The Top 15 Late-Round Picks in NFL Draft History

While players drafted in the early rounds are considered to have a higher ceiling, some of the NFL's all-time greats have been late round gems in the draft. 

One of the best offensive lineman in league history, one of the best athletes the world has ever seen, and the man who will go down as perhaps the best quarterback to ever play the game were all drafted after the fourth round. 

Here are the top 15 late-round draft picks in NFL history: 

15. Ryan Fitzpatrick, QB

Drafted: 2005, Round 7, 250th overall

The latest draft pick in terms of overall selection on this list, Ryan Fitzpatrick was drafted in the seventh round by the St. Louis Rams. 

However, he didn't hit his stride until his fourth season in the NFL when he started 12 games for the Cincinnati Bengals in 2008. The Rams had traded Fitzpatrick to the Bengals for just a seventh round pick after he only appeared in five games in St. Louis. 

After his two-year stint with the Bengals, Fitzpatrick signed a free agent contract with the Buffalo Bills in 2009. After starting eight games in 2009, he was named the team's permanent starter two games into the 2010 season. 

In Fitzpatrick's four-year stay in Buffalo, he threw for 24 touchdowns and at least 3,000 yards in every year he was the team's primary starter. 

It seemed like Fitzpatrick was an up-and-coming superstar, but his failure to win in Buffalo led to his release following the 2012 season. He signed with the Tennessee Titans shortly afterwards, where he is expected to backup Jake Locker. 

14. TJ Houshmandzadeh, WR

Drafted: 2001, Round 7, 204th overall

A late-round pickup out of Oregon State, Houshmandzadeh was once one of the NFL's best receivers with the Cincinnati Bengals. 

While the Bengals drafted Houshmandzadeh in 2001, it wasn't until 2004 that he started to make an impact. That year, he hauled in 73 receptions for 978 yards. 

That 2004 season began a six-year stretch where Houshmandzadeh had at least 70 receptions and 900 yards receiving. 

2007 was his career year, as he had 12 touchdown grabs with 112 catches and 1,143 yards receiving. 

After his 2009 season in Seattle, Houshmandzadeh saw his numbers take a significant drop in 2010 and 2011.

He spent 2010 in Baltimore, where he only caught 38 passes for 398 yards. He was only targeted 58 times that season. 

As a member of the Oakland Raiders in 2011, his stats took an even steeper dive. Despite being reunited with QB Carson Palmer from his Cincinnati days, Houshmandzadeh only appeared in nine games and caught 11 passes. 

Houshmandzadeh is currently a free agent and has not appeared in a game since 2011. 

However, he does hold franchise records in Cincinnati for most receptions in a season (112) and punt return yards in a game (126). 

13. Stevie Johnson, WR

Drafted: 2008, Round 7, 224th overall

Stevie Johnson, a 2008 seventh round pick out of Kentucky, was widely overlooked in the draft for a variety of reasons. His 40-yard dash time was not that impressive for a wide receiver (4.59) and he was not overtly tall 6'2". 

However, Johnson has proven himself to be one of the NFL's best receivers in his first five seasons.

After only appearing in 16 games his first two seasons in Buffalo, the Bills made him a starter in 2010. Since then, Johnson has started in every game and has been one of the league's biggest threats at wide receiver. 

Since 2010, Johnson has hauled in at least 75 catches for at least 1,000 yards. His best season was 2010, when he caught 82 passes for 10 touchdowns and 1,073 yards. 

Johnson will have a new quarterback throwing him the ball in 2013 after the Bills released Ryan Fitzpatrick, so the receiver's true value to the team could be shown next season. 

12. Robert Mathis, LB

Drafted: 2003, Round 5, 138th overall

Ever since Robert Mathis' debut in 2003, he has been a staple of the Indianapolis Colts' defense. 

Drafted in the fifth round out of Alabama A&M, Mathis appeared in all 16 games as a rookie in 2003. 

He originally played defensive end for the Colts, but was moved to outside linebacker when Chuck Pagano took over in Indianapolis. 

Since 2003, Mathis has appeared in at least 12 games every season. He has 91.5 sacks in his career and 428 tackles. He has also forced 40 fumbles. 

Mathis has made five straight Pro Bowls dating back to 2008, and he helped his team win Super Bowl XLI in 2007. 

An 11-year veteran of the NFL, Mathis' days in the league may be numbered. He only appeared in 12 games in 2012. 

However, he is still a dominant player in the league and is a huge part of the new-look, Peyton Manning-less Colts. 

11. Joe Horn, WR

Drafted: 1996, Round 5, 135th overall

Joe Horn was a late-round pick by the Kansas City Chiefs in 1996, where he spent the first four years of his career. 

Despite only starting two games for the Chiefs, his 35 receptions for 586 yards and six touchdowns earned him a chance with the New Orleans Saints, who signed Horn as a free agent in 2000. 

Seemingly overnight, Horn became a star receiver in the NFL for the Saints. He caught 94 passes for 1,340 yards and eight scores in his first year in New Orleans. 

In Horn's first five years in New Orleans, he had four seasons of at least 1,000 yards receiving. The only year he didn't achieve 1,000 yards (2003), he missed a game and recorded 973 yards receiving, just 27 yards shy of 1,000. 

Horn's numbers started to dip in 2005, and he asked to be released from the Saints after the 2006 season. He played one year in Atlanta before retiring. 

In his career, Horn made the Pro Bowl four times, all with the Saints. He also is a member of the Saints' Hall of Fame. 

10. Adalius Thomas, LB

Drafted: 2000, Round 6, 186th overall

A sixth-round draft pick out of Southern Mississippi, Adalius Thomas became a staple of the legendary Ravens defense of the 2000s. 

After being inactive for 12 games during his rookie season, Thomas had 37 tackles, 3.5 sacks and forced three fumbles in 2001.

However, his numbers rose dramatically in 2004. He recorded 72 tackles and eight sacks that year. 

From 2004-2007, Thomas averaged over 79 tackles and over eight sacks. 

After the 2006 season, Thomas became a free agent and signed with the New England Patriots for $20 million guaranteed. 

In Super Bowl XLII, when the Patriots were defeated by the Giants after previously going undefeated, Thomas had two sacks and forced a fumble. 

Thomas had a falling out with the Patriots that began in 2009 after he was deactivated for a game. That eventually led to his release one day after the 2010 draft, which effectively ended his career. 

During his time in the NFL, Thomas made two Pro Bowls and won Super Bowl XXXV with the Ravens. 

9. Matt Birk, C

Drafted: 1998, Round 6, 173rd overall

The Minnesota Vikings burned one of their late round picks in 1998 on center Matt Birk out of Harvard. 

The Ivy League product turned into one of the greatest centers in NFL history. 

Throughout his career, Birk played in 210 games and started 187 of them between 1998-2012. 

From 2000-2003, Birk started every game at center for the Vikings and made three Pro Bowls during that span. He missed the last four games of the 2004 season and all of the 2005 season with injuries. 

After returning to the Vikings' offensive line in 2006, he made two more Pro Bowls before signing a free agent contract with the Baltimore Ravens in 2009. 

Birk signed a three-year deal with the Ravens in 2012, but after winning Super Bowl XLVII this past season, he announced his retirement last February. 

Birk was also known as one of the NFL's leading characters off the field. He was a six-time Minnesota Vikings Man of the Year, and he won the Walter Payton Man of the Year award in 2011. 

8. Terrell Davis, RB

Drafted: 1995, Round 6, 196th overall

This sixth-round pick for the Denver Broncos turned into an NFL MVP, a three-time Pro Bowler and a two-time Super Bowl champion. 

Davis and quarterback John Elway were the staples of one of the league's best offenses in the late 1990s. 

After being named the sixth-string running back after the draft, Davis was named a starter after his impressive showing in the preseason. 

In his rookie year, Davis ran for 1,117 yards and seven touchdowns. 

The Broncos won their first Super Bowl in 1997. In that game, Davis was named the Super Bowl MVP after running for 157 yards and becoming the first running back to run for three touchdowns in Super Bowl history.

His numbers steadily rose until he had his career year in 1998, when he ran for a whopping 2,008 yards and 21 touchdowns. 

However, injuries began to plague Davis in 1999. In the fourth game of that season, he tore his ACL and MCL after trying to make a tackle on an interception. He missed the rest of the season. 

Between 1999-2001, Davis only appeared in 17 games and only scored four touchdowns. He later retired during the 2002 preseason. 

He ended his seven-year career with 7,607 yards rushing and 65 total touchdowns. 

7. Shane Lechler, P

Drafted: 2000, Round 5, 142nd overall

While the fifth round is relatively high for a punter or a kicker to be drafted, it's still a late round. And to find arguably the greatest punter of all-time in the fifth round is truly amazing. 

The Oakland Raiders drafted Shane Lechler in the fifth round of the 2000 draft, and it paid off. 

Up until 2012, Lechler never had a punt blocked on him. During his 13 years with the Raiders, he established himself as the NFL's career leader in leader in punting average.

He and Raiders kicker Sebastian Janikowski became one of the league's best special teams tandems. 

After spending 13 years in Oakland, Lechler signed a free agent contract with the Houston Texans this offseason. 

6. Bart Starr, QB

Drafted: 1956, Round 17, 200th overall

The Green Bay Packers drafted QB Bart Starr in 1956, but it wasn't until legendary head coach Vince Lombardi took the reigns in 1959 that Starr got the starting job. 

Starr then went on to lead the Packers to three NFL Championships before the creation of the AFL-NFL World Championship Game (later known as the Super Bowl). 

The Packers, led by Starr, won the first two Super Bowls ever. The Packers defeated the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl I and the Oakland Raiders in Super Bowl II. Starr was named the MVP in both games. 

Starr finished his career in 1971 as a four-time Pro Bowler, a three-time NFL champion, a two-time Super Bowl champion, and the league's MVP in 1966. 

In his 16 seasons, Starr threw for 24,718 yards and 152 touchdowns. 

5. Mike Webster, C

Drafted: 1974, Round 5, 125th overall

Widely considered one of the best centers in NFL history, Mike Webster was a staple of the Pittsburgh Steelers' offensive line for many years. 

A fifth-round draft pick out of Wisconsin, Webster anchored the offensive line for the Steelers between 1974-1979, when the Steelers won four Super Bowls. 

During that run, he was in charge of protecting Terry Bradshaw. 

He played his last two seasons with the Kansas City Chiefs before retiring as the last active player to have played in Pittsburgh during their four Super Bowl wins. 

In his career, Webster was a nine-time Pro Bowler and was named to the NFL's 75th Anniversary All-Time Team. 

4. Deacon Jones, DE

Drafted: 1961, Round 14, 186th overall

Deacon Jones revolutionized the defensive end position during his time with the Los Angeles Rams, San Diego Chargers and Washington Redskins. 

Drafted by the Rams out of Mississippi Valley State, Jones became part of the legendary "Fearsome Foursome" defensive line in Los Angeles. 

Jones is also credited with creating the term "sack." The NFL did not officially record sacks until 1982. However, unofficially, Jones retired as the all-time sack leader in the NFL, and would currently be third on the list with 194.5. That number is according to Pro Football Weekly.  

Unofficially, Jones recorded 50 sacks over the course of two seasons. In 1967 and 1968, Jones had 26 and 24 sacks, respectively. Those would be the two highest season totals in NFL history. 

Jones retired after the 1974 season as an eight-time Pro Bowler. He is also rated by NFL.com as the 15th best player in NFL history. 

3. Shannon Sharpe, TE

Drafted: 1990, Round 7, 192nd overall

The only tight end on this list, Shannon Sharpe was an extremely late pick by the Denver Broncos in 1990 that paid huge dividends. 

In his career, Sharpe won three Super Bowls and retired as the all-time leader in receptions, receiving yards and touchdowns by a tight end. Those records were later surpassed by Tony Gonzalez. 

Sharpe was also the first tight end to record over 10,000 receiving yards in his career. 

Sharpe was part of the Broncos team that won two straight Super Bowls. That team also included QB John Elway and RB Terrell Davis (who is No. 8 on this list). 

After his first tenure in Denver, Sharpe played two seasons with the Baltimore Ravens. There, he won Super Bowl XXXV. He returned to the Broncos after those two seasons before retiring in 2003. 

Since his retirement, Sharpe has been a member of CBS, where he is currently an NFL analyst. 

2. Bo Jackson, RB

Drafted: 1987, Round 7, 183rd overall

Bo Jackson, a Heisman Trophy winner out of Auburn, was initially drafted first overall in 1986 by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. 

Jackson had no interest in playing in Tampa Bay, so he went to play baseball for the Kansas City Royals. The next year, the Raiders burned a late round pick on Jackson, hoping he would be willing to play football. 

Jackson decided to play for the Raiders, and while he didn't even start (he played behind Marcus Allen), he became one of the league's most electrifying players. 

Considered one of the greatest athletes of all-time, Jackson was an animal on the gridiron. 

He made the Pro Bowl in 1990 and had 2,782 yards rushing during his career. Jackson only played football for a maximum of 11 games per year due to the MLB season, but was still one of the league's best backs. 

In the 1990 playoffs, Jackson suffered a serious hip injury that ended his football career and shortened his baseball career significantly. 

Many people wonder as to whether or not Jackson would have made both the NFL and MLB Hall of Fame had he not suffered that injury. He is still the only person to ever make the Pro Bowl and the MLB All-Star game. 

1. Tom Brady, QB

Drafted: 2000, Round 6, 199th overall

Who would've thought that a sixth round pick could possibly upend the accomplishments of the legendary Joe Montana. 

Well, that's exactly what Tom Brady is doing.

After taking over for then-Patriots starter Drew Bledsoe early in the 2001 season, Brady immediately began to make an impact. In that season, he threw for over 2,800 yards, 18 touchdowns and led his team to victory in Super Bowl XXXVI. 

Since then, Brady has won two more Super Bowls and lost two others. He is also a two-time Super Bowl MVP. 

Brady is a two-time winner of the AP NFL MVP Award, and has gone to the Pro Bowl eight times. 

He was also selected as the AP Male Athlete of the Year in 2007. 

Brady is one of the best quarterbacks in NFL history, and the Patriots all but stole him in the sixth round.