The First Pick: 1936-1940

Here's the first part of The First Pick series. Today we look at the first picks of the NFL Draft in the earliest years of the league.

1936: JAY BERWANGER (RB, Chicago)

The first pick in NFL Draft history was Jay Berwanger. The 1935 Heisman Trophy winner out of the University of Chicago ended up never playing a down of professional football. Originally drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles, Berwanger ended up being traded from the Eagles to the Chicago Bears. An offer by Bears owner George Halas was refused by Berwanger, who aspired to instead compete in the 1936 Summer Olympics.


1937: SAM FRANCIS (FB, Nebraska)

The Philadelphia Eagles once again selected first in the 1937 NFL Draft, this time taking Francis, a runner-up Heisman candidate out of Nebraska. Francis' rights were traded to Chicago shortly thereafter, and he endured a short NFL career with the Bears, the Pittsburgh Pirates, and the Brooklyn Dodgers. In 1940, Francis left football for good to serve in World War II.


1938: CORBETT DAVIS (FB, Indiana)

Davis was drafted by the Cleveland Rams, and spent four years with the franchise before leaving football to serve in the war. A largely unremarkable career was magnified after his gruesome death in 1968, where he tripped while stepping out of a fishing boat and ruptured his spleen on a tree branch.


1939: KI ALDRICH (C/LB, Texas Christian)

Perhaps the first worthy number one overall pick, Aldrich played seven seasons with the Chicago Cardinals and Washington Redskins, recording 8 interceptions and 2 touchdowns in his career. Selected to 2 Pro Bowls, Aldrich was also inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1960.


1940: GEORGE CAFEGO (QB, Tennessee)

Cafego was the first quarterback selected number one overall in the draft. Although he was selected by the Chicago Cardinals, his first on-field action was with the Brooklyn Dodgers. His career was marred by particularly unremarkable play (5-16 touchdown-interception ratio), and he ended his career with one season in Washington and two more with the Boston Yanks.


Best pick of 1936-1940: KI ALDRICH (1939)

Without a doubt, Aldrich is the top pick of this era. With so many NFL players going off to enlist, Aldrich was one of the remarkable few that managed to have a substantial career in professional football. With the NFL Draft being relatively new and many teams taking the 1st overall pick for granted, Aldrich still managed to somewhat live up to his title.