Your Franchise's Ten Greatest Ever Draft Picks! (1 Viewer)

[Horrorshow]

Whether first round picks who made it to Canton or late round sleepers who became decade long starters, name your franchise's ten greatest draft choices of all time!

I'll kick us off in chronological order with the good old New York Football Giants!

1936 - Alphonse "Tuffy" Leemans - HB - R2

1950 - Ray Wietecha - C - R12

1952 - Frank Gifford - HB - R1

1953 - Rosey Brown - OT - R27

1956 - Sam Huff - LB - R3

1976 - Harry Carson - LB - R4

1979 - Phil Simms - QB - R1

1981 - Lawrence Taylor - LB - R1

1993 - Michael Strahan - DE - R2

1997 - Tiki Barber - HB - R2

Honorable Mentions...

1937 - Ward Cuff - RB/DB/K - R4

1946 - Gene "Choo Choo" Roberts - HB - R8

1947 - Tom Landry - DB - R20

1951 - Jack Stroud - OT - R5

1954 - **** Nolan - DB - R4

1955 - Rosey Grier - DT - R3

1955 - Jimmy Patton - DB - R8

1956 - Jim Katcavage - DL - R4

1956 - Don Chandler - P/K/HB - R5

1959 - Joe Morrison - HB - R3

1961 - Greg Larson - C - R6

1963 - Homer Jones - WR - R20

1965 - Willie Williams - DB - R8

1965 - Spider Lockhart - DB - R13

1973 - Brad Van Pelt - LB - R2

1973 - Brian Kelley - LB - R14

1975 - George Martin - DE - R11

1980 - Mark Haynes - CB - R1

1981 - Billy Ard - G - R8

1983 - Leonard Marshall - DE - R2

1985 - Mark Bavaro - TE - R4

1989 - Dave Meggett - RB - R5

1993 - Jessie Armstead - LB - R8

 

[massraider]

Great idea.

Helpful link:

http://www.drafthistory.com/index.php?

 

[Hobbes]

Sure, I'll bite...

Here's one for the Tampa Bay Bucs...at least there's not a whole lot of good players to choose from. Obviously some of these players worked out better for other teams than they did for the Bucs...but they picked them so I included them here...

1976 - Lee Roy Selmon

1978 - Doug Williams

1981 - James Wilder

1984 - Steve Young

1986 - Bo Jackson

1987 - Mark Carrier

1988 - Paul Gruber

1995 - Warren Sapp

1995 - Derrick Brooks

1997 - Ronde Barber

Just missed:

1977 - Ricky Bell

1980 - Kevin House

1981 - Hugh Green

1993 - John Lynch

1996 - Mike Alstott

1997 - Warrick Dunn

 

[Longshot88]

I am not sure of all time but that last 13 years have been very good to the Colts...

94. Marshal Faulk

96. Marvin Harrison

97. Tarik Glenn

98. Peyton Manning

99. Edgerin James, Mike Peterson, Hunter Smith

00.Marcus Washington

01.Reggie Wayne

02.Dwight Freeney

03.Dallas Clark, cato June

04.Bob Sanders

06. Joe Addai.

3 for Sure HOFers...more to come

 

[Mister CIA]

Kind of hard to narrow it down to 10.

1961 - Bob Lilly - DT - R1

1963 - Lee Roy Jordan - LB -R1

1964 - Mel Renfro - CB - R2

1964 - Bob Hayes - WR - R7

1964 - Roger Staubach - QB - R10

1965 - Jethro Pugh - DT - R11

1966 - John Niland - OG - R1

1967 - Rayfield Wright - OT - R4

1968 - Blaine Nye - OT - R5

1973 - Harvey Martin - DE - R3

1974 - Ed "Too Tall" Jones - DE - R1

1975 - Randy White - DT - R1

1977 - Tony Dorsett - RB - R1

1977 - Tony Hill - WR - R3

1985 - Herschel Walker - RB - R5

1988 - Michael Irvin - WR - R1

1989 - Troy Aikman - QB - R1

1989 - Darryl Johnston - FB - R2

1990 - Emmitt Smith - RB - R1

1991 - Leon Lett - DT - R7

1992 - Darren Woodson - S - R2

1994 - Larry Allen - OG - R2

2005 - Demarcus Ware - LB/DE - R1

ETA: And then there is this guy who was not drafted: 3-time pro-bowler Drew Pearson (5-time top 11 FF WR).

 

[Snotbubbles]

1949-Chuck Bednarik

1977-Wilbert Montgomery

1982-Mike Quick

1984-Reggie White

1985-Randall Cunningham

1987-Cris Carter

1988-Eric Allen

1988-Keith Jackson

1996-Brian Dawkins

1999-Donovan McNabb

 

[Mister CIA]

1949-Chuck Bednarik1977-Wilbert Montgomery1982-Mike Quick1984-Reggie White1985-Randall Cunningham1987-Cris Carter1988-Eric Allen1988-Keith Jackson1996-Brian Dawkins1999-Donovan McNabb

No Harold Carmichael?

 

[The Man With No Name]

Hall Of Famers drafted by the Browns-

DE Willie Davis 1956 round 15

T Doug Atkins 1953 round 1

RB Jim Brown 1957 round 1

DT Henry Jordan 1957 round 5

G Gene Hickerson 1957 round 7

RB Bobby Mitchell 1958 round 7

HB Paul Warfield 1964 round 1

RB Leroy Kelly 1964 round 8

TE Ozzie Newsome 1978 round 1

Someone else can do a more extensive list if they want. Not positive I got all the HOFers either.

 

[Bruno2]

I broke this up into two categories, the top 10 early round picks and the top late round gems.

Raiders

Marcus Allen rd 1 1982- Allen and Bo Jackson the two best pure runners the Raiders ever had.

Gene Upshaw rd 1 1967- One of the best all-time

Art Shell rd 3 1968- One of the best tackles ever, one of the worst coaches ever.

Fred Biletnikoff rd 2 1965- One of the best WRs of his era

Tim Brown rd 1 1988- Raiders all-time leading receiver

Jack Tatum rd 1 1971- The Assassin

Dave Casper rd 2 1974- One of the original receiving TEs

Howie Long rd 2 1981- The face of the Raiders defense for years

Jim Otto - expansion pick 1960- Anchored the OL in the 60's and 70's

Don Mosebar rd 1 1983- The foundation of the Raiders OL throughout the 80's

Honorable mention

Henry Lawrence rd 1 1974

Roman Gabriel rd 1 1962

Ray Guy rd 1 1973- The best punter in NFL history, but worthy of a 1st round pick??

Matt Millen rd 2 1980

Steve Wisniewski rd 2 1989

Mid to late round gems

Lester Hayes rd 5 1977

Cliff Branch rd 4 1972

Greg Townsend rd 4 1983

Mervyn Fernandez rd 10 1983

Greg Biekert rd 7 1993

Grady Jackson rd 6 1997

Rod Coleman rd 5 1999

Shane Lechler rd 5 2000

Ronald Curry rd 7 2002

Steve Beuerlein rd 4 1987

 

[Pat Patriot]

Sure, I'll bite...

Here's one for the Tampa Bay Bucs...at least there's not a whole lot of good players to choose from. Obviously some of these players worked out better for other teams than they did for the Bucs...but they picked them so I included them here...

1976 - Lee Roy Selmon

1978 - Doug Williams

1981 - James Wilder

1984 - Steve Young

1986 - Bo Jackson

1987 - Mark Carrier

1988 - Paul Gruber

1995 - Warren Sapp

1995 - Derrick Brooks

1997 - Ronde Barber

Just missed:

1977 - Ricky Bell

1980 - Kevin House

1981 - Hugh Green

1993 - John Lynch

1996 - Mike Alstott

1997 - Warrick Dunn

How can that be a great draft pick? He never played for your team and you got nothing for the pick....

 

[Snotbubbles]

No Harold Carmichael?

He would be on there, although I'd put Tommy McDonald on before Carmichael. But really anything prior to about 1980 on my part is pure speculation.

 

[bostonfred]

Does Belichick count, since they gave up a first rounder for him?

 

[JaxBill]

1949-Chuck Bednarik1977-Wilbert Montgomery1982-Mike Quick1984-Reggie White1985-Randall Cunningham1987-Cris Carter1988-Eric Allen1988-Keith Jackson1996-Brian Dawkins1999-Donovan McNabb

No Harold Carmichael?

From a purely value standpoint, Carmichael was a 7th round pick, Wilbert was a 6th round pick, and Clyde Simmons was a 9th (yes, 9th) round pick.As I remember, teams shied away from Montgomery because he had some hip problems during his college career.

 

[Blackjacks]

Hall Of Famers drafted by the Browns-DE Willie Davis 1956 round 15T Doug Atkins 1953 round 1RB Jim Brown 1957 round 1DT Henry Jordan 1957 round 5G Gene Hickerson 1957 round 7RB Bobby Mitchell 1958 round 7HB Paul Warfield 1964 round 1RB Leroy Kelly 1964 round 8TE Ozzie Newsome 1978 round 1Someone else can do a more extensive list if they want. Not positive I got all the HOFers either.

RB William Green 2002 round 1

 

[Billy1x]

Cardinals

THE BIG THREE (left for SD and then Redskins)

Don Coryell - 1973 Head Coach (traded to chargers)

Joe Gibbs - 1973 Offensive Coord

Jim Hanifan - 1973 Offensvie Line Coach

Joe Namath QB - 1965 (traded to jets)

Dan Dierdorf T - 1971

Joe Bostic T - 1979 (traded to redskins)

Conrad Dobler G - 1972

Tom Banks C - 1970

Terry Metcalf RB - 1973

Otis Anderson RB - 1979 (traded to giants)

Thomas Jones & Garrison Hearst RB- honorable mentions

Larry Fitzgerald - WR

Anquan Boldin - WR

Ahmad Rashad WR - 1972 traded to Vikings

Jackie Smith TE - traded to Cowboys

Jay Novack TE - 1985 traded to Cowboys

Def Back - Roger Wehrli

finally made Hall of Fame in 2007

Def Back - 1960 Larry Wilson

 

[Aaron Rudnicki]

Buffalo Bills

These stand out to me as the best picks:

1979 (2) DT Fred Smerlas

1985 (3) QB Frank Reich

1985 (4) WR Andre Reed

1987 (9) TE Keith McKeller

1987 (11) OT Howard Ballard

1988 (2) RB Thurman Thomas

1990 (8) LB Marvcus Patton

1991 (2) DE Phil Hansen

1998 (2) LB Sam Cowart

2001 (2) DE Aaron Schobel

2003 (3) LB Angelo Crowell

2003 (4) CB Terrence McGee

These just missed the cut:

1973 (1) OG Joe Delamielleure

1973 (3) QB Joe Ferguson

1979 (2) LB Jim Haslett

1983 (1) QB Jim Kelly

1983 (2) LB Darryl Talley

1986 (7) LB Mark Pike

1989 (3) WR Don Beebe

1995 (7) RB Darick Holmes

2001 (2) RB Travis Henry

2001 (3) OT Jonas Jennings

Honorable Mention:

1968 (2) - DT Bob Tatareck

 

[Billy1x]

1949-Chuck Bednarik1977-Wilbert Montgomery1982-Mike Quick1984-Reggie White1985-Randall Cunningham1987-Cris Carter1988-Eric Allen1988-Keith Jackson1996-Brian Dawkins1999-Donovan McNabb

You forgot the Polish RifleRon Jaworski

 

[Chase Stuart]

1965: Joe Namath

1967: John Elliott

1977: Joe Klecko

1979: Marty Lyons

1979: Mark Gastineau

1981: Freeman McNeil

1983: Ken O'Brien

1991: Mo Lewis

1994: Aaron Glenn

2000: Chad Pennington

This is off the top of my head, so it's certainly possible that I'm missing some obvious ones. Players like Keyshawn, Abraham, Ellis, Vilma, Salaam, and Toon were all pretty solid players, too. Chrebet and Green might have made the team, but both were undrafted.

 

[Billy1x]

1965: Joe Namath1967: John Elliott1977: Joe Klecko1979: Marty Lyons1979: Mark Gastineau1981: Freeman McNeil1983: Ken O'Brien1991: Mo Lewis1994: Aaron Glenn2000: Chad PenningtonThis is off the top of my head, so it's certainly possible that I'm missing some obvious ones. Players like Keyshawn, Abraham, Ellis, Vilma, Salaam, and Toon were all pretty solid players, too. Chrebet and Green might have made the team, but both were undrafted.

Sorry, Joe Namath was drafted by the St. Louis Cardinals and then Traded to the Jets

 

[JaxBill]

1949-Chuck Bednarik1977-Wilbert Montgomery1982-Mike Quick1984-Reggie White1985-Randall Cunningham1987-Cris Carter1988-Eric Allen1988-Keith Jackson1996-Brian Dawkins1999-Donovan McNabb

You forgot the Polish RifleRon Jaworski

Jaworski was drafted by the Rams.

 

[Pat Patriot]

Patriots - In no particular order

Best picks

2000 - Tom Brady QB - 6th round

1973 - John Hannah OG - 1st round

1975 - Steve Grogan QB - 5th round

2001 - Richard Seymour - 1st round

1995 - Ty Law CB - 1st round

1996 - Tedy Bruschi LB - 3rd round

1993 - Troy Brown WR - 8th round

1974 - Steve Nelson LB - 2nd round

1982 - Andre Tippett LB - 2nd round

1995 - Curtis Martin - 3rd round

1976 - Michael Haynes - 1st round

Worst picks

1982 - Kenneth Sims DL - 1st round

1992 - Eugene Chung OG - 1st round

1985 - Trevor Matich OG - 1st round (Pats traded out of the 16th spot to allow SF to take Jerry Rice)

1997 - Chris Canty CB - 1st round

1983 - Tony Eason QB - 1st round

2000 - Adrian Klemm OT - 2nd round

1990 - Chris Singleton/Ray Agnew - 1st round (traded #3 - Junior Seau - for #8 and #10)

1986 - Reggie Dupard RB - 1st round

1980 - Vegas Ferguson RB - 1st round

1999 - Andy Katzenmoyer LB - 1st round

 

[mad sweeney]

I'm too young to remember the role players from the early years so the list will be top heavy with more recent picks:

81 Kenny Easley

83 The Original Curt Warner

86 His buddy John L Williams

90 Cortez the King

97 Walter Jones-Best pick of all time

00 Alexander

00 Darrell Jackson

01 Hutchinson

03 Marcus Trufant

03 Josh Brown

05 Lofa Tatupu

Class of 04 with Marcus Tubbs, Sean Locklear and DJ Hackett remain to be seen but look like they could all be stars in time.

It was hard to keep up with every game and player back in the pre-Sunday Ticket/Internet days (the Dark Years) so I'm sure I missed a lot that true Seattleites would have access to locally. Had the traitorous dog Hutchinson not defected so foully he would easily be in there, probably bumping Trufant off the list.

The great and powerful Boz would be the worst pick ever by the franchise.

 

[Pat Patriot]

Buffalo Bills

These stand out to me as the best picks:

1979 (2) DT Fred Smerlas

1985 (3) QB Frank Reich

1985 (4) WR Andre Reed

1987 (9) TE Keith McKeller

1987 (11) OT Howard Ballard

1988 (2) RB Thurman Thomas

1990 (8) LB Marvcus Patton

1991 (2) DE Phil Hansen

1998 (2) LB Sam Cowart

2001 (2) DE Aaron Schobel

2003 (3) LB Angelo Crowell

2003 (4) CB Terrence McGee

These just missed the cut:

1973 (1) OG Joe Delamielleure

1973 (3) QB Joe Ferguson

1979 (2) LB Jim Haslett

1983 (1) QB Jim Kelly

1983 (2) LB Darryl Talley

1986 (7) LB Mark Pike

1989 (3) WR Don Beebe

1995 (7) RB Darick Holmes

2001 (2) RB Travis Henry

2001 (3) OT Jonas Jennings

Honorable Mention:

1968 (2) - DT Bob Tatareck

Didnt Tat say that his dad was the 1st overall pick in 1968?

 

[massraider]

Raiders:

Art Shell--3rd round

Cliff Branch--4th round

Dave Dalby--4th round

Mark Van Eeghan--3rd round

Rod Martin--12th round

Skip Thomas--7th round

Lester Hayes--5th round

Howie Long--2nd round

Greg Townshend--4th round

Bo Jackson--7th round

Greg Beikert--7th round

 

[Chase Stuart]

1965: Joe Namath

1967: John Elliott

1977: Joe Klecko

1979: Marty Lyons

1979: Mark Gastineau

1981: Freeman McNeil

1983: Ken O'Brien

1991: Mo Lewis

1994: Aaron Glenn

2000: Chad Pennington

This is off the top of my head, so it's certainly possible that I'm missing some obvious ones. Players like Keyshawn, Abraham, Ellis, Vilma, Salaam, and Toon were all pretty solid players, too. Chrebet and Green might have made the team, but both were undrafted.

Sorry, Joe Namath was drafted by the St. Louis Cardinals and then Traded to the Jets

Joe Namath might be the most famous draft pick of all time. He was drafted during the height of the AFL-NFL battle, and was drafted by both the Cardinals and the Jets. At the time, most highly sought after college athletes (and Namath was as highly sought after as you get - he had just won a National Championship and was an incredible collegiate athlete) went to the NFL. The Jets offered Namath the richest contract in the history of pro football. He was nicknamed "The $400,000 QB", and was given a $427,000 contract ($400K + a new car). Namath's signing marked a signal that the AFL could compete with the NFL, and obviously, Namath would later signal that again.

 

[Obie Wan]

Buffalo BillsThese stand out to me as the best picks:1979 (2) DT Fred Smerlas1985 (3) QB Frank Reich1985 (4) WR Andre Reed1987 (9) TE Keith McKeller1987 (11) OT Howard Ballard1988 (2) RB Thurman Thomas1990 (8) LB Marvcus Patton1991 (2) DE Phil Hansen1998 (2) LB Sam Cowart2001 (2) DE Aaron Schobel2003 (3) LB Angelo Crowell2003 (4) CB Terrence McGeeThese just missed the cut:1973 (1) OG Joe Delamielleure1973 (3) QB Joe Ferguson1979 (2) LB Jim Haslett1983 (1) QB Jim Kelly1983 (2) LB Darryl Talley1986 (7) LB Mark Pike1989 (3) WR Don Beebe1995 (7) RB Darick Holmes2001 (2) RB Travis Henry2001 (3) OT Jonas JenningsHonorable Mention:1968 (2) - DT Bob Tatareck

pretty questionable list - if your top 10 don't include 1983 (1) QB Jim Kelly 1985 (1) DE Bruce Smith1986 (1) OT Will Wolford1969 (1) RB OJ SimpsonBilly Shaw1963 (17)Tom SestakRuben Brown

 

[Pat Patriot]

1965: Joe Namath

1967: John Elliott

1977: Joe Klecko

1979: Marty Lyons

1979: Mark Gastineau

1981: Freeman McNeil

1983: Ken O'Brien

1991: Mo Lewis

1994: Aaron Glenn

2000: Chad Pennington

This is off the top of my head, so it's certainly possible that I'm missing some obvious ones. Players like Keyshawn, Abraham, Ellis, Vilma, Salaam, and Toon were all pretty solid players, too. Chrebet and Green might have made the team, but both were undrafted.

Sorry, Joe Namath was drafted by the St. Louis Cardinals and then Traded to the Jets

Joe Namath might be the most famous draft pick of all time. He was drafted during the height of the AFL-NFL battle, and was drafted by both the Cardinals and the Jets. At the time, most highly sought after college athletes (and Namath was as highly sought after as you get - he had just won a National Championship and was an incredible collegiate athlete) went to the NFL. The Jets offered Namath the richest contract in the history of pro football. He was nicknamed "The $400,000 QB", and was given a $427,000 contract ($400K + a new car). Namath's signing marked a signal that the AFL could compete with the NFL, and obviously, Namath would later signal that again.

There was never a trade.

 

[Chase Stuart]

Buffalo BillsThese stand out to me as the best picks:1979 (2) DT Fred Smerlas1985 (3) QB Frank Reich1985 (4) WR Andre Reed1987 (9) TE Keith McKeller1987 (11) OT Howard Ballard1988 (2) RB Thurman Thomas1990 (8) LB Marvcus Patton1991 (2) DE Phil Hansen1998 (2) LB Sam Cowart2001 (2) DE Aaron Schobel2003 (3) LB Angelo Crowell2003 (4) CB Terrence McGeeThese just missed the cut:1973 (1) OG Joe Delamielleure1973 (3) QB Joe Ferguson1979 (2) LB Jim Haslett1983 (1) QB Jim Kelly1983 (2) LB Darryl Talley1986 (7) LB Mark Pike1989 (3) WR Don Beebe1995 (7) RB Darick Holmes2001 (2) RB Travis Henry2001 (3) OT Jonas JenningsHonorable Mention:1968 (2) - DT Bob Tatareck

pretty questionable list - if your top 10 don't include 1983 (1) QB Jim Kelly 1985 (1) DE Bruce Smith1986 (1) OT Will Wolford1969 (1) RB OJ SimpsonBilly Shaw1963 (17)Tom SestakRuben Brown

Rudnicki didn't include any first rounders, so it's safe to assume that he's placing a significant emphasis on draft position when determining the best picks. That's understandable, but I don't think you could leave Kelly, Smith or Simpson off a list of the Bills best all time draft picks. We're talking about all time NFL greats.

 

[Chase Stuart]

1965: Joe Namath

1967: John Elliott

1977: Joe Klecko

1979: Marty Lyons

1979: Mark Gastineau

1981: Freeman McNeil

1983: Ken O'Brien

1991: Mo Lewis

1994: Aaron Glenn

2000: Chad Pennington

This is off the top of my head, so it's certainly possible that I'm missing some obvious ones. Players like Keyshawn, Abraham, Ellis, Vilma, Salaam, and Toon were all pretty solid players, too. Chrebet and Green might have made the team, but both were undrafted.

Sorry, Joe Namath was drafted by the St. Louis Cardinals and then Traded to the Jets

Joe Namath might be the most famous draft pick of all time. He was drafted during the height of the AFL-NFL battle, and was drafted by both the Cardinals and the Jets. At the time, most highly sought after college athletes (and Namath was as highly sought after as you get - he had just won a National Championship and was an incredible collegiate athlete) went to the NFL. The Jets offered Namath the richest contract in the history of pro football. He was nicknamed "The $400,000 QB", and was given a $427,000 contract ($400K + a new car). Namath's signing marked a signal that the AFL could compete with the NFL, and obviously, Namath would later signal that again.

There was never a trade.

Yes, Patriots and Jets fans agree: the AFL pwns!

 

[Mister CIA]

CardinalsTHE BIG THREE (left for SD and then Redskins)Don Coryell - 1973 Head Coach (traded to chargers)Joe Gibbs - 1973 Offensive CoordJim Hanifan - 1973 Offensvie Line CoachJoe Namath QB - 1965 (traded to jets)Dan Dierdorf T - 1971Joe Bostic T - 1979 (traded to redskins)Conrad Dobler G - 1972Tom Banks C - 1970Terry Metcalf RB - 1973Otis Anderson RB - 1979 (traded to giants)Thomas Jones & Garrison Hearst RB- honorable mentionsLarry Fitzgerald - WRAnquan Boldin - WRAhmad Rashad WR - 1972 traded to VikingsJackie Smith TE - traded to CowboysJay Novack TE - 1985 traded to CowboysDef Back - Roger Wehrlifinally made Hall of Fame in 2007Def Back - 1960 Larry Wilson

I would add Mel Gray to your list. Only 351 career receptions, but a career 18.9 ypc is an eye-opener; 46 TDs was pretty good too. As a Cowboy fan in the 70's, I hated Mel Gray. 4-time pro-bowler to boot.

 

[JohnnyU]

1) Jim Parker (OL) - 1957 - R1 (#8 overall)

2) Peyton Manning (QB) - 1998 - R1 (#1 overall)

3) Lenny Moore (RB) - 1956 - R1 (#9 overall)

4) Marvin Harrison (WR) - 1996 - R1 (#19 overall)

5) Raymond Berry (WR) - 1954 - R20

6) John Mackey (TE) - 1963 - R2

7) Mike Curtis (LB) - 1965 - R1 as a FB

8) Bubba Smith (DE) - 1967 R1 (#1 overall AFL)

9) Bert Jones (QB) - 1973 - R1 (#2 overall)

10) Ted Hendricks (LB) - 1969 - R2

 

[Aaron Rudnicki]

Rudnicki didn't include any first rounders, so it's safe to assume that he's placing a significant emphasis on draft position when determining the best picks. That's understandable, but I don't think you could leave Kelly, Smith or Simpson off a list of the Bills best all time draft picks. We're talking about all time NFL greats.

what's the point of including them?might as well just list the 10 best players in the franchise's history. If we were doing that, Bruce, OJ, and Kelly would all be in the top-5 for sure.if a player is drafted 1st overall like Bruce Smith, he's SUPPOSED to be great. not really a great draft pick, IMO.

 

[dutch]

Buffalo BillsThese stand out to me as the best picks:1979 (2) DT Fred Smerlas1985 (3) QB Frank Reich1985 (4) WR Andre Reed1987 (9) TE Keith McKeller1987 (11) OT Howard Ballard1988 (2) RB Thurman Thomas1990 (8) LB Marvcus Patton1991 (2) DE Phil Hansen1998 (2) LB Sam Cowart2001 (2) DE Aaron Schobel2003 (3) LB Angelo Crowell2003 (4) CB Terrence McGeeThese just missed the cut:1973 (1) OG Joe Delamielleure1973 (3) QB Joe Ferguson1979 (2) LB Jim Haslett1983 (1) QB Jim Kelly1983 (2) LB Darryl Talley1986 (7) LB Mark Pike1989 (3) WR Don Beebe1995 (7) RB Darick Holmes2001 (2) RB Travis Henry2001 (3) OT Jonas JenningsHonorable Mention:1968 (2) - DT Bob Tatareck

Alright, gonna have to correct this one. How in the world is Reich a better pick than Kelly?? Reich was as solid a backup as any could want and he certainly pulled the Bills ### outta the fire a couple of times but Kelly is a main reason the Bills had all that success in the late 80's/early 90's. I dont get that one. And if Ferguson makes the almost list then OJ, Reggie McKenzie and Joe D. have to be sure fire best picks. !st to 2000 yards and a decade of the Juice and not much else?...I'm just sayin

 

[Aaron Rudnicki]

pretty questionable list - if your top 10 don't include 1983 (1) QB Jim Kelly 1985 (1) DE Bruce Smith1986 (1) OT Will Wolford1969 (1) RB OJ SimpsonBilly Shaw1963 (17)Tom SestakRuben Brown

Bruce Smith was taken #1 overallOJ Simpson was taken #1 overallBilly Shaw was taken #2 overallthose are not great draft picks. those are great players, but anyone and everyone would have picked the same player if put in that position.I was tempted to include Wolford and I guess Brown does belong over some of the guys I listed.Didn't exactly put a ton of thought into this though. Feel free to disagree.

 

[Chase Stuart]

Rudnicki didn't include any first rounders, so it's safe to assume that he's placing a significant emphasis on draft position when determining the best picks. That's understandable, but I don't think you could leave Kelly, Smith or Simpson off a list of the Bills best all time draft picks. We're talking about all time NFL greats.

what's the point of including them?might as well just list the 10 best players in the franchise's history. If we were doing that, Bruce, OJ, and Kelly would all be in the top-5 for sure.if a player is drafted 1st overall like Bruce Smith, he's SUPPOSED to be great. not really a great draft pick, IMO.

True, but Smith gave you quite a lot more than the average of Mario Williams, Courtney Brown, Dan Wilkinson, Steve Emtman, Russell Maryland, Kenneth Sims, Lee Roy Selmon, Ed "Too Tall" Jones, John Matuszak and Walt Patulski.

 

[Aaron Rudnicki]

Alright, gonna have to correct this one. How in the world is Reich a better pick than Kelly?? Reich was as solid a backup as any could want and he certainly pulled the Bills ### outta the fire a couple of times but Kelly is a main reason the Bills had all that success in the late 80's/early 90's. I dont get that one. And if Ferguson makes the almost list then OJ, Reggie McKenzie and Joe D. have to be sure fire best picks. !st to 2000 yards and a decade of the Juice and not much else?...I'm just sayin

@ "correct"1st round picks are supposed to be good.Reich and Ferguson were 3rd round picks and both had very productive careers.Reggie was solid and could have been included as well. He was still taken at a point when you expect that player to be very good. I was trying to find the better values in my list.

 

[Aaron Rudnicki]

if a player is drafted 1st overall like Bruce Smith, he's SUPPOSED to be great. not really a great draft pick, IMO.

True, but Smith gave you quite a lot more than the average of Mario Williams, Courtney Brown, Dan Wilkinson, Steve Emtman, Russell Maryland, Kenneth Sims, Lee Roy Selmon, Ed "Too Tall" Jones, John Matuszak and Walt Patulski.

none of those guys were taken in the same year as Bruce Smith (best Bills player of all time, IMO).Bill Polian drafting Bruce Smith and Peyton Manning doesn't make him a genius. A monkey could make those picks.

 

[dutch]

Rudnicki didn't include any first rounders, so it's safe to assume that he's placing a significant emphasis on draft position when determining the best picks. That's understandable, but I don't think you could leave Kelly, Smith or Simpson off a list of the Bills best all time draft picks. We're talking about all time NFL greats.

what's the point of including them?might as well just list the 10 best players in the franchise's history. If we were doing that, Bruce, OJ, and Kelly would all be in the top-5 for sure.if a player is drafted 1st overall like Bruce Smith, he's SUPPOSED to be great. not really a great draft pick, IMO.

I get you now. I disagree but I get you. When it comes to Smith, Reed, Thomas and Kelly you're talking about the most pivotal group of Buffalo draftees EVAH! Hiow many Mandarichs, Leafs, Spurriers have flamed out royaly even with the annointment of "First Overall Draft Pick!"? remeber Tom Cousaneou(sp)? As for OJ, he WAS the Bills for a decade. That looms large for me in this discussion. I'm thinking along the lines of Barry Sanders here.

 

[Aaron Rudnicki]

also, Jim Kelly almost didn't play for the Bills. went to the USFL for 2 years and that pick could have wound up being worthless if the USFL didn't collapse.

 

[Mister CIA]

1949-Chuck Bednarik1977-Wilbert Montgomery1982-Mike Quick1984-Reggie White1985-Randall Cunningham1987-Cris Carter1988-Eric Allen1988-Keith Jackson1996-Brian Dawkins1999-Donovan McNabb

No Harold Carmichael?

From a purely value standpoint, Carmichael was a 7th round pick, Wilbert was a 6th round pick, and Clyde Simmons was a 9th (yes, 9th) round pick.As I remember, teams shied away from Montgomery because he had some hip problems during his college career.

I'm not following you on the "From a purely value standpoint" thought. Even IF he was selected 1.01, he would still a value play.Harold Carmichael was a 4-time pro-bowler; He played in an era where 67 receptions led the league, and still finished with 590 career receptions, 8985 yards and 79 TDs (still top 20 all-time).At 6'8", 225, Carmichael was a physical freak back in the day. As a Cowboy fan, it's sad to review their 1971 draft and wonder what could have been. Save the Bill Gregory pick in the 3rd, the 1971 Cowboy draft was horrible. Even I don't know who the hell first-rounder Tody Smith was.

 

[dutch]

also, Jim Kelly almost didn't play for the Bills. went to the USFL for 2 years and that pick could have wound up being worthless if the USFL didn't collapse.

Yep, thats precisley why I put him waaayyyyy ahead of Reich on a best draftee list for the Bills. Kelly missed two years and Still gave Buffalo a hall of fame career and a bunch of sb appearances. Reich was a good pick but was replacable; Jim Kelly put the K in K-Gun.

 

[Aaron Rudnicki]

also, Jim Kelly almost didn't play for the Bills. went to the USFL for 2 years and that pick could have wound up being worthless if the USFL didn't collapse.

Yep, thats precisley why I put him waaayyyyy ahead of Reich on a best draftee list for the Bills. Kelly missed two years and Still gave Buffalo a hall of fame career and a bunch of sb appearances. Reich was a good pick but was replacable; Jim Kelly put the K in K-Gun.

Dan Marino was available when the Bills picked Kelly.what if they had Marino and Thurman? maybe they actually could have won a Super Bowl or two.btw, Bills don't get to 1 of those Super Bowls without Reich.also, Jim Kelly had 20 TDs and 28 INTs in the postseason. He certainly had his moments, but I think he's sometimes given too much credit for those Super Bowl appearances. (he also had 2 TDs and 7 INTs in the Super Bowl games with 0 TD passes in 3 of them).

 

[Chase Stuart]

An alternative argument could be that Kelly wasn't a good draft pick because the Bills could have selected Marino. I don't really agree with that one though, or that he was a worse draft pick than Reich.

 

[Mister CIA]

1) Jim Parker (OL) - 19572) Peyton Manning (QB) - 19983) Lenny Moore (RB) - 19564) Marvin Harrison (WR) - 19965) Raymond Berry (WR) - 19546) John Mackey (TE) - 19637) Mike Curtis (LB) - 19658) Bubba Smith (DE) - 19679) Bert Jones (QB) - 197310) Ted Hendricks (LB) - 1969

Was Lydell Mitchell was #11?

 

[JohnnyU]

1) Jim Parker (OL) - 1957 - R1 (#8 overall)2) Peyton Manning (QB) - 1998 - R1 (#1 overall)3) Lenny Moore (RB) - 1956 - R1 (#9 overall)4) Marvin Harrison (WR) - 1996 - R1 (#19 overall)5) Raymond Berry (WR) - 1954 - R206) John Mackey (TE) - 1963 - R27) Mike Curtis (LB) - 1965 - R1 as a FB8) Bubba Smith (DE) - 1967 R1 (#1 overall AFL)9) Bert Jones (QB) - 1973 - R1 (#2 overall)10) Ted Hendricks (LB) - 1969 - R2

Was Lydell Mitchell was #11?

I loved Mitchell, and he would be in the next 5 somewhere. He was a great all-purpose RB. I've since edited my original post to include the round and # overall for the RD 1 picks.

 

[Aaron Rudnicki]

An alternative argument could be that Kelly wasn't a good draft pick because the Bills could have selected Marino. I don't really agree with that one though, or that he was a worse draft pick than Reich.

well, I guess we can remove Reich from my list. I wouldn't have a problem with that.I could go either way on Kelly being included in the top-10 picks or not, but I'm leaning towards not including him.

 

[dutch]

also, Jim Kelly almost didn't play for the Bills. went to the USFL for 2 years and that pick could have wound up being worthless if the USFL didn't collapse.

Yep, thats precisley why I put him waaayyyyy ahead of Reich on a best draftee list for the Bills. Kelly missed two years and Still gave Buffalo a hall of fame career and a bunch of sb appearances. Reich was a good pick but was replacable; Jim Kelly put the K in K-Gun.

Dan Marino was available when the Bills picked Kelly.what if they had Marino and Thurman? maybe they actually could have won a Super Bowl or two.btw, Bills don't get to 1 of those Super Bowls without Reich.

Aaron, can't do the nested quote yet so I'll respond to both you and Chase at the same time. My personal opinion is Kelly would go with whatever gave his team the best chance to win whether it was run or pass. I dont thinkl Marino would have had the sam discipline and with tthat I'm not sure he and Marv last long enough to win anything for Buffalo. Its all speculation but thats my 2 cents.

 

[prymetyme25]

Houston Texans

Andre Johnson

Dominic Davis

DeMeco Ryans

Dunta Robinson

Mario Williams

Jerome Mathis

No Oilers that history is gone to Tennesse

 

[stevegamer]

My cut at the Eagles top 10 with nobody in rounds 1 or 2. Maybe missing some really old guys:

'43 - rd 5 - Al Wistert

'57 - rd 3 - Tommy Mcdonald

'57 - rd 4 - Sonny Jurgensen

'71 - rd 7 - Harold Carmichael

'72 - rd 10 - John Bunting

'77 - rd 6 - Wilbert Montgomery

'86 - rd 8 - Seth Joyner

'86 - rd 9 - Clyde Simmons

'97 - rd 3 - Duce Staley

'02 - rd 3 - Brian Westbrook

 

[Mister CIA]

1) Jim Parker (OL) - 19572) Peyton Manning (QB) - 19983) Lenny Moore (RB) - 19564) Marvin Harrison (WR) - 19965) Raymond Berry (WR) - 19546) John Mackey (TE) - 19637) Mike Curtis (LB) - 19658) Bubba Smith (DE) - 19679) Bert Jones (QB) - 197310) Ted Hendricks (LB) - 1969

Was Lydell Mitchell was #11?

I loved Mitchell, and he would be in the next 5 somewhere. He was a great all-purpose RB. I've since edited my original post to include the round and # overall for the RD 1 picks.

What about Mr. 25.9 yards per catch? .... top 15?