The Best NFL Draft Picks Ever

The NFL 2022 offseason is drawing to an end. However, the NFL has already declared the dates for the 2023 draft picks on April 27 to 29 in Kansas City. Naturally, fans are excited about the forthcoming draft picks and are wondering who might be the lucky ones. 

Today, however, we will go back in time and focus on the best NFL picks via draft ever. You may come across several familiar names, while some might be out of your imagination. 

So, let’s start our journey to recapture the top NFL draft picks in history (in no particular order).

Peyton Manning

Peyton was the first overall pick for the Indianapolis Colts in 1998. He played till 2011 for the Colts and from 2012 to 2015 for the Broncos. Peyton also has a highly successful career and is ranked the best NFL draft pick by many experts. 

Peyton surely has a plethora of records to his name. He had a career of 18 years and collected the NFL MVP 5 times. 

No one could break the record since then. 

Additionally, Peyton recorded 55 touchdown passes and 5,477 yards in a single season. Moreover, he received the Comeback Player of the Year in 2012 for the Broncos. 

Peyton performed like a champ even though the teams and coaches around him changed. He played for 4 Super Bowls under the guidance of four coaches. Additionally, he is one of the two quarterbacks to become the winner of a Super Bowl with several teams. 

Till today, Peyton holds a rank in the top 3 for passing yards, touchdown passes, and total wins. He still has 71,940 yards, 539 touchdown passes, and 200 total wins over his career. 

Roger Staubach

Roger Staubach is among the top quarterbacks in the history of the NFL. He was the 129th overall pick by the Dallas Cowboys in 1964 and is ranked as the 5th best NFL draft pick ever. 

Roger was a part of Dallas for 11 seasons and made his mark with his performance. Dallas could make their way into 5 Super Bowls based on his skills. He also served as the starting quarterback in four of the matches. 

Moreover, he led his team to win Super Bowl VI and Super Bowl XII. Peyton was also voted the MVP for Super Bowl VI and chosen 6 times for the Pro Bowl. He is also one of the four players to get an MVP in the Super Bowl and win the Heisman Trophy (1963) together.

Roger even has the honor of being a part of the NFL 1970 all-decade team. Moreover, he was included in the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1985.

Bruce Smith

Bruce was the 1st overall pick for the Bills in 1985 and played till 1999. Next, Washington drafted him in 2000, extending his career till 2003. 

The Bills made a gamble when they chose Bruce. None in the defensive side of the draft picks had an impressive stat to put up. They had to pick someone, and the team tried their luck on Bruce. 

The gamble turned out to be rewarding as Bruce became a top defensive end in NFL history. He was slow to start but showed prowess from 1986 to 1998. He had 12 sacks to his name in spite of missing 11 games because of a knee injury. 

In 1987, Bruce played in 12 games and made 12 sacks. The following year, he managed 11 sacks despite skipping 4 matches. In 1990, he had 19 sacks in 16 matches. 

Bruce hit a total of 200 sacks over his career, setting the NFL record. To date, Reggie White is the only one to come closer with 198 sacks. All other players score below 160 sacks. 

Tom Brady Jr

Tom Brady has earned the title of the best quarterback in history from many experts and fans. He was the 199th overall pick by the New England Patriots in 2000 and helped them dominate the NFL charts for almost two decades. Brady is also ranked as the top NFL draft pick in history by the NFL itself. 

Brady has a long list of records and awards, winning him the top spot in NFL. He was chosen for 5 Super Bowl MVPs and 7 Super Bowl titles, both of which are records. 

The superstar of the NFL was the reason the Patriots could lay their hands on the Super Bowl XXXVI. It was the first time the Patriots won a Super Bowl title. He also played as the primary starter of the team for 18 seasons, setting several records. 

Brady’s skills allowed the Patriots to play in 17 division titles, 6 Super Bowl titles, and 13 AFC Championship Games. Over his career, he set a record for all primary quarterback titles like completions and passing yards.

John Elway

John Elway was the first overall pick for the Baltimore Colts in 1983. However, he never chose the team that selected him, and he certainly didn’t want to play for the Colts. 

So, John made his way into the Broncos and allowed them to appear 3 times for the postseason. It all happened within the first 4 years of joining the Broncos. 

Over his short career of 5 years, John took his team to 10 playoffs. Among them, he led his team to 5 Super Bowl appearances. Moreover, he ended his career as the winner of 2 Super Bowls straight. We will also remember him for his iconic helicopter run in Super Bowl XXXII against the Packers. 

John has a few losses in his career, but his success makes up for them.

Final Thoughts

The NFL draft picks in history have unique stories to tell. While some players are obvious on the list of ranks, some have made a surprise entry. The career of each player is also worth revisiting to cherish their performances and records. We have presented the best picks in our blog to highlight the forgotten heroes of the NFL. 

Last Updated on August 29, 2023 by kalidaspandian