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Oklahoma Football All-Time NFL Draft Picks
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Oklahoma has a deep history of producing NFL draft picks over the decades. As of 2024, the Sooners have produced a remarkable 416 NFL Draft picks, which is the fourth-highest total of any program. Of those 416 players, 49 have been selected in the first round and 5 have been No. 1 overall draft picks.
Here’s the complete list of all 49 first-round picks to come out of Oklahoma:
Oklahoma No. 1 overall NFL Draft picks
Oklahoma is one of just a few programs to have produced 5 No. 1 overall draft picks. It’s the second-most all-time for any program, but OU shares that honor with Georgia and Notre Dame. USC has the most all-time with 6.
Here’s a breakdown of the No. 1 picks to come out of Oklahoma:
It took 4 decades for Oklahoma to produce its first No. 1 overall pick — Lee Roy Selmon became the first Sooner to be selected in the top spot in 1976. Widely-regarded as the greatest Oklahoma football player of all-time, Selmon was a 2-time All-American and was a key member of Oklahoma’s 1974 and 1975 national championship runs.
Selmon was the first-ever draft pick in the history of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers organization. He was the NFL’s Defensive Player of the Year in 1979 and was later inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Four years later, Oklahoma running back Billy Sims was the No. 1 overall pick in the 1980 NFL Draft. Sims was limited to just 5 seasons in the NFL, but was a 3-time Pro Bowler. He can still be heard yelling “Boomer!” at the Heisman Trophy ceremony each year in New York City.
Former Oklahoma linebacker Brian Bosworth was the No. 1 overall pick in the 1987 supplemental draft. However, because it was the supplemental draft, Bosworth is not included among Oklahoma’s 49 official first-round picks.
Here’s a more in-depth look at Oklahoma’s 3 most-recent No. 1 overall picks:
Sam Bradford, QB – No. 1 overall, 2010 NFL Draft (St. Louis Rams)
Sam Bradford was Oklahoma’s third No. 1 overall pick, accomplishing that feat in 2010. Bradford had a remarkable career at Oklahoma that included the 2008 Heisman Trophy.
As a redshirt sophomore in 2008, Bradford threw for 4,720 yards and 50 touchdowns while leading the Sooners to the BCS National Championship Game.
In 2009, Bradford decided to return to Oklahoma rather than jump straight to the NFL. He suffered through an injury-riddled campaign that saw him play in just 3 games. Despite the down year, the St. Louis Rams still selected him with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2010 NFL Draft.
Bradford went on to have an 8-year NFL career with the Rams, Eagles, Vikings and Cardinals. His longevity and effectiveness were impacted by injuries and poor offensive line play, especially early on in his career.
Bradford last played for the Arizona Cardinals in 2018. He posted a career record of 34-48-1 across parts of 8 NFL seasons.
Baker Mayfield, QB – No. 1 overall, 2018 NFL Draft (Cleveland Browns)
After Bradford earned the top spot in his draft year, it took 8 seasons for Oklahoma to produce another No. 1 overall pick.
Mayfield is one of the most prolific players in Oklahoma football history. He finished top-5 in Heisman Trophy voting 3 times and led the Sooners to the College Football Playoff twice. He took OU to the Rose Bowl in 2017, but the Sooners fell to Georgia in overtime of a game that is widely-considered to be among the best in recent college football history.
Mayfield, who began his career as a walk-on at Texas Tech before transferring to Oklahoma, became a household name during his time in Norman. In addition to his on-field antics, Mayfield was known for his ruthless efficiency — he left Oklahoma with the all-time single-season record for passer efficiency rating.
Mayfield was a surprising No. 1 overall pick by the Browns that year, as many had Sam Darnold as the top quarterback prospect in that class. His career with the Browns got off to a good start, and included the franchise’s first playoff win since 2002 during the 2020 season.
However, Mayfield was traded by the Browns after the 2021 campaign and spent time with the Panthers and Rams in 2022. In 2023, Mayfield found a home with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and led them to the postseason. During the offseason prior to the 2024 campaign, Mayfield signed a 3-year, $100 million contract with the Bucs.
Kyler Murray, QB — No. 1 overall, 2019 NFL Draft (Arizona Cardinals)
Murray began his career at Texas A&M, but transferred to Oklahoma following the 2015 season. A former 5-star prospect, Murray sat behind Mayfield for 2 years — one while sitting out as a result of his transfer and another as Mayfield’s backup — before being thrust into the spotlight in 2018.
When Murray finally took over the starting job in Norman, he was electric. He threw for 4,361 yards and 42 touchdowns while leading the Sooners back to the College Football Playoff. He also rushed for 1,001 yards and 12 touchdowns that season. He won the Heisman Trophy for his efforts, edging out Alabama’s Tua Tagovailoa in one of the more memorable Heisman races in recent years.
Murray was also a first-round pick in the 2018 MLB Draft, but ended up spurning the Oakland Athletics to pursue a career in football. He became the first-ever player to be drafted in the first round of both the MLB and NFL drafts.
Murray was selected by the Cardinals at No. 1 overall in the 2019 NFL Draft. He missed parts of the 2022 and 2023 seasons due to a knee injury, but is off to a solid start in his pro career. He was named Offensive Rookie of the Year in 2019 and is a 2-time Pro Bowler.
Other notable picks
CeeDee Lamb, WR — No. 17 overall, 2020 NFL Draft (Dallas Cowboys)
CeeDee Lamb had a remarkable career at Oklahoma. He left Norman with 3,292 yards and 32 touchdowns in his career over just 3 seasons of action.
Lamb played with 3 different quarterbacks at Oklahoma, all of which are currently starters in the NFL: Baker Mayfield, Kyler Murray and Jalen Hurts.
It’s still relatively early in his NFL career, but Lamb has already established himself as one of the best wide receivers in the league. It took him just 4 seasons to clear the 5,000-yard threshold for his career. If he keeps going at this pace, he’ll have an argument as perhaps the best NFL player to ever come out of Oklahoma.
Adrian Peterson, RB — No. 7 overall, 2007 NFL Draft (Minnesota Vikings)
Adrian Peterson was selected No. 7 overall by the Minnesota Vikings after a record-breaking career at Oklahoma.
Peterson was unstoppable with the Sooners, rushing for over 4,000 yards and 40 touchdowns over 3 seasons. As a true freshman, he rushed for 1,925 yards and finished second in the Heisman Trophy voting to quarterback Matt Leinart (his teammate, quarterback Jason White, finished third).
Peterson went on to become one of the NFL’s most productive running backs of his generation. In 2012, he finished just 9 yards shy of the single-season rushing yardage record and was named MVP of the league for his efforts.
Peterson last played in 2021 and is currently No. 5 on the NFL’s all-time leading rusher leaderboard.
Spenser is a news editor for Saturday Down South and covers college football across all Saturday Football brands.
