How did the Dolphins and Rams pass on Matt Ryan?
Super Bowl LI pits two of football's best passers against each other in the latest example of why quarterback is the most important position in all of sports.
Both Tom Brady and Matt Ryan turned in MVP-worthy campaigns, propelling their respective offenses to top-five seasons in yards gained and points scored. Brady can become the first quarterback to win five Super Bowls on Feb. 5, but it may be Ryan who has the most to gain from a win. By earning his first ring, the former third overall pick will cement his place among football's all-time greats.
For two teams, Ryan is the one that got away. The Boston College product entered the NFL as the undisputed top quarterback prospect and made good on his promise by earning Rookie of the Year honors, but he wasn't the first pick of the draft. The Miami Dolphins and St. Louis Rams both passed on Ryan to address what they perceived as bigger needs at other positions despite quarterback deficiencies.
It's a decision that is nearly inconceivable in today's pass-first NFL. In the ensuing eight drafts, a quarterback was selected first overall six times, and three times a second quarterback was selected with the second overall pick.
With the benefit of hindsight, both the Dolphins and Rams would have selected Ryan. But at the time, their decisions weren't as obviously faulty.
Dolphins
2007 record: 1-15
QBs on roster: Chad Pennington, Josh McCown, John Beck
Despite lacking a proven franchise quarterback, the Dolphins opted to make what they perceived as the safer choice and select Michigan offensive tackle Jake Long with the first overall pick. It was a selection that surely pleased first-year Dolphins head coach Tony Sparano, a former offensive line coach.
Long's selection came at a time when top offensive line prospects were generally considered "can't-miss" players. In the following years, the failures of top-five picks Jason Smith, Eric Fisher, and Luke Joeckel destroyed that notion.
The pick was praised at the time, with the Dolphins awarded a grade of "A" by at least one draft analyst.
Long delivered on his promise for the Dolphins, earning Pro Bowl honors from 2008-11 before injuries derailed his career, but certainly never came close to matching Ryan's value to the Falcons.
It was the Dolphins' subsequent picks that doomed them to years of mediocrity.
After selecting Long at the top, the Dolphins addressed their need at quarterback by nabbing Chad Henne with their second of two second-round selections, pairing him with their second-round selection the draft prior, John Beck. Henne lasted four seasons in Miami, starting 31 games. Beck never threw another pass for the team.
Rams
2007 record: 3-13
QBs on roster: Marc Bulger, Trent Green, Brock Belin
Despite finishing with the second-worst record in the NFL in 2007, Scott Linehan was retained as Rams head coach.
The Rams entered the draft with needs at quarterback and on the defensive line, ultimately deciding the bolster the latter by selecting Virginia's Chris Long and rolling with veterans Green and Bulger to lead the offense.
The son of Hall of Fame defensive end Howie Long (and no relation to first overall pick Jake Long), Chris Long was far from a bust for the Rams, lasting eight seasons on the roster and making 54.5 sacks along the way. But he never earned a Pro Bowl berth and didn't provide the impact a team hopes to get from the second overall selection.
Ryan never seemed to be seriously considered by the Rams, though the team did reportedly receive a trade offer from the Baltimore Ravens, who wanted to move up for Ryan. The Ravens eventually drafted Joe Flacco, another player the Rams would have been far better off drafting than Long.
The Rams haven't finished with a winning season since selecting Long, largely because their passing attack has been almost exclusively terrible. Their decision to pass on Ryan despite having no young quarterback with any potential on the roster is often overlooked as one of the draft's great blunders, but deserves consideration for that unenviable distinction.
Linehan was fired after an 0-4 start in 2008 and the Rams finished the season with two wins. In the 2009 draft, the Rams selected second overall and missed the chance to nab Matthew Stafford by one pick. They would finally attempt to address their quarterback need in 2010, adding Sam Bradford with the first overall pick, and then spend another first overall selection on Jared Goff in 2016.