Quarterback Wasn't Taken First Overall Until Ninth Year of NFL Draft

Published on February 5th, 2025 12:16 pm EST
Written By: Dave Manuel


In the very first NFL Draft, Jay Berwanger of Chicago was taken first overall by the Philadelphia Eagles.

Berwanger was a halfback.

In 1937 and 1938, fullbacks (Sam Francis, Corbett Davis) were taken first overall in the draft.

In 1939, a center - Ki Aldrich - was taken first overall by the Chicago Cardinals.

After that, four straight halfbacks were taken first overall in the NFL Draft - George Cafego, Tom Harmon, Bill Dudley, Frank Sinkwich.

It wasn't until 1944 when a quarterback - Angelo Bertelli - was taken first overall in the NFL Draft.

Bertelli, the Heisman Trophy winning quarterback from Notre Dame, was drafted first overall by the Boston Yanks in 1944.

Bertelli was certainly a change when it came to the prototypical NFL quarterback - he could pass, but he couldn't run.

Back in those days, the NFL was all about running and defense, which is why the first overall picks in the early days of the NFL Draft were almost all halfbacks or fullbacks.

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The Yanks had a problem - Bertelli was on active duty with the Marine Corps. Instead of playing in the NFL, Bertelli went overseas to fight in World War II.

When Bertelli returned to the United States, he elected to sign with the Los Angeles Dons of the AAFC. Bertelli had an unspectacular run in the AAFC, completing 76 passes for 972 yards and eight touchdowns.

Bertelli finished his professional career with a passer rating of just 41.1.

Bertelli would play professional football for just three seasons before hanging up his cleats due to injuries. Bertelli would move into the business world, where he would operate a number of successful ventures.

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The game of football has evolved so much over the past eighty years or so.

You will rarely have a draft in which a quarterback is not taken first overall, as quarterback is the most important position in the league by far.

Eighty years ago, the first overall picks were nothing but offensive linesmen, halfbacks and fullbacks.