The 2019 NFL Draft is coming up in a few months. Let’s take a look back at the best draft steals of all-time.
20. Andre Reed
Reed, Jim Kelly’s favorite target in the late 1980s and early 1990s, was a seven-time Pro Bowler for the Bills. He was a steal for Buffalo, which picked the receiver in the fourth round of the 1985 draft.
19. Kevin Greene
The Hall of Fame pass rusher, who was a star for both the Rams and the Steelers, was a fifth-round pick in the 1985 draft. During his 15-year career, Greene amassed a whopping 160 sacks and made five Pro Bowls.
18. Jared Allen
Allen, a fourth-round pick in 2004, was one of the best pass rushers in the NFL for a decade. The five-time Pro Bowler and four-time first-team All-Pro played for four teams and racked up 136 sacks.
17. James Harrison
The undrafted free agent linebacker’s NFL odyssey began when he signed with Pittsburgh in 2002. The five-time Pro Bowler and 2008 NFL Defensive Player of the Year was a key member of the Steelers’ last championship team in ’08-’09.
16. Tony Romo
Undrafted out of Eastern Illinois in 2003, Romo managed to catch on with the Cowboys. He became the team’s starter in 2006 and ended up making four Pro Bowls before retiring after the 2016 season.
15. Richard Sherman
Sherman, an all-time great cornerback, was a fifth-round pick by the Seahawks in 2011. The four-time Pro Bowler was one of the best players on Seattle’s Super Bowl-winning club in 2013.
14. Antonio Gates
Everyone who’s seen a Chargers broadcast over the last 15-plus years knows Gates’ story: At Kent State, he played basketball, not football. But in 2003, the undrafted free agent signed with the Chargers and went on to become one of the best tight ends of all-time.
13. Rob Gronkowski
The Patriots picked the tight end, who’d had a serious back injury, in the second round of the 2010 draft. It turned out well for New England. The five-time Pro Bowler and future Hall of Famer has helped the Pats win three Super Bowls.
12. Russell Wilson
Now entering his eighth NFL season, Wilson has developed into one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL. Which makes it all the more remarkable that the Seahawks were able to grab the six-time Pro Bowler and Super Bowl champ with a third-round pick in 2012.
11. Terrell Davis
Sadly, his career was cut short by injury, but Davis was phenomenal in his seven NFL seasons. The sixth-round pick in the 1995 draft was unstoppable from 1996 to 1998. In that stretch, he was a first-team All-Pro three times, led the Broncos to two Super Bowl victories, and was the NFL MVP in 1998.
10. Antonio Brown
Antonio Brown’s time in Pittsburgh may likely be coming to an end, but his Steelers career has been spectacular. Since entering the NFL as a sixth-round pick in the 2010 draft, the seven-time Pro Bowler has been the league’s best receiver.
9. Norm Van Brocklin
Van Brocklin, who quarterbacked both the Rams and the Eagles to NFL championships, was a fourth-round pick in the 1949 draft. The Hall of Fame signal caller was a nine-time Pro Bowler and the 1960 MVP.
8. Roger Staubach
After Staubach’s stellar football career at the U.S. Naval Academy, Dallas selected him in the 10th round of the 1964 draft. When he finished his service in the Navy in 1969, he joined the Cowboys. The quarterback went on to have a Hall of Fame career.
7. Shannon Sharpe
The future Hall of Fame tight end, who played college ball at Savannah State, didn’t get picked until the seventh round of the 1990 draft. The Broncos and Ravens star rewrote the record book at his position.
6. Randy Moss
In hindsight, the fact that Moss lasted until the 21st overall pick of the 1998 draft is shocking. The Vikings got lucky. He was a superstar as a rookie and went on to have a Hall of Fame career.
5. Deacon Jones
One of the most fearsome defensive ends of all-time, Jones was a 14th-round pick 1961. The Hall of Fame pass rusher, who spent most of his career with the Rams, played in an era before the NFL officially kept track of sacks. But he was the one who popularized the term.
4. Johnny Unitas
The Colts got lucky that Unitas was still around in the ninth round of the 1955 draft. The 10-time Pro Bowler went on to lead Baltimore to three championships. The Hall of Famer remains one of the best quarterbacks ever.
3. Bart Starr
The five-time champion Packers quarterback lasted until the 17th round in 1956. He was the 200th pick in that year’s draft, one lower than another famously overlooked signal caller on this list.
2. Joe Montana
One of the greatest quarterbacks ever was a third-round draft choice out of Notre Dame in 1979. That year, three quarterbacks were picked ahead of him. As a member of the 49ers, Montana piled up four Super Bowl victories.
1. Tom Brady
It’s still remarkable that Brady was a sixth-round pick—199th overall—in 2000. The 14-time Pro Bowler has three MVP awards and six Super Bowl rings.
