Top Ten All Time Team NFL Drafts
Written by Nolan Thomas, Monday March 09 2009
There have been many good drafts along with many total busts by teams during the history of the NFL draft. I decided to put together a list of what I believe are the top ten team drafts of all time.
1. 1974
1. Lynn Swann WR USC.
2. Jack Lambert LB
3. John Stallworth WR
5. Mike Webster C Wisconsin
The Steelers hit the mother lode in the 1974 NFL Draft. To see just how great this draft was, only nine times since 1936 has an NFL Draft for all of the teams, sent more than four players to the Hall of Fame. No other team has had a draft that had more than two players elected into the Hall of Fame. This Steelers draft included four Hall of Fame members.
2. 1983
1. Jimbo Covert OT
2. Willie Gault WR
3. Mike Richardson DB
4. Dave Duerson DB Notre Dame
5. Tom Thayer C Notre Dame
7. Richard Dent DE Tennessee State
8. Mark Bortz G Iowa
Have you ever been curious as to how the Chicago Bears attained seven NFC Central Division titles between 1984 and 1991? Yes, the Bears already had Walter Payton, Jim McMahon, Mike Singletary, Dan Hampton and Da-coach Mike Ditka. However, the club's development was launched off the success of the 1983 draft class. It produced six starters and one reserve for the Bears' 1985 championship team. The diamond in the rough was Richard Dent, who accumulated 137.5 sacks in 15 seasons and should be in the Hall of Fame.
3. 1991
1 Russell Maryland DT Miami (FL)
2 Alvin Harper WR Tennessee
3 Kelvin Pritchett DT Mississippi
4 Dixon Edwards LB Michigan State
5 Godfrey Miles LB Florida
7 Erik Williams OT Central State (OH)
12 Darrick Brownlow LB Illinois
14 Leon Lett DT Emporia State
18 Larry Brown DB Texas Christian
Jimmy Johnson pulled off some amazing picks in the 1991 draft for the Cowboys. He selected Erik Williams who was in four Pro
4. 1958
1.
2.
3. Ray Nitschke
4. Jerry Kramer
The roots of
5. 1996
1. Jonathan Ogden OT UCLA
2. Ray Lewis LB Miami (FL)
4. Jermaine Lewis WR Maryland
The Ravens first draft class only had three key players, but what players they are. Ray Lewis has been in six Pro Bowls, been a five-time All Pro, has two Defensive Player of the Year awards and one Super Bowl ring. Jonathan Ogden is an 11-time Pro Bowler at left tackle and has one Super Bowl ring. Both are sure locks for the Hall of Fame. Not to mention, Jermaine Lewis has been a solid receiver/kick returner for the Ravens for 10 seasons.
6. 1981
1. Mark May OT Pittsburgh
2. Russ Grimm C
4. Dexter Manley DE Oklahoma State
7. Charlie Brown WR
12. Clint Didier TE Portland State
This draft class needs to be a lesson for all GMs wondering on whom to take on draft day: When all else fails, build up the lines. With their first three picks, the Redskins chose Mark May who has one Pro Bowl and two Super Bowl rings, Russ Grimm with four Pro Bowls, two Super Bowl rings and is a member of the All-Decade Team for the 1990s, and Dexter Manley with 97.5 career sacks. Charlie Brown was in two Pro Bowls, rang up 3,548 receiving yards in just six seasons, and played a major role on the Redskins dominant teams of 1982 and 1983. Didier was a steal as
7. 1965
1. Dick Butkus LB
1. Gale Sayers RB
7. Dick Gordon WR
The Bears took advantage of having two picks in the first round, selecting arguably the best middle linebacker and running back ever to play in the NFL. Dick Butkus was the most fearsome bone-crunching linebacker in the history of football. Gale Sayers is easily in the top five of all time great running backs and kick returners. Both are in the Hall of Fame and are the only two players ever selected back to back in the first round by the same team to be in the hall. Dick Gordon was a two time Pro Bowler and a reliable receiver for the Bears for 7 years.
8. 1986
1. Larry Roberts
2. Tom Rathman RB
3. Tim McKyer DB Texas-Arlington
4. John Taylor WR Delaware State
5. Charles Haley DE James Madison
6. Steve Wallace OT Auburn
7. Kevin Fagan DT Miami (FL)
9. Don Griffin DB Middle Tennessee State
Bill Walsh continually traded down with teams in order to acquire more draft picks. With those extra picks, he landed two future Offensive line starters in Steve Wallace and Kevin Fagan. He also added two playmaking defensive backs in Tim McKyer and Don Griffin. Walsh’s biggest splashes came from John Taylor, the only player with two 90-yard touchdown catches in one game, and Charles Haley, the only five time Super Bowl champion in NFL history. Also drafted was Tom Rathman the proto-type fullback in which all other fullbacks are measured.
9. 1985
1 Bruce Smith DE Virginia Tech
2 Derrick Burroughs DB Memphis State
5 Frank Reich QB Maryland
7 Andre Reed WR Kutztown (Pa.)
Bruce Smith belongs to two, yes two, All-Decade Teams for the 1980s and 1990’s. He is the NFL's all-time sack leader with 200, went to 11 Pro Bowls and helped lead the Bills to four Super Bowl appearances, and will be inducted into the Hall of fame in August of this year. Andre Reed is a seven-time Pro Bowler and totaled 13,198 receiving yards with 87 TDs. Frank Reich has 6,075 passing yards with 40 TDs and four playoff wins on his resume. The most memorable being a playoff game in 1993, when he overcame a 35-3 deficit in the third quarter to lead the Bills to a 41-38 OT win over Houston.
10. 1995
1. Warren Sapp DT
2. Derrick Brooks LB Florida State
5. Clifton Abraham DB Florida State
Although it is only three players, all three were key cogs to the Buccaneers dominant defense and the eventual Super Bowl victory in 2002. Derrick Brooks and Warren Sapp are easily the best defenders in Bucs franchise history and are certainly headed for the Hall of Fame.
Tags:
Leave a comment
Not So Fast! To publish your comment, you have to login
Not Registered? Register now as it only take 20 seconds!
Click here to browse
6 comments
Please sign in to rate!
Where is Derrick Burroughs today. Is he coaching on the college level or working in coporate America? Would like to know where all that talent went.
Please sign in to rate!
ooh, last comment, lol, if you did one from like, 93 on it would be different, but would make sense as that's when we started seeing the 8 round draft, not 12 or 13, which is slightly more similar to today's drafts. It's great to point out that 3 pro bowler's came from a team's draft, but you also must recall that the team probably drafted 15-20 guys that year, so hitting on three isn't as impressive then as it would be if you drafted 3 pro bowlers in today's system, which would be the equivalent to hitting on half your picks.
Please sign in to rate!
I agree, well written and the research must have taken forever, lol. One thing, You should do like, top ten...for the past 20 years or something, a lot of readers might not recall as far back as some of this goes, lol.
Please sign in to rate!
Keep writing Nolan and you'll be working soon enough. I've been there before and know how much it sucks. Was laid off before and my 12 years of marriage SEEMS like an eternity. Did you know that there was no actual stat for the "Hurry" before Mike Mamula? The Eagles made it up to justify their crappy pick and it kinda caught on. How sad.
Please sign in to rate!
Anything I can do to help B-dub! :) As far as your accusations, I don't sleep a lot, I am currently unemployed (it sucks out there right now,) and I have been married for 25 years. So again, your perception, as usual Dub, is spot on.
Please sign in to rate!
Outstanding article Nolan. I assume you never sleep since the amount of research this took means you either don't sleep, work or have relations with a woman. It WAS a great list until #10. As with everything else, this once again proves that the Eagles are the WORST franchise ever. The Bucs traded down in the 1995 draft with the Eagles to select Sapp. Who did the Eagles trade up to get? None other than the immortal Mike Mamula. Thanks for ruining my day Nolan.