Top 25 Draft Classes in NFL History

NFL draft classes are not created equal.

Some classes are loaded with talent, producing multiple Hall of Fame inductees and Pro Bowlers, while other classes are devoid of such excellence.

The purpose of this list is to rank the top 25 classes in the history of the NFL draft. 

The criteria I will be using to determine these rankings is simple: The classes with the most Hall of Famers and Pro Bowlers are ranked the highest.

Where it gets tricky is when you start getting into the late-90s and beyond. Many of the players drafted in those classes are still playing, so I will do my best to project Hall of Famers out of those classes.

Also, please note that the first Pro Bowl wasn't played until 1951.

I hope you enjoy the read as I take this trip through history to determine which NFL draft classes stand above the rest.

Note: Special thanks to Wikipedia for historical research.

Class of 1936

1936 was the inaugural year of the NFL draft. As such, it deserves a place of honor. 

Of course, it sure doesn't hurt that four players from that draft ended up playing their way into the NFL Hall of Fame.

Dan Fortman, Joe Stydahar, Wayne Millner and Alphonse "Tuffy" Leemans represent the first-ever NFL players to be drafted and make it into the Hall of Fame.

Not bad for the first draft in NFL history, and it paved the way for many successful drafts to come.

Class of 1989

The class of 1989 sent four players to the Hall of Fame and produced 20 others who were voted to Pro Bowl appearances.

It was also the year that "Prime Time" was introduced to the NFL. 

Deion Sanders joined Troy Aikman, Derrick Thomas and Barry Sanders as the players from this class to be inducted into the Hall of Fame. All four men were taken in the top-five overall, making the top of the draft one of the most successful in the history of the NFL.

Other notables not inducted into the HOF include Steve Atwater, Andre Rison, Mark Schlereth, Dave Meggett and Daryl "Moose" Johnston.

Class of 1971

The class of 1971 produced some tough-nosed legends, including four Hall of Famers and 22 Pro Bowl invitees.

Jack Ham, John Riggins, Dan Dierdorf and Jack Youngblood were all well-known for their toughness. All four dominated on the gridiron with their fierce play, and all four made it to Canton, where they were inducted into the Hall of Fame.

Some other notable players who came out of this class include Joe Theismann, Lyle Alzedo, Ken Anderson, Jack Tatum, Archie Manning and Jim Plunkett. 

Plunkett is the only quarterback to have ever won two Super Bowls who hasn't been inducted into the Hall of Fame.

Class of 1950

The class of 1950 produced four Hall of Fame linemen and one Hall of Fame coach.

Art Donovan, Leo Nomellini, Ernie Stautner, and Lou Creekmur were all members of this class and were inducted into the Hall of Fame for their achievements on the field.

Bud Grant was also drafted in 1950, but he was inducted in 1994 for his achievements as a coach, not as a player.

Class of 1990

The Class of 1990 gave us two of the best personalities the NFL has ever seen. It also provided the league with four Hall of Famers and 28 Pro Bowlers.

Emmitt Smith, John Randle, Shannon Sharpe and Cortez Kennedy were all inducted into Canton after their stellar careers.

Smith is the best running back of all time, and he has the records to prove it.

Randle and Sharpe were among the biggest loud-mouths the game has ever seen, and Randle entered into the Hall of Fame after going undrafted.

Some of the Pro Bowlers to come out of this year's class are well-known to many, including Larry Centers, Neil O'Donnell, Eric Davis, Leroy Butler and Junior Seau.

Class of 1988

The Class of 1988 produced some legends, including four Hall of Famers and 30 Pro Bowlers.

Michael Irvin, aka "The Playmaker," was picked up by the Cowboys. He was the first member of the "big three" that included Emmitt Smith and Troy Aikman. 

Randall McDaniel, Thurman Thomas and Dermonti Dawson were also members of this draft class, and all four players are now enshrined in the Hall of Fame.

Some of the bigger names who didn't make it to Canton are Bill Romanowski, Ken Norton Jr., Chris Spielman, Sterling Sharpe and Tim Brown.

Class of 1945

The class of 1945 produced five Hall of Fame inductees, one of which who remains one of the most recognizable names in all of football.

This was the draft that gave us Elroy "Crazylegs" Hirsch. Hirsch had an unusual running style he developed as a child from running cross legged over four square cement sidewalk blocks in his home town. 

Charley Trippi, Pete Pihos, Tom Fears and Arnie Weinmeister joined "Crazylegs" as the five members of this class to be enshrined into the Hall of Fame for their dominating performances throughout their careers in the NFL.

Class of 1956

The class of 1956 produced five Hall of Famers and five Pro Bowl invitees.

Bart Starr was selected by the Green Bay Packers in this draft. He won multiple championships during his time in Green Bay, and he was one of the best quarterbacks to have ever played in the NFL.

Joining him in the Hall of Fame from this class are Lenny Moore, Forrest Gregg, Willie Davis and Sam Huff.

Earl Morrall, Joe Marconi, Preston Carpenter, Bruce Bosley and Bob Skoronski were also members of this draft class, and all of them played well enough to be invited to the Pro Bowl during some point in their careers.

Class of 1968

The class of 1968 produced five Hall of Famers and 13 Pro Bowlers.

Larry Csonka was drafted by the Miami Dolphins, and he ended up being one of their key performers in their undefeated season in 1972. 

Joining him in the Hall of Fame are Art Shell, Ron Yary, Elvin Bethea and Charlie Sanders.

Notable players who earned Pro Bowl appearances include Ken Stabler, Greg Landry and MacArthur Lane.

Class of 1965

The class of 1965 produced some of the most legendary players to have played during that era, including five Hall of Famers and 14 Pro Bowlers.

Gale Sayers, Dick Butkus, Joe Namath, Fred Biletnikoff and Chris Hanburger were members of this class, and all are now enshrined in Canton for their exploits on the gridiron.

Butkus remains one of the fiercest players to have ever played the game, and Namath will never be forgotten for his famous—if not boastful—prediction that the Jets would beat the Colts in Super Bowl II, which they did.

Some of the men who earned trips to the Pro Bowl include Otis Taylor, Dick Gordon, Walter Johnson, Donny Anderson and Ken Willard.

Class of 1976

The class of 1976 may not be quite as recognizable to most as some classes, but it managed to produce five Hall of Famers and 14 Pro Bowlers.

Steve Largent was drafted by the Seattle Seahawks in their first draft as an expansion team. He is still their best all-time receiver, and his career ended with an enshrinement into the Hall of Fame.

Joining him in the Hall of Fame are Lee Roy Selmon, Mike Haynes, Jackie Slater and Harry Carson.

Also taken in this draft were Pro Bowlers Randy Cross, Chuck Muncie and Joe Washington.

Class of 1974

The class of 1976 was a legendary draft class for the Pittsburgh Steelers. Out of the five Hall of Famers to be drafted in this class, the Steelers picked four of them.

Lynn Swann and John Stallworth were both drafted in 1976, and the two of them formed one of the greatest duos at the wide receiver position in the history of the NFL. 

Joining them on the Steelers that year are defenders Jack Lambert and Mike Webster.

The Oakland Raiders drafted Dave Casper out of this class, and he joins the quartet of Steelers who made it to the Hall of Fame.

Additionally, there were 17 Pro Bowlers in this class, including Billy Johnson, Henry Childs, Danny White and Ed "Too Tall" Jones.

Class of 1969

The class of 1969 was one that produced five Hall of Famers and 17 Pro Bowlers.

O.J. Simpson was taken first overall by the Buffalo Bills, and he became one of the most explosive, most dominant running backs in league history before besmirching his name later on in life.

"Mean" Joe Greene was also a member of this class, and he joins Simpson, Ted Hendricks, Charlie Joyner and Roger Wehrli as the men who were inducted into the Hall of Fame out of this class.

Other notable players to be drafted in 1969 include Eugene "Mercury" Morris, Ed White, Gene Washington and Fred Dryer.

Class of 1951

The class of 1951 gave birth to six Hall of Famers and six Pro Bowlers.

Don Shula was drafted, though he ended up becoming enshrined as the head coach of the Miami Dolphins.

Joining him in Canton from this class are Y.A. Tittle, Jack Christiansen, Andy Robustelli, Bill George and Mike McCormack.

Pro Bowlers from this class include Kyle Rote, Bob Gain, Jerry Groom and Ken Konz.

Class of 2004

Obviously this class has yet to produce any Hall of Fame inductees. Rest assured it will.

So far 34 players have been invited to the Pro Bowl out of this class.

Leading the way for this class is Larry Fitzgerald, Wes Welker, Jared Allen, Vince Wilfork, Ben Roethlisberger, Eli Manning, Philip Rivers and Andy Lee.

By the time it's all said and done, 2004 may very well become the best year in NFL history for producing quarterbacks. Between the three of them, Rivers, Manning and Roethlisberger have already won four Super Bowls.

Class of 1952

The class of 1952 provided the league with five Hall of Famers and 24 Pro Bowlers.

Dick "Night Train" Lane and Frank Gifford headline this class, and joining them in the Hall of Fame are Hugh McElhenny, Gino Marchetti and Ollie Matson.

Among the notable Pro Bowl invitees in this class we find such players as Sam Baker, Joe Fortunato, Fred Williams, Ray Renfro, Vito "Babe" Parilli and Bill Wade.

Class of 1998

The class of 1998 hasn't had a chance to put anyone in the Hall of Fame...yet.

Thirty-four men have made it to the Pro Bowl from this group, and many of which will end up having their busts enshrined in Canton by the time it's all said and done.

The most obvious player who will make it to the Hall of Fame from this class is Peyton Manning. Manning will go down in history as one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time when he's finished with his career.

Joining him is London Fletcher, Hines Ward, Alan Faneca, Randy Moss and Charles Woodson. 

Other notable Pro Bowlers from this draft class include Greg Ellis, Keith Brooking, Takeo Spikes, Olin Kreutz, Jeremiah Trotter and Matt Hasselbeck. 

Class of 1967

The class of 1967 is the first on our list to provide the league with seven Hall of Famers. The rest of the class was weak, however, and only four other players were good enough to be invited to Pro Bowls.

Gene Upshaw leads the charge. The Oakland Raiders selected him with the 17th-overall pick, and he went on to have a dominant career.

Upshaw wasn't finished with the NFL after his playing career was over. He was heavily involved in the NFL Players' Association during the '70s and '80s, eventually becoming the NFLPA's executive director.

Joining him in the Hall of Fame is Ken Houston, Alan Page, Bob Griese, Lem Barney, Rayfield Wright and Floyd Little.

Class of 1981

The class of 1981 produced some of the meanest, baddest defenders to ever strap on a helmet. Six Hall of Famers were born in this year to go along with 25 others who made it to at least one Pro Bowl.

Lawrence Taylor was drafted by the New York Giants, and his epic career revolutionized the way linebackers are used to attack quarterbacks.

Ronnie Lott was also drafted in 1981, and the NFL hasn't seen another safety to compare with him since he left the game.

Joining them in the Hall of Fame is "Iron" Mike Singletary, Howie Long, Ricky Jackson and Russ Grimm (one of the founding members of "The Hogs").

Notable Pro Bowlers from this class include Charlie Brown, Dexter Manley, Eric Wright and Chris Collinsworth.

Class of 1961

The class of 1961 produced seven Hall of Famers and 14 Pro Bowlers, some of which are the most recognizable names of that era.

Mike Ditka, Herb Adderley, Bob Lilly, David "Deacon" Jones, Fran Tarkenton, James Earl "Jimmy" Johnson and Billy Shaw were all inducted into the Hall of Fame for their immense contributions to the game of professional football.

Ditka made a name for himself not only as an exceptional tight end for the Chicago Bears but also as a Super Bowl winning head coach for the same team.

"Deacon" Jones was one of the most dominant sack-masters the NFL has ever seen, though he played in an era that didn't keep track of those statistics.

This was a rich year, indeed.

Class of 2003

The class of 2003 is far from finished. Many players are still in the prime of their careers. 

Out of this class we've seen 41 players earn trips to the Pro Bowl. 

Headlining the group is Troy Polamalu, Antonio Gates, Robert Mathis, Asante Samuel, Jason Witten, Nnamdi Asomugha, Dallas Clark, Terrell Suggs, Andre Johnson and Jordan Gross. All of these men cold end up in Canton when their time is up.

This draft class could end up as one of the best of all time when we look back in another decade or so.

Class of 1953

The class of 1953 birthed eight Hall of Famers and four others who made it to the Pro Bowl.

Many of these men are unrecognizable to many of us nowadays, but they were giants of the game back in their heyday. 

Bob St. Clair, Joe Schmidt, Roosevelt Brown, Jim Ringo, Doug Atkins, John Henry Johnson and Stan Jones all made it into the Hall of Fame based on their play out on the field.

Chuck Noll was also drafted in 1953, though his induction into Canton was due to his career as a head coach rather than as a player.

Class of 1983

The year of the quarterback. 

1983 was an epic year, giving the NFL seven Hall of Famers and 33 Pro Bowl players.

John Elway, Dan Marino and Jim Kelly were all drafted this year, and until the class of 2004 overtakes them this group of quarterbacks was the best group in the history of the league.

Joining them in the Hall of Fame are Eric Dickerson, Bruce Matthews, Darrell Green and Richard Dent.

Notable Pro Bowlers from this class include Jesse Sapolu, Craig James, Reggie Roby, Greg Townsend, Roger Craig, Keith Bostic, Darryl Talley, Ken O'Brian and Gary Anderson.

Class of 1957

The class of 1957 produced an incredible nine Hall of Fame inductees to go along with eight others who made it to at least one Pro Bowl.

Jim Brown was taken by the Cleveland Browns with the sixth-overall pick. Brown was—and still is—the greatest power back the NFL has ever seen.

Joining him in the Hall of Fame are legends Jim Parker, Sonny Jurgensen, Paul Hornung, Len Dawson, Don Maynard, Henry Jordan, Tommy McDonald and Gene Hickerson.

Only one other draft class was more talent-laden than this one.

Class of 1964

The class of 1964 was the best draft class in NFL history. 

Ten men entered into the Hall of Fame from this illustrious class, and 11 others were voted into the Pro Bowl.

Paul Warfield, Charley Taylor, Roger Staubach, Leroy Kelly, Mel Renfro, Paul Krause, Dave Wilcox, Bob Brown, Carl Eller and Bob Hayes all have had their busts enshrined in the hallowed halls of the pro football Hall of Fame. 

There may never be another draft class to match this one.

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