NFL Draft: Which Texas Longhorns Were #1 Overall Picks?
To be the number one overall pick in the NFL Draft requires an exceptional combination of skills and ability at your position.
In the long, illustrious history of Texas Football, only three players have made that exclusive club of the number one overall pick in the NFL Draft.
Extending to the Top 5 overall picks, the Longhorns have produced 15 players selected in the first five picks of the NFL Draft.
That seems like a small number dating back to 1936 when the first NFL Draft was held. But, Texas has been more about producing a high volume of NFL Draft picks each year.
That’s why it was so shocking in 2014 when the Longhorns’ streak of 77 consecutive years having at least one player drafted was snapped in-between the Mack Brown and Charlie Strong eras.
Texas Football started a new streak in 2015 and they will assuredly continue building the streak this weekend when D’Onta Foreman is selected.
But, as for those select players who were number one overall picks in the NFL Draft, let’s look at the list.
Texas Longhorns Number One Overall Pick List
This Hall of Fame list includes:
Tommy Nobis
- Year: 1966
- #1 Overall Pick to Atlanta Falcons
- First-ever player in Falcons history
Arguably the best LB in Texas Football history, Tommy Nobis was the first player selected by the Falcons franchise. Interestingly, he was also drafted by the Houston Oilers in the simultaneous AFL Draft.
After much deliberation, Nobis decided to leave the state of Texas and join the Falcons in the NFL. Who knows how the Oilers franchise would have turned out if Nobis headed to Houston during those AFL days, but the two leagues soon merged and Nobis was set in Atlanta.
Earl Campbell
- Year: 1978
- #1 Overall Pick to Houston Oilers
- Pick traded by Tampa Bay
The Oilers were not going to miss out another Texas Longhorn star player 12 years after Tommy Nobis went to Atlanta.
Houston worked out a trade with the Buccaneers for the No. 1 overall pick to select Earl Campbell fresh off his Heisman Trophy season.
Campbell went on to have a Hall of Fame career and lead the Luv Ya Blue era of Oilers football. The pick was certainly worth it on the offensive side of the ball.
So, who did Tampa Bay do with Houston’s picks? The Bucs drafted Doug Williams, who went on to win a Super Bowl with the Washington Redskins, and a guard in the second round. Houston clearly won that trade.
Kenneth Sims
- Year: 1982
- #1 Overall Pick to New England Patriots
You might be surprised to see a Defensive End as the third Longhorn selected with the No. 1 overall pick in the NFL Draft.
Sims had a dominant, All-American season on the 1981 Longhorns Football team that finished the season ranked #2 in the country after beating Alabama in the Cotton Bowl, making him very marketable to NFL teams.
Sims was also the beneficiary of timing. He led the Draft class one year before the famous 1983 NFL Draft loaded with future Hall of Fame quarterbacks.
But, in 1982, only two QBs were selected in the first round, including future Super Bowl winner Jim McMahon.
New England wanted a linemen to anchor their defense. And, Sims helped the Patriots make the Super Bowl in 1985. But, Sims ran into McMahon and the Chicago Bears three years after they were drafted #1 and #5 in the 1982 NFL Draft. McMahon’s Bears won 46-10.
Want even more connections? The Patriots previously selected another famous Longhorn lineman, Steve McMichael, in the 1980 Draft. But, McMichael signed with the Bears in 1981. McMichael was then on the ’85 Bears team that beat the team that drafted him featuring his old teammate Kenneth Sims.
The Almost No. 1 Overall NFL Draft Picks
Texas Football has produced 15 picks in the Top 5 of the NFL Draft. We know that three were No. 1 overall picks. So, here are the 12 remaining “so close to number one.”
No. 2 Overall Picks
- 1980: WR Lam Jones (New York Jets)
- 2001: OT Leonard Davis (Arizona Cardinals)
No. 3 Overall Picks
- 1948: QB Bobby Layne (Chicago Bears)
- 1973: OT Jerry Sisemore (Philadelphia Eagles)
- 2006: QB Vince Young (Tennessee Titans)
Two of the best QBs in Texas Football history were drafted third overall 58 years apart. Vince Young came out early because he thought his hometown Houston Texans were going to draft him No. 1 overall. Instead, VY went to the former Houston Oilers franchise now in Tennessee.
Meanwhile, Bobby Layne led the Detroit Lions to three NFL Championships in the 1950s after originally being drafted by the Bears.
No. 4 Overall Picks
- 1964: DT Scott Appleton (Dallas Cowboys)
- 2002: OT Mike Williams (Buffalo Bills)
- 2005: RB Cedric Benson (Chicago Bears)
No. 5 Overall Picks
- 1947: End Hub Bechtol (Pittsburgh Steelers)
- 1997: CB Bryant Westbrook (Detroit Lions)
- 1999: RB Ricky Williams (New Orleans Saints)
- 2002: CB Quentin Jammer (San Diego Chargers)
It may be a few seasons before we see another Texas player join this list of Top 5 NFL Draft picks. New head coach Tom Herman wants to build championship-level players, but it will take some time for NFL teams to start thinking of Texas Football at that level again.
Next: Foreman Smashes Texas Pro Day
D’Onta Foreman will get his name called in the NFL Draft this weekend as the start of rebuilding the image of Texas Football and hopefully delivering higher Draft picks in the future.