NFL Draft: Bruce Smith and The Greatest Players At Their Draft Spot (1-12)
Since 1970, there have been exactly 1146 drafted in the first round of the NFL Draft. Some of those players have gone on to do great things. Whether its an invitation to the Pro Bowl, a Super Bowl victory, or a record that will never be broken, the NFL has seen some true legends take the field on Sundays. However, not all of these players have been good. In fact, a large portion of them have had careers like Ryan Leaf and Jamarcus Russell. The goal of this list is to choose the best player to be picked at each spot in the first round of the draft.
#1 Overall: Bruce Smith (Bills, Redskins)
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The was one of the more difficult decisions. Not surprisingly, there were a few great choices at quarterback but what it really came down to was, there may never be another Bruce Smith. Smith managed to break through double teams throughout his career on his way to recording a record 200 sacks. Bruce Smith was one of the key pieces of a defense that went to four straight Super Bowls with the Buffalo Bills. With 11 Pro Bowl selections and 9 All Pro selections, Bruce Smith was one of the greatest defensive players of all time. Fun fact, he played most of his career in a 3-4 scheme which is not very conducive to defensive ends getting sacks.
#2 Overall: Lawrence Taylor (Giants)
2 of 13Chosen at the number 2 pick overall in 1981, the New York Giants may have gotten a steal. Its quite rare for a player that goes this high to be considered a steal, but the original LT certainly had a worthy career. Not many players have had the sort of impact that LT had. He changed the way his position was played which forced offenses to come up with new schemes to stop him. LT won the trophy for Defensive Rookie of the Year, and never looked back. One of the most feared athletes to ever play the game, LT could run over you or around you although it seemed that he preferred the latter. One of the most well-known plays in all of football involved Taylor sacking Joe Theismann and breaking his leg in a horrific manner. In summation, Lawrence Taylor is a monster.
#3 Overall: Anthony Munoz (Bengals)
3 of 13Anthony Munoz is the greatest and most consistent tackle to every play in the NFL. From his first game to his last, Munoz used his athleticism and endurance to ruin any DEs game. His 11 Pro Bowl selections are amazing for an offensive lineman especially when combined with only missing a few games in his first 12 years as a Bengal. He had pretty soft hands too as seen by his 4 Rec TDs.
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#4 Overall: Walter Payton (Bears)
4 of 13Anthony Munoz is the greatest and most consistent tackle to every play in the NFL. From his first game to his last, Munoz used his athleticism and endurance to ruin any DEs game. His 11 Pro Bowl selections are amazing for an offensive lineman especially when combined with only missing a few games in his first 12 years as a Bengal. He had pretty soft hands too as seen by his 4 Rec TDs.
#5 Overall: Deion Primetime Sanders (Falcons, 49ers, Cowboys, Redskins, Ravens)
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Believe it or not, Primetime actually played well enough to back up the ego that he has today... almost. Sanders was a true shutdown corner but that is not all he had to offer. He is one of a few players to have scored a TD in six different ways (FR, INT, REC, RUS, KR, PR) which just shows that he was a threat every time he touched the ball. This is most likely what led the Cowboys to try him out on offense at the WR position. Sanders' 53 INTs is actually quite high considering that QBs tended to avoid him whenever they could.
#6 Overall: Jim Brown (Browns)
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I initially did not include Jim Brown on this list because he was drafted before the 70s, however, I felt a talent this amazing deserved an exception. Brown is widely considered one of the greatest players of all time. While some of his records have been broken, many still believe that he is the greatest RB to play the game. He actually only played for nine years, but he made the Pro Bowl every year and won the League MVP three of those years. One record that may never be broken is a career record of Brown's. Throughout his entire career, Brown averaged over 100 yards per game which is about 20 more than Emmitt Smith's average. The only player with similar stats is Barry Sanders and Barry's father said that Jim Brown was the greatest RB he had ever seen. Brown's running style was similar to Walter Payton which is why Brown was happy that Payton was the one to break his record.
#7 Overall: Champ Bailey (Redskins, Broncos)
7 of 13Up until this most recent Pro Bowl (he did end up replacing Asomugha), Champ has been selected to every Pro Bowl for this entire decade. Talk about domination; no CB in history has been selected to more. For years teams have been scared to throw the ball his way. It probably has something to do with his 48 career picks and countless deflected passes. But what really makes Champ stand out is his tackling skills. Champ Bailey is one of the best all around CBs to play the game. Not to take away from any of the older greats, but Bailey has managed to excel in a pass happy NFL that protects the QBs and WRs the most. In 2006, Bailey was tested only 35 times with only four of those passes being completed. In 2009, Champ was tested 80 times with not one single attempt being converted for a TD. Just imagine how many INTs Champ would have by now if teams weren't avoiding him. Just ask Tom Brady and the Patriots 2005 team. Go ahead, look it up... you know you want to.
#8 Overall: Ronnie Lott (49ers, Raiders, Jets, Chiefs)
8 of 13Ronnie Lott truly believed that a single big hit could change a game and he made sure to dish one out whenever he had the chance. He was known for his hard hits but he also managed to compile 63 INTs because of his ability to read what an offense was trying to do. Lott won four Super Bowls with the 49ers and was selected to ten Pro Bowls throughout his career. One story everybody should know about Ronnie Lott is why he has one finger that is much shorter than all the others. In 1985, Lott's finger was injured to the point where he would not be able to finish the game and potentially miss a few more games. Rather than sit out the rest of the game, Lott decided that the best course of action was to have the tip of his finger amputated. Whether it is crazy, insane, or just because of his dedication to the game, Lott had part of his finger cut off on the sideline so that he could finish the game. He always said it, and that act proved that he truly lived by the idea that he does not tolerate losing. Ronnie Lott will always be remembered as one of the most fearsome competitors to ever play the game and that is why he is the best player to be drafted at #7 overall.
#9 Overall: Bruce Matthews (Oilers, Titans)
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Like Anthony Munoz, Bruce Matthews was the face of consistency. He played with the Oilers and Titans for 19 years and 296 games, a record for offensive lineman. Over his long career, he played every position on the offensive line and made the Pro Bowl at both guard and center. Speaking of the Pro Bowl, he made it 14 times... not too shabby. Matthews did not miss a single game due to injury and he started 229 games in a row. As a Bills fan, I wish we could have an offensive lineman play for a whole season.
#10 Overall: Rod Woodson (Steelers, 49ers, Ravens, Raiders)
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Rod Woodson is one of the options for greatest DB of all time. He dominated every position of the secondary, FS, SS and CB. During his 17 year career, Woodson intercepted 71 passes and returned an NFL record of 12 of them for TDs. In 1995, Woodson tore his ACL while attempting to tackle Barry Sanders. Later that year, Woodson became the first player in NFL history to return from such an injury in the same year that it occurred. His first game back from that injury was the Super Bowl. All in all, Rod Woodson was an all around DB due to his tackling abilities and great coverage skills. The current player most like him would have to be none other than #7, Champ Bailey.
#11 Overall: Michael Irvin (Cowboys)
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The self proclaimed "Playmaker" owns second place for many records behind only Jerry Rice and sometimes Don Maynard. Irvin won three Super Bowls with the Dallas Cowboys, two of which were against the Bills. Consequently, I hate him and its a tribute to him that he managed to snag this spot despite how much I dislike him. Irvin's numbers are not that spectacular unless you realize that his career was shortened by injuries and the beginning of his career was difficult because of how bad the Cowboys were. As the Cowboys got better, so did Irvin's numbers. Although the emergence of Emmitt Smith surely caused the Cowboys to spend at least some of the time running the ball. By the time his career had ended, Irvin had managed to catch 65 TD passes.
#12 Overall: Warren Sapp (Bucs, Raiders)
12 of 13There were really no overwhelming prospects at this pick so good luck to the Minnesota Vikings in the upcoming draft, history is against you. However, I think the Vikings would be happy to draft somebody of Sapp's caliber, although probably not at his position because they need... well, thats another article. With seven Pro Bowl selections, four All Pro, and a Super Bowl, Warren Sapp certainly left his mark on the NFL. His 96.5 sacks put him just outside the Top 20 all time. Whenever Sapp actually wanted to play, he dominated opposing offenses. His placement on this list is based mostly on the luck of not many great players being picked at this spot.
The End (For Now)
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I look forward to your comments regarding the superstars that I left off of this list. Picks 13-21 will come soon. Hint, my favorite player takes the #16 spot.
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.jpg?w=480 "Browns Football")
