WWE Draft history: Every No. 1 overall pick, year by year
The WWE Draft will return on Friday night, and it’s anyone’s guess as to who the top overall selection will be when SmackDown makes the first overall pick.
The WWE Draft has used several different formats throughout the years. The Draft was first introduced as a part of the brand and roster split idea in 2002, when SmackDown selected The Rock to be the face of its show.
Since then, we’ve seen names pulled out of bingo cages, massive draft-day trades, and plenty of world champions making surprise switches to brands.
Here’s a look back at the top picks from every WWE Draft to this point.
2002: The first WWE Draft
No. 1: SmackDown drafts The Rock
No. 2: Raw drafts The Undertaker
2004: The one with a bingo cage
Arguably the wildest format WWE ever used. There were only 12 picks in total, and picks were made by the respective show GMs at the time (Eric Bischoff for Raw, Paul Heyman for SmackDown) pulling names out of a bingo cage. The GMs were then allowed to trade anyone on their roster the rest of the night.
In the end, Triple H was drafted by SmackDown, but later traded to Raw for a draft package that included Booker T and The Dudley Boyz.
No. 1: SmackDown drafts Rene Dupree
No. 2: Raw drafts Shelton Benjamin
2006: Brand Extension Draft for ECW
No. 1: ECW drafts Rob Van Dam from Raw
No. 2: ECW drafts Kurt Angle from SmackDown
2007: Tri-branded Raw, SmackDown, ECW draft
No. 1: SmackDown drafts The Great Khali
No. 2: ECW drafts The Boogeyman
No. 3: Raw drafts King Booker and Queen Sharmell
2008: Rey Mysterio goes No. 1
No. 1: Raw drafts Rey Mysterio
No. 2: SmackDown drafts Jeff Hardy
2009: Raw gets the top two picks
No. 1: Raw drafts MVP
No. 2: Raw drafts Big Show
2010: SmackDown gets the top two picks
No. 1: SmackDown drafts Kelly Kelly
No. 2: SmackDown drafts Big Show
2011: Daniel Bryan goes first overall
No. 1: SmackDown drafts Daniel Bryan
No. 2: Raw drafts Jack Swagger
2016: Seth Rollins is the No. 1 pick
No. 1: Raw drafts Seth Rollins
No. 2: SmackDown drafts Dean Ambrose
2017: The first “Superstar Shake-Up”
This wasn’t a “draft,” and instead an opportunity for WWE to shift rosters. Throughout the two nights on Raw and SmackDown, wrestlers previously on the opposite brand made appearances on their new show.
Intercontinental Champion Dean Ambrose switched from SmackDown to Raw, and United States Champion Kevin Owens switched from Raw to SmackDown.
2018: The second “Superstar Shake-Up”
Raw received: United States Champion Jinder Mahal, Kevin Owens, Sami Zayn and Drew McIntyre, among others
SmackDown received: Jeff Hardy (who won the U.S. title from Jinder Mahal on Night 1 of the shake-up), Samoa Joe and Asuka, among others
2019: The final “Superstar Shake-Up”
Raw received: the Miz, Rey Mysterio, AJ Styles, The Usos and Samoa Joe, among others
SmackDown received: Finn Balor, Bayley, Kairi Sane and Roman Reigns, among others
2019: The Draft returns
Just a few months after the Superstar Shake-Up, a proper WWE Draft was held in October of 2019
No. 1: Raw drafts Becky Lynch
No. 2: SmackDown drafts Roman Reigns
2020: Raw retains WWE Champion Drew McIntyre
No. 1: Raw drafts Drew McIntyre
No. 2: SmackDown drafts Roman Reigns
2021: SmackDown retains Universal Champion Roman Reigns
No. 1: SmackDown drafts Roman Reigns
No. 2: Raw drafts Big E
2023: SmackDown keeps The Bloodline
No. 1: SmackDown drafts The Bloodline
No. 2: Raw drafts Cody Rhodes