The Arizona Cardinals made Kyler Murray the No. 1 pick in the NFL Draft on Thursday. The Heisman Trophy winner from Oklahoma joins 23 other quarterbacks in the Super Bowl era to become the top overall pick.
Terry Bradshaw (1970)
Out of Louisana Tech, Terry Bradshaw became a Hall of Famer and led the Pittsburgh Steelers to four Super Bowl victories.
Jim Plunkett (1971)
Jim Plunkett was drafted out of Stanford by the New England Patriots. He didn’t enjoy glory in New England. However, he moved to the Oakland Raiders and was a two-time Super Bowl winner and game MVP in XV.
Steve Bartkowski (1975)
The Atlanta Falcons drafted Steve Bartkowski out of Cal. He did eventually have his No. 10 retired by the team, but he did not deliver a Super Bowl victory. Bartkowski threw for 24,000-plus yards and was a two-time Pro Bowler.
John Elway (1983)
John Elway never played for the team that selected him. He wanted no part of the Colts, who eventually dealt the Stanford star to Denver. Elway had a Hall-of-Fame career as a Bronco. The two-time Super Bowl champ threw 300 TD passes and for more than 51,000 yards.
Vinny Testaverde (1987)
Vinny Testaverde came from the University of Miami and its glory to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and a lot of downers. At one point, he blamed his lack of success on being color blind and creating a problem with finding receivers. Still, Testaverde had a long — but not glorious — NFL career.
Troy Aikman (1989)
Troy Aikman started his college career at Oklahoma. He then transferred to UCLA, where he played his way into becoming the top overall pick. Selected by the Dallas Cowboys in 1989, Aikman became a Hall of Famer and won three Super Bowls.
Jeff George (1990)
Jeff George was a phenom in high school. He went to Purdue, was going to transfer to Miami, before winding up at Illinois. The Colts drafted him and he wound up with a journeyman career, playing for eight teams.
Drew Bledsoe (1993)
Drew Bledsoe will go down as the answer to the trivia question of who was the New England Patriots quarterback before Tom Brady? Bledsoe did throw for more than 44,000 yards in his career. He was the youngest QB to surpass 10,000 and 20,000 yards.
Peyton Manning (1998)
Peyton Manning was chosen out of Tennessee and went on to become of the all-time greats as a Colt and later in his career as a Denver Bronco. A five-time NFL MVP, Manning comes from one of football’s royal families.
Tim Couch (1999)
Tim Couch was chosen out of Kentucky by the Cleveland Browns, the new Cleveland Browns. He took the brunt of it as the QB for an expansion team. Couch played for three teams in a mediocre career.
Michael Vick (2001)
Michael Vick was the face of the Atlanta Falcons, bringing highlights and excitement to the team. Then, disgrace as he was busted in a dog-fighting ring and went to prison. Vick had a second chance and made the most of it, playing for the Eagles, Jets and Steelers.
David Carr (2002)
David Carr is another quarterback who had the misfortune of playing for an expansion team. He was sacked 76 times as a rookie. There was basically no chance for success. Carr did get a Super Bowl ring when the Giants won XLVI over the Patriots.
Carson Palmer (2003)
Carson Palmer won the Heisman Trophy at USC, making himself a lock for the Cincinnati Bengals to grab. The three-time Pro Bowler threw for more than 46,000 yards but never won a Super Bowl.
Eli Manning (2004)
Another fun trivia question and answer. Who drafted Eli Manning? The answer, of course, is the San Diego Chargers. He wanted no part of them or the West Coast and forced a trade to the New York Giants. Two Super Bowl championships have not been enough for the fans of Big Blue to
Alex Smith (2005)
Alex Smith never got the credit he deserved, always labeled a “game manager.” He’s a winner with a career record of 94-66-1. Smith left San Francisco for KC, where he was displaced by Patrick Mahomes, and suffered a brutal injury last season as a Washington Redskin.
JaMarcus Russell (2007)
There is no other way to spell it. JaMarcus Russell was a B-U-S-T after coming to the Raiders from LSU.
Matthew Stafford (2009)
Matthew Stafford puts up big-time passing numbers but has yet to deliver the Lions anywhere near the promised land. The former Georgia star has a rich contract and the team is counting on him but the results have not backed up the investment.
Sam Bradford (2010)
Sam Bradford came out of Oklahoma and went to the Rams. He has suffered through an injury-riddle career and moved to Philadelphia, Minnesota and Arizona. Disappointing.
Cam Newton (2011)
Cam Newton is one of the most dynamic players in the NFL. He’s gotten the Panthers to the Super Bowl after starring at Auburn and winning the Heisman Trophy. The big question is whether the dual threat will deliver the title to Carolina. He takes quite a beating with his physical game.
Andrew Luck (2012)
Andrew Luck became a superstar when he entered the NFL from Stanford. There could not have been enough praise or kind words for the quarterback. Then, injuries shelved him for the 2017 season and people could not criticize him enough. Luck shut everyone up as he returned in 2018 with a vengeance, throwing for 4,500 yards and 39 TDs.
Jameis Winston (2015)
The former Florida State star came to Tampa Bay with baggage from controversy in college. He has not been able to escape it in the pros, either. Last season, he was suspended and had to battle to beat out veteran Ryan Fitzpatrick upon his return. Facing critical time in his career.
Jared Goff (2016)
As a rookie out of Cal, Jared Goff had Jeff Fisher as a coach and was belittled as a big miss. Subtract Fisher and add Sean McVay and suddenly you have one of the brightest futures for any QB.
Baker Mayfield (2018)
Baker Mayfield started at Texas Tech, transferred to Oklahoma and turned himself into a Heisman Trophy winner as a Sooner. He is also at the heart and center of the revival of the Cleveland Browns. A star!
Kyler Murray (2019)
Kyler Murray signed with the Oakland Athletics after being the ninth overall pick in the 2018 MLB Draft. He reconsidered and gave back his bonus and decided to roll the dice in the NFL process. He winds up No. 1 so that is a win as the Arizona Cardinals and Kliff Kingsbury grabbed him. Back-to-back Heismans from the same school are rare. Archie Griffin did it for Ohio State and way back Yale, of all schools, had Larry Kelley and Clinton Frank do it in the ’30s.
