Is the #1 Pick in The NFL Draft Worth it? Part 1: The 5th Overall Pick (2026 Guide)

Is the #1 Pick in the NFL Draft Worth it? Part 1: The 5th Overall Pick (2026 Guide)

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When asking if the #1 pick in the NFL draft is worth it, we have to look at the surrounding value in that particular class. The 2026 NFL Draft looks to shape up narratively with previous years, as Indiana quarterback and reigning Heisman Trophy winner Fernando Mendoza is all but a lock to be taken first overall by the Las Vegas Raiders.

Of course, there are exceptions to this idea of thought, as two-way phenom Travis Hunter was taken second overall in last year’s draft. The jury is still out on whether or not Hunter will end up being the signature player of his draft class, but the idea that the best player could not end up being the first player taken warrants a closer look.

Over the next few weeks, I will go through the players selected at each pick in the top five and get to the bottom of whether or not there is a spot that consistently produces a higher level of player than the first overall pick. 

To reflect a more modern outlook on the players and league as a whole, I will be looking at the drafts from 2016 to 2023. 2016 serves as a good starting point, as it marked the first time the No. 1 overall pick had been traded since 2001. Not only has the first pick been traded again since then, but the practice of trading into the top five has become a near-annual occurrence. I left out the 2024 and 2025 draft selections, as it is still a bit early to make strong assumptions about those players’ careers and projections.

To properly weigh the draft picks against each other, I created a scoring system based on individual accolades. The player and what he does on the field is what is being evaluated; therefore, team success like Super Bowl appearances/wins won’t be factored in (unless it is a quarterback, but I’ll explain that when the time comes).

The point system will be graded as so:

• • MVP: 10

  • Super Bowl win (QBs only): 5

  • First team All-Pro selection: 5

  • OPOY, DPOY: 4

• • Second Team All-Pro Selection: 3

  • Super Bowl MVP: 3

  • Super Bowl appearance (QBs only): 3

  • Pro Bowl selection: 2.5

  • OROY, DROY: 2.5

• • All Rookie Team: 2

  • League leader (per stat), playoff wins (QBs only): 1

The series will proceed in ascending order, with the first (this one) focused on the fifth pick and the final one centered on the first overall pick. So let’s get started!

Notable 5th Overall Picks in The NFL Draft

Highs: Jalen Ramsey, DB Jacksonville Jaguars (2016), Jamarr Chase, WR Cincinnati Bengals (2021).  Two of the best draft picks you could make in any draft.

Jalen Ramsey, a 3-time first-team All-Pro selection, was quite possibly the best defensive back in the NFL in the late 2010s. Ramsey quickly became a star in Jacksonville, becoming the defensive cornerstone almost immediately. The physical player with an unashamed attitude had clearly overstayed his tenure as a Jaguar, with a verbal altercation with head coach Doug Marrone serving as the inciting incident for his trade to the Los Angeles Rams.

It was in Los Angeles that Ramsey had his most success as a player, winning Super Bowl LVI with the team in 2022. He’s since been on two other teams, by no fault of his own. Each of his last two stops (Miami and Pittsburgh) took him on to pay him what he felt he deserved. It’s no shock that Ramsey still remains productive. In year 10, he started all 17 games for the Pittsburgh Steelers last season and was named to his eighth Pro Bowl. 

Jamarr Chase is considered one of, if not the best, wide receivers in the NFL right now. Coming out of the gates hot with a dominant first season and winning offensive rookie of the year, Chase hasn’t slowed down one bit. He has yet to miss a Pro Bowl in his career and is one of six receivers since the NFL-AFL merger to win the triple crown (league leader in receiving touchdowns, yards, and receptions). Right now, he sits third all-time in receiving yards per game (87.7), behind the Los Angeles Rams’ Puka Nacua (95.3) and Minnesota Vikings’ Justin Jefferson (90.2).

The true litmus test as to where his career will go relies heavily on who is under center. There’s no question that Chase is a significantly more productive receiver when he has his former LSU teammate Joe Burrow throwing to him. Having reached back-to-back AFC championships and a Super Bowl together, success for the pair has fallen by the wayside over the past few seasons. Injuries to Burrow, along with the lack of a sustainable offensive line and defense, have left the franchise as a whole in flux.

Lows: Corey Davis, WR, Tennessee Titans (2017)

Simply put, Corey Davis had a fairly unremarkable career in the NFL. 

Davis came into the draft as the all-time NCAA receiving yards leader, and still holds that record to this day. It’s hard to say exactly what happened to him in the NFL. Lasting just 6 seasons, the fifth pick in the 2017 NFL draft cracked 800 receiving yards twice and never reached the 1000-yard mark in his career.

I wouldn’t say Corey Davis was the poster child for health as an athlete, but the number of games missed doesn’t entirely correlate with the low production on the field. In 2023, Davis announced on Instagram that he would be stepping away from football. He has not played since.

Notables: Devon Witherspoon, DB Seattle Seahawks; Tua Tagovailoa, QB Miami Dolphins (2020)

Witherspoon and Tagovailoa both represent the real dichotomy in what the fifth pick can get you. 

So far, so good for Seattle, as in the three seasons since Devon Witherspoon was drafted, he’s been a Pro Bowler for all of them. Despite missing five games, Witherspoon’s 2025-26 season was his true coming-out party. He was named Second Team All-Pro, the first such honor of his career, and was part of the stifling Super Bowl LX champion defense. Still early in his career, Witherspoon is trending to be one of the elite cornerbacks in the league for years to come. 

The pre-draft hype for Tua Tagovailoa was out of this world. Before his hip injury at Alabama, he was projected as the potential number one pick, with fans across the league encouraging their teams to “Tank for Tua”. So far, he’s fallen pretty short of his pre-draft expectations, with injuries being a factor in the matter. The once highly touted quarterback prospect suffered two concussions and a horrifying blow to the head in 2022 that led to a league-wide change in concussion reporting policy.

On the bright side, he has shown flashes of real talent at the pro level, leading the league in passer rating (2022), passing yards (2023), and completion percentage (2024). With a career win percentage of .579 and a single playoff start, his numbers average out to slightly above average, with the arrow pointing sharply down.

This was a far cry from the guy Dolphins fans thought would solve their now 26-year-long playoff win drought. Tagovailoa, this past March, was cut by the Miami Dolphins despite being owed $54 million in guaranteed money. He signed a veteran minimum deal with the Atlanta Falcons and is looking to compete for a starting job.

Using the scoring system, players taken fifth overall from 2016 to 2023 have career accolades that add up to a score of 98, with the draft pick’s average at 10.89. Next week will cover the fourth overall pick and all it has to offer. 

Franchise Sports Media. Las Vegas sports news about Las Vegas Sports teams.

-Julian Winters for Franchise Sports Media

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