How Often Do Drafted Quarterbacks Become Starters?

By NFL Records · Updated September 28, 2026

From 1980 through 2023, NFL teams drafted 572 quarterbacks. The table below shows how many became multi-year starters (three or more seasons as the primary starter) and how many made a Pro Bowl, split by where they were taken.

First-round quarterbacks became multi-year starters 69% of the time, but the late rounds still produce outliers: 24 quarterbacks taken in round 4 or later made at least one Pro Bowl. The median first-round quarterback played 81 regular-season games; the median round-4-or-later quarterback played 3.

Data: nflverse draft data (compiled from Pro Football Reference), 1980–2026 drafts. Career outcomes are only compared for classes through 2023, since more recent players are still early in their careers. "Approximate Value" (AV) is Pro Football Reference's single-number estimate of a player's career contribution; it is useful for comparing careers across positions but is not a precise measure. Updated September 28, 2026.