Auburn Ranks in the Top Five for This Key NFL Draft Stat

It is no secret that the Auburn Tigers have not exactly been up to their past standards in recent memory, but Auburn has been one of the best NFL-producing schools over the course of its existence. Case in point: the Tigers rank fifth overall in NFL history for the most first-overall picks to come from a program, with four.

The Tigers tie with the Stanford Cardinal for this accolade, though Stanford has only produced quarterbacks, whereas Auburn has produced first-overall talent in both sides of the ball and in three different positions.

The Tigers’ all-time first-overall picks list goes as follows: running back Tucker Frederickson in 1965, running back Bo Jackson in 1986, linebacker Aundray Bruce in 1988 and quarterback Cam Newton in 2011.

Newton and Jackson’s names will likely stick out to most due to their success (and the fact that they have statues outside of Jordan-Hare Stadium), and for good reason: Bruce is largely considered to be a bust, while Frederickson’s time in the NFL came before many Auburn fans were even born, or at least have memories of.

Newton, the 2010 Heisman winner, led Auburn to an undefeated national championship season in that same year, and even had his number retired by the program during their 2025 matchup against Georgia. He took his Carolina Panthers, the team that drafted him first overall, to a Super Bowl, and though they could not finish the job, Newton still managed to accumulate MVP honors for that season.

Jackson, on the other hand, is one of the more dominant two-sport athletes of all time, as he played for the Raiders in the NFL for four seasons before a hip injury ended his running back days. He still stayed plenty active, though, as he played Major League Baseball before, during and after his time as a professional football player.

Bo Jackson is one of four Auburn players to be selected No. 1 overall in the NFL Draft. | Manny Rubio-Imagn Images

The Tigers have not produced a No. 1 pick since, but they have come pretty close despite the team’s struggles in recent years. After the 2013 season, when the Tigers made another push to the national championship, offensive tackle Greg Robinson was snapped up by the Rams with the second overall pick.

The Tigers also boasted two first-round picks in the 2020 draft, despite a 9-4 season and losing a bowl game. Derrick Brown, one of the more dominant defensive tackles in recent Auburn memory, went seventh overall to the Panthers, while Noah Igbinoghene was snapped up by the Dolphins with the 30th pick.

The Tigers are even represented in this year’s first round, despite a horrific season in which the Tigers were below .500, missed out on a bowl game and fired head coach Hugh Freeze. Keldric Faulk, one of the bright spots on DJ Durkin’s defense, went 31st overall to the Titans on Thursday.

So, despite the Tigers’ struggles to produce in key games over the last few seasons, they have still managed to produce yet another first-rounder, proving that, regardless of how any season shakes out, Auburn consistently has top talent that can succeed at a high NFL level.

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