bravadoaustralia.com.au › topdraft-picks-in-nfl-history-0ap 1. Tom Brady. Drafted by: New England Patriots, 6th round of NFL Draft (th overall) · 2. Joe Montana. Drafted by: San Francisco 49ers, 3rd round of Best NFL drafts ever Greatest nfl draft class is widely believed that the most successful draft took place in In terms of who in that draft became star. Ranking NFL Draft's all-time best and worst classes: Top players, overall depth and more ; DE Jason Taylor: ; DB Ronde Barber: ; OT Orlando.
There were seven Hall of Famers drafted in Taylor sacks , safety Kenny Easley 32 interceptions, Defensive Player of the Year and Ronnie Lott four-time Super Bowl champion headline the first-round selections. While there is a talent drop-off after that, the NFL Draft can still claim that 32 of its selections earned at least one Pro Bowl selection and 12 were named first-team All-Pro at least once.
Not bad for the best defensive NFL Draft class ever. While several on our list delivered five-plus inductees, the NFL Draft reached double figures. Related: Best No. Philadelphia Eagles offensive tackle Bob Brown seven consecutive All-Pro selections and Washington Commanders utility player Charley Taylor 10, scrimmage yards and 90 total touchdowns were taken second and third overall.
Len Hauss dominated at center for more than a decade, earning five Pro Bowl nods and fellow center Jon Morris received seven Pro Bowl selections of his own. Going beyond two of the most skilled passers in the history of football, the first round also included the second-best offensive lineman in NFL history Bruce Matthews, 9th overall and iconic running back Eric Dickerson 2nd overall.
Richard Dent rd overall pick , recorded Related: Best NFL dynasties ever. Finally, the NFL Draft saw 41 players earn Pro Bowl selections and 33 of those achieved the honor at least twice. Featured NFL. Matt Johnson April 8, Neville E. Those trajectories are not certain, but several teams built contenders in this draft.
The Cowboys jump out, with Dak Prescott pick No. Chris Jones became the Chiefs' defensive ace, while standout tackles Ronnie Stanley, Laremy Tunsil -- post-gasmask, which changed this draft -- and Jack Conklin proving quite valuable. Jared Goff and Carson Wentz's second acts will help shape this class's legacy.
Three years before Vince Lombardi began to alter Green Bay forever, the Packers gave him foundational pieces. A third-round pick, linebacker Sam Huff, led an immediate Giants turnaround. Colts first-round do-everything weapon Lenny Moore helped stop a New York dynasty soon after. Not as deep as most of the drafts on this list, 's included too many midcentury mainstays to ignore.
This draft does not offer tremendous depth, but its first-round set up contenders and will greenlight a few Canton speeches. Greatest nfl draft class Later in the top 10, Adrian Peterson set up shop in Minnesota. Darrelle Revis, Marshawn Lynch , and Patrick Willis are not Hall locks, but they anchored Super Bowl units and were the best or among the best at their jobs for many years. The draft receives far more acclaim, but 's Hall of Fame count five matches that storied class'.
Thurman Thomas -- the eighth running back picked -- came a long way from sleeping while waiting for his selection 40th overall , and before Carl Peterson drafted Derrick Thomas, the prior Chiefs regime traded up for sack sidekick Neil Smith at No. Five Hall of Famers went in this draft's first 14 picks.
Famed pass rusher Gino Marchetti was the lowest such selection 14th to the Colts , while the soon-defunct Dallas Texans not the Chiefs version chose center Les Richter -- later a longtime Ram -- second. Despite not making first- or second-round picks, the Lions came away winners.
Weeks before a new Dallas Texans iteration became the Chiefs, their future Hall of Famer-fueled defenses received two early pieces. The third- and fourth-round picks made this one of the best QB drafts. Infamously beginning with the Eli Manning- Philip Rivers NBA-style switcheroo , the '04 draft made a sizable imprint on the modern quarterback position.
This draft's Manning-Rivers- Ben Roethlisberger trio bolstered a storied group that became the deepest in the position's history. Larry Fitzgerald third overall gave the Cardinals nearly two decades of reliability. Jared Allen ended up with the most All-Pros four from this class, though Washington first-rounder Sean Taylor had that kind of career in front of him.
Atkins, a first-rounder, was originally a Browns pick; the Bears landed him in a trade. The 49ers acquired Hall of Famer Bob St. Were it not for this draft, Sandra Bullock's Oscar may have gone elsewhere. Football's most prolific tight end, Tony Gonzalez, went to the Chiefs at No. Tiki Barber Round 2 received a call before Ronde Round 3 ; fellow high running back picks Warrick Dunn and Corey Dillon justified their draft slots as well.
One first-round QB would-be Steve Young successor Jim Druckenmiller emerged; second-rounder Jake Plummer did his best to salvage an unremarkable passer group. But it unearthed prime talent later. Add in Super Bowl essentials Lavonte David and Mitchell Schwartz and this draft is not as far off 's revered group as it seems. Brown somehow went sixth overall.
Jurgensen, Dawson, and 49ers No. Greenwood Arkansas Pine-Pluff went to Pittsburgh. Additionally, the Chiefs took second-round guard Ed Budde, who started 12 years and was a seven-time Pro Bowler. Stabler won the MVP. He also led the Raiders to a Super Bowl win over the Vikings. Again, another historic class coming from the AFC West.
The Raiders used their first-round pick on Tennessee quarterback Eldridge Dickey, the first Black signal-caller ever drafted in the opening round. However, Oakland moved him to receiver before Dickey ever threw a professional pass. In the second and third rounds, Oakland landed another quarterback in Ken Stabler and left tackle Art Shell. Nobody remembers the Air Coryell Chargers for their defensive prowess, but they landed a trio of stars on that side in Dean is in the Hall of Fame with 92 unofficial sacks, while they combined to account for five first-team All-Pro appearances and 10 Pro Bowl trips.
The Rams have a rich history that includes four championships, but their drafts typically spread out their biggest hits. In the 11th round, receiver Tom Fears was tabbed, who teamed with Hirsch to provide one of the best perimeter duos of all time. Csonka rushed for 8, yards and scored 64 touchdowns. He also was a key player in Miami completing a perfect season.
In , Miami selected fullback Larry Csonka out of Syracuse to anchor its backfield. Csonka, an eventual Hall of Famer, was joined by fifth-round pick Jim Kiick as an elite third-down specialist who also reached two Pro Bowls. Additionally, the Dolphins drafted safety Dick Anderson in the third round, who collected two first-team All-Pro honors and three Pro Bowl appearances while being named to the s All-Decade Team.
Yet the Vikings did exactly that in , taking defensive tackle Alan Page out of Notre Dame with their third first-round pick. The right answer might be to type Tom Brady and move on. After all, this is the franchise that traded an entire draft class to select running back Ricky Williams in Still, New Orleans did a tremendous job in , landing corner Marshon Lattimore and right tackle Ryan Ramczyk in the first round, before nabbing safety Marcus Williams, running back Alvin Kamara, linebacker Alex Anzalone and edge rusher Trey Hendrickson in the second and third rounds.
Huff was arguably the most iconic defensive player of his era, finishing with 30 interceptions. Despite their illustrious history, the Giants are without a signature draft class. Huff, who earned enshrinement into the Hall of Fame, was arguably the most iconic defensive player of his era. Alongside Huff, the Giants also selected defensive end Jim Katcavage in the fourth round, who made two first-team All-Pro appearances and is credited with Powell went on to three first-team All-Pro selections and five Pro Bowls.
One round later, the Jets brought in receiver Wesley Walker, who caught 71 touchdowns over 13 seasons. Then, they picked defensive tackle and future Canton enshrinee Joe Klecko in the sixth round, who made Pro Bowls at his natural position along with nose tackle and defensive end. Finally, the Jets found guard Dan Alexander in the eighth round, a starter for 13 years.
Over the years, the Eagles have put together some quality classes, but the group is set apart by having two Hall of Famers in receiver Tommy McDonald and quarterback Sonny Jurgensen. McDonald and Jurgensen accounted for one first-team All-Pro and seven Pro Bowl honors while wearing kelly green, with each on the championship team. Faze clan losing money In , the Steelers were about to embark on a dynasty with four Super Bowl victories in six years, and it was a run set up by this group.
Haley was drafted in the fourth round, and finished his career with All told, San Francisco found seven starters. The Seahawks have won only a single Super Bowl in their franchise history, but much of that success had to do with the draft. Seattle crushed it that year, taking edge rusher Bruce Irvin in the first round before landing Utah State linebacker Bobby Wagner in the second.
Then, in the third, Seahawks general manager John Schneider took Wisconsin quarterback Russell Wilson, despite having just signed Matt Flynn to a multiyear deal.