If you ever wondered why NFL teams continue to reach for quarterbacks in the first round time and time again, despite a mediocre hit rate, it’s because it’s hard to find a starting QB outside of Round No. 1.
Of the 32 quarterbacks who started Week 1, 23 were first-round picks, and that number would have been 24 (75%) if the Cleveland Browns QB1 Deshaun Watson wasn’t suspended.
Of those 23, seven went No. 1 overall. That’s 25% of the league’s starting quarterbacks.
No. 1 Overall Pick QBs Starting in the NFL
- Matthew Stafford (2009), Detroit Lions
- Jameis Winston (2015), Tampa Bay Bucs
- Jared Goff (2016), Los Angeles Rams
- Baker Mayfield (2018), Cleveland Browns
- Kyler Murray (2019), Arizona Cardinals
- Joe Burrow (2020), Cincinnati Bengals
- Trevor Lawrence (2021), Jacksonville Jaguars
While the most recent three are still with the team that drafted them, the first four are on their second franchises, including Baker Mayfield, who was selected just four years ago by the Browns before they traded him to the Carolina Panthers this past offseason.