NFL Draft 2011: Power Ranking the 25 Best Late-Round Steals in NFC History
The glitz and the glamor of the NFL Draft largely rests in the first round. That is where the majority of the "mocking" occurs and the commissioner calls the names we all know
Those players grab the cash and the pressure of expectations. The pressure rests not only on them, but also on the executives that draft them.
It is the rare NFL career that survives whiffing on more than one first-round selection.
The draft is a high-stakes, risky game, and it is an inexact science. One needs look no further than the following players on this slideshow.
All of them had careers that were worthy of a first-round selection, yet every team passed on them again and again in the NFL Draft before some lucky team hit the lottery by selecting them.
There are so many of these kinds of success stories that I am just going to focus on the ones who were drafted and found success in the NFC.
The order of rankings consist of a highly mathematical equation that may simply be viewed as (round selected multiplied by production) divided by pie. I will spare the complex version as it even confused my fellow MIT alums.
No 25: Ahmad Bradshaw (7th Round-250th Overall)
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Ahmad Bradshaw's production has taken big steps in each of his first four NFL years. It remains to be seen if he can keep that production going.
What isn't under question is that his 1,549 yards from scrimmage and eight touchdowns in 2010 is well beyond the production expected from a 7th round pick.
On his career, Bradshaw has 3,133 yards from scrimmage and he has posted an impressive 4.8 yards per carry average.
Consider Ahmad, No. 25 with a bullet.
No. 24: Marques Colston (7th Round-252nd Overall)
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Like Mr. Bradshaw, Marques Colston is on his way to moving up this list, and despite only being in the league for five years, he has already earned his placement.
Colston has caught over a 1,000 yards in four of his five season, and the one season he did not he only played in 11 games due to injuries.
Colston currently has 5,097 receiving yards and 40 touchdowns.
No. 23: Aaron Kampman (5th Round-156th Overall)
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Aaron Kampman is now carving out his legacy in the AFC, which sucks for him, because after eight productive seasons with the Packers, he took off his "cheesehead" the year before they won the Super Bowl.
Either way, this guy is cemented as an NFC draft day steal. Kampman has 54 sacks in a Packers uniform. He also made the Pro Bowl in back-to-back seasons when he combined for 27.5 sacks in 2006-07.
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No. 22: Leon Lett (7th Round-173rd Overall)
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Leon Lett's career is largely remembered for two of the biggest boneheaded plays in NFL history. If you Lett yourself (you see what I did there) ponder his career beyond that, you see an outstanding defensive tackle that was an amazing draft day bargain.
Lett's 22.5 sacks helped earn him a spot in two Pro Bowls, and it helped the Cowboys win three Super Bowls. It also gave NFL Follies solid material to show every Thanksgiving and Super Bowl.
No. 21: Marc Bulger (6th Round-183rd Overall)
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Marc Bulger's career quickly spun downward as the offensive line crumbled in front of him and his injuries began to mount.
That led Bulger to call an end to his once-promising career after only eight NFL seasons.
Still, starting in 2003, Bulger had a four-year run when he was one of the league's top starters. He was twice named to the Pro Bowl team and his career passer rating of 84.4 is actually good enough for 26th all-time.
No. 20: Wilbert Montgomery (6th Round-154th Overall)
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Wilbert Montgomery was a solid all-around back. Like many running backs, his career was cut short by the vicious wear and tear on his body.
During the nine seasons he was able to play, Montgomery rushed his way to two Pro Bowls and 6,789 yards with 45 touchdowns.
He was also one of the best receiving backs in the league. He led the NFL in yards from scrimmage in 1979, and ended his career with 2,502 receiving yards.
No. 19: Mark Bavaro (4th Round-100th Overall)
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Mark Bavaro was the perfect tight end for the blue collar Giants of the mid-'80s to early '90s. He was a spectacular route runner with great hands who wasn't afraid to do the dirty work of blocking.
Bavaro, who also spent time with the Browns and Eagles, had a career that was cut short by injuries, but ended his career with 351 catches and 39 touchdowns.
Bavaro was twice named All-Pro.
No. 18: Mark Schlereth (10th Round-263rd Overall)
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Mark Schlereth split his 12 NFL seasons right down the middle between the NFC and AFC, but since he was drafted by the NFC squad, I figure that is enough to include him on this list.
During his 12 seasons, Schlereth played on some of the best offensive lines in the history of the game. He won three Super Bowl rings and made the Pro Bowl twice.
And he did all of this despite seemingly undergoing a knee surgery before every game.
No. 17: Larry Brown (12th Round-320th Overall)
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Larry Brown went an entire five rounds beyond what even exists now. No player on this list, and few in any draft ever, have had to endure more names being called before hearing their name called.
If more players drafted in the 300s were as productive as Larry, the draft would likely still last that long. However, Brown was a true rarity.
He earned the starting corner duties in his rookie 1991 season and became a corner mainstay during the Cowboys Super Bowl teams of the 90s.
The pinnacle of Brown's career, and the low point of Neil O'Donnell's, came in the 1995 season during Super Bowl XXX when he hauled in two INTs.
The performance earned him Super Bowl MVP honors, and a huge contract with the Raiders. He was a complete bust in the Raiders man-to-man scheme, but his legacy as a draft day steal was secure.
No. 16: Jamal Anderson (7th Round-201st Overall)
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Like almost every running back, Jamal Anderson didn't have a long NFL career. He played only eight seasons, but when he was healthy he was productive.
He finished with 5,336 yards rushing and 34 touchdowns rushing.
He had his finest season in 1998 as he introduced the world to the "Dirty Bird" as his All-Pro season led the Falcons to the Super Bowl. Anderson finished that season with 1,846 yards and 14 touchdowns.
No. 15: Jesse Sapolu (11th Round-289th Overall)
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The 49ers dynasty was built on draft day values, and none of those values came later than Jesse Sapolu.
Sapolu was a mainstay on the 49ers lines. He made the Pro Bowl twice.
Sapolu has increased his value by being versatile. He was a guard to start his career, and for his first to trips to the Super Bowl, and then switched to center—where he played his last Super Bowl.
No. 14: Terry Allen (9th Round-241st Overall)
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Terry Allen played for five different teams over the course of his 10 NFL seasons, but it was certainly in the NFC where he found his greatest success.
Allen retired with 8,614 yards and 74 touchdowns. Like most running backs, his best seasons came early in his career when he went over a thousand yards four straight years after becoming a starter in his second season.
He made the Pro Bowl once in 1996 when he rushed for a league high 21 touchdowns. Allen was also a solid receiving back as he retired with over 1,600 receiving yards.
No. 13: Joe Theismann (4th Round-99th Overall)
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Due to one of the most vicious injuries a quarterback has suffered, Joe Theismann's career numbers are not what they could have been. He certainly isn't the only QB whose career was affected by Lawrence Taylor.
Still, Theismann had an impressive NFL career. He appeared in two Super Bowls and won one of them. He was named MVP for the 1983 season and was also selected to two Pro Bowls.
In his 12 years, Theismann threw for 150 touchdowns and 25,206 yards.
No. 12: Harold Carmichael (7th Round-161st Overall)
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Even in a NFL landscape where receivers are getting increasingly huge, Harold Carmichael would stand out on today's football field. Carmichael is 6'8".
Obviously teams did not think he would be able to move his lanky frame around enough to make his mark in the NFL as he lasted until the 161st selection of the 1971 Draft.
In a time when receivers put up about half of the stats they do now Carmichael finished with 590 catches for 8,985 yards and 78 touchdowns.
Carmichael made the Pro Bowl four times in his 14 year career, and he had his finest season in 1973 when he led the league in receptions and yards.
No. 11: Matt Hasselbeck (6th Round-187th Overall)
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Hasselbeck was traded to the Seahawks in 2001 before the start of his third season. He got off to a rocky start before really hitting his stride in 2003.
That season he made the first of his three Pro Bowls. He has put up impressive numbers since then, and as he showed in this year's Wild Card round, he is not done yet.
To date, in 12 NFL seasons, Hasselbeck has thrown for 29,579 yards, 176 touchdowns and only 128 interceptions.
No. 10: Seth Joyner (8th Round-203rd Overall)
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Seth Joyner contributed to a defense in a myriad of ways, and that earned him three Pro Bowls in his 13 year career.
Joyner was an equal opportunity pain dispenser. He could blitz, stuff the run and cover.
He retired with 52 sacks, 24 interceptions and 26 forced fumbles.
While he ended his career winning his only Super Bowl ring with the Broncos it was in the NFC where he spent his first 12 seasons.
No. 9: Dwight Clark (10th Round-249th Overall)
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The Catch: It is one of the most famous plays in NFL history, and the two main players in this iconic play were draft day steals.
While Joe Montana just misses out on this list, as a third round selection, Dwight Clark is a lock. Clark had to wait ten rounds in 1979 before finding his new home.
Clark had an outstanding nine year career. He made the Pro Bowl twice and was all-pro once. He finished with 506 catches for 6,750 yards.
No. 8: Brad Johnson (9th Round-227th Overall)
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It boggles my mind in a league where teams are eager to reach for QBs in the draft that a QB with Johnson's height and decent arm lasted until the ninth round.
Johnson had a long and successful career. He was more consistent than he was spectacular. However, he did make the Pro Bowl twice and he played amazing in his only Super Bowl appearance.
That Super Bowl appearance and victory capped what was probably Johnson's finest year as a starter. He finished third in the league with a passer rating of 92.9
No. 7: Charles Haley (Fouth Round-96th Overall)
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Charles Haley was a sack-master for hire, and where Charles Haley went, Super Bowls followed. Haley is the only player in the NFL to win five of them, and he did it with two different teams.
When Haley was active in the mid '80s to '90s, there wasn't a player in the league that was better at getting to the QB. Haley retired with 100.5 sacks.
This is not to suggest the Haley was not a complete player, because he was no slouch against the run. His freakish athleticism allowed him to put his hand in the dirt and come after people as an end or play as a blitz heavy OLB.
It is amazing someone with his size and speed lasted as long in the draft as he did.
No. 6: Larry Wilson (7th Round-74th Overall)
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As a testament to the changing landscape of the NFL, Larry Wilson was selected in the seventh round in the 1960 NFL Draft, and that made him the 74th overall selection. That would net him in the first half of the third round this year.
For a lesser player, that would omit them from this list, and in Larry Wilson's case almost every player to ever step on the field is lesser.
Wilson is one of the finest corners to ever play the game. In a 13 year career that earned him a bust in Canton he picked off 52 passes, was named to the Pro Bowl eight times, and was named All-Pro five times.
No. 5: Harry Carson (4th Round-105th Overall)
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The '80s era Giants had one of the NFL's most feared defenses, and that defense was led by a fierce linebacking corps. The Giants dominance at that position began in the fourth round of the 1976 Draft when they selected Harry Carson.
Carson went on to play 13 seasons and he made the Pro Bowl in nine of them.
Carson's career can't be measured by stats, mostly because tackles weren't an official stat when he played, but his impact was undeniable and enough to earn him a permanent seat in the Hall of Fame.
No. 4: Rayfield Wright (7th Round-182nd Overall)
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Rayfield Wright was a solid athlete coming out of Fort Valley State in 1967, but NFL teams weren't exactly sure where he would play at the next level. So Wright slid down the draft.
He spent time in his first three seasons playing tight end and defense before settling in at right tackle.
From there he blocked his way to six Pro Bowls, five Super Bowls, one all decade team ('70s) and the Hall of Fame.
No. 3: Richard Dent (8th Round-203rd Overall)
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Fresh Hall of Famer Richard Dent heard 202 names called before his in the 1983 Draft. The 1983 draft was loaded with talent, but it wasn't that loaded.
It's hard to believe Dent lasted that long. He is the quintessential defensive end. He was explosive and agile enough to chalk up 137.5 sacks over his 15 year career, and he was strong enough to seal the edge on the run.
When the Bears were at their best in the mid-80s so was Dent, and it was no coincidence. Dent had 17. 5 sacks in '84 and 17 sacks in the Bears' Super Bowl shuffling season of '85.
No. 2: Deacon Jones (14th Round-186th Overall)
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Deacon Jones doesn't have many stats to account for his dominance, but that is only because stats weren't really kept for defensive players when he played.
Jones played in a time when not only tackles, but sacks weren't an official stat. We don't need the numbers to tell us that few defensive ends have ever been better at getting sacks.
Jones terrorized QBs in his 14 year NFL career in such a way that he earned the nickname the "Secretary of Defense," prompted his coach, George Allen, to call him the greatest defensive end in modern football, and for the Los Angeles Tiimes to once name him the Most Valuable Ram of All-Time.
Jones was selected to eight Pro Bowls, named All-Pro five times and elected to the Hall of Fame.
No. 1: Roger Staubach (10th Round-129th Overall)
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Roger Staubach's career numbers are limited by the fact he only played for 11 seasons, and his 11th season may have been his best.
He set career highs in passing yards and touchdowns, went to his fifth straight Pro Bowl, and then decided to hang up his cleats for good.
He made the Pro Bowl six times in his 11 years. He never won the NFL MVP, but he did capture a Super Bowl MVP.
Staubach led the NFL in passer rating four times on his way to earning a spot in Canton.
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