Sports. Honestly. Since 2011

April 23, 2026 By  NFL Draft

First Round  Draft Picks: Team by Team Analysis of Best and Worst All-Time

The NFL Draft is not an exact science. First round picks impact teams for years, and in some cases, decades, both positively and negatively. Here is a look at each NFL team’s best and worst first round pick.

First Round Draft Picks: Team by Team Analysis of Best and Worst

*Analysis includes taking into consideration when the player was drafted and their overall value added and contribution to the team.

AFC East

Buffalo Bills

  • Best: Josh Allen
  • Worst: E.J. Manuel

Miami Dolphins

  • Best: Dan Marino
  • Worst: Dion Jordan

New England Patriots

  • Best: Richard Seymour
  • Worst: N’Keal Harry

New York Jets

  • Best: Darrelle Revis
  • Worst: Zach Wilson


AFC North

Baltimore Ravens

  • Best: Lamar Jackson
  • Worst: Matt Elam

Cincinnati Bengals

  • Best: Joe Burrow
  • Worst: John Ross

Cleveland Browns

  • Best: Myles Garrett
  • Worst: Johnny Manziel

Pittsburgh Steelers

  • Best: Ben Roethlisberger
  • Worst: Artie Burns

AFC South

Houston Texans

  • Best: J.J. Watt
  • Worst: Kevin Johnson

Indianapolis Colts

  • Best: Andrew Luck
  • Worst: Björn Werner

Jacksonville Jaguars

  • Best: Trevor Lawrence
  • Worst: Dante Fowler Jr.

Tennessee Titans

  • Best: Derrick Henry
  • Worst: Isaiah Wilson

AFC West

Denver Broncos

  • Best: Von Miller
  • Worst: Paxton Lynch

Kansas City Chiefs

  • Best: Patrick Mahomes
  • Worst: Jonathan Baldwin

Las Vegas Raiders

  • Best: Khalil Mack
  • Worst: JaMarcus Russell

Los Angeles Chargers

  • Best: LaDainian Tomlinson
  • Worst: Ryan Leaf

NFC East

Dallas Cowboys

  • Best: Tyron Smith
  • Worst: Taco Charlton

New York Giants

  • Best: Eli Manning
  • Worst: Ereck Flowers

Philadelphia Eagles

  • Best: Fletcher Cox
  • Worst: Jalen Reagor

Washington Commanders

  • Best: Sean Taylor
  • Worst: Dwayne Haskins

NFC North

Chicago Bears

  • Best: Brian Urlacher
  • Worst: Mitchell Trubisky

Detroit Lions

  • Best: Calvin Johnson
  • Worst: Charles Rogers

Green Bay Packers

  • Best: Aaron Rodgers
  • Worst: Justin Harrell

Minnesota Vikings

  • Best: Adrian Peterson
  • Worst: Laquon Treadwell

NFC South

Atlanta Falcons

  • Best: Julio Jones
  • Worst: Takk McKinley

Carolina Panthers

  • Best: Cam Newton
  • Worst: Vernon Butler

New Orleans Saints

  • Best: Cameron Jordan
  • Worst: Stephone Anthony

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

  • Best: Warren Sapp
  • Worst: Vernon Hargreaves III

NFC West

Arizona Cardinals

  • Best: Larry Fitzgerald
  • Worst: Josh Rosen

Los Angeles Rams

  • Best: Aaron Donald
  • Worst: Greg Robinson

San Francisco 49ers

  • Best: Nick Bosa
  • Worst: Solomon Thomas

Seattle Seahawks

  • Best: Earl Thomas
  • Worst: L.J. Collier

About David Keech

David is a sportswriter focusing on the NFL, MLB, NBA and College Sports along with sportscard collecting. He has reported on amateur and professional sports in Wisconsin since 2013. David has degrees in education from the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater and the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point.