The first round of the NFL Draft is one of the most exciting nights on the NFL calendar. Every team and fanbase believes that if their team makes the right pick on Thursday night, it could change the future of their franchise.

Not every first round pick is a hit, though. Sometimes your team picks a player and they never become the superstar everyone believes they’d become. But when your team does hit on a first round draft pick, it can completely change their fortunes.

Since we are now nine days away from the start of the 2026 NFL Draft, I thought I would go back through and look at every team’s best first round pick since 2000 to help every fanbase feel hopeful going into next week’s draft.

Before we get started, this list was incredibly hard to rank. There are so many great players on here, as you probably expect, so I tried to rank them based on their stats, accolades, and longevity. There are some guys on here that would be much higher on the list if their career wasn’t cut short due to injuries or other things.

Now, let’s get into the rankings.

1. Kansas City Chiefs: QB Patrick Mahomes

Do I even need to explain this one? Patrick Mahomes is going to go down as one of the best quarterbacks in NFL history. He’s already won two MVPs, three Super Bowls and earned two First-Team All-Pro nods. Mahomes has also thrown for 5,000 yards and 40+ touchdowns twice in his career. He’s the best quarterback of this generation by a good margin.

2. Green Bay Packers: QB Aaron Rodgers

Speaking of one of the best quarterbacks of his generation, Aaron Rodgers is the no-brainer pick for the Green Bay Packers. The four-time MVP and Super Bowl champion is one of the most gifted quarterbacks we’ve ever seen play the game. His arm is as good as anyone’s in NFL history, and he currently has the best career interception percentage (1.4 percent) and QBR (102.2) in NFL history. He probably should’ve won more than one Super Bowl in Green Bay, but still, he’s an all-time great.

3. Baltimore Ravens: S Ed Reed

The Baltimore Ravens have drafted some very good players in the first round this century. Immediately, guys like Terrell Suggs, Lamar Jackson and Joe Flacco stand out, but there’s a pretty clear No. 1 here, and it’s Ed Reed. The former Raven is one of the best and most feared safeties off all time. He’s a five-time First-Team All-Pro, a nine-time Pro Bowler, a Super Bowl champion and picked off 64 passes in his career. There aren’t many safeties in NFL history that are better than Reed.

4. Cleveland Browns: DE Myles Garrett

The Cleveland Browns don’t typically draft well, but they hit a grand slam with Myles Garrett. Ever since he stepped foot in Cleveland, he’s been one of the best pass rushers in the league, and now, there’s no debate. He’s coming off a record-setting season where he recorded 23 sacks, the most in a single season in NFL history. He’s only 30 years old and already ranks T-20th in career sacks with 125.5. If he plays another five years and can top that 12-sack mark, he’s going to be really close to breaking Bruce Smith’s 200-sack record.

5. Buffalo Bills: QB Josh Allen

This one was pretty simple. Josh Allen is arguably the best quarterback in the league, and has been in the top-three for the past 4+ seasons, so he has to be the pick here. Buffalo’s QB1 already has over 30,000 passing yards and 299 total touchdowns in just eight seasons. He’s yet to reach the Super Bowl, but he brought the Bills out of the mud and made the perennial playoff contenders in the AFC. Eventually he’s going to get that ring.

6. Arizona Cardinals: WR Larry Fitzgerald

Larry Fitzgerald is one of the most underrated wide receivers in NFL history. Everyone acknowledges him as one of the greats, but his production mixed with his longevity is something we haven’t really seen at the wide receiver position this century. The Pitt product played 17 seasons, going for 1,000+ yards in nine of them and finishing second all-time in receptions and receiving yards. He’s one of the most productive receivers in NFL history, and it’s a shame he never won a Super Bowl, but a gold jacket will do.

7. Minnesota Vikings: RB Adrian Peterson

As much as the LSU alum in me wanted to go with Justin Jefferson, the clear answer for Minnesota is Adrian Peterson. He’s the NFL’s fifth-leading rusher with nearly 15,000 career rushing yards and 120 touchdowns and is one of the most dominant backs the league has ever seen. The four-time All-Pro and 2012 NFL MVP is easily the best first round pick the Vikings have ever made, but Jefferson should give him a challenge by the time it’s all said and done.

8. Detroit Lions: QB Matthew Stafford

The Detroit Lions have drafted some incredible players in the first round, including Calvin Johnson and Ndamukong Suh, but there’s a clear answer here and it’s Matthew Stafford. He played at an incredibly high level throughout his time in Detroit, but because their team was so bad, he was never able to make a deep playoff run. But once Detroit traded him to the Los Angeles Rams, he immediately won a Super Bowl and should be the favorite to get his second ring in 2026. He’s one of the best quarterbacks of his generation, which is saying a lot considering some of the guys he played against.

9. Los Angeles Chargers: RB LaDanian Tomlinson

Eli Manning could’ve been the pick here, but LaDanian Tomlinson was special. The three-time First-Team All-Pro and 2006 NFL MVP was one of the best running backs in the league in the early 2000s. He still holds the record for the most touchdowns in a single season in NFL history with 30 in 2006, but he also crossed the 2,000-yard mark three times and hit the 1,500-yard mark eight times. There aren’t many running backs in NFL history that were better than Tomlinson.

10. Washington Commanders: OT Trent Williams

Trent Williams is one of the best offensive tackles the league has ever seen. Outside of his rookie year where he allowed 11 sacks, Williams has given up just 34 sacks and 302 pressures in over 7,100 pass blocking snaps. He’s as steady as they come at left tackle, and he gave Washington nine really good years.

I do want to mention Sean Taylor here. If his life wasn’t tragically taken from him way too soon, he very well could’ve gone down as one of the best safeties of all time and been the pick here. He and Williams both deserve recognition.

11. Philadelphia Eagles: OT Lane Johnson

Lane Johnson is widely considered one of the best offensive tackles of his generation. The two-time First-Team All-Pro and two-time Super Bowl champion gave up 10 sacks as a rookie, and went on to give up just 21 more over the next 12 seasons (11 of which came in two years). Any time you can find your franchise right tackle and future Hall of Famer, he’s probably going to be your best first round pick this century.

12. Chicago Bears: LB Brian Urlacher

Speaking of great linebackers, Brian Urlacher is easily the Chicago Bears’ best first round pick this century. He played 13 years in the NFL and became one of just 15 players in NFL history to record 1,000+ tackles in a career. Urlacher also recorded 41.5 sacks, 22 interceptions and 12 forced fumbles while being named a First-Team All-Pro four times. There haven’t been a whole lot of linebackers that are better than him, that’s for sure.

13. New York Jets: CB Darrelle Revis

There really wasn’t any competition here. The New York Jets have been historically bad drafters, but they nailed their pick with Darrelle Revis. He was known as Revis Island for a reason. You could leave him by himself in man coverage and he would lock down anyone he went against. Even if the Jets were good drafters, it’s highly doubtful that anyone would’ve taken this spot from Revis.

14. San Francisco 49ers: LB Patrick Willis

If it weren’t for Ray Lewis, Patrick Willis would probably be considered the best linebacker of his generation. He only played eight years in the NFL, but he was named a First-Team All-Pro in five of them and only missed out on the Pro Bowl one time in 2014, his final season where he played six games. Willis racked up 950 tackles (174 as a rookie) and 16 forced fumbles. He was one of the hardest-hitting players the NFL has ever seen and is easily San Fran’s best first round pick since 2000.

15. Indianapolis Colts: WR Reggie Wayne

The Indianapolis Colts might’ve been the hardest one to pick. Dwight Freeney and Dallas Clark both deserved to be mentioned, but the decision came down to Reggie Wayne and Andrew Luck, and in the end, I went with the former. Wayne spent 13 years in the league where he totaled 14,345 yards and 82 touchdowns. He ranks top-11 in receptions and yards and was one of Peyton Manning’s best friends. Andrew Luck is the more gifted player, but his career was obviously cut short due to injuries, so I had to give the nod to Wayne for his longevity and production.

16. Dallas Cowboys: OG Zack Martin

Say what you want about the Dallas Cowboys’ draft blunders, but they’ve actually made some really good first round picks this century. They’ve taken guys like DeMarcus Ware, Micah Parsons and Tyron Smith in round one, but their best pick has to be Zack Martin. The long-time Cowboy is one of the best guards to ever play the game. If you remove his final season – the worst his career by far – he gave up 158 pressures and 13 sacks in over 5,800 pass blocking snaps while earning a 75+ run blocking grade in all but three seasons. The seven-time All Pro is on his way to Canton.

17. Houston Texans: DE J.J. Watt

J.J. Watt is one of the most disruptive pass rushers in NFL history, but injuries just got in his way. From 2012-2014, Watt logged 69 sacks, an average of 17.25 per season, in just 64 games. He was unstoppable off the edge, but over the course of his last seven seasons, he only played 10+ games in three of them. Still, despite all those injuries and just eight full seasons of play, he ranks top-30 in sacks. He’s easily Houston’s best first round pick.

18. Denver Broncos: LB Von Miller

Von Miller was a pretty easy pick here. The NFL’s active sack leader has 138.5 career sacks (ninth all time), has won two Super Bowls, been named a First-Time All-Pro three times and won the Super Bowl MVP. He started his career with seven 10+ sacks seasons in his first eight years, and while his production has dipped, he’s still been a very steady pass rusher for the past eight years. Pat Surtain II might take this title from him before he hangs it up, but for now it’s definitely Miller.

19. Cincinnati Bengals: QB Joe Burrow

Joe Burrow is still very young, but he’s got to be the Cincinnati Bengals’ best first round pick since 2000. Burrow’s only played 77 games due to some injuries, but he has already amassed 20,810 passing yards, 157 passing touchdowns and has a career completion percentage of 68.5 percent, which is the best in league history for a career. Burrow also led the Bengals to their first Super Bowl appearances since 1989 in his second year. A.J. Green was a consideration here, but I think Burrow has to be the pick, because when he’s healthy, he’s a top-five QB in the league.

20. New York Giants: QB Philip Rivers

This one’s a bit tricky. Philip Rivers never played for the New York Giants, but he was technically drafted by them, and there’s no doubt he would be their best first round pick of the century. Rivers was never the best quarterback in the league, but he was an eight-time Pro Bowler and ranks eighth all-time in career passing yards and sixth in passing touchdowns, all of which came with the Chargers.

If we wanted to talk players that actually played for the Giants, I think it’s Jason Pierre-Paul or Odell Beckham Jr. Pierre-Paul had some really high highs, but injuries prevented him from reaching his full potential. Beckham was obviously one of the best receivers in the league for a while before injuries also derailed his career. It’s a tough call, but I’d lean Beckham.

21. Atlanta Falcons: QB Matt Ryan

There were a few contenders for this spot, but I had to give it to Matt Ryan. He’s easily the best quarterback in Atlanta’s history and almost led them to their only Super Bowl win before an all time bad collapse. Ryan retired with the ninth-most passing yards (67,792) and 10th-most passing touchdowns (381) of any quarterback in NFL history. Julio Jones was certainly in consideration here, but it’s hard to deny a guy who ranks top-10 in two major passing stats.

22. Carolina Panthers: LB Luke Kuechely

The Carolina Panthers had four players that all could’ve been the pick here. Cam Newton won an MVP and brought them to the Super Bowl. Christian McCaffrey is one of the best running backs in the league. Julius Peppers was one of the most feared pass rushers in the NFL for years. But Luke Kuechely has to be the pick. He’s one of the smartest and best linebackers we’ve ever seen in the NFL. As a Saints fan, this guy terrorized my team twice a year, so I know first hand how good he was. It’s a real shame he was forced to retire early due to injuries, because he was a special talent. If he played longer, he could be top-10.

23. New England Patriots: DE Richard Seymour

Richard Seymour is one of the best pass rushing defensive tackles the NFL has ever seen. He played 12 years in the NFL, earning three First-Team All-Pro nods and seven Pro Bowl selections while winning three Super Bowls. He finished his career with 210 pressures and 57.5 sacks from the interior of the defensive line while being a really good run defender. For being a dynasty, New England doesn’t have a ton of great first round picks, but Seymour was definitely one of them.

24. Pittsburgh Steelers: S Troy Polamalu

This one was really tough. Cam Heyward and Ben Roethlisberger both deserve this title, but we haven’t seen anyone like Troy Polamalu since he retired. He was one of the most feared defenders in the league and did things nobody else has been able to do. He’s a four-time All-Pro, a two-time Super Bowl champion and a Hall of Famer. You could easily say Big Ben was their best first round pick, but Polamalu was special.

25. Tennessee Titans: DT Jeffery Simmons

Nobody really talks about Jeffery Simmons a lot because he’s on the Tennessee Titans, but he’s one of the most disruptive defenders in all of football and has been for a while. There aren’t many guys that can get after the passer from the defensive tackle position like he can, and on top of that, he’s an excellent run defender. It’s hard not to put someone like him on this list.

26. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: WR Mike Evans

Mike Evans is one of the best players in the history of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. They’re a pretty young franchise, but still, what Evans has done over the course of his 12-year career has been impressive. He started his career with 11 straight 1,000-yard seasons and currently ranks 21st all time and second among active players in receiving yards with 13,052. He’s never been a First-Team All-Pro, but he’s been named to six Pro Bowls and helped Tampa win the Super Bowl back in 2020. Evans was a pretty easy pick here.

27. Seattle Seahawks: RB Shaun Alexander

This pick came down to two players: Steven Hutchinson, a five-time First-Team All-Pro and one of the best guards of the century, and Shaun Alexander, a five-time 1,000-yard rusher and 2005 NFL MVP. As great as Hutchinson was, I think I’m going to give the nod to Alexander. He had a stretch from 2001-2005 where he ran for 1,100+ yards and 14+ touchdowns every single year (and if you remove 2002, it was 1,300+ yards). He was the catalyst for their offense, and while he couldn’t have done it without Hutchinson, Alexander’s impact was a bit more impactful in my opinion.

28. New Orleans Saints: DE Cam Jordan

Cameron Jordan has been a cornerstone piece for the New Orleans Saints since they selected him in 2011. The eight-time Pro Bowler and one-time First-Team All-Pro currently ranks 17th in sacks (132) and has been widely regarded as one of the best run defending edge rushers in recent memory. He’s done it all for New Orleans over the past 15 seasons, so while there was some competition for this spot, it was a fairly easy pick.

29. Las Vegas Raiders: DE Khalil Mack

From 2015-2017, Khalil Mack was one of the most feared defenders in the NFL. He logged four straight 10+ sack seasons and was named a First-Team All-Pro three times during that span while winning the Defensive Player of the Year award in 2016. He only played four years with the Raiders before the traded him to Chicago, but he was as dominant as any defender the Raiders have had this century. There wasn’t a lot of competition here.

30. Los Angeles Rams: QB Jared Goff

The Los Angeles Rams have only had one first round pick in the last nine years, so that helps narrow down the field. Seriously, the only player they’ve used a first rounder on since Jared Goff is Jared Verse. When they have had first round picks, they’ve selected some good players, such as Todd Gurley, but I think Goff is probably their best pick this century. He wasn’t great with the Rams, but he did lead them to the Super Bowl and has become a top-10 quarterback since moving to Detroit. If Gurley had played longer, he’d be the easy pick here, but I have to give the nod to Goff.

31. Jacksonville Jaguars: CB Jalen Ramsey

The Jacksonville Jaguars haven’t really hit big on any first round picks this century. They’ve had some good ones, but their best has to be Jalen Ramsey. He only spent four years with Jacksonville, but he was one of the best corners in the league during that time, and even when he left, he was a really great player for the Rams. Ramsey is a three-time First-Team All-Pro, a Super Bowl champion and one of the best corners in football for the better part of a decade. Not a bad pick.

32. Miami Dolphins: S Minkah Fitzpatrick

The Miami Dolphins didn’t have a ton of great first round picks, but Minkah Fitzpatrick was certainly a hit (even though he only played a season and a half before being traded). Fitzpatrick has been named a First-Team All-Pro three times in his career and has been widely considered one of the best safeties in the league for nearly a decade. It’s kind of fitting that the Dolphins’ best draft pick this century only played 2.5 seasons for them, but that’s how it goes, I guess.