What Is the Most Popular Position Drafted as the 1st Overall Pick?

Off-season is on and the only things that people can talk about are the trades happening and the upcoming drafts. Like every year, people are looking forward for their favorite teams to step it up a notch and possibly become unstoppable by just replacing one cog in the giant machine. One such team is the Chicago Bears, of whom people can’t get enough of.

The Bears received the No. 1 overall pick at the expense of a dismal season in 2023. Right behind them are the Washington Commanders, with their No. 2 overall pick. Both teams are in a dire situation and need to switch things up before the new season commences. In the wake of the upcoming draft, we look at the patterns to determine the drafting trajectory in the future. What would be the best possible way to utilize the No. 1 pick in the league?

Would you agree to disagree with the most common position for the No. 1 pick in the NFL Draft?

The answer to this question is rather simple and logical. Quarterback is the most frequently picked position for No.1 overall picks. While we cannot underestimate other positions, we can unequivocally say that there is no game without a QB. Since 1936, the NFL draft reportedly hired 34 QBs as the No. 1 pick. Apart from the QBs, running backs are also in demand (23), but that number has declined over the years.

A total number of 16 defensive linemen have ever been hired as the number one pick in the draft. This was followed by 6 offensive linemen, 5 WR/TE’s, 5 linebackers and 1 DE. Notre Dame, USC, Oklahoma, and Georgia are some of the schools that have contributed to the most amount of No. 1 picks (5).

Since 1942, there have been just 14 No. 1 picks that have made it to the Hall of Fame. Some of the notable names include OJ Simpson, Terry Bradshaw, John Elway, Troy Aikman, and Peyton Manning.

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The Indianapolis Colts and the LA Chargers are the two teams that have had 7 first overall picks. Things have been the same pick-wise since the inception of the game. The Bears are in line to follow the tradition especially after their last year’s experiment was a botch.

The Chicago Bears trying to make things right

Last year, the Bears made the horrible mistake of trading their first draft pick for Panthers WR DJ Moore. While there are no qualms with Moore, the opinion of the people is that the Bears should have drafted a new QB. Surprisingly, without drafting a new signal caller, the Chicago team decided to give Justin Fields to the Pittsburgh Steelers.

The NFL pundits and the draft analysts are almost completely sure that the Bears are going to be the ones to draft a generational talent – Caleb Williams. But an unpopular opinion is that Chicago being the “windy city” might be challenging for a new QB to adapt to. It’s very different from playing football on a warm, sunny day.

Caleb Williams has a lot on the line with the tag of “generational talent” that he has attracted to himself. Is it possible he might go bust? What do you think?

READ MORE- 2024 NFL Draft Report: Caleb Williams Set for Smooth Draft Process with Chicago Bears