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