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Caleb Williams latest of No. 1 draft picks in NFL history

Caleb Williams poses with NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell after being selected first overall by the Chicago Bears during the first round of the 2024 NFL draft. Gregory Shamus/Getty Images

On April 25, the Chicago Bears selected quarterback Caleb Williams as the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 NFL draft. The Bears host the Tennessee Titans in their 2024 regular-season opener on Sept. 8.

A former Heisman Trophy winner with USC, Williams is widely regarded as a generational prospect. He's joined an exclusive club of stars who have heard their name called first on draft night.

Here's a complete list of players drafted No. 1 overall throughout NFL history.

1936: HB Jay Berwanger, Chicago (Philadelphia Eagles)

1937: FB Sam Francis, Nebraska (Philadelphia Eagles)

1938: FB Corbett Davis, Indiana (Cleveland Rams)

1939: C Ki Aldrich, TCU (Chicago Cardinals)

1940: HB George Cafego, Tennessee (Chicago Cardinals)

1941: HB Tom Harmon, Michigan (Chicago Bears)

1942: HB Bill Dudley, Virginia (Pittsburgh Steelers)

1943: HB Frank Sinkwich, Georgia (Detroit Lions)

1944: QB Angelo Bertelli, Notre Dame (Boston Yanks)

1945: HB Charley Trippi, Georgia (Chicago Cardinals)

1946: QB Frank Dancewicz, Notre Dame (Boston Yanks)

1947: HB Bob Fenimore, Oklahoma A&M (Chicago Bears)

1948: HB/WR Harry Gilmer, Alabama (Washington Redskins)

1949: C/LB Chuck Bednarik, Penn (Philadelphia Eagles)

1950: OE Leon Hart, Notre Dame (Detroit Lions)

1951: HB Kyle Rote, SMU (New York Giants)

1952: QB Bill Wade, Vanderbilt (Los Angeles Rams)

1953: OE Harry Babcock, Georgia (San Francisco 49ers)

1954: QB Bobby Garrett, Stanford (Cleveland Browns)

1955: QB George Shaw, Oregon (Baltimore Colts)

1956: DB Gary Glick, Colorado A&M (Pittsburgh Steelers)

1957: HB Paul Hornung, Notre Dame (Green Bay Packers)

1958: QB King Hill, Rice (Chicago Cardinals)

1959: QB Randy Duncan, Iowa (Green Bay Packers)

1960: HB Billy Cannon, LSU (Los Angeles Rams)

1961: HB Tommy Mason, Tulane (Minnesota Vikings)

1962: HB Ernie Davis, Syracuse (Washington Redskins)

1963: QB Terry Baker, Oregon State (Los Angeles Rams)

1964: WR Dave Parks, Texas Tech (San Francisco 49ers)

1965: HB Tucker Frederickson, Auburn (New York Giants)

1966: LB Tommy Nobis, Texas (Atlanta Falcons)

1967: DE Bubba Smith, Michigan State (Baltimore Colts)

1968: OT Ron Yary, USC (Minnesota Vikings)

1969: HB O.J. Simpson, USC (Buffalo Bills)

1970: QB Terry Bradshaw, Louisiana Tech (Pittsburgh Steelers)

1971: QB Jim Plunkett, Stanford (New England Patriots)

1972: DE Walt Patulski, Notre Dame (Buffalo Bills)

1973: DE John Matuszak, Tampa (Houston Oilers)

1974: DE Ed Jones, Tennessee State (Dallas Cowboys)

1975: QB Steve Bartkowski, Cal (Atlanta Falcons)

1976: DE Lee Roy Selmon, Oklahoma (Tampa Bay Buccaneers)

1977: HB Ricky Bell, USC (Tampa Bay Buccaneers)

1978: HB Earl Campbell, Texas (Houston Oilers)

1979: LB Tom Cousineau, Ohio State (Buffalo Bills)

1980: HB Billy Sims, Oklahoma (Detroit Lions)

1981: HB George Rogers, South Carolina (New Orleans Saints)

1982: DE Kenneth Sims, Texas (New England Patriots)

1983: QB John Elway, Stanford (Baltimore Colts)

1984: WR Irving Fryar, Nebraska (New England Patriots)

1985: DE Bruce Smith, Virginia Tech (Buffalo Bills)

1986: HB Bo Jackson, Auburn (Tampa Bay Buccaneers)

1987: QB Vinny Testaverde, Miami (Tampa Bay Buccaneers)

1988: LB Aundray Bruce, Auburn (Atlanta Falcons)

1989: QB Troy Aikman, UCLA (Dallas Cowboys)

1990: QB Jeff George, Illinois (Indianapolis Colts)

1991: DT Russell Maryland, Miami (Dallas Cowboys)

1992: DE Steve Emtman, Washington (Indianapolis Colts)

1993: QB Drew Bledsoe, Washington State (New England Patriots)

1994: DT Dan Wilkinson, Ohio State (Cincinnati Bengals)

1995: HB Ki-Jana Carter, Penn State (Cincinnati Bengals)

1996: WR Keyshawn Johnson, USC (New York Jets)

1997: OT Orlando Pace, Ohio State (St. Louis Rams)

1998: QB Peyton Manning, Tennessee (Indianapolis Colts)

1999: QB Tim Couch, Kentucky (Cleveland Browns)

2000: DE Courtney Brown, Penn State (Cleveland Browns)

2001: QB Michael Vick, Virginia Tech (Atlanta Falcons)

2002: QB David Carr, Fresno State (Houston Texans)

2003: QB Carson Palmer, USC (Cincinnati Bengals)

2004: QB Eli Manning, Ole Miss (San Diego Chargers)

2005: QB Alex Smith, Utah (San Francisco 49ers)

2006: DE Mario Williams, North Carolina State (Houston Texans)

2007: QB JaMarcus Russell, LSU (Oakland Raiders)

2008: OT Jake Long, Michigan (Miami Dolphins)

2009: QB Matthew Stafford, Georgia (Detroit Lions)

2010: QB Sam Bradford, Oklahoma (St. Louis Rams)

2011: QB Cam Newton, Auburn (Carolina Panthers)

2012: QB Andrew Luck, Stanford (Indianapolis Colts)

2013: OT Eric Fisher, Central Michigan (Kansas City Chiefs)

2014: DE Jadeveon Clowney, South Carolina (Houston Texans)

2015: QB Jameis Winston, Florida State (Tampa Bay Buccaneers)

2016: QB Jared Goff, Cal (Los Angeles Rams)

2017: DE Myles Garrett, Texas A&M (Cleveland Browns)

2018: QB Baker Mayfield, Oklahoma (Cleveland Browns)

2019: QB Kyler Murray, Oklahoma (Arizona Cardinals)

2020: QB Joe Burrow, LSU (Cincinnati Bengals)

2021: QB Trevor Lawrence, Clemson (Jacksonville Jaguars)

2022: DE Travon Walker, Georgia (Jacksonville Jaguars)

2023: QB Bryce Young, Alabama (Carolina Panthers)

2024: QB Caleb Williams, USC (Chicago Bears)

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