Table 2. Number of teams in contention for the number one draft pick going into the final round of seasons 1997 to 2005.
| Season |
Number of teams in contention for Pick 1, Round 22 |
Teams in
contention for Pick 1, Round 19 |
| 2005 |
2 |
5 |
| 2004 |
2 |
3 |
| 2003 |
3 |
5 |
| 2002 |
2 |
5 |
| 2001 |
3 |
4 |
| 2000 |
1 |
5 |
| 1999 |
2 |
5 |
| 1998 |
1 |
6 |
| 1997 |
4 |
6 |
Aside from the 1998 and 2000 seasons, the race for the number one draft pick would have remained alive and well prior to the final round.
