2011 NFL Draft: Power Ranking the 25 Best Late-Round Steals in AFC History
Well, the draft is coming up and this is meant as encouragement.
Your team need multiple Pro Bowlers but have only one first rounder?
Don’t give up hope until you read this list.
I interpreted the headline quite literally.
The 25 Best Late-Round Steals in AFC History.
So that means no pre-merger, no NFC, no one drafted in the third round or higher (some late thirds include Jason Taylor, Joey Porter and Hines Ward), no UFAs and (a rule I chose to add) no kickers. I thought they had the potential to run amok over our list. I don’t want kickers running amok over anything.
The UFAs was probably the hardest thing to adhere to. They’re really in the same boat as a lot of the guys on this list, and some of them are the elite guys in the league.
Nevertheless, with that sentiment in mind:
I present to you a list of the underappreciated who aren't too underappreciated.
(Just missing the cut were: Terance Mathis, Dave Szott, Joe Fields, Steve Grogan, Ben Coates, Tim Krumrie, Shaun Phillips, Brandon Jacobs, Mike Anderson, Cato June and Leon Washington.)
(Additional note: I tended to err on the side of the recent, just so the list looks at all recognizable to those born after 1985, but if in doing so I have made any egregious exclusions please feel free to let me know in your quippiest possible vernacular.)
25. Tom Condon, OL, Kansas City Chiefs
1 of 25
1974 NFL Draft: 10th Round, 250th Overall Pick
An honorable choice to get us going.
Condon was drafted in the 10th round out of Boston College, and he proceeded to play 12 seasons in the league.
He is in the No. 25 spot primarily for going on to represent literally everyone else on this list.
24. Matt Cassel, QB, New England Patriots
2 of 25
2005 NFL Draft: Seventh Round, 230th Overall Pick
Cassel, now the starter in Kansas City, slid because as of draft day ’05 he hadn’t started a game since high school. The Chatsworth product attended nearby USC but ended up spending the entirety of his time there backing up collegiate legends Carson Palmer and Matt Lienart.
Cassel entered the draft as an unknown, and he remained one until taking over for an injured Tom Brady during the 2008 season. He threw for over 3,600 yards and 21 touchdowns, leading the Pats to an 11-5 record.
When Brady returned, Cassel was traded to the Chiefs for the 34th pick in the draft (a +196 return on NE’s investment). He made the Pro Bowl the following year.
23. T.J. Houshmandzadeh, WR, Cincinnati Bengals
3 of 25
2001 NFL Draft: Seventh Round, 204th Overall Pick
In the same draft the Bengals stole Chad Johnson in the second round, they also plucked Houshmandzadeh in the seventh.
That’s how you revitalize a receiving core.
A tough guy and a tireless worker, Houshmandzadeh eventually built himself into one of the most well-rounded wide receivers in the game.
In 2007, he tied Wes Welker for the league lead in receptions with 112, making his first Pro Bowl the same year.
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22. Brandon Marshall, WR, Denver Broncos
4 of 25
2006 NFL Draft: Fourth Round, 119th Overall Pick
Brandon Marshall, at 6'4", 230, looked the part of a premiere receiver. But he fell on draft day because teams were worried about the level of competition he faced at the University of Central Florida.
That, as it turns out, was a mistake.
Though some of his warts have surfaced, Marshall’s ability as a receiver has too.
The UCF star is now a two-time Pro Bowler who has caught 413 balls for 5,033 yards and 28 touchdowns over the course of his first five years in the league.
He holds the NFL record for receptions in a game with 21 and is one of only five players in history to record 100 catches in three consecutive seasons.
That streak was snapped this year, his first on a quarterback-hungry Miami team.
21. Dante Hall, WR/KR, Kansas City Chiefs
5 of 25
2000 NFL Draft: Fifth Round, 153rd Overall Pick
On this list for taking over the league back in 2003.
Lightning fast, enthrallingly elusive Dante Hall returned a kickoff or punt for a touchdown for games in a row that year, still an NFL record.
He also made moves like this.
Hall is a two-time Pro Bowler and was named to the NFL’s All-Decade Team in 2010 by the Hall of Fame Selection Committee.
20. Elvis Dumervil, OLB, Denver Broncos
6 of 25
2006 NFL Draft: Fourth Round, 126th Overall Pick
One of the youngest guys on our list, the former Big East Defensive Player of the Year fell to the fourth round of the draft because of the ever over-analyzed "size concerns."
At 5'11", 258, Dumervil was labeled too small for DE.
But he was plenty big to rush the passer. Despite missing the 2010 season (torn pectoral), the Louisville product has racked up 43 sacks and 10 forced fumbles just five years into his NFL career.
He was an All-Pro selection in 2009.
19. Adalius Thomas, LB, Baltimore Ravens
7 of 25
2000 NFL Draft: Sixth Round, 186th Overall Pick
A remarkable athlete, Thomas won a Super Bowl in his rookie year and then made the Pro Bowl in his third.
Until being promoted to starter at OLB before his fourth season, Thomas had served as the league’s only 270-pound gunner on special teams. He was, for a time, the most versatile defensive player in the league—one of the most incredible combinations of size and speed ever seen in the NFL.
Thomas is a two-time Pro Bowler, a Super-Bowl champion with the Ravens and the only player in NFL history to play five defensive positions in one game (OLB, MLB, DE, S, CB).
For his career (provided it’s over), Adalius amassed 524 tackles, 53 sacks, seven interceptions, 15 forced fumbles and 53 passes defensed.
18. Marvcus Patton, LB, Buffalo Bills
8 of 25
1990 NFL Draft: Eighth Round, 208th Overall Pick
Drafted in the eighth round out of UCLA, Patton was on each of the four ill-fated Buffalo Super Bowl teams.
He played in 13 NFL seasons and never missed a regular season game during his career.
Patton has the strength of two men—one named Marv, the other named Marcus—but that was overshadowed by his lack of prototypical size entering the 1990 draft.
17. Asante Samuel, CB, New England Patriots
9 of 25
2003 NFL Draft: Fourth Round, 120th Overall Pick
A few years ago, Asante Samuel was a Super Bowl champion and perhaps the No. 1 corner in the NFL.
He’s none of those things anymore, but he is highly paid and on this list.
After coming into the league by way of Central Florida, Samuel has collected 42 interceptions and two Super Bowl titles, while making his way to four Pro Bowls. He is also the NFL’s all-time leader with four postseason interceptions returned for touchdowns.
16. Troy Brown, WR/PR, New England Patriots
10 of 25
1993 NFL Draft: Eighth Round, 198th Pick Overall
A 5'10" late bloomer who didn’t start until he was 29 years old, Brown nevertheless recorded 557 catches, 6,366 receiving yards and 31 touchdowns.
He played his entire 15-year career in New England and is now a three-time Super Bowl champion and a member of the Patriots’ 50th Anniversary Team.
The NE dynasty began in 2002, and Troy Brown was right at the forefront of that.
15. Hardy Nickerson, LB, Pittsburgh Steelers
11 of 25
1987 NFL Draft: Fifth Round, 122nd Overall
Nickerson was a Pro-Bowl candidate for a decade (making it five times) and serving as an integral part of some hellacious Steeler and Buccaneer defenses.
Nicknamed “The Dragon”—no one should ever slide in the draft if they’re nicknamed “The Dragon—Nickerson registered 1,586 tackles, 21 sacks and 12 interceptions over the course of a 16-year career.
He was a member of the NFL’s 1990s All-Decade Team.
14. Doug Dieken, LT, Cleveland Browns
12 of 25
1971 NFL Draft: Sixth Round, 142nd Overall Pick
I can’t decide if subconsciously I’ve made Dieken a recipient of the ‘Cleveland Browns Bump’ by putting him at 14, but regardless, he deserves a spot on this list.
Drafted out of Illinois as a tight end, Dieken soon became only the third left tackle in Cleveland Browns history. He went to one Pro Bowl, and more impressively started a team record 194 straight games (while playing in a team record 203 consecutive games).
Dieken won the NFL’s Man of the Year Award following the 1982 season, and currently serves as the finest color commentator in the league.
In 2006, he was inducted into the Cleveland Browns Legends.
13. Karl Mecklenburg, LB, Denver Broncos
13 of 25
1983 NFL Draft: 12th Round, 310th Overall Pick
Nicknamed “The Albino Rhino,” Mecklenburg was drafted in the 12th round (after 38 other linebackers, only one of whom—Daryl Talley—had any kind of a noteworthy career) out of Minnesota and wound up playing 10 years for the Broncos.
He went to six Pro Bowls, was a three-time All-Pro and his 79.5 sacks are the second highest total in franchise history (Simon Fletcher is tops with 97.5).
In 2001, he was inducted into the Denver Broncos Ring of Fame.
In 2010, he made a less flattering appearance on this list.
12. Joe Klecko, DL, New York Jets
14 of 25
1977 NFL Draft: Sixth Round, 144th Overall Pick
Klecko racked up eight sacks as an unheralded rookie, but the Jets went just 3-11.
However, the next few years would see New York add Mark Gastineau and Marty Lyons to play next to Klecko and Abdul Salaam, forming one of the top defensive lines in the NFL. The “New York Sack Exchange” recorded 66 sacks in 1981. Klecko lead the way (and the league) with 20.5 in what would turn out to be his finest season.
In his career, Klecko made four Pro Bowls, two All-Pro teams and was the AFC Defensive Player of the Year in 1981.
11. Andre Reed, WR, Buffalo Bills
15 of 25
1985 NFL Draft: Fourth Round, 86th Overall Pick
Reed played for 16 seasons, during which he amassed 951 receptions, 13,198 receiving yards and 87 touchdowns. He was selected to seven consecutive Pro Bowls between 1988 and 1994.
Reed’s 951 receptions are eighth in NFL history, his 13,198 receiving yards are ninth. He played (and lost) in four Super Bowls during which he caught 27 balls, which number is second only to Jerry Rice’s 33 Super Bowl catches.
Reed, whose greatest feat was perhaps his longevity, played in 234 games between 1985 and 2000.
He retired after the 2000 season and is now on the Buffalo Bills Wall of Fame.
10. Tom Nalen, C, Denver Broncos
16 of 25
1994 NFL Draft: Seventh Round, 218th Overall Pick
A standout at Boston College, Nalen was 6-3, but listed at only 286 pounds, which was, even in 1993, pretty small for an NFL lineman.
How Nalen made up for that deficiency depends on who you ask. He and a similarly undersized Denver line became the league’s most formidable employer of the "cut-block," a tactic considered skillful by some and cannibalistic by others.
Regardless of where you stand in that particular debate, Nalen’s results are hard to argue with.
He was a five-time Pro Bowler, two-time Super Bowl champion and served as perhaps the key cog on the aforementioned line that blocked for six different 1,000-yard backs.
Nalen retired in 2009 after a 15-year career.
9. Jared Allen, DE, Kansas City Chiefs
17 of 25
2004 NFL Draft: Fourth Round, 126th Overall Pick
The former Idaho State star had some off-the-field issues early in his career but has since turned things around to become one of the most dominant ends in the NFL.
The three-time All-Pro is 6'6", 270 pounds with a non-stop motor. He has thus far totaled 83 sacks, 22 forced fumbles and four interceptions in his seven-year career.
He also made Dan Orlovsky do this.
8. Lester Hayes, CB, Oakland Raiders
18 of 25
1977 NFL Draft: Fifth Round, 126th Overall Pick
Nicknamed “Lester the Molester” for the severity of the bump in his bump and run coverage, Hayes became a five-time Pro Bowler, a two-time Super Bowl Champion and a member of the NFL’s 1980 All-Decade Team over the course of his ten-year career.
Hayes was an All-American safety at Texas A&M but converted to corner after being drafted by the Raiders. He is considered one of the greatest at the position in NFL history, and in 1980, he was named NFL Defensive Player of the Year.
7. Brian Sipe, QB, Cleveland Browns
19 of 25
1972 NFL Draft: 13th Round, 330th Overall Pick
Sipe’s career stats aren’t mesmerizing (again making me fear I’ve granted a "Cleveland Bump"), but his exploits were.
The former San Diego State signal-caller made a name for himself at the helm of the high-octane “Kardiac Kids,” the 1979 and 1980 Browns’ squads that were responsible for an inhumane number of photo finishes.
Sipe won the 1980 MVP award (throwing for 4,132 yard and 30 touchdowns) but is perhaps best known for an infamous, season-ending interception in a playoff game against the Raiders. The Browns could have kicked a short field goal to win the game, but instead, opted to loft one toward the end zone first.
The pass was picked off, and the play was immortalized as “Red Right 88.” It was pretty bad. But on the bright side, Cleveland’s seen worse.
6. Mark Clayton, WR, Miami Dolphins
20 of 25
1983 NFL Draft: Eighth Round, 223rd Overall Pick
The Louisville product was small, solid and easy to overlook until he hooked up with Dan Marino.
Paired with the NFL’s preeminent arm in Miami, Clayton caught 582 balls for 8,974 yards and 87 touchdowns—the yardage good enough for 39th in the history of the league, the TDs good for 13th.
Clayton caught 18 touchdowns in 1984, a mark that still stands as the third highest total in NFL history.
He was Marino’s go-to guy, and in 2003, he was introduced into the Miami Dolphins Ring of Honor.
5. Shannon Sharpe, TE, Denver Broncos
21 of 25
1992 NFL Draft: Seventh Round, 192nd Overall Pick
You know, in one sense, the scouting brass got this one right. Shannon Sharpe was drafted as a wide receiver, and he didn’t make the cut at the position.
Instead, Sharpe would go on to be the first tight end to catch over 10,000 yards in a career, while also recording 815 receptions and 62 touchdowns.
Sharpe is an eight-time Pro Bowler, a three-time Super Bowl champion and widely regarded as one of the finest tight ends to ever play the game.
4. Mike Webster, C, Pittsburgh Steelers
22 of 25
1974 NFL Draft: Fifth Round, 125th Overall Pick
As per fellow B/R scribe slash Buffalo linebacker Sean Merriman points out, four of the Steelers first five picks in the 1974 draft turned out to be Hall of Famers. Along with Webster, they selected Lynn Swann, Jack Lambert and John Stallworth. That’s an insane single year haul, and it’s little wonder that Pittsburgh was able to turn that draft into the foundation of four Super Bowl winning teams.
Webster himself made nine Pro Bowls, was a five-time All-Pro selection and is at the very least mentioned as a candidate for best center in NFL history.
3. Zach Thomas, LB, Miami Dolphins
23 of 25
1986 NFL Draft: Fifth Round, 154th Overall Pick
Undersized.
I remember very specifically that’s why Zach Thomas fell—at 5'11", 235-ish he was written off as too small to play linebacker in the NFL.
He shouldn’t have been.
Thomas proceeded to spend the next 12 seasons with the Dolphins as one of the league’s premiere defenders, totaling 1,776 tackles, 20.5 sacks and 17 interceptions.
He was a seven-time Pro Bowler, a five-time All-Pro and a member of the NFL’s All-Decade Team.
2. Terrell Davis, RB, Denver Broncos
24 of 25
1995 NFL Draft: Sixth Round, 196th Overall Pick
As a rookie, Terrell Davis entered training camp as the sixth back on the Denver roster and a long shot to make the team.
Then the camp started.
Davis won the starting job and quickly cemented himself as both John Elway’s right-hand man and the league’s preeminent back. For his career, Davis was a three-time All-Pro, an NFL MVP and one of now six men to rush for over 2,000 yards in a season. T.D. amassed 7,607 ground yards in total, and he and Elway led the Broncos to Super Bowl titles in 1998 and 1999.
Had injuries not shortened his career, his resume might be even more impressive.
1. Tom Brady, QB, New England Patriots
25 of 25
2000 NFL Draft: Sixth Round, 199th Overall Pick
It’s now hard to argue that we aren’t looking at the most successful late-round pick in the history of the NFL.
Tom Brady is thus far a six-time Pro Bowler, a two-time regular season and Super Bowl MVP and a three-time Super Bowl champion while annually threatening to win another.
He has thrown for 34,744 yards, 261 touchdowns to only 103 interceptions and is—along with Peyton Manning—playing to go down as one of the greatest quarterbacks on all time.
Brady is a lock for the Hall of Fame.
He has, in my opinion, long since transcended his draft status and moved on to bigger game.
A few more Super Bowls and Tom Brady could go down as the greatest quarterback of all time.
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