The Heisman and the NFL draft

The NFL loves the Heisman. The evidence for that claim is supported by the history of the league’s annual draft.

The first player ever drafted was also the very first Heisman winner, Jay Berwanger of Chicao. Berwanger was selected first overall by the Philadelphia Eagles and then traded to the Chicago Bears, but it didn’t matter — Berwanger decided to skip the NFL and pursue other interests.

His indifference didn’t stop the NFL from coveting future Heisman winners.

Of the 78 Heisman winners eligible for drafting, 51 were selected in the first round. Nineteen of them were taken with the first overall pick and 35 within the first five selections. Just four Heisman winners have not been drafted (two of them had military obligations, one went to the NBA and one had multiple knee injuries that affected his draft stock).

The 2015 NFL draft, which begins on Thursday (April 30) and runs through Saturday (May 2), should feature two first round Heisman winners. The 2013 winner, Jameis Winston, and 2014’s Marcus Mariota are both eligible for selection. The speculation is that Winston might go first overall, which would make him the 20th Heisman winner (and third out of the last seven) to do so. If, as expected, both Winston and Mariota are both selected in the first round, that will make eight-straight Heisman winners picked in the first round (and 10 out of the last 11).

Here’s a historical breakdown of the Heisman and the professional draft (NFL/AFL/USFL):