List of second overall NFL draft picks



This is a list of second overall National Football League (NFL) draft picks. The NFL draft is an annual sports draft in which National Football League teams select newly eligible players for their rosters. Seven Heisman Trophy winners have been selected with the pick: Glenn Davis (1946), Billy Vessels (1952), John David Crow (1957), Reggie Bush (2006), Robert Griffin III (2012), Marcus Mariota (2014), and Jayden Daniels (2024), while 11 have been inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame: Sid Luckman (1939), George McAfee (1940), Les Richter (1952), Bob Brown (1964), Tom Mack (1966), Randy White (1975), Tony Dorsett (1977), Lawrence Taylor (1981), Eric Dickerson (1983), Marshall Faulk (1994), and Calvin Johnson (2007).

Recent second-overall picks have included rookies of the year Saquon Barkley (2018), Nick Bosa (2019), Chase Young (2020), and C. J. Stroud (2023). Four members of the NFL 2010s All-Decade Team were drafted at the spot: linebacker Von Miller (2011), defensive end Ndamukong Suh (2010), wide receiver Calvin Johnson (2007), and defensive end Julius Peppers (2002). The universities with the most players selected at two are Notre Dame with six, Texas A&M with five, and Baylor, Michigan State, North Carolina, Ohio State, and USC with four each. The Cleveland / St. Louis / Los Angeles Rams have had nine selections at the spot, the most in the NFL.

Overview
A total of 40 second overall picks have received Pro Bowl Honors. Of those, 11 have been inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame: Sid Luckman (1939), George McAfee (1940), Les Richter (1952), Bob Brown (1964), Tom Mack (1966), Randy White (1975), Tony Dorsett (1977), Lawrence Taylor (1981), Eric Dickerson (1983), Marshall Faulk (1994), and Calvin Johnson (2007). In 2012, Sports Illustrated chose Taylor as the best player selected second overall. In addition, seven Heisman Trophy winners have been selected at the spot: Glenn Davis (1946), Billy Vessels (1952), John David Crow (1957), Reggie Bush (2006), Robert Griffin III (2012), Marcus Mariota (2014), and Jayden Daniels (2024).

Notable draft busts selected include Lam Jones (1980), Tony Mandarich (1989), Blair Thomas (1990), Ryan Leaf (1998), Charles Rogers (2003), and Jason Smith (2009).