Twenty-five Heisman Trophy winners have been selected No. 1 overall in the NFL draft dating back to the inaugural Heisman winner in 1935 and the first NFL draft in 1936. Caleb Williams, the 2022 Heisman Trophy winner, is the latest award winner to be selected first overall, going No. 1 to the Chicago Bears in 2024.
View the full list of Heisman Trophy winners to be selected first overall in the NFL draft below.
Heisman Trophy winners to go No. 1 overall
| Heisman YEAR | WINNER | College TEAM | POSITION | Draft Year | NFL Draft Team |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1935 | Jay Berwanger | Chicago | HB | 1936 | Philadelphia Eagles |
| 1940 | Tom Harmon | Michigan | HB | 1941 | Chicago Bears |
| 1942 | Frank Sinkwich | Georgia | HB | 1943 | Detroit Lions |
| 1943 | Angelo Bertelli | Notre Dame | QB | 1944 | Boston Yanks |
| 1949 | Leon Hart | Notre Dame | TE | 1950 | Detroit Lions |
| 1956 | Paul Hornung | Notre Dame | QB | 1957 | Green Bay Packers |
| 1959 | Billy Cannon | LSU | HB | 1960 | Los Angeles Rams |
| 1961 | Ernie Davis | Syracuse | HB/LB/FB | 1962 | Washington Redskins |
| 1962 | Terry Baker | Oregon State | QB | 1963 | Los Angeles Rams |
| 1968 | O. J. Simpson | USC | HB | 1969 | Buffalo Bills |
| 1970 | Jim Plunkett | Stanford | QB | 1971 | New England Patriots |
| 1977 | Earl Campbell | Texas | RB | 1978 | Houston Oilers |
| 1978 | Billy Sims | Oklahoma | RB | 1980 | Detroit Lions |
| 1980 | George Rogers | South Carolina | RB | 1981 | New Orleans Saints |
| 1985 | Bo Jackson | Auburn | RB | 1986 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers* |
| 1986 | Vinny Testaverde | Miami | QB | 1987 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers |
| 2002 | Carson Palmer | USC | QB | 2003 | Cincinnati Bengals |
| 2008 | Sam Bradford | Oklahoma | QB | 2010 | St. Louis Rams |
| 2010 | Cam Newton | Auburn | QB | 2011 | Carolina Panthers |
| 2013 | Jameis Winston | Florida State | QB | 2015 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers |
| 2017 | Baker Mayfield | Oklahoma | QB | 2018 | Cleveland Browns |
| 2018 | Kyler Murray | Oklahoma | QB | 2019 | Arizona Cardinals |
| 2019 | Joe Burrow | LSU | QB | 2020 | Cincinnati Bengals |
| 2021 | Bryce Young | Alabama | QB | 2023 | Carolina Panthers |
| 2022 | Caleb Williams | Southern California | QB | 2024 | Chicago Bears |
*Bo Jackson was draft No. 1 overall in the 1986 NFL draft but chose to play baseball with the Kansas City Royals over the NFL with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Buccaneers forfeited his rights before the 1987 NFL draft and the Los Angeles Raiders selected Jackson in the seventh round with the 183rd pick.