6 best position draft classes in NFL history
Some drafts produce an inordinate amount of talent at one position. From multiple Hall-of-Fame quarterbacks in the same draft to drafts loaded with Pro-Bowl wide receivers selected in the late rounds, we break down the best of the best.
1983 Quarterbacks
Pro-Bowlers: 4
Total Pro Bowls: 25
First five off the board
| Round | Pick | Player | Team |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | John Elway | Baltimore Colts |
| 1 | 7 | Todd Blackledge | Kansas City Chiefs |
| 1 | 14 | Jim Kelly | Buffalo Bills |
| 1 | 15 | Tony Eason | New England Patriots |
| 1 | 24 | Ken O'Brien | New York Jets |
The Standouts
This draft class is the most well-known example of a position being stacked with talent. Three of the greatest quarterbacks in NFL history came off the board in the first round of the 1983 draft. John Elway was first, then Jim Kelly, and arguably the best was saved for last, as Dan Marino, the sixth quarterback drafted, came off the board at 27.
And then there's the other three.
Tony Eason led the 1985 New England Patriots to the Super Bowl, Ken O'Brien spent the '80s playing efficient if unspectacular football for the Jets and Todd Blackledge warmed NFL benches for seven seasons. So five out of six isn't bad, but even for a bust, Blackledge is above average.
2011 Pass Rushers
Pro-Bowlers: 7
Total Pro Bowls: 14
First five off the board
| Round | Pick | Player | Team |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | Von Miller | Denver Broncos |
| 1 | 7 | Aldon Smith | San Francisco 49ers |
| 1 | 11 | J.J. Watt | Houston Texans |
| 1 | 14 | Robert Quinn | St. Louis Rams |
| 1 | 16 | Ryan Kerrigan | Washington Redskins |
The Standouts
This draft is full of guys who can get after the quarterback. The nine pass rushers who make up the cream of this edition's crop (Miller, Smith, Watt, Quinn, Kerrigan, Jordan, Wilkerson, Houston, McPhee) have accumulated 352 combined sacks in just four seasons. That averages out to 10 sacks a piece per season.
This is a rare draft that groups the talent at the top and offers later-round gems. After the first five, the Saints took Cameron Jordan and the Jets took Muhammad Wilkerson at the end of the first round, while Justin Houston was unearthed by the Chiefs in the third round. Pernell McPhee, now with the Bears, lasted until the fifth round, where the Ravens took him with the 165th overall pick.
1996 Linebackers
Pro-Bowlers: 7
Total Pro Bowls: 27
First five off the board
| Round | Pick | Player | Team |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | Kevin Hardy | Jacksonville Jaguars |
| 1 | 15 | John Mobley | Denver Broncos |
| 1 | 17 | Reggie Brown | Detroit Lions |
| 1 | 26 | Ray Lewis | Baltimore Ravens |
| 2 | 49 | Randall Godfrey | Dallas Cowboys |
The Standouts
Unlike pass rushers in 2011, the '96 linebackers were fairly average in the first round. With the exception of Ray Lewis, the gems of this draft were found in later rounds and even after the draft's completion.
Zach Thomas, a seven-time Pro-Bowler and potential Hall of Famer, was selected in the fifth round by the Dolphins and became the heartbeat of one of the league's best defenses for eight seasons.
In addition to Lewis and Thomas, Teddy Bruschi, Donnie Edwards and Earl Holmes rounded out the best linebacker draft of all time. Those five combined for 5,856 tackles as the league's best middle linebackers for a decade. Patriots standout Larry Izzo also went undrafted in this class.
1996 Wide Receivers
Pro-Bowlers: 8
Total Pro Bowls: 29
First five off the board
| Round | Pick | Player | Team |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | Keyshawn Johnson | New York Jets |
| 1 | 7 | Terry Glenn | New England Patriots |
| 1 | 18 | Eddie Kennison | St. Louis Rams |
| 1 | 19 | Marvin Harrison | Indianapolis Colts |
| 1 | 24 | Eric Moulds | Buffalo Bills |
The Standouts
1996 was a good year for linebackers but a better year for receivers. After a first round that included Keyshawn Johnson, Marvin Harrison and Eric Moulds, the later rounds produced Terrell Owens (Rd. 3) and Joe Horn (Rd. 5).
Those five would be among the best receivers of the late '90s and early 2000s, but the '96 draft also produced solid possession receivers in Terry Glenn, Muhsin Muhammad and Amani Toomer. And if you're into unspectacular-yet-steady players, Eddie Kennison and Bobby Engram were also taken in this draft.
2014 Wide Receivers
Pro-Bowlers: 1
Total Pro Bowls: 1
First five off the board
| Round | Pick | Player | Team |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 5 | Sammy Watkins | Buffalo Bills |
| 1 | 7 | Mike Evans | Tampa Bay Buccaneers |
| 1 | 12 | Odell Beckham Jr. | New York Giants |
| 1 | 20 | Brandin Cooks | New Orleans Saints |
| 1 | 28 | Kelvin Benjamin | Carolina Panthers |
The Standouts
When it's all said and done, this could end up being the best receiver draft class of all time, but it's too early to put it above '96. The top five are outstanding, but there is talent in later rounds, too, with Jordan Matthews, Marqise Lee, Allen Robinson and Jarvis Landry all going in the second round. Beyond that, John Brown and Martavis Bryant were steals later in the draft.
2003 Defensive Backs
Pro-Bowlers: 12
Total Pro Bowls: 27
First five off the board
| Round | Pick | Player | Team |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 5 | Terence Newman | Dallas Cowboys |
| 1 | 11 | Marcus Trufant | Seattle Seahawks |
| 1 | 16 | Troy Polamalu | Pittsburgh Steelers |
| 1 | 28 | Andre Woolfolk | Tennesseee Titans |
| 1 | 30 | Sammy Davis | San Diego Chargers |
The Standouts
This draft produced more Pro-Bowlers at one position than any other. Shut-down corners Nnamdi Asomugha, Charles Tillman and Asante Samuel all came off the board outside the top five, with Samuel lasting until the fourth round.
Top to bottom, this group is solid. Rashean Mathis, Ken Hamlin and Terence McGee played above-average football during their careers. And that's before you remember recently-retired Steeler Troy Polamalu, who is one of the greatest safeties to ever play the game.