Hits & misses: 63 years of No. 1 NFL draft picks

1954: BOBBY GARRETT, QB, Cleveland Browns
The Stanford All-American was traded to Green Bay early in training camp after coach Paul Brown learned that he struggled calling plays because of a stuttering problem. He played in nine games for the Packers (no starts) and was 15-for-30 for 143 yards and one INT.
Impact: Miss.

1955: GEORGE SHAW, QB, Baltimore Colts
In eight seasons with four teams (Colts, Giants, Vikings, Broncos), Shaw started 29 of his 71 games played. He threw 41 career TDs and 63 INTs. He was 11-16-2 as a starter.
Impact: Miss.

1956: GARY GLICK, DB, Pittsburgh Steelers
Seven seasons, four teams, 14 career interceptions in 71 games. Offered little stats in the return game as well.
Impact: Miss.

1957: PAUL HORNUNG, HB, Green Bay Packers
Hornung was a runner, receiver, passer and kicker from 1957-66. He was on the Super Bowl I roster but did not play because of a neck injury. Hornung was a two-time Pro Bowler, a two-time All-Pro and was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1985.
Impact: Hit.

1958: KING HILL, QB, Chicago Cardinals
In 1959, Hill (above, right) started all 11 games. In 11 more seasons with four other teams, he never started more than five games a year. No matter which era it is, a No. 1 pick QB needs to do more.
Impact: Miss.

1959: RANDY DUNCAN, QB, Green Bay Packers
The QB from Iowa chose to play for Vancouver in the Canadian Football League, not an uncommon move then since he was offered more money. After two seasons, he played for the AFL's Dallas Texans and was 25-for-67 for 361 yards in 15 games.
Impact: Miss

1960: BILLY CANNON, RB, Los Angeles Rams
Cannon signed with the AFL's Houston Oilers and led the league in rushing in 1961 with 948 yards. He became a tight end when traded to the Oakland Raiders. He totaled 64 TDs and was a two-time Pro Bowler and first-team All-Pro.
Impact: Hit.

1961: TOMMY MASON, RB, Minnesota Vikings (NFL)
Mason (No. 20 above) played 11 seasons with three teams and totaled 8,081 all-purpose yards as a runner, receiver and returner. The first pick in Vikings history has 45 TDs -- and 61 fumbles. A three-time Pro Bowler, but as a No. 1 pick, more was needed.
Impact: Miss.

1961: BOB GAITERS, RB, Denver Broncos (AFL)
Gaiters (No. 35 in above photo) chose to play with the NFL's Giants, who drafted him No. 17 overall that same year. He came back to Denver in 1963, and in three seasons with three teams, he totaled 848 yards from scrimmage and eight TDs, but did average 23.8 yards on kickoffs.
Impact: Miss.

1962: ERNIE DAVIS, RB, Washington Redskins (NFL)
Davis was the first African-American to win the Heisman Trophy and the first to be drafted No. 1. His rights were traded to the Cleveland Browns, but Davis never played in the NFL. He was diagnosed with leukemia in 1962 and died on May 18, 1963.
Impact: Miss.

1962: ROMAN GABRIEL, QB, Oakland Raiders (AFL)
Gabriel was selected No. 2 overall by the Los Angeles Rams in that year's NFL draft and played 16 seasons with the Rams and Eagles. He was a four-time Pro Bowl quarterback who twice led the NFL in pass attempts and touchdowns.
Impact: Hit.

1963: TERRY BAKER, QB, Los Angeles Rams (NFL)
In three seasons with the Rams, Baker appeared in 18 games and only started one. Drafted as a quarterback, Baker was used more as a runner (210 yards) and receiver (302) than a passer (154).
Impact: Miss.

1963: BUCK BUCHANAN, DT, Kansas City Chiefs (AFL)
How do you judge a defensive tackle (pictured: No. 86 on top of pile) who played in an era when most current statistics weren't counted? Here's how: 13 seasons, 8 Pro Bowls, 4 first-team All-Pro selections and induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1990.
Impact: Hit.

1964: JACK CONCANNON, QB, Boston Patriots (AFL)
Selected No. 1 in the AFL draft, Concannon chose to sign with the NFL’s Philadelphia Eagles, who picked him in the second round. He appeared in 90 games in 10 NFL seasons and had a 54.8 passer rating.
Impact: Miss.

1964: DAVE PARKS, WR, San Francisco 49ers (NFL)
Impact: In his second season, Parks led the league in receptions (80), receiving yards (1,344) and touchdowns (12), all of which were career highs. Parks played 10 seasons for the 49ers, Saints and Oilers, totaling 360 catches for 5,619 yards and 44 touchdowns and made three Pro Bowls.
Impact: Hit.

1965: TUCKER FREDERICKSON, RB, New York Giants (NFL)
Frederickson made the Pro Bowl as a rookie when he ran for 659 yards and five touchdowns as a fullback. In 66 games over six years before a knee injury forced his retirement, Frederickson never started one game and totaled 3,220 yards from scrimmage. Just not enough production from a No. 1 pick.
Impact: Miss.

1965: JOE NAMATH, QB, New York Jets (AFL)
It was Namath who first ushered in the idea of athlete as celebrity. But on the field, he made nearly as large an impact. A five-time Pro Bowler and 1985 Hall of Fame inductee, Namath guaranteed his underdog Jets would beat the Baltimore Colts in Super Bowl III. Then he went out and did just that. He led the NFL three times in passing yards. In 13 NFL seasons (12 with the Jets), Namath threw 173 touchdown passes and ran for another seven. He also scored the first touchdown in NFL overtime history.
Impact: Hit.

1966: TOMMY NOBIS, LB, Atlanta Falcons (NFL)
A five-time Pro Bowl middle linebacker, Nobis had 12 interceptions and 13 fumble recoveries in his 11 seasons. Nobis was the first draft pick in franchise history and was named the NFL Rookie of the Year in 1966.
Impact: Hit.

1966: JIM GRABOWSKI, RB, Miami Dolphins (AFL)
Grabowski was also drafted No. 9 overall in the first round of the 1966 NFL Draft. He chose the NFL and scored 11 career touchdowns in six seasons.
Impact: Miss.

1967: BUBBA SMITH, DE, Baltimore Colts
Before he was Hightower in the “Police Academy” movie franchise, Smith was a fearsome defensive end. He spent five seasons with the Baltimore Colts, winning the 1971 Super Bowl, and two seasons each with Oakland and Houston. Smith played in the era before sacks were officially counted. He often drew two blockers, but was still dominant enough to make two Pro Bowls and one All-Pro team. Impact: Hit.

1968: RON YARY, OT, Minnesota Vikings
Yary spent 14 of his 15 Hall-of-Fame seasons at right tackle for the Vikings and finished up with the L.A. Rams in 1982. Yary was named to six All-Pro teams and played in seven consecutive Pro Bowls from 1970-77.
Impact: Hit.

1969: O.J. SIMPSON, RB, Buffalo Bills
In 1973, Simpson became the first player in NFL history to rush for more than 2,000 yards in a season, and he did it in just 14 games. A six-time Pro Bowler and five-time All-Pro running back, “The Juice” totaled 11,236 career yards in 11 seasons, second highest in NFL history at the time (Now 18th after the 2011 season). Simpson led the NFL is rushing four times and wan inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1985.
Impact: Hit.

1970: TERRY BRADSHAW, QB, Pittsburgh Steelers
Bradshaw only threw for more than 3,000 yards twice in his 14-year career. Not so great, right? Yeah, well, he won four Super Bowls, went to three Pro Bowls and was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1989.
Impact: Hit.

1971: JIM PLUNKETT, QB, New England Patriots
In 15 seasons with three teams, Plunkett never made it to a Pro Bowl. He's a career .500 quarterback, with more interceptions (198) than touchdowns (164). His 52.5 career completion percentage is below average at best. But he was 8-2 in the playoffs and led the Raiders to wins in Super Bowl XV and XVIII (1980, 1983). His passer rating in those two games was 122.8. Big-game player.
Impact: Hit.

1972: WALT PATULSKI, Defensive tackle, Buffalo Bills
Drafted out of Notre Dame, pictured above, Patulski played four years with the Bills, then one year with the St. Louis Cardinals before a knee injury ended his career. His statistics were so-so, amassing a sack total in the low 20s.
Impact: Miss.

1973: JOHN MATUSZAK, DE, Houston Oilers
He played for nine seasons with three different teams, ending up with the Oakland Raiders. Matuszak won two Super Bowls (XI and XV) with Oakland, but was more known for his excessive drug use and partying ways. Aside from his role as "Sloth" in the 1985 kid adventure movie "The Goonies," Matuszak's tale is more cautionary that praiseworthy.
Impact: Miss

1974: ED "TOO TALL" JONES, DE, Dallas Cowboys
Twenty years after he retired, he was featured in a Geico commercial. Talk about impact! On the field, the 6-foot-9 Jones dominated as a defensive end. He's one of only three Cowboys to last 15 or more seasons in Dallas. The three-time Pro Bowler also helped lead the "Doomsday Defense" to a win in Super Bowl XII.
Impact: Hit.

1975: STEVE BARTKOWSKI, QB, Atlanta Falcons
Bartkowski last 12 years in the NFL and made two Pro Bowls. But he only led the Falcons to the playoffs three times and went 1-3. His passer rating in the playoffs was 20 points lower than in the regular season. In 1980, he led the NFL with 31 touchdown passes. In 1983, his 97.3 passer rating led the NFL. In 1984, he led the NFL with a 67.3 completion percentage. Just not enough good seasons all around.
Impact: Miss.

1976: LEE ROY SELMON, DE, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Selmon was the first-ever draft pick by the Buccaneers, and despite the franchise's rocky start, he was a star. A back injury ended his career prematurely in 1985, but this Hall-of-Fame defensive end made six Pro Bowls in nine seasons and was the unanimous winner of the 1979 NFL defensive player of the year.
Impact: Hit.

1977: RICKY BELL, RB, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The best of Bell's six seasons came in 1979 as the Bucs actually won their division. Bell ran for 1,239 yards and seven touchdowns. His career totals, however were 3,063 yards and 16 touchdowns. Bell died in 1984, two years after his last game, due to heart failure brought on by dermatomyositis.
Impact: Miss.

1978: EARL CAMPBELL, RB, Houston Oilers
Campbell ran hard. That likely cut his career short, but in eight seasons, he made five Pro Bowls and rushed more than 1,300 yards those years. In 1979, he had 19 rushing TDs. In 1980, he ran for 1,934 yards. In 1985, he retired. In 1991, he became a Hall-of-Famer.
Impact: Hit.

1979: TOM COUSINEAU, LB, Buffalo Bills
Cousineau was drafted by the Bills but never played for them, instead signing with the Montreal Alouettes of the CFL. He returned to the NFL in 1982, playing four seasons with the Cleveland Browns and two with the San Francisco 49ers. His biggest impact on the league? The Bills, who still owned Cousineau's rights, traded him to Cleveland for their No. 1 pick in 1983 (14th overall). That turned out to be franchise QB and future Hall-of-Famer Jim Kelly.
Impact: Miss.

1980: BILLY SIMS, RB, Detroit Lions
A knee injury ended what was a promising five-year career for Sims. He ran for more than 1,000 yards three times and went to three Pro Bowls. He also scored 13 TDs in first two years, but the shortened career for a No. 1 pick hurts his cause.
Impact: Miss

1981: GEORGE ROGERS, RB, New Orleans Saints
As a rookie, led the NFL with 1,674 rushing yards. In 1986, he led the NFL with 18 touchdowns. He amassed 7,176 rushing yards, 54 touchdowns and two Pro Bowl selections in seven seasons.
Impact: Hit

1982: KENNETH SIMS, DT, New England Patriots
Played in just 74 games over eight seasons and totaled only 17 sacks.
Impact: Miss

1983: JOHN ELWAY, QB, Baltimore Colts
Refused to play for the Colts, then was traded to the Denver Broncos. Well, 300 TDs, 51,475 passing yards and two Super Bowl rings later, he became the third QB taken No. 1 overall to reach the Hall of Fame.
Impact: Hit

1984: IRVING FRYAR, WR, New England Patriots
A 17-year veteran with five Pro Bowl nods, Fryar is tied for 14th all-time with 84 receiving TDs. His 12,785 career receiving yards is 13th all-time.
Impact: Hit

1985: BRUCE SMITH, DE, Buffalo Bills
The all-time NFL leader in sacks with 200, Smith was a beast on the D-line. He terrorized opposing linemen every week.
Impact: Hit

1986: BO JACKSON, RB, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Yes, he ran over the Boz and was the greatest video game character ever, but he also only played four seasons, all for the Los Angeles Raiders. Those seasons were split with his baseball duties for Kansas City. Arguably the greatest pure athlete of the 1980s and '90s, he could have been the best RB ever if he played full-time and didn't injure his hip.
Impact: Miss

1987: VINNY TESTAVERDE, QB, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
A native Long Islander with a cannon for an arm, "Yo Vinny" is 7th all-time with 46,223 passing yards and 8th all-time with 275 TDs. But he's 90-123-1 as a starter, which will happen when you play six years for Tampa Bay in the late 1980s and early 1990s.
Impact: Hit

1988: AUNDRAY BRUCE, LB, Atlanta Falcons
Played 11 seasons for Atlanta and Oakland, but only started 42 of the 151 games he played. His 32 sacks and 4 interceptions for his career highlight the lack of expectation.
Impact: Miss

1989: TROY AIKMAN, QB, Dallas Cowboys
Gets knocked for his average numbers playing alongside great teams. Here's what matters: 6 Pro Bowls, 3 Super Bowls and the second QB to be drafted No. 1 overall and reach the Hall of Fame.
Impact: Hit

1990: JEFF GEORGE, QB, Indianapolis Colts
Was 46-78 as a starter in 12 seasons with five teams. Cannon for an arm, but had an attitude and a bad mustache.
Impact: Miss

1991: RUSSELL MARYLAND, DT, Dallas Cowboys
Played 10 seasons and made one Pro Bowl. As a run-stuffer, pretty good. Elsewhere, he had 375 tackles and 24.5 sacks career. Not bad.
Impact: Hit

1992: STEVE EMTMAN, DT, Indianapolis Colts
Hey, remember that 90-yard interception return to beat the Dolphins his rookie year? In 50 games over six seasons, that's about it.
Impact: Miss

1993: DREW BLEDSOE, QB, New England Patriots
Played 14 years for three teams and threw for more than 4,000 yards three times. His 251 TD total is 13th on the all-time list. Will probably be most remembered by Jets fans as the guy who got hurt and let Tom Brady become Tom Brady.
Impact: Hit

1994: DAN WILKINSON, DT, Cincinnati Bengals
A solid run clogger in the middle, Wilkinson amassed 54.5 sacks in 13 NFL seasons. Not too shabby.
Impact: Hit

1995: KI-JANA CARTER, RB, Cincinnati Bengals
Signed what was then then biggest contract for a rookie (7 years, $19.2 million with a $7.152 million bonus), then blew out his knee in the preseason. Was in the NFL for seven seasons but totaled just 1,144 rushing yards.
Impact: Miss

1996: KEYSHAWN JOHNSON, WR, New York Jets
Controversial, no doubt, but a very talented receiver. Had 814 receptions in 11 seasons, plus 66 touchdowns (2 rushing), 3 Pro Bowl selections and 1 Super Bowl ring.
Impact: Hit

1997: ORLANDO PACE, OT, St. Louis Rams
A 13-year stint as one of the pre-eminent left tackles in the NFL.
Impact: Hit

1998: PEYTON MANNING, QB, Indianapolis Colts
Let's not waste everyone's time spelling out just how good a quarterback -- and commercial pitchman -- he is.
Impact: Hit

1999: TIM COUCH, QB, Cleveland Browns
He played five seasons and we'll leave it at that.
Impact: Miss

2000: COURTNEY BROWN, DE, Cleveland Browns
Had 69 tackles and 4.5 sacks as a rookie, then seemed to get hurt every year after that until retiring in 2007.
Impact: Miss

2001: MICHAEL VICK, QB, Atlanta Falcons
Put aside the whole dog-fighting thing for a minute. Vick was the most exciting player in football while with Atlanta, going to three Pro Bowls and becoming the first QB to rush -- rush! -- for more than 1,000 yards in a season (1,039 in 2006). Never the most accurate passer (53.7 percent career), Vick resurrected his career in Philadelphia in 2010. He became a quarterback, not a guy who takes the snaps and throws the ball. OK, now bring in the dog-fighting thing.
Impact: Hit

2002: DAVID CARR, QB, Houston Texans
Carr returned to the Giants as a backup in 2011 after spending 2010 in San Francisco. Carr led the NFL three times in being sacked while with the Texans. He as thrown for more than 3,000 yards once. He didn't take a single snap in the 2011 season as the Giants won Super Bowl XLVI.
Impact: Miss.

2003: CARSON PALMER, QB, Cincinnati Bengals
Palmer has thrown for 4,000+ yards six times, earned three Pro Bowl trips and has a 62.5% completion rate. He even led the Bengals to the playoffs -- twice! -- and has kept up his numbers in a high-flying Cardinals offense.
Impact: Hit

2004: ELI MANNING, QB, San Diego Chargers
Drafted No. 1 by San Diego, then immediately dealt to the Giants, who picked fourth and sent back Phillip Rivers. Manning has had his ups and downs, but has grown into a top 10 quarterback in the NFL. He led the Giants to the Super Bowl XLII upset of the then-undefeated New England Patriots in the 2007 season, then did it again in Super Bowl XLVI against a two-loss Patriots team in the 2011 season.
Impact: Hit

2005: ALEX SMITH, QB, San Francisco 49ers
Smith has been a starting quarterback in the NFL for 12 seasons, but got off to a slow start to his career in San Francisco. Seven offensive coordinators in his first seven seasons didn't help his growth, and a concussion midway through 2012 gave rise to Colin Kaepernick. Smith was traded to Kansas City in that offseason and has reinvented himself as a solid game-manager.
Impact: Hit.

2006: MARIO WILLIAMS, DE, Houston Texans
Many Houston fans were outraged when the Texans said they were considering drafting Williams over USC's Reggie Bush. Six years, 53 sacks and four Pro Bowls later, they were outraged when he left for Buffalo in 2012, where he had 10.5 sacks. He amassed 43 sacks in four years in Buffalo, then signed with the Dolphins prior to the 2016 season, where injury, age and ineffectiveness limited him to 1.5 sacks.
Impact: Hit.

2007: JAMARCUS RUSSELL, QB, Oakland Raiders
Three seasons, 25 starts, seven wins. Wait, there’s more: 18 TDs, 23 INTs, 25 fumbles. Arguably the biggest bust at quarterback in NFL history.
Impact: Miss.

2008: JAKE LONG, OT, Miami Dolphins
Long made the Pro Bowl in each of his first four seasons. He played in just seven games for the Rams in 2014 and four each for the Falcons (2015) and Vikings (2016) after multiple knee injuries.
Impact: Hit.

2009: MATTHEW STAFFORD, QB, Detroit Lions
Injured much of his first two seasons (13 games played), Stafford in 2011 became the fourth QB to pass for more than 5,000 yards in a season (5,038). He followed that with five consecutive seasons of with at leasr 4,000 passing yards. He has 187 TDs and 108 INTs, but is 0-2 in the playoffs.
Impact: Hit

2010: SAM BRADFORD, QB, St. Louis Rams
Entering the NFL after two shoulder injuries in his last season at Oklahoma, Bradford set rookie records for pass attempts (590) and completions (354). He was the fourth rookie QB to take every one of his team's snaps in a 16-game season. He has yet to post a winning record, missed most of 2013 and all of 2014 and was traded to the Eagles prior to the 2015 season. He spent one season in Philly, where he went 7-7 in 14 starts. The Eagles traded up to draft Carson Wentz second overall in 2016, and Bradford was traded to the Vikings after a devastating injury to Teddy Bridgewater a week before the start of the season. He played in all but one game (the opener) and threw for a career-high 3,877 yards.
Impact: Miss.

2011: CAM NEWTON, QB, Carolina Panthers
Newton's rookie season produced an NFL rookie record 4,051 passing yards and an NFL rookie of the year award. He threw 21 touchdowns against 17 interceptions and also ran for 14 scores. His passing yardage decreased each season until 2015, when he threw for 3,837 yards, 35 touchdowns and 10 interceptions, earned All-Pro honors and led the Panthers to the Super Bowl (though they lost to Denver).
Impact: Hit.

2012: ANDREW LUCK, QB, Indianapolis Colts
Luck took over a two-win team, set the NFL rookie record for passing yards in a season (4,374) and led the Colts to the playoffs. He made the playoffs in his first three seasons and reached the AFC Championship in the 2014 season, but hasn't been back since.
Impact: Hit.

2013: ERIC FISHER, OT, Kansas City Chiefs
Fisher played in 14 of 17 games as a rookie right tackle, but was moved to left tackle for 2014. There, he played all but two snaps and allowed seven sacks and 24 hurries. He played 16 games in each of 2015 and 2016, but has yet to live up to the expectations of a No. 1 overall pick.
Impact: Miss.

2014: JADEVEON CLOWNEY, DE, Houston Texans
Clowney appeared in just four games in his rookie season and registered four tackles. He improved in the following two seasons, notching 4 1/2 sacks in 2015 and six in 2016 as he adapted to his new role as a pass-rushing outside linebacker.
Impact: Too early to tell.

2015: JAMEIS WINSTON, QB, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Winston has quickly become one of the bright young stars at quarterback, throwing for 4,000 yards in each of his first two seasons. He made the Pro Bowl as a rookie and had the Bucs on the brink of the playoffs in his sophomore season.
Impact: Too early to tell.

2016: JARED GOFF, QB, Los Angeles Rams
The Rams traded up with the Tennessee Titans, then took Cal product Goff in their first draft since moving to L.A. Goff didn't start until Week 11 and threw for 1,089 yards, five touchdowns and seven interceptions in his seven starts.
Impact: Too early to tell.