NFL Teams Drafting Most Heisman Winners

NFL Teams That Have Drafted the Most Heisman Winners

Discover which NFL teams have selected the most Heisman Trophy winners in the NFL Draft. The interest in these award-winners seems to be quite strong from some franchises, while other teams have not made it a priority to draft players singled out as the best in college football.

When the first NFL Draft was held in 1936, the first player selected was 1935 Heisman Trophy winner Jay Berwanger. Through the years, selecting the winners of college football's top individual award has been a popular early-round choice.

NFL Franchise	Heisman Winners Drafted	Heisman Winner - College - Year Drafted
Detroit Lions	10	Larry Kelley, Yale, 1937 Clint Frank, Yale 1938 Frank Sinkwich, Georgia, 1943 Glenn Davis, Army, 1947 Leon Hart, Notre Dame, 1950 Howard Cassady, Ohio State, 1956 Steve Owens, Oklahoma, 1970 Billy Sims, Oklahoma 1980 Barry Sanders, Oklahoma State, 1989 Andre Ware, Houston, 1990
L.A. Rams	9	Les Horvath, Ohio State, 1943 Billy Cannon, LSU, 1960 Terry Baker, Oregon State, 1963 Mike Garrett, USC, 1966 Gary Beban, UCLA, 1968 John Cappalletti, Penn State, 1974 Doug Flutie, Boston Coll., 1985 Eric Crouch, Nebraska, 2002
Tennessee Titans Houston Oilers	6	Earl Campbell, Texas, 1978 Mike Rozier, Nebraska, 1984 Eddie George, Ohio State 1996 Marcus Mariota, Oregon, 2014 Derrick Henry, Alabama, 2016
Washington Commanders	5	Vick Janowicz, Ohio State, 1952 Joe Bellino, Navy, 1961 Ernie Davis, Syracuse, 1963 Desmond Howard, Washington, 1992 Robert Griffin III, Baylor, 2012

Lions Pride

The Detroit Lions have drafted more Heisman winners that any other NFL franchise. Oklahoma State's Barry Sanders proved to be Detroit's top Heisman choice with the Pro Football Hall of Fame career that Sanders earned.

NFL Franchise	Heisman Winners Drafted	Heisman Winner - College - Year Drafted
Chicago Bears	4	Tom Harmon, Michigan, 1941 Johnny Lujack, Notre Dame, 1949 Dick Kazmaier, Princeton, 1952 Rashaan Salaam, Colorado 1995
New Orleans Saints	4	George Rogers, South Carolina 1981 Danny Wuerffel, Florida, 1997 Ricky Williams, Texas, 1999 Reggie Bush, USC, 2006
Oakland Raiders Las Vegas	4	Marcus Allen, USC, 1982 Bo Jackson, Auburn, 1988 Tim Brown Notre Dame, 1988 Charles Woodson, Michigan, 1998
Cincinnati Bengals	3	Archie Griffin, Ohio State, 1976 Carson Palmer, USC, 2003 Joe Burrow, LSU, 2020
Cleveland Browns	3	Charles White, USC, 1980 Johnny Manziel, Texas A&M 2014 Baker Mayfield, Oklahoma, 2017
Dallas Cowboys	3	Roger Staubach, Navy, 1964 Tony Dorsett, Pitt, 1977 Herschel Walker, 1985
Green Bay Packers	3	Bruce Smith, Minnesota 1942 Paul Hornung, Notre Dame 1957 Ty Detmer, BYU, 1992
Philadelphia Eagles	3	Jay Berwanger, Chicago, 1936 Davey O'Brien, TCU, 1939 John Huarte, Notre Dame, 1965
Arizona Cardinals St. Louis & Chicago	3	John David Crow, Texas A&M, 1958 Matt Leinart, USC, 2004, Kyler Murray, Oklahoma 2019
Carolina Panthers	3	Chris Weinke, FSU, 2001, Cam Newton, Auburn, 2011 Bryce Young, Auburn 2023

Hitting Heisman Gold

The Raiders franchise struck the jackpot by drafting Heisman Trophy winners who excelled in the draft. Three of the Raiders picks, Marcus Allen, Tim Brown and Charles Woodson went from wearing the vaunted Silver and Black to Gold Pro Football Hall of Fame blazers. Had Bo Jackson not suffered a devastating hip injury and refrained from playing Major League Baseball, he easily could have been a hall of famer as well.

Tampa Bay Bucaneers	2	Vinny Testaverde, Miami 1987 Jameis Winston, FSU, 2013
Carolina Panthers	2	Chris Weinke, FSU, 2001, Cam Newton, Auburn, 2011
Indianapolis/Baltimore Colts	2	Billy Vessels, Oklahoma, 1953 Alan Ameche, Wisconsin, 1955
New England Patriots	2	Joe Bellino, Navy, 1961 Jim Plunkett, Stanford, 1971
Pittsburgh Steelers	2	Doc Blanchard, Army, 1946 Johnny Lattner, Notre Dame, 1954
Tampa Bay Bucaneers	2	Vinny Testaverde, Miami 1987, Jameis Winston 2014
Atlanta Falcons	1	Pat Sullivan, Auburn, 1972
Baltimore Ravens	1	Troy Smith, Ohio State, 2007
Denver Broncos	1	Tim Tebow, Florida, 2010
Minnesota Vikings	1	Gino Torretta, Miami, 1993