In the history of the NFL Draft – at least since the Super Bowl started – which picks were the greatest of them all? Which prospects turned out to be the best values?
Which NFL draft picks turned out to be the best selections of all-time – at least since the first Super Bowl season of 1966? Which ones ended up becoming franchise-defining legends who fell in drafts after the first few picks or even the first few days?
Which 50 picks were the greatest of all-time? Here’s the criteria.
1. Hall of Fame. If you don’t have a yellow jacket, or if you’re not a sure-thing to get one, move along.
2. The pick had to be made after the top five overall. Getting a legend after that fifth pick usually means a call had to be made – and there were usually legendary misses before that. The later the round the future Hall of Famer was selected, the stronger the value in the rankings.
3. The player had to be named a First Team All-Pro at least four times … with a few exceptions. Being an All-Pro is different than being named to the Pro Bowl – All-Pro is a much bigger deal.
There’s one notable position exception to this: quarterbacks. It’s really, really hard for a quarterback to be named All-Pro. Only one gets the nod – Tom Brady was named All-Pro just three times.
And the big key …
4. The player had to earn his Hall of Fame credentials for the team that drafted him. It’s not a great selection for your team if the pick or undrafted free agent did most of his big things for someone else. Kurt Warner was originally a Green Bay Packer. Brett Favre wasn’t.
5. Super Bowl era. To keep this from getting off the rails, the player had to be drafted in 1966 or after.
So again, Hall of Famers picked after the top five with at least four All-Pro nods – unless you’re a quarterback – for the teams that drafted them in the Super Bowl era.
And remember, value means just about everything …
2022 NFL Draft Prospect Rankings, Analysis
QBs | RBs | WRs | TEs | OTs | OGs & Cs | DEs & Edge | DTs
LBs | NFL Draft by college over last 5 years: 1-130 rankings
