 touchdown passes and four interceptions this season, at one point throwing an NFL-record 28 straight touchdown passes without an interception. “It feels like the game’s slowing down [for him],” Rams coach Sean McVay said. “I feel like he’s in total command.” — Sarah Barshop
Solak’s meet-the-hype rating: 8
Stafford is hard to rate, as he never delivered that which Detroit hoped when it drafted him. But we suspected then and are sure now that the failure wasn’t primarily on his shoulders, as Stafford’s late-career surge in Los Angeles already has one Super Bowl ring, might deliver a second and could include an MVP to boot. It might pain Lions fans, but he has — looking at his career in total — met the hype.
