The Chicago Bears are one of the NFL’s oldest, richest franchises, and they have the first-round NFL Draft history to back up that reputation. The Bears are fighting to reclaim relevance in the modern era, but they’ll always have their legacy to fall back on — a legacy built on the back of Round 1 success.
Chicago Bears First-Round Draft Picks Throughout History
Since the Bears’ first NFL Draft in 1936, the team has selected 11 Hall of Fame players as first-round picks. Nine of those Hall of Fame selections came before 1980, however — accentuating the dichotomy between the Bears of old and the Bears today. The high point came in 1965, when Chicago selected Dick Butkus and Gale Sayers with back-to-back selections.
2023
- Darnell Wright | Pick 10
OT, Tennessee
2022
The Bears traded the seventh pick to the New York Giants.
2021
- Justin Fields | Pick 11
QB, Ohio State
2020
The Bears traded the 19th pick to the Las Vegas Raiders.
2019
The Bears traded the 24th pick to the Las Vegas Raiders.
2018
- Roquan Smith | Pick 8
ILB, Georgia
2017
- Mitchell Trubisky | Pick 2
QB, North Carolina
2016
- Leonard Floyd | Pick 9
OLB, Georgia
2015
- Kevin White | Pick 7
WR, West Virginia
2014
- Kyle Fuller | Pick 14
DB, Virginia Tech
2013
- Kyle Long | Pick 20
G, Oregon
2012
- Shea McClellin | Pick 19
DE, Boise St.
2011
- Gabe Carimi | Pick 29
OT, Wisconsin
2010
The Bears traded the 11th pick to the Denver Broncos.
2009
The Bears traded the 18th pick to the Denver Broncos.
2008
- Chris Williams | Pick 14
OT, Vanderbilt
2007
- Greg Olsen | Pick 31
TE, Miami (FL)
2006
The Bears traded the 26th pick to the Buffalo Bills.
2005
- Cedric Benson | Pick 4
RB, Texas
2004
- Tommie Harris | Pick 14
DT, Oklahoma
2003
- Michael Haynes | Pick 14
DE, Penn State - Rex Grossman | Pick 22
QB, Florida
2002
- Marc Colombo | Pick 29
OT, Boston College
2001
- David Terrell | Pick 8
WR, Michigan
2000
- Brian Urlacher* | Pick 9
LB, New Mexico
1999
- Cade McNown | Pick 12
QB, UCLA
1998
- Curtis Enis | Pick 5
RB, Penn State
1997
The Bears traded the 11th pick to the Seattle Seahawks.
1996
- Walt Harris | Pick 13
DB, Mississippi State
1995
- Rashaan Salaam | Pick 21
RB, Colorado
1994
- John Thierry | Pick 11
DE, Alcorn State
1993
- Curtis Conway | Pick 7
WR, USC
1992
- Alonzo Spellman | Pick 22
DE, Ohio State
1991
- Stan Thomas | Pick 22
OT, Texas
1990
- Mark Carrier | Pick 6
DB, USC
1989
- Donnell Woolford | Pick 11
DB, Clemson - Trace Armstrong | Pick 12
DE, Florida
1988
- Brad Muster | Pick 23
RB, Stanford - Wendell Davis | Pick 27
WR, LSU
1987
- Jim Harbaugh | Pick 26
QB, Michigan
1986
- Neal Anderson | Pick 27
RB, Florida
1985
- William Perry | Pick 22
DT, Clemson
1984
- Wilber Marshall | Pick 11
LB, Florida
1983
- Jimbo Covert* | Pick 6
T, Pittsburgh - Willie Gault | Pick 18
WR, Tennessee
1982
- Jim McMahon | Pick 5
QB, BYU
1981
- Keith Van Horne | Pick 11
OT, USC
1980
- Otis Wilson | Pick 19
LB, Louisville
1979
- Dan Hampton* | Pick 4
DE, Arkansas - Al Harris | Pick 9
DE, Arizona State
1978
The Bears traded the 20th pick to the Cleveland Browns.
1977
- Ted Albrecht | Pick 15
OT, California
1976
- Dennis Lick | Pick 8
OT, Wisconsin
1975
- Walter Payton* | Pick 4
RB, Jackson State
1974
- Waymond Bryant | Pick 4
LB, Tenessee State - Dave Gallagher | Pick 20
DE, Michigan
1973
- Wally Chambers | Pick 8
DT, East. Kentucky
1972
- Lionel Antoine | Pick 3
OT, Southern Illinois - Craig Clemons | Pick 12
DB, Iowa
1971
- Joe Moore | Pick 11
RB, Missouri
1970
The Bears traded the second pick to the Green Bay Packers.
1969
- Rufus Mayes | Pick 14
OT, Ohio State
1968
- Mike Hull | Pick 16
RB, USC
1967
- Loyd Phillips | Pick 10
DE, Arkansas
1966
- George Rice | Pick 12
DT, LSU
1965
- Dick Butkus* | Pick 3
LB, Illinois - Gale Sayers* | Pick 4
RB, Kansas - Steve DeLong | Pick 6
DE, Tennessee
1964
- Dick Evey | Pick 14
DT, Tennessee
1963
- Dave Behrman | Pick 11
C, Michigan State
1962
- Ronnie Bull | Pick 7
RB, Baylor
1961
- Mike Ditka* | Pick 5
TE, Pittsburgh
1960
- Roger Davis | Pick 7
G, Syracuse
1959
- Don Clark | Pick 7
B, Ohio State
1958
- Chuck Howley | Pick 7
LB, West Virginia
1957
- Earl Leggett | Pick 13
DT, LSU
1956
- Menan (Tex) Schriewer | Pick 10
E, Texas
1955
- Ron Drzewiecki | Pick 11
HB, Marquette
1954
- Stan Wallace | Pick 6
DB, Illinois
1953
- Billy Anderson | Pick 6
DB, Compton CC (CA)
1952
- Jim Dooley | Pick 8
B, Miami (FL)
1951
- Bob Williams | Pick 2
QB, Notre Dame - Billy Stone | Pick 10
B, Bradley - Gene Schroeder | Pick 12
E, Virginia
1950
- Chuck Hunsinger | Pick 3
HB, Florida - Fred Morrison | Pick 10
FB, Ohio State
1949
- Dick Harris | Pick 11
C, Texas
1948
- Bobby Layne* | Pick 3
QB, Texas - Max Bumgardner | Pick 10
DE, Texas
1947
- Bob Fenimore | Pick 1
HB, Oklahoma State - Don Kindt | Pick 11
DB, Wisconsin
1946
- Johnny Lujack | Pick 4
QB, Notre Dame
1945
- Don Lund | Pick 7
B, Michigan
1944
- Ray Evans | Pick 9
TB, Kansas
1943
- Bob Steuber | Pick 9
HB, DePauw
1942
- Frankie Albert | Pick 10
QB, Stanford
1941
- Tom Harmon | Pick 1
HB, Michigan - Norm Standlee | Pick 3
FB, Stanford - Don Scott | Pick 9
B, Ohio State
1940
- Bulldog Turner* | Pick 7
C, Hardin-Simmons
1939
- Sid Luckman* | Pick 2
QB, Columbia - Bill Osmanski | Pick 6
FB, Holy Cross
1938
- Joe Gray | Pick 10
B, Oregon St.
1937
- Les McDonald | Pick 8
E, Nebraska
1936
- Joe Stydahar* | Pick 6
OT, West Virginia
*Inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame
