NFL Draft: The Best First-Round Pick in Each Franchise's History
Even in a year with a lockout, interest and buzz about the 2011 NFL draft is still high. But, we often get so caught up in the present (myself included) that we forget to reflect on the past.
So, before I question my sanity for knowing that TCU quarterback Andy Dalton is a marketing major and was a 2-star recruit by Scout.com and a 3-star recruit by Rivals, let's take a look at the past in the form of the best first-round picks in each franchise's history.
In doing this analysis, there were some no-brainer decisions and some very difficult choices. As such, I came up with the following rules to follow.
For a player to be considered, he had to make the majority of his impact on the team that drafted him. As such, John Elway will not represent the Denver Broncos or the Baltimore Colts who actually drafted him in 1983 before he was quickly dealt to Denver.
Also, I had to limit my decision in general to the current 32 teams in the NFL. In short, my analysis of Baltimore is limited to the Ravens and not the Colts.
If you are looking for an exception to this rule, although I don't consider it as such, I will evaluate the history of teams that essentially stayed the same, such as the Houston Oilers history in looking at the Tennessee Titans, the St. Louis Rams and Los Angeles Rams, the Indianapolis and Baltimore Colts, and the St. Louis and Phoenix Cardinals.
I will not include the Cleveland Browns history with the Baltimore Ravens because even though it was the same team, the Browns were re-introduced into the league.
I hope that this is not too confusing for you. I will try to clarify further as we go along.
Let's start with the first-round picks that I consider to be no-brainers and eventually move to the harder decisions towards the end. Otherwise, there is no specific order in how the teams and associated players are listed.
Special thanks to NFL.com, pro-football-reference.com, profootballhof.com, and the Associated Press for their list of the best and worst first-round draft picks of each team that can be read by clicking on this link: http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/ap/football/7533910.html.
Obviously, there are going to be many of the same players on both the Associated Press list and my own, but I do beg to differ on a few selections.
1. San Francisco 49ers
1 of 32
The NFL Network produced The Top 100: NFL's Greatest Players, a 10-part television series based on a survey of a panel of current and former executives, coaches, players and the media.
Want to guess who was No. 1?
Jerry Rice.
The best wide receiver in the history of football caught 1,549 passes for 22,895 yards. The 16th overall pick in the 1985 draft accounted for 207 touchdowns rushing and receiving in 20 seasons.
Seriously think about that. He averaged over 10 touchdowns a year for two decades.
All of this from a player who went to the college powerhouse known as Mississippi Valley State. Rice was never the fastest player, but also never met a pass route that he couldn't run.
For those who would like to argue that legendary 49ers quarterback Joe Montana was a better player—and indeed, the signal-caller was fourth on the Top 100 list—maybe he was, but "Joe Cool" was selected in the third round in 1979.
2. Cleveland Browns
2 of 32
Jim Brown is arguably the best running back to ever play the game of football and perhaps the greatest player in football history.
Consider his impact. He played just nine seasons. He made the Pro Bowl all nine seasons. He has a career average of 5.2 yards per carry. He never rushed for less than 942 yards in a season and that was in a 12-game campaign. He reached the end zone 126 times.
He averaged 104.3 rushing yards per game and no one has come close to that mark. Had he not retired to become an actor, there is a good chance that he would have held every rushing record in history, many of which would never have been broken.
The sixth overall pick in the 1957 draft, Brown relished contact and he had the complete package.
Finally, Brown was chosen as the second-best player all time on the Top 100 list.
3. New York Giants
3 of 32
For all of his problems off the field, Lawrence Taylor, the second pick overall in 1981, simply changed the way the game was played on it.
It’s no coincidence that he gave plenty of left tackles nightmares before games, and yet a whole generation of players probably owe him a chunk of their salaries for the premium teams now put on the left tackle position and on pass-rushers.
Taylor had 132.5 sacks in his 13-year career. He was a 10-time Pro Bowl selection and was ranked third in the Top 100.
The Giants have had their fair share of great first-round picks—including Michael Strahan, Carl Banks and Phil Simms—but none of them is simply known by two initials:
L.T.
.png?w=256)
.jpg?w=256 "Colts Jaguars Football")
4. Carolina Panthers
4 of 32
Julius Peppers may now be a Chicago Bear but he still stands as the Carolina Panthers' best first-round draft pick of all time.
As a Panther, the second overall pick of the 2001 draft piled up 81 sacks in eight seasons. His 6'7" frame, long arms and athletic ability make Peppers a real challenge for offensive linemen to block. He is a six-time Pro Bowler and he was named to the NFL 2000’s All-Decade Team.
Peppers time in Carolina was not without controversy, as he was suspended for the final four games of his rookie season for taking a banned dietary supplement. His desire to be paid handsomely and get out of Carolina also clouded his final few seasons as a Panther.
5. Houston Texans
5 of 32
When you have only had 10 first-round picks in team history, it’s not going to be hard to pick your best one and it’s clearly not with the Houston Texans.
Wide receiver Andre Johnson is a five-time Pro Bowl selection and one of the best wide receivers in the game today. He has led the NFL in receiving yards twice and has 50 career touchdown catches.
The third pick overall in the 2003 draft will likely hold the title of best Texans first-round draft pick for some time with all due apologies to Mario Williams (2006) and Brian Cushing (2009). At least Texans fans can take comfort that if the current trend holds they will get a heck of a player in 2012.
6. New England Patriots
6 of 32
Had cornerback Mike Haynes not split his career between the New England Patriots and Oakland Raiders, this could be a tight race. But since he didn't, John Hannah is a no-brainer choice for the New England Patriots' greatest first-round draft pick of all time.
Hannah was just 6'2" and 265 pounds—really. Yet, he made nine Pro Bowls and was the first New England Patriot ever elected into the Hall of Fame in 1991.
The fourth pick in the 1973 draft, Hannah spent his entire 13-year career with the Patriots and succeeded with attention to detail and a commitment to excellence. Hannah was part of the NFL's All-Decade Team in the 1970s and the 1980s.
7. Cincinnati Bengals
7 of 32
The third overall pick in 1980, Anthony Muñoz might just have been the best offensive lineman in the history of football and is clearly the best first-round draft pick in Cincinnati Bengals history. Muñoz was an 11-time consecutive Pro Bowl selection.
According to profootballhof.com, "An exceptional straight-on blocker, Muñoz was agile, quick, and strong. He had great foot quickness and agility necessary to block quick defensive ends. Considered by many to be the premier tackle during his 13-seasons of play, he started 164 of 168 games from 1980-1990."
It's hard to compare offensive linemen, but I know this about Muñoz: I saw a picture of him recently, and even at 52 years old, he looks intimidating.
8. Miami Dolphins
8 of 32
He passed for 61,361 yards and 420 touchdowns. He finished his career just short of 5,000 completions. He made the Pro Bowl nine times and led the Miami Dolphins to playoff appearances in 10 of his 17 seasons.
He set NFL records for most passing attempts, completions, yards and touchdowns in a career. He still holds the record for most passing yards in a season with 5,084 during the 1984 season.
But Dan Marino was so much more to the Miami Dolphins than a statistic. Despite legs and feet that rarely allowed him to more than slip a would-be tackler, his laser-like right arm made him one of the hardest quarterbacks to sack in history.
Even though he never won a Super Bowl during his lengthy career, he remains an undeniable icon in South Florida.
The 27th overall pick in the 1983 draft, Marino was No. 25 on the Top 100 list.
Perhaps what speaks most to Marino's inclusion on this list is that the honorable mention for this spot goes to Bob Griese (1967) and Larry Csonka (1968)—two Hall of Famers and two players are among the greatest to play the game of football.
9. Buffalo Bills
9 of 32
The first overall pick in the 1985 draft, Bruce Smith was the prototypical defensive end at 6'4", 265 pounds. He was powerful, quick and simply ferocious.
He was an 11-time Pro Bowl selection and he is the NFL's all-time sack leader with 200 such stops.
In his 15 seasons with the Bills, Smith only failed to reach 10 or more sacks three times: during his rookie year, during 1991 when he played in just five games due to knee problems and during his final season as a Bill before he moved on to being a Washington Redskin for four seasons.
10. Philadelphia Eagles
10 of 32
Chuck Bednarik, the first overall pick in 1949, is considered to be the last of the NFL's great two-way players.
"Concrete Charlie" was a standout at center and linebacker that led the Eagles to NFL championships in 1949 and 1960. The eight-time Pro Bowl selection was elected to the Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility.
Of course, who can forget his "game over" hit of Frank Gifford that caused the eight-time Pro Bowl running back and receiver to miss 18 months during the prime of his career?
11. Seattle Seahawks
11 of 32
Walter Jones was the sixth overall pick in 1997.
According to the Associated Press, Jones was called for holding nine times and allowed 23 sacks in 5,703 pass attempts.
Jones was a nine-time Pro Bowl selection and was the standard by which all left tackles were measured during the early part of the century.
12. New Orleans Saints
12 of 32
Willie Roaf received Pro Bowl honors seven times while playing with the Saints and 11 times overall in his career. The eighth pick overall in 1993, Roaf was one of the quickest offensive tackles of his time which is no small feet considering he weighed in at over 320 pounds for most of his career.
Roaf was named to both the NFL's 1990s All-Decade Team and the 2000s All-Decade Team.
13. Detroit Lions
13 of 32
Barry Sanders (1989, third pick overall) rushed for 15,269 yards in his career which ranks third all time, but who knows how many he would have racked up if he hadn't abruptly retired in 1999?
Despite being 5'8" and just 203 pounds, he was rarely ever injured and made the Pro Bowl every season during his 10-year career.
To say that Sanders' running style was explosive doesn't begin to do this player justice. The NFL hasn't seen pyrotechnics of his kind since he hung up his cleats and we might not again.
14. Denver Broncos
14 of 32
Steve Atwater wasn't just an eight-time Pro Bowl safety for the Denver Broncos; he was a vicious hitter that was half-linebacker and half-safety.
Of his nearly 1,200 career tackles, it’s a good bet that many of them are on highlight films in the NFL archives somewhere.
Atwater, the 20th pick in 1989, only had 24 career interceptions and flew under the radar for much of his career, but that's only because he was a run-stopping safety that relished contact more than he did gathering the pigskin.
15. St. Louis Rams
15 of 32
Eric Dickerson rewarded the Los Angeles Rams for making him the second pick overall in 1983 by rushing for 1,808 yards and 18 touchdowns in his rookie season.
Dickerson still holds the all-time single-season rushing record with 2,105 yards in 1984.
He had eight 1,000-yard seasons with the Rams and Indianapolis Colts.
16. Indianapolis Colts
16 of 32
If Marshall Faulk (1994, second overall pick) had played the majority of his career with the team that drafted him—the Colts—instead of the Rams, where he spent eight of his 13 seasons, this could be mildly interesting.
Okay, I lied.
Peyton Manning will likely own every significant passing record by the time he retires—if he stays healthy. The first overall pick in 1998, Manning already has nearly 55,000 yards passing and 400 touchdowns.
The four-time AP NFL Most Valuable Player, who just turned 35 in March, could realistically top over 70,000 passing yards and 500 touchdowns before reaching his 40th birthday.
Whenever Manning retires, he will obviously enter the Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility.
17. Dallas Cowboys
17 of 32
Look at the following list of Dallas Cowboys first-round picks: Bob Lilly, Lee Roy Jordan, Calvin Hill, Ed "Too Tall" Jones, Randy White, Tony Dorsett, Troy Aikman and Michael Irvin.
Many of these players would earn top consideration as another team's best first-round pick.
But in Big "D," there is only one name in the discussion and that's No. 22, Emmitt Smith.
Smith is the NFL's all-time rushing leader with a ridiculous total of 18,355 rushing yards in his 15-year career. From 1991 to 2001, he never rushed for under a 1,000 yards in a season.
The 17th overall pick of the 1990 draft is a three-time Super Bowl champion, the AP MVP in 1993 and an eight-time Pro Bowler.
But Emmitt did some of his best work in the playoffs, as evidenced by his 19-career postseason touchdowns and as the MVP of Super Bowl XXVIII.
18. New York Jets
18 of 32
Quite honestly, because Joe Namath was a first-round pick in the AFL-only draft and John Riggins accomplished fame after signing with the Washington Redskins, there isn't a whole lot to choose from for New York Jets fans.
Freeman McNeil was the third overall pick in the 1981 draft. Although he only eclipsed the 1,000-yard mark twice in his career (during the 1984 and 1985 seasons), that was in part because he rarely seemed to get the number of carries of a full-time running back. Still, he retired as the Jets all-time leading rusher with 8,074 yards (a mark that was eclipsed by Curtis Martin) and averaged 4.5 yards per carry in his career.
McNeil added nearly 3,000 more yards as a pass-catcher and was clearly one of the more underrated players of the 1980s.
19. San Diego Chargers
19 of 32
Until the fifth pick of the 2001 draft was selected, the San Diego Chargers best first-round pick would have clearly been five-time Pro Bowl tight end Kellen Winslow.
However, in that draft 10 years ago, the Chargers happened to get the "second L.T."—LaDainian Tomlinson.
Tomlinson has rushed for 13,404 yards and 144 touchdowns during his career. He is sixth on the all-time rushing list and could easily move into fourth place in 2011.
Tomlinson also had one of the most remarkable seasons of any player at any position in history during 2006 when he rushed for 1,815 yards and 28 touchdowns. To boot, he added 56 catches for 508 yards and three more touchdowns.
Personally, I think his single-season record of 31 touchdowns might never be broken. No player has been remotely close since Tomlinson set the record and NFL offenses are relying less and less on a single receiver or running back.
20. Atlanta Falcons
20 of 32
I actually agonized over this selection; not because of Deion Sanders and his place in NFL history as the best cover corner in history, but because he played for five different teams and spent as many seasons in Dallas as he did in Atlanta.
But ultimately, the fifth overall pick in the 1989 draft gets the nod here for two reasons. First, "Prime Time" had 24 interceptions in Atlanta and arguably played his best football there with the possible exception of his one season with the San Francisco 49ers in 1994.
Second, the only other player I could consider at this point was offensive lineman Bill Fralic. While Fralic had an outstanding NFL career, I couldn't put the four-time Pro Bowler over one of the best players in NFL history.
21. Oakland Raiders
21 of 32
Gene Upshaw is the only player in NFL history to play in three Super Bowls with the same team in three different decades. Upshaw is generally considered to be one of if not the best guard in the history of the NFL.
Somewhat surprisingly, he was only a six-time Pro Bowl selection but truth be told, there was probably not a better player in executing the sweep than Upshaw, the 17th overall pick in 1967.
Of course, Upshaw was probably as well known for his tenure as Executive Director of the NFL Players Association until he passed away in August of 2008.
22. Arizona Cardinals
22 of 32
Let's put Cardinals fans out of their first-round misery quickly.
The best Arizona Cardinals first-round draft pick is Larry Fitzgerald. Quite honestly, even I got depressed looking at the list of the team's first-round picks other than Fitzgerald.
The 2004 third pick overall is a five-time Pro Bowl selection and has 8,053 receiving yards and 64 touchdown catches in his short career.
23. Tennessee Titans/Houston Oilers
23 of 32
How dare I not go with Earl Campbell, one of the most powerful and best running backs of all time?
Don't get me wrong, Campbell is one of my favorite all-time players, with his punishing style that accounted for 9,407 yards and 74 touchdowns rushing.
But, he had five really good seasons with the Houston Oilers and just an eight-year career.
Offensive lineman Bruce Matthews played 19 seasons with the Houston Oilers and then Tennessee Titans. He made the Pro Bowl in 14 of those seasons.
The ninth pick of the 1983 draft, Matthews played every position of the offensive line and made those Pro Bowls as a center and a guard. His 296 NFL games are the most ever for an offensive lineman. He made the Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility in 2007.
Besides, Campbell owes at least a little of his success to one of the men who plowed the way for him.
24. Green Bay Packers
24 of 32
Paul Hornung was the first pick in the 1957 draft by the Green Bay Packers. Even with the Packers' storied history, Hornung remains the best first-round selection the team has ever taken.
Consider that in the 1960 season Hornung, who was an outstanding running back and kicker, set the NFL record with 176 points in a season. The record lasted 46 years until the aforementioned Tomlinson accounted for 180 in 2006.
Of course, Hornung set his mark in 12 games.
While Hornung made just two Pro Bowls, he was the NFL's MVP in 1961 and scored 72 touchdowns in just nine seasons. He is one of the most versatile players in NFL history.
25. Pittsburgh Steelers
25 of 32
Yes, I have a preference for defensive players. At least, I think I do as a former defensive coach. But, in part because I can't really separate the contributions of quarterback Terry Bradshaw from the contributions of Franco Harris from the contributions of Lynn Swann—who were all first-round picks for the Steelers—the selection for the Pittsburgh Steelers' best first-round pick is "Mean" Joe Greene.
The fourth overall pick in the 1969 draft, Greene was a two-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year and 10-time Pro Bowler. These accomplishments barely do this player justice. In fact, his nickname "Mean" was probably a better representative of his tough, physical and punishing playing style.
Despite facing double and triple teams throughout his career, he still piled up 78.5 sacks while playing on a defense that featured many other playmakers during his career.
26. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
26 of 32
The temptation would be to go with seven-time Pro Bowler and 1999 Defensive Player of the Year Warren Sapp here, but he'll be edged out by another defensive lineman: the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' only Hall of Famer and the first overall pick in franchise history in 1976, Lee Roy Selmon.
Selmon was estimated to have rung up 78.5 sacks and forced 28.5 fumbles during just a nine-year career while playing for some really awful Buccaneers teams.
27. Minnesota Vikings
27 of 32
Yes, Randy Moss was a freakishly talented receiver, and although he seems to have lost a step or just interest in the game of football, his selection at 21 by the Minnesota Vikings in the 1998 draft deserves to be considered as the team's greatest first-round selection in history.
However, despite his 14,858 yards and 153 touchdowns, much of his production also came from stints with the Oakland Raiders and New England Patriots. In fact, 61 of his touchdowns came from those two other teams and Moss only spent a little over seven of his 13 seasons with the Vikings.
So, I am going with one of the most versatile and talented interior linemen in history here in 12-time Pro Bowl guard Randall McDaniel. The 19th overall pick in 1988, McDaniel was an athletic guard who started 202 consecutive games and literally could line up anywhere on the offensive line.
According to profootbalhof.com, McDaniel blocked for six 1,000-yard rushers and five 3,000-yard passers during his career.
28. Kansas City Chiefs
28 of 32
I realize I am going to get some criticism here. But, this two-horse race comes down to beloved tight end Tony Gonzalez (1997) and beloved outside linebacker Derrick Thomas.
Gonzalez set records for pass receptions, touchdowns and yards receiving while making 10 Pro Bowls during his 12-year Chiefs career.
He is one of the best tight ends in the history of football.
Thomas, who was the fourth pick overall in 1989, played 11 seasons before his tragic death from a pulmonary embolism in the wake of a horrifying auto vehicle accident that left him paralyzed in January 2000.
He had an amazing 126.5 sacks in his shortened career and was arguably the most dynamic pass-rusher of the era following Lawrence Taylor.
Had he not passed away at age 32, who knows how many more sacks he would have had in his career? His single-game record of seven sacks still stands today.
Sorry Tony, but Thomas made the same dramatic impact at a more important position.
29. Jacksonsville Jaguars
29 of 32
This is one of the toughest calls to make.
The first pick in Jacksonville Jaguars history, Tony Boselli (second overall selection in 1995) made the Pro Bowl in five of his first six seasons but only started 90 games before several injuries ended his career prematurely.
Boselli was a 6'7" 322-pound mammoth of a man who was named to the NFL's 1990s All-Decade Team.
Running back Fred Taylor gets the nod here even though he has had his own share of durability problems, so much so that Jaguars fans called him "Fragile Fred."
However, the fact remains that Taylor, the ninth overall pick in 1998, is 15th on the all-time career rushing list with 11,695 yards on the ground. His career average of 4.6 yards per carry in a 13-year career is stunning.
Boselli would clearly win a popularity contest of Jaguars fans who also questioned Taylor's willingness to play through injuries, but the better first-round draft pick was Taylor.
30. Washington Redskins
30 of 32
"Slingin" Sammy Baugh gets the slight edge here over Darrell Green.
Since Baugh's playing career went from 1937-1952, I can't say that I am an expert on his play so I have to go with the perspective that has been shared over the course of time.
While Baugh's statistics are not overwhelming (he has more interceptions than touchdown passes, for example) he was the first quarterback to really use the forward pass effectively. The ball was harder to throw back then due to its fatter and rounder shape.
Yet, Baugh (sixth pick overall) led the league in passing six times and was NFL Player of the Year twice. He set records as a quarterback, punter and defensive back.
Green was a seven-time Pro Bowl selection. He had 54 career interceptions as a defensive back. But what stands out about the 28th pick of the 1983 draft is that he played the game at such a high level for 20 seasons while missing just 25 career games.
He probably would have had more picks except that the "NFL's original fastest man" was one of those corners you just didn't test as a quarterback.
31. Baltimore Ravens
31 of 32
Normally, one couldn't snub an 11-time Pro Bowl left tackle, but that's exactly what I have to do with future Hall of Fame left tackle Jonathan Ogden. At 6'9" 345 pounds, Ogden (the fourth overall selection in 1996, the team's original draft) was just dominating—but with all due respect, he isn't Ray Lewis.
I don't think Ogden will mind taking a back seat to a 12-time Pro Bowl middle linebacker who is a two-time AP Defensive Football Player of the Year.
Entering his 16th season, Lewis has shown little evidence of slowing down and has seemingly always been the ferocious leader and personality of the Ravens since he was selected with 26th pick in the same draft as Ogden.
Imagine selecting two players of that caliber in one draft, much less the same round.
32. Chicago Bears
32 of 32
Selecting a team's best first-rounder becomes totally unfair to several legends of the Chicago Bears.
Normally, you could go with Hall of Fame quarterback Sid Luckman (1939, second pick overall), who led the Bears to four NFL championships in 12 seasons with Chicago.
Normally, you could go with Hall of Fame tight end Mike Ditka (1961, fifth pick), who helped revolutionize his position as a dual-threat receiver and blocker and then led the Bears to a Super Bowl victory as head coach years later.
Normally, you could go with Gale Sayers (1965, fourth pick), the running back that some people—including my father—say was the most dynamic player they ever saw play.
The same Gale Sayers who is a Hall of Famer despite playing just seven seasons and yet accumulated 9,435 net yards including 4,956 yards on the ground with a 5.0 yards per carry average. The same Gale Sayers who scored 336 points in his career and the same Gale Sayers who averaged 30.6 yards per kick return and 14.5 yards per punt return.
Normally, you better go with Dick Butkus (1965, third pick—and how is that for consecutive picks of Butkus and Sayers?), who many consider the greatest middle linebacker ever with his nasty demeanor and brutal ferocity that led to well over a 1,000 tackles, 22 interceptions and 27 fumble recoveries.
ESPN listed Butkus as its 70th Greatest Athlete of the 20th Century.
But, alas, there was nothing normal about the man known as "Sweetness."
In Never Die Easy: The Autobiography of Walter Payton with Don Yaeger, the aforementioned Ditka described Payton "as the greatest football player he had ever seen—but even greater as a human being."
On the field, Payton ranks second all-time to Emmitt Smith on the career rushing list with 16,726 rushing yards. It just seems that all of those yards came as a result of Payton not running out of bounds and plowing into another defender or throwing a would-be tackler off with his unique high-stepping style.
Payton, the fourth pick overall in 1975, didn't celebrate after scoring touchdowns and took tremendous pride in the success of his team.
Off the field, he was well liked and became synonymous with Chicago Bears football. In Never Die Easy, it tells of how Payton spent his final months as an organ donation advocate even though his own condition was beyond hope.
Perhaps, all you need to know is that after Payton's death in 1999, the NFL's Man of the Year Award was renamed to the Walter Payton Man of the Year Award.
Enough said.
.png?w=480)
.jpg?w=480 "Colts Jaguars Football")
