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5 No. 1 Overall Picks Who Went on to Win Rookie of the Year in the NFL

By Sean Facey

There have been some stellar seasons from No. 1 overall picks.
There have been some stellar seasons from No. 1 overall picks. / Streeter Lecka/Getty Images

Kyler Murray, the No. 1 overall draft pick in last year's NFL Draft, pieced together a quality first-year campaign with the Arizona Cardinals in 2019, and his efforts were enough to net him Offensive Rookie of the Year honors Saturday night. So, in the spirit of his latest accomplishment, let's take a look back at five top overall picks from past drafts who managed to snag a Rookie of the Year nod as well.

5. Earl Campbell, 1978

Campbell started his career with a bang.
Campbell started his career with a bang. / Gary Miller/Getty Images

Pro expectations were sky-high for Earl Campbell following his stellar college career with the Texas Longhorns, and he sure didn't disappoint. After the Houston Oilers took him first in the 1978 draft, the running back went on to lead the league with 1,450 rushing yards in his very first year while also totaling an impressive 13 touchdowns in what was also an All-Pro campaign. The Hall of Famer's Rookie of the Year tour up being the first of the three consecutive rushing titles he won to start his career.

4. Billy Sims, 1980

Billy Sims was an offensive force in his rookie year.
Billy Sims was an offensive force in his rookie year. / Focus On Sport/Getty Images

An Oklahoma Sooners product, the Detroit Lions took Billy Sims first overall in 1980, and it turned out to be the right move. He logged 1,303 rushing yards for the Lions and led the NFL with 16 total touchdowns. Not only were his efforts good enough to earn him the Rookie of the Year title, but they also sent him to the Pro Bowl.

3. George Rogers, 1981

George Rogers was the bell cow for the Saints as soon as he suited up.
George Rogers was the bell cow for the Saints as soon as he suited up. / Andrew D. Bernstein/Getty Images

It's hard to start a career better than George Rogers did. The New Orleans Saints selected him first in 1981 and immediately made him the focal point of their offense. Rogers was fed a league-leading 378 touches that led to an eye-popping 1,674-yard campaign on the ground. An All-Pro and Pro Bowler that year, Rogers ended the season with an even 1,800 yards from scrimmage and 13 total touchdowns. Few Offensive Rookie of the Year choices are easier.

2. Sam Bradford, 2010

Sam Bradford helped lift the Rams out of the doldrums.
Sam Bradford helped lift the Rams out of the doldrums. / Jeff Zelevansky/Getty Images

After a successful college career with the Sooners that featured a Heisman Trophy win, Sam Bradford went first overall in 2010 to the then-St. Louis Rams, and he made an immediate impact. He guided a team that had finished 1-15 the year prior to a respectable 7-9 record, throwing for 3,512 yards and 18 touchdowns. His modest-but-promising campaign helped him secure Offensive Rookie of the Year honors in what at the time was an unspectacular class.

1. Cam Newton, 2011

Newton proved himself to be the Panthers' franchise quarterback in his rookie year.
Newton proved himself to be the Panthers' franchise quarterback in his rookie year. / Streeter Lecka/Getty Images

Cam Newton's 2011 campaign was simply superb. He proved himself to be the right choice for the Carolina Panthers, guiding them to four more wins than they had the year prior thanks to both his arm and his legs. He threw for 4,068 yards and ran for 706 more, totaling 35 touchdowns in the process. It was a terrific performance that helped net him the Offensive Rookie of the Year award and proved to the Panthers that they had snagged their franchise quarterback -- and a future league MVP.