As of 2017, who was the most recent overall number one NFL draft pick to be named rookie of the year?

The most recent overall number one National Football League (NFL) draft pick to be named rookie of the year is Cam Newton. Newton who was born May 11, 1989 is an American NFL football quarterback. He plays for the Carolina Panthers of the NFL.

Newton played his college football at Auburn and was drafted as the first overall pick by the Panthers in the 2011 NFL Draft. Newton is the only player in the modern era to be awarded the Heisman Trophy, win a national championship, and become the first overall pick in an NFL draft within a one-year period of time. He was the 2011 NFL Rookie of the Year. He became a three time Pro Bowler, and he was named to the NFL All-Pro First Team in 2015.

In his rookie year, Newton broke all-time NFL rookie records for passing and rushing yards. He became the first NFL quarterback to throw for 400 yards in his first game, shattering Peyton Manning's first-game record by 120 yards. He also broke Otto Graham's 61-year-old record for passing yards by any quarterback in an NFL debut.