Clearly, there aren’t many questions about either anymore. Both Barber and Jacobs have developed reputations for punishing defenders early in their careers and have seen their roles expand greatly each season. The best is yet to come for both youngsters.
23. Willis McGahee RB, Buffalo Bills 23rd overall (1st round) 2003
A possible No. 1 overall pick at the end of the regular season, McGahee’s gruesome knee injury in the Fiesta Bowl had NFL teams questioning whether he’d ever be able to play again. Somehow, McGahee, with a little help from agent Drew Rosenhaus, convinced several teams that he’d be able to return to his college form.
The Bills took a huge risk in spending first-round money on McGahee, who sat out his entire rookie season, but it paid off. He was one of the most consistent tailbacks in the NFL with Buffalo and earned his first Pro Bowl last season with Baltimore.
22. (tie) Lance Briggs LB, Chicago Bears 68th overall (3rd round) 2003
Jason Witten TE, Dallas Cowboys 69th overall (3rd round) 2003
Three years after drafting Brian Urlacher out of New Mexico, the Bears scoured the great southwest for another star linebacker, and they found one in Arizona’s Lance Briggs.
Most teams get top talent high in the first round, but what separates the average teams from the contenders is the ability to find standouts like Briggs deep in the draft.
One pick after the Bears nabbed Briggs, the Cowboys found a gem of their own. Witten has emerged as the second best pass-catching tight end in the NFL and responsible for much of the success Tony Romo has enjoyed in his two years as the Dallas starter.
21. Mike Anderson RB, Denver Broncos 189th overall (6th round) 2000
The 27-year-old rookie was one of the greatest stories in the last decade of football. Anderson, who was a member of the marching band in high school because the football coaches thought he was too big to play running back, spent four years in the marines before enrolling at Utah, where he teamed with Carolina Panther wide receiver Steve Smith.
Anderson came out of nowhere to win the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year in 2000 when starter Terrell Davis and backup Olandis Gary went down and Anderson stepped in with 1,500 yards and 15 touchdowns.
20. Mike Vrabel OLB, Pittsburgh Steelers 91th overall (3rd round) 1997
If Pittsburgh had held onto Vrabel, he would have undoubtedly landed higher on this list. After four seasons with the Steelers, Vrabel signed with New England, where he anchored three championship defenses and discovered a talent for catching one-yard touchdown passes.
19. Brian Westbrook RB, Philadelphia Eagles 91th overall (3rd round) 2002
The Eagles didn’t have to go far to find Westbrook. A graduate of nearby I-AA Villanova, Westbrook was an unknown to most teams in the draft.
He didn’t play against top competition in college and because of his size, he wasn’t considered to be an every down back. In his five-year career, Westbrook has debunked all of those myths en route to becoming a top-five back in the NFL. His combination of speed, agility, and lower-body power is the closest thing the league has seen to Barry Sanders in years. Now if only Philly could find some receivers…
18. Cato June LB, Indianapolis Colts 198 overall (6th round) 2003
A standout at the University of Michigan, June was considered too small at 6-foot, 220 lbs to play linebacker in the NFL. His speed and quickness was a perfect fit in the Indianapolis defense, however, as June was voted All-Pro in 2005 and led the Colts with 142 tackles in their 2006 Super Bowl winning season.
Though June didn’t have nearly as much success in his first season with Tampa Bay after signing as a free agent, his contribution to the Colts’ Super Bowl run makes him a true draft-day steal.
17. Steve Smith WR, Carolina Panthers 74th overall (3rd round) 2001
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