Where did every NFL Draft No. 1 pick play football in high school?

The 2026 NFL Draft is begins tonight in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania at at Acrisure Stadium and will last until Saturday. Expectations across the board point to the Las Vegas Raiders with the No. 1 pick selecting former Miami (Fla.) Columbus quarterback Fernando Mendoza as their selection.

Before that happens, where did the previous 96 No. 1 picks play their high school football before landing as the cornerstone for an NFL franchise? High School Football America collected every No. 1 pick since 1936 with where each football player went to high school for their prep career and we also added a state-by-state breakdown of how many picks came from each one. As we come up on tonight’s No. 97 all-time No. 1 pick in league history, take a look at each player, state and high school:

2025: Cam Ward, QB, West Columbia (TX) Columbia — Tennessee Titans
2024: Caleb Williams, QB, Washington (DC) Gonzaga — Chicago Bears 2023: , QB, Santa Ana (Calif.) — 2022: , LB, Thomaston (GA) — 2021: , QB, Cartersville (GA) — Jacksonville Jaguars 2020: , QB, The Plains (Ohio) — 2019: , QB, Allen (TX) — 2018: , QB, Austin (TX) — 2017: , DE, Arlington (TX) — Cleveland Browns 2016: , QB, Kentfield (California) — 2015: , QB, Hueytown (Ala.) — 2014: Jadeveon Clowney, DE, Rock Hill (SC) — 2013: , OT, Rochester Hills (Mich.) — 2012: , QB, Stratford (TX) — 2011: , QB, (GA) — Carolina Panthers 2010: , QB, Oklahoma City (OK) — St. Louis Rams 2009: , QB, Dallas (TX) — 2008: Jake Long, OT, Lapeer (Mich.) North — 2007: JaMarcus Russell, QB, Mobile (Ala.) — Oakland Raiders 2006: , DE, Hoffman Forest (NC) — Houston Texans 2005: , QB, La Mesa (Calif.) — 2004: , QB, (La.) — San Diego Chargers 2003: , QB, Rancho Santa Margarita (Calif.) — Cincinnati Bengals 2002: David Carr, QB, Sugar Land (TX) — Houston Texans 2001: , QB, (VA.) Ferguson — 2000: Courtney Brown, DE, (South Carolina) — Cleveland Browns 1999: Tim Couch, QB, Hyden (Ky.) — Cleveland Browns 1998: , QB, New Orleans (La.) — Indianapolis Colts 1997: Orlando Pace, OT, Sandusky (Ohio) — St. Louis Rams 1996: Keyshawn Johnson, WR, (Calif.) — 1995: Ki-Jana Carter, RB, Westerville (Ohio) — Cincinnati Bengals 1994: Dan Wilkinson, DT, Dayton (Ohio) — Cincinnati Bengals 1993: Drew Bledsoe, QB, Walla Walla (Wash.) — 1992: Steve Emtman, DT, Cheney (Washington) — Indianapolis Colts 1991: Russell Maryland, DT, Chicago (IL) — 1990: Jeff George, QB, Indinapolis (IN) — Indianapolis Colts 1989: Troy Aikman, QB, Henryetta (OK) — Dallas Cowboys 1988: Aundray Bruce, LB, Montgomery (Ala.) — Atlanta Falcons 1987: Vinny Testaverde, QB, Floral Park (NY) — Tampa Bay Buccaneers 1986: Bo Jackson, RB, McCalla (Ala.) — Tampa Bay Buccaneers 1985: Bruce Smith, DE, Norfolk (Virginia) — 1984: Irving Fryar, WR, Mount Holly (NJ) — New England Patriots 1983: John Elway, QB, Granada Hills (Calif.) — Baltimore Colts 1982: Kenneth Sims, DT, Groesbeck (TX) — New England Patriots 1981: George Rogers, RB, Duluth (GA) — 1980: Billy Sims, RB, Hooks (TX) — Detroit Lions 1979: Tom Cousineau, LB, Lakewood (Ohio) — Buffalo Bills 1978: Earl Campbell, RB, Tyler (TX) — Houston Oilers 1977: Ricky Bell, RB, Sunnyvale (Calif.) — Tampa Bay Buccaneers 1976: Lee Roy Selmon, DE, Eufaula (OK) — Tampa Bay Buccaneers 1975: Steve Bartkowski, QB, (California) Buchser — Atlanta Falcons 1974: Ed “Too Tall” Jones, DE, Jackson (Tenn.) — Dallas Cowboys 1973: John Matuszak, DE, Oak Creek (Wis.) — Houston Oilers 1972: Walt Patulski, DT, Syracuse (NY) — Buffalo Bills 1971: Jim Plunkett, QB, San Jose (Calif.) — New England Patriots 1970: Terry Bradshaw, QB, Shreveport (La.) — 1969: O.J. Simpson, RB, (Calif.) — Buffalo Bills 1968: Ron Yary, OT, Bellflower (Calif.) — 1967: Bubba Smith, DE, Beaumont (TX) — Baltimore Colts 1966 (AFL): Jim Grabowski, RB, Chicago (IL) — Miami Dolphins 1966 (NFL): Tommy Nobis, LB, San Antonio (TX) — Atlanta Falcons 1965 (AFL): Lawrence Elkins, WR, Brownwood (TX) — Houston Oilers 1965 (NFL): Tucker Frederickson, RB, Hollywood (Florida) — 1964 (AFL): Jack Concannon, QB, Cambridge (Mass.) — Boston Patriots 1964 (NFL): Dave Parks, WR, Abilene (TX) — San Francisco 49ers 1963 (AFL): Buck Buchanan, DT, Birmingham (Ala.) — Kansas City Chiefs 1963 (NFL): Terry Baker, QB, Jefferson (Oregon) — Los Angeles Rams 1962 (AFL): Roman Gabriel, QB, Wilmington (NC) — Oakland Raiders 1962 (NFL): Ernie Davis, RB, Elmira (NY) — 1961 (AFL): Ken Rice, G, Bainbridge (Ga.) — Buffalo Bills 1961 (NFL): Tommy Mason, RB, Lake Charles (La.) — Minnesota Vikings 1960: Billy Cannon, RB, Baton Rogue (La.) — Los Angeles Rams 1959: Randy Duncan, QB, Des Moines (IA) — 1958: King Hill, QB, Freeport (Texas) — Chicago Cardinals 1957: Paul Hornung, HB, Louisville (Ky.) Flaget — Green Bay Packers 1956: Gary Glick, DB, Fort Collins (CO) — Pittsburgh Steelers 1955: George Shaw, QB, Denton (Texas) — Baltimore Colts 1954: Bobby Garrett, QB, South Pasadena (Calif.) — Cleveland Browns 1953: Harry Babcock, E, Pearl River (NY) — San Francisco 49ers 1952: Bill Wade, QB, Nashville (Tenn.) — Los Angeles Rams 1951: Kyle Rote, HB, San Antonio (TX) — New York Giants 1950: Leon Hart, E, (Pa.) Turtle Creek — Detroit Lions 1949: Chuck Bednarik, C/LB, (Pa.) Bethlehem Liberty — 1948: Harry Gilmer, QB, Birmingham (Ala.) — Washington Redskins 1947: Bob Fenimore, HB, Woodward (OK) — Chicago Bears 1946: Frank Dancewicz, QB, Lynn (Mass.) — Boston Yanks 1945: Charley Trippi, HB, Pittston (Pa.) — Chicago Cardinals 1944: Angelo Bertelli, QB, Springfield (Mass.) Springfield Catholic — Boston Yanks 1943: Frank Sinkwich, HB, Youngstown (Ohio) — Detroit Lions 1942: Bill Dudley, HB, Bluefield (Va.) — Pittsburgh Steelers 1941: Tom Harmon, HB, (IN) Mann — Chicago Bears 1940: George Cafego, HB, Oak Hill (WV) — Chicago Cardinals 1939: Ki Aldrich, C, Temple (TX) — Chicago Cardinals 1938: Corbett Davis, FB, Lowell (IN) — Cleveland Rams 1937: Sam Francis, FB, Oberlin (KS) — Philadelphia Eagles 1936: Jay Berwanger, HB, Dubuque (IA) — Philadelphia Eagles