NFL teams hope they will find a diamond with the top pick in the draft, especially given the losing it usually takes to be in a position to make that selection. However, it is no guarantee of a Super Bowl championship. These are the top picks who managed to wrangle a ring since the common draft began. Jim Grabowski (Dolphins, 1966) and Buck Buchanan (Chiefs, 1963) were No. 1 overall picks by AFL teams who won rings. Paul Hornung (Packers, 1957) was a No. 1 pick out of Notre Dame by Green Bay, and was on the first Super Bowl title team.
Bubba Smith
The Colts grabbed Bubba Smith out of Michigan State in 1967. He was part of the team that won Super Bowl Super Bowl V.
Terry Bradshaw
Terry Bradshaw came to Chuck Noll and the Pittsburgh Steelers from Louisiana Tech in 1970. The Hall of Famer wasn’t finished his NFL career until he earned four Super Bowl rings.
Jim Plunkett
Jim Plunkett had to go to his third team before becoming a Super Bowl champ. The Patriots drafted the Stanford star. He played for the 49ers before finding glory with the Raiders in Super Bowls XV and XVIII.
John Matuszak
John Matuszak was drafted by the Houston Oilers in 1973. He got rings as part of his fourth team, the Raiders. Matuszak was a perfect fit for the Silver & Black, who earned titles in Super Bowls XI and XV, before retiring after spending the entire 1982 season on injured reserve.
Ed Jones
Ed “Too Tall” Jones came to the Dallas Cowboys from Tennessee State in 1974. The big defensive end was a member of the Super Bowl XII champs.
George Rogers
George Rogers was drafted by the New Orleans Saints out of South Carolina in the top slot in 1981. He grabbed his ring with Washington, which downed the Denver Broncos, 42–10, in Super Bowl XXII.
John Elway
John Elway brought joy to Denver twice. The Baltimore Colts’ No. 1 pick out of Stanford in 1983 forced a trade to the Broncos, whom he led to Super Bowl victories in XXXII and XXXIII.
Troy Aikman
The Cowboys plucked another No. 1 overall pick who helped them to rings. Troy Aikman was the top pick out of UCLA in 1989. It took a while but before he was done, the Hall of Famer had won a trio of Super Bowls (XXVII, XXVIII, XXX).
Russell Maryland
The Dallas Cowboys were atop the draft list in 1991 after a sorry season. They grabbed Miami defensive lineman Russell Maryland, who was part of the same three championships as Troy Aikman (XXVII, XXVIII, XXX).
Drew Bledsoe
He may have been displaced forever by sixth-round pick Tom Brady, but Drew Bledsoe stuck around New England long enough to get a piece of jewelery. The No. 1 pick out of Washington State in 1993 got his ring with a victory in Super Bowl XXXVI.
Keyshawn Johnson
Keyshawn Johnson escaped New York for Tampa Bay and wound up as part of the champion Bucs. The No. 1 overall pick from USC was on Tampa Bay when it crushed the Raiders in Super Bowl XXXVII.
Orlando Pace
Orlando Pace was the prize of the 1997 NFL Draft. The Rams selected the huge offensive lineman from Ohio State and he was part of the “Greatest Show on Turf” team that won Super Bowl XXXIV.
Peyton Manning
Peyton Manning won Super Bowls with the Indianapolis Colts, who drafted him first out of Tennesee in 1998, and the Denver Broncos. The Roman numeral was XLI. The second was 50.
Eli Manning
Eli Manning has a pair of Super Bowl rings through his career with the New York Giants. He was chosen by the San Diego Chargers and forced the trade to Big Blue. Manning, drafted No. 1 out of Ole Miss in 2004, has rings from Super Bowls XLII and XLVI.
Eric Fisher
The most recent No. 1 overall pick to earn a Super Bowl ring is Kansas City offensive lineman Eric Fisher. The Central Michigan product was part of the team that won Super Bowl LIV.
