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Schools with the most First Rounders

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  • The GipperT The Gipper wrote on
    #1

    Here are the schools in history that have had the most First round picks in the NFL draft:

    USC  80

    Ohio State  77

    Notre Dame 66

    Miami, Fla.  65

    Alabama  56

    Florida  51

    Tennessee 45

    Michigan 45

    Texas 44

    Oklahoma 43

    Florida St.  43

    And here are the ones with the most #1 overall picks:

    Five #1 picks:   USC and Notre Dame

    Four #1 picks:  Stanford, Auburn, Georgia

    Three #1 picks:  Oklahoma, Texas, Ohio St.

    Two #1 picks:  Va. Tech, South Carolina, Cal, Nebraska, Penn St.  LSU, Michigan, Tennessee,  Miami

  • The GipperT The Gipper wrote on
    #2

    IF Darnold were chosen #1   it would break the tie with ND for all time #1 overall draft choices for USC.

    USC would have Ron Yary,  OJ Simpson,  Ricky Bell, Keyshawn Johnson, Carson Palmer, and Darnold

    Notre Dame  has not had one since Walt Patulski in 1972...but had several early on: Angelo Bertelli, Leon Hart,  Paul Hornung and Frank Dancewicz.

    Ohio State's three have been Tom Cousineau,  Dan Wilkinson, and Orlando Pace.

    All Four of Stanford's have been QBs:    Garrett, Plunkett, Elway, Luck

  • The GipperT The Gipper wrote on
    #3

    Other notes:

    Of the 82 players that have been the overall #1 pick.....   36 of them..   or...44% of them...never as much as made a single Pro Bowl.

    But  one of those:  Jim Plunkett...was the QB on two  SB championship teams.  

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    9 of the 36 #1 overall draft picks that failed to make a single  Pro  Bowl.....won the Heisman Trophy:    Jay Berwanger, Tom Harmon, Frank Sinkwich, Angelo Bertelli, Ernie Davis, Terry Baker, Sam Bradford, Billy Cannon...and Plunkett.

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    Thirteen  of the #1 overall picks did make the HOF.  

    Three players have pulled off the Trifecta:   Heisman Trophy Winner,   #1 overall pick in the Draft....and  PFHOF.  They are:

    Paul Hornung

    OJ Simpson

    Early Campbell

    Note:  No QBs in this list.

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    OF the players who were both Overall #1  and made HOF there were:

    Five RBs:    Hornung, OJ, Campbell, Charley Trippi,  Bill Dudley

    Three QBs:  Elway, Bradshaw, Aikman

    Two OTs:   Ron Yary, Orlando Pace

    Two DEs:  Leroy Selmon, Bruce Smith

    One OC/LB:  Chuck Bednarik.

  • The GipperT The Gipper wrote on
    #4

    As noted above,  No QB has pulled off the Trifecta:   Heisman, #1 pick,  HOF.    There are some QBs that theoretically could do that:

    Plunkett....if the Veteran's committee saw fit to put him in.    Not a good chance of that though

    Carson Palmer.....I am going to say that his chances of making the HOF are borderline at best.  Anyone disagree?

    Sam Bradford......no chance the way his career has gone so far.   Now...if he stays healthy and leads the Cardinals to like 3 Super Bowls in the future...that could change....but I don't see it.

    The last two are:

    Jameis Winston.   Way too early to tell what kind of HOF potential he may have.  Not that great of a start...but it is way early.

    Cam Newton.    The best shot of all.    His play has been stellar at times.  He has already won Rookie of the Year, NFL MVP, and appeared in 3 Pro Bowls...as well as leading his team into a Super Bowl...though they lost. 

    It is unlikely that RBs will pull off what Hornung, OJ, and Campbell did.    The last RB drafted #1 was Kijana Carter,   23 years ago.  And it seems lately that if a RB wins the Heisman....he is not really a highly rated draft pick.....or necessarily all that successful.   

    Derrek Henry....OK as a Pro.     Mark Ingram.  Reggie Bush, Ron Dayne.     The last  Heisman Trophy winning RB that was much good was Eddie George....and he had to wait until the 14th pick of the draft to have his name called. 

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