The megabucks contract Russell Wilson signed with the Seattle Seahawks sparked thoughts on where the third-round pick out of Wisconsin — as a grad student — ranks in the Super Bowl era with those chosen in the same round.
25. Tyrann Mathieu
The Honey Badger, Tyrann Mathieu would be considered a steal at pick 69 in 2013. He brought baggage into the league and that allowed the Cardinals to grab him in the third round. He’s been solid for Arizona and Houston and now is being banked on by Kansas City.
24. Jimmy Graham
Jimmy Graham was more of a basketball player at Miami than a gridder. Still, he showed enough as a tight end for the Saints to choose him with the 95th pick in 2010. He’s had his ups and downs but still has made five Pro Bowls and has 611 catches.
23. Justin Tuck
Justin Tuck was a two-time Super Bowl champ and two-time Pro Bowler after being drafted 74th overall by the New York Giants out of Notre Dame.
22. Will Shields
Will Shields was a 12-time Pro Bowler and Pro Football Hall of Famer who played his entire career with the Kansas City Chiefs after being chosen with the 74th pick in 1993 out of Nebraska.
21. Ahman Green
Ahman Green was drafted 76th overall by the Seattle Seahawks in 1998. The Nebraska running back was a four-time Pro Bowler who quietly rushed for 9,205 yards.
20. Mike Vrabel
Could have been either Mike Vrabel out of Ohio State or Tedy Bruschi. However, Vrabel is a fave given his incredible ability to catch and score when placed on the offense. Vrabel had 10 receptions and 10 TDs. The three-time Super Bowl champ was the 91st pick in 1997.
19. Russ Grimm
One of the legendary Hogs with the Washington Redskins, Russ Grimm was on three Super Bowl winners and a four-time Pro Bowler. He earned a ring as an assistant coach of the Super Bowl XL winners, the Steelers. Grimm was the 69th player chosen in 1981 out of Pitt.
18. Frank Gore
Frank Gore keeps on running, seemingly able to defy Father Time. He’ll be playing for the Buffalo Bills in 2019 after a stop in Miami. Gore piled up most of his yards with the Niners, who drafted him 65th overall in 2005. After 10 seasons with SF he moved on to Indy for three. A five-time Pro Bowler, Gore is destined to break the 15,000-yard mark this season.
17. Ronde Barber
Ronde Barber was a threat to grab the ball via interception, strip opponents or recover fumbles. A defensive menace who was selected by the Tampa Bay Bucs out of Virginia with the 66th pick in 1997.
16. Dan Fouts
The argument could be made Dan Fouts deserves to be higher on the list. However, no Super Bowl gives pause despite throwing for more than 43,000 yards. Drafted out of Oregon 64th in 1973, Fouts also threw 254 TDs against 242 picks, not a great ratio.
15. Justin Houston
A four-time Pro Bowler out of Georgia, Justin Houston was a sackmaster for the Chiefs. In eight seasons with KC, he had 78.5 sacks, including 22 in 2014. He’ll be a nice addition to the Colts for 2019.
14. Jamaal Charles
A four-time Pro Bowler, Jamaal Charles has rushed for more than 7,500 yards in his career after being drafted by the Chiefs with the 73rd overall pick out of Texas.
13. Aeneas Williams
One of the great shutdown corners in NFL history, Aeneas Williams proved quite the steal as the 59th pick out of Southern in 1991. The eight-time Pro Bowler was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2014.
12. Jason Taylor
Jason Taylor came to the Dolphins from Akron with the 73rd overall pick in 1997. While his teams never won a Super Bowl, Taylor wound up as a Hall of Famer, being inducted in 2017. He was a six-time Pro Bowler, two-time AFC Defensive Player of the Year and one-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year.
11. Mel Blount
Mel Blount sneaks into this gallery as the first pick in the third round in 1970. He proved to be a steal for the Pittsburgh Steelers out of Southern. Blount was one of the top DBs of his — or any — generation and wound up as a five-time Pro Bowler and four-time Super Bowl champ. A Pro Football Hall of Famer, Blount had 57 career picks
10. Erik Williams
Erik Williams was a fortress for the Dallas Cowboys’ offensive line from 1991-2000 after being drafted 70th overall out of Central State. A three-time Super Bowl champ and four-time Pro Bowler, Williams was one of the great protectors of his generation.
9. Jason Witten
An 11-time Pro Bowler, Jason Witten is back with the Dallas Cowboys … and probably wishes he never left after the 2017 season. One year in the MNF booth was enough to convince the tight end from Tennessee, who was chosen 69th overall in 2003, that he had more fire left. Witten has made 1,152 catches.
8. Hines Ward
Hines Ward made 1,000 catches on the button in his career as a Pittsburgh Steeler. He was a two-time Super Bowl champ and MVP of XL. Ward came to the Steelers from Georgia as the 92nd pick in 1998.
7. Russell Wilson
He is building a strong body of work but the resume is not quite up to those who are ahead of him on the list. Time will tell if the Seahawks’ star climbs or settles.
6. Jackie Slater
Jackie Slater was one of the greatest offensive linemen in NFL history. He spent 20 seasons as a Ram, 19 in Los Angeles. A seven-time Pro Bowler, Slater was chosen in 1976 and worked his way into the starting line three seasons later. Once there he was not going anywhere, and neither were the defensive linemen who were matched up with him.
5. Art Shell
Talk about the pride of the Oakland Raiders glory years and you think about Art Shell. An eight-time Pro Bowler and two-time Super Bowl champ, Shell was one of the anchors of a great offensive line after being chosen 80th overall out of what was then Maryland State. Little trivia: One of Shell’s college teammates was Clarence “Big Man” Clemons, the late sax player with Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band.
4. Steve Smith Sr.
One of the fiercest competitors to play WR or any other position, Steve Smith Sr. came to the Carolina Panthers from Utah as the 74th pick in 2001. All he did in his career was catch 1,031 passes for more than 14,700 yards. Smith was a five-time Pro Bowler, who made 81 TD catches.
3. Curtis Martin
A Hall of Famer, Curtis Martin was a star for the Patriots and Jets after being drafted out of Pittsburgh with the 74th overall pick. Martin made five Pro Bowls and rushed for more than 14,000 yards. He scored 90 TDs on the ground and 10 on receptions, making a nice round 100 for a great one.
2. Terrell Owens
Nothing like controversy to surround a diva wide receiver, extraordinaire. Placing Terrell Owens here is likely to ignite debate. However, he had a Hall-of-Fame career after being chosen 89th overall out of Tennessee-Chattanooga.
1. Joe Montana
Well, there is a quarterback at No. 1. Just isn’t the one who signed a rich contract this week, Russell Wilson. The Seattle Seahawks’ star has a long, long, long way to go to reach the lofty heights of Joe Montana. In fact, it is hard to believe anyone will reach what Joe Montana did after being drafted out of Notre Dame by the Niners in the third round.
