Phoenix is one of the top cities with the highest number of No. 1 draft picks.

Phoenix Ranks High Among Cities With Most No. 1 Draft Picks
Fact Checked by Young Ruth

The Valley of the Sun is famous for its variety of attractions, such as its weather, professional sports teams, and the new inclusion of Arizona sportsbooks.

Phoenix is well-known for the abundance of top draft picks its sports teams have acquired, solidifying the Valley as one of the premier cities in the United States for top picks in the MLB, NBA, NFL, and NHL drafts.

The data for yengols.com’s analysis on cities with the most No. 1 overall draft picks from the 2000 to 2023 drafts was gathered from the official websites of MLB, NBA, NFL, and NHL. After reviewing the 96 total picks, we determined which cities had the highest number of selections.

Unfortunately, according to betting apps, it appears that the Arizona Cardinals may be in line to secure the first pick in the 2024 Draft for the second year in a row, much to the disappointment of NFL fans in the state.

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Cities with the highest number of No. 1 draft picks

RankCityNo. of 1st Overall Draft Picks% of 1st Overall Draft Picks
T-1Houston, TX77.3%
T-1Cleveland, OH77.3%
3Pittsburgh, PA66.3%
T-4Tampa, FL55.2%
T-4Washington D.C.55.2%
T-6Phoenix, AZ44.2%
T-6Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN44.2%
T-6Detroit, MI44.2%

Phoenix has had its fair share of top picks.

The Valley, Minneapolis-St. Paul, and Detroit are all tied for sixth place overall, with each city having produced four No. 1 draft picks since 2000.

Throughout its history, Phoenix has produced several top picks in the “Big Four” sports leagues, such as Justin Upton from the Diamondbacks in 2005, Dansby Swanson in 2015, Deandre Ayton from the Suns in 2018, and Kyler Murray from the Cardinals in 2019.

The four Phoenix No. 1 overall picks have had varying degrees of success in their leagues. Upton retired from his 16-year MLB career with 325 home runs, 1,754 hits, and a 32.3 WAR, while Swanson has a career WAR of 17.6 over eight seasons with the Braves and Cubs.

Ayton, a towering player hailing from Arizona, has amassed 30.9 win shares throughout his career. He also boasts averages of 16.7 points, 10.4 rebounds, and 1.6 assists per game. Murray, on the other hand, has thrown for 13,848 yards and 84 touchdowns (while also throwing 41 interceptions). In addition, he has rushed for 2,204 yards and 23 touchdowns playing for the Cardinals.

Even after making a comeback from a significant injury, Murray’s odds of winning the NFL MVP award, according to BetMGM Sportsbook Arizona, are +10000.

Throughout their careers, each player has used their early draft selections to secure profitable contract extensions. Upton has accumulated $201.4 million, Ayton has earned $72.8 million with the Suns, Murray has cashed in for $60.2 million with the Cardinals, and Swanson has made $34.8 million.

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Author

Peterson Christopher

Peterson Christopher has spent more than seven years reporting on sports and sports betting in Arizona for various outlets including ArizonaSports.com, the Tucson Weekly, and the Green Valley News. He now holds the position of lead writer at yengols.com.

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