The San Diego Chargers chose Drew Brees with the first pick in the second round of the 2001 NFL Draft. When Brees is eventually inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, it will mean the Bolts took HOFers with their first two selections. Who were the players NFL teams chose before San Diego selected the QB from Purdue?
31. Baltimore Ravens: Todd Heap
The Ravens chose Todd Heap, a tight end from Arizona State. He had a solid career in Baltimore, playing 10 seasons and making 467 catches. Heap finished with two seasons in Arizona, where he added another 32 grabs and 1 of his 42 TD receptions.
30. Indianapolis Colts: Reggie Wayne
The Colts got a great one when they drafted Reggie Wayne from Miami. The WR is a likely HOFer after a career that saw him make 1,070 catches for 14,345 yards. Wayne also made 82 TD catches.
29. St. Louis Rams: Ryan Pickett
Ryan Pickett played 5 seasons for the Rams, who drafted him from Ohio State. The defensive tackle had a long career that included 8 seasons in Green Bay and 1 in Houston.
28. Oakland Raiders: Derrick Gibson
Derrick Gibson was taken by the Raiders from Florida State. The DB was with Oakland through 2006. He made 32 career starts and had 3 INTs.
27. Minnesota Vikings: Michael Bennett
Michael Bennett was drafted by the Vikings out of Wisconsin. The RB rushed for 3,174 yards of his career 3,703 in 5 seasons with Minnesota. He spent time with 4 other teams, too.
26. Miami Dolphins: Jamar Fletcher
Jamar Fletcher had 2 INTs in his 3 seasons with Miami, which drafted him from Wisconsin. The DB also spent time with 4 other teams.
25. Philadelphia Eagles: Freddie Mitchell
Freddie Mitchell came to the Eagles from UCLA. He will go down in Philly lore for making the fourth-and-26 catch from Donovan McNabb against the Packers in a Divisional round game in 2004. That was the high point of a career that saw him play 4 seasons in Philly.
24. Denver Broncos: Willie Middlebrooks
The Broncos draft Willie Middlebrooks from Minnesota. The DB played 4 seasons with Denver and made 2 starts. He added a final year with the Niners.
23. New Orleans Saints: Deuce McCallister
Deuce McCallister proved to be a favorite in New Orleans, which selected him out of Ole Miss. The running back played his entire career with the Saints and rushed for more than 6,000 yards and 49 TDs.
22. New York Giants: Will Allen
The Giants grabbed Will Allen out of Syracuse. The DB split his 10-year career between Big Blue and the Dolphins. He had 15 INTs, returning 1 for a TD.
21. Buffalo Bills: Nate Clements
Nate Clements was chosen by the Bills out of Ohio State. He had 23 of his 36 INTs in Buffalo before moving on to San Francisco and Cincinnati.
20. St. Louis Rams: Adam Archuleta
Adam Archuleta was one of the fiercest players in the NFL during his career, which spanned 7 seasons. He spent the first 5 with the Rams before going to Chicago and Washington for a season apiece.
19. Pittsburgh Steelers: Casey Hampton
Casey Hampton spent his entire career with the Steelers, starting 164 of 173 games after being chosen out of Texas.
18. Detroit Lions: Jeff Backus
Jeff Backus played his entire career with the Lions, starting all 191 games he played. The tackle was drafted by Detroit from Michigan.
17. Seattle Seahawks: Steve Hutchinson
Steve Hutchinson started every game for the teams he played for over a career that ended in 2012. He began with the Seahawks and then moved to Minnesota. Hutchinson played college ball at Michigan.
16. New York Jets: Santana Moss
Santana Moss came to the Jets from Miami. He was with Gang Green for 4 seasons before moving to Washington for 10. Moss made 581 of his 732 catches with Washington.
15. Washington Redskins: Rod Gardner
Rod Gardner played 4 seasons with Washington and made 227 catches, 22 for TDs, after being picked out of Clemson. He finished his career by spending some time with Carolina, Green Bay and KC.
14. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Kenyatta Walker
Kenyatta Walker played college ball at Florida and was drafted by the Sunshine State Buccaneers. Walker remained with Tampa until 2006, making 73 starts in 75 games.
13. Jacksonville Jaguars: Marcus Stroud
Marcus Stroud played 7 seasons with the Jaguars, who made him a first-round pick out of Georgia. The DT also played in 3 seasons with Buffalo. He had 29.5 sacks in his career.
12. St. Louis Rams: Damione Lewis
Damione Lewis started his career with the Rams, who chose him from Miami. Lewis also played for Carolina and Houston and had 23.5 sacks.
11. Carolina Panthers: Dan Morgan
Dan Morgan started all 59 games he played in for Carolina, which drafted him out of Miami. Morgan’s career was curtailed by injuries.
10. Green Bay Packers: Jamal Reynolds
Jamal Reynolds came to the Packers from Florida State. The DE did not start a game in his three-year career.
9. Seattle Seahawks: Koren Robinson
Koren Robinson caught 244 passes with Seattle, which chose him out of North Carolina State. He finished his career with 294 receptions, also playing for Green Bay and Minnesota.
8. Chicago Bears: David Terrell
David Terrell made 128 catches for 1,602 yards in four seasons with the Bears, who chose him out of Michigan. Terrell also played one game for the Broncos.
7. San Francisco 49ers: Andre Carter
Andre Carter played 5 seasons for both SF, which drafted him, and Washington. Carter played college ball at Cal. In the NFL, he made 80.5 sacks.
6. New England Patriots: Richard Seymour
Richard Seymour was a great pick by New England. The DE from Georgia had 39 of his 57.5 sacks as a Patriot. He also played 4 seasons with the Raiders.
5. San Diego Chargers: LaDainian Tomlinson
LaDainian Tomlinson had an amazing career with the Chargers after being plucked from TCU. He rushed for 12,490 of his 13,684 yards with SD. LT finished his career with 2 seasons as a Jet. A Hall of Famer.
4. Cincinnati Bengals: Justin Smith
Justin Smith split his 14-year career between Cincinnati and SF. The defensive lineman from Missouri had 87 career sacks, also split between his teams.
3. Cleveland Browns: Gerarsd Warren
Gerald Warren spent 4 seasons as a Brown out of Florida. He also played for the Raiders, Broncos and Patriots in a career that ran through 2011.
2. Arizona Cardinals: Leonard Davis
Leonard Davis came to Arizona from Texas and spent 6 years as a Cardinal before moving on to Dallas. After being out for the 2010 season, he played in 2012 with San Francisco, not starting a game for the only time in his career.
1. Atlanta Falcons: Michael Vick
Michael Vick came to the Falcons as a heralded QB from Virginia Tech. His career took a bad detour when he was suspended by the league and eventually convicted in court for his involvement in a dog-fighting ring. Vick returned to the league with the Eagles and also played for the Steelers.
Drew Brees
Drew Brees was a high school star in Texas, thrived at Purdue in college and was taken in the second round by the Chargers. He eventually moved to New Orleans as a free agent and has had a record-setting career as a Saint. Pretty amazing he lasted until the 32nd pick of the draft in 2001.
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