Analyzing USC Trojans' Rich NFL Draft History and Future

With the 2026 NFL Draft approaching, USC Trojans wide receiver Makai Lemon is expected to be selected in the first round. While he won't be the No. 1 overall pick, USC has a rich history at the NFL Draft.

USC Trojans Quarterback Broke Important Draft Trend For Trojans Carson Palmer Number One Overall Pick 2003 NFL Draft — New York Jets Keyshawn Johnson (19) looks for some running room in the Broncos defense after catching a pass during the AFC Championship game at Mile High Stadium in Denver Jan 17, 1999. Denver won the game 23-10 | Frank Becerra Jr./The Journal News / USA TODAY NETWORK

USC Non-Quarterbacks Selected No. 1 Overall

In the history of the Trojans, they have had six players drafted No. 1 overall, but for a while, none of them were at the quarterback position.

The first USC player to be selected No. 1 overall was offensive tackle Ron Yary by the Minnesota Vikings. Yary had a successful NFL career, and when it was all said and done, he was named a Hall of Famer.

Following Yary was former USC running back O.J. Simpson, who was drafted No. 1 overall by the Buffalo Bills in 1969. Almost a decade later, running back Ricky Bell was selected No. 1 overall by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the 1977 NFL Draft.

The fourth Trojan selected as the top pick in the NFL Draft was wide receiver Keyshawn Johnson in 1996 by the New York Jets. Johnson eclipsed 10,000 receiving yards in his career and became a Super Bowl champion in 2002 with Tampa Bay.

The Trend Is Broken

The next player out of USC selected No. 1 overall was quarterback Carson Palmer in 2003 by the Cincinnati Bengals, who finally broke the trend of no Trojan quarterbacks being selected at the top of the NFL Draft.

Palmer had a very successful NFL career, where he racked up over 45,000 passing yards and was able to reach the NFC Championship Game in 2015 as the highlight of his career.

21 years later, Caleb Williams was the next USC quarterback drafted No. 1 overall when he was selected by the Chicago Bears in 2024. So far, Williams has had two decent years in the NFL, highlighted by his mobility and skill set to extend plays.

Williams was able to lead the Bears to the playoffs last season, and the more he develops, he could become one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL.

What The Trend Means

This trend of no quarterback being selected No. 1 overall from USC until 2003 was not just something that changed for the Trojans. The game of football itself was changed significantly in terms of positional value.

The more that offenses have developed, football and specifically the NFL has become more of a passing league where the quarterback is significantly more valued because to succeed, every team needs an elite quarterback.

The college game has also changed because of that value, with offensive minds like USC’s Lincoln Riley being known as one of the best at developing quarterbacks and sending them to the NFL.

In his career at Oklahoma and with the Trojans, Riley has coached three No. 1 overall picks at the quarterback position in Baker Mayfield, Kyler Murray, and, more recently, Caleb Williams.

Looking ahead to the near future at USC, quarterback Jayden Maiava has progressed every year since he arrived at USC and is hoping to be one of the top quarterbacks taken when he declares for the NFL Draft. With Riley’s track record, Maiava has an opportunity to play his way into the top of the 2027 NFL Draft.

With the NFL becoming more of a passing league, Palmer was able to break the USC trend and help quarterbacks get more recognition to be selected at the top of the draft each year.

The future of USC quarterbacks seems bright, and with Riley at the helm, there could be a few more Trojan quarterbacks selected at No. 1 overall in the next several years.

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