crcsnail
04-24-2011, 05:58 AM
i put this in here as it seems to be an interesting read and also it includes quite a lot of steelers :
Drafting in the NFL is a lot like investing on Wall Street. No matter how extensive the research, there’s no telling what will happen once the money is plunked down for a Terry Bradshaw or Lawrence Taylor. Or for a Lawrence Phillips or Tony Mandarich.
It never hurts to try learning from history.
With that in mind, The Associated Press looked back at every player taken at each spot in the first round of the NFL draft since the “common draft” began in 1967. This pick-by-pick approach compared all the No. 1s to each other, the No. 2s … all the way to the Nos. 32s.
What follows is a subjective list of the best pick made at each slot, with the reason they were chosen, and others who were considered. Picks were based on a player’s entire career. When it was close, the balance tipped toward the player who meant the most to the team that drafted him.
The research yielded some nuggets worth keeping in mind for this year’s draft.
The best news is for the Cincinnati Bengals, who pick fourth. History says that’s a juicy spot. Only No. 1 has produced more Hall of Famers. The eighth and 19th spots also have been bountiful, raising hopes for fans of the Tennessee Titans and New York Giants.
Sorry, San Francisco 49ers fans, but history shows seventh is a spot to avoid. It’s the first pick that features an overwhelming collection of clunkers. Since ’67, no Hall of Famer has been drafted at No. 7, at least not yet. The same can be said of Nos. 12, 22, 24, 25 and 29-32, although the 29-32 grouping deserves an asterisk because those didn’t become first-rounders until the 1990s.
These results also validate several things fans already knew, such as wise drafting being a big part of the Steelers becoming such a perennial power. Pittsburgh claimed three of the top 11 “best” picks and five of the 32.
The quality of several college programs jumped out, too. Southern California and Miami (Fla.) put four guys on this list, Syracuse had three and Florida and Ohio State had two.
As for the best year, the Class of ’83 lived up to its hype, putting three guys on this list, more than any other year. The ’83 crop’s great reputation is primarily for quarterbacks, and this list includes two of those players and a defensive back.
Let the debates begin.
No. 1
Terry Bradshaw, QB, Pittsburgh Steelers, 1970, Louisiana Tech
John Elway, Troy Aikman and Peyton Manning(notes) were far more dazzling. Earl Campbell was far more feared. Yet teams draft players they think will help them win championships. Bradshaw guided the Steelers to four Super Bowl titles and was the MVP in two of those championship games
find the rest of the picks here http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/news?slug=txdraftbestpickbypick
Drafting in the NFL is a lot like investing on Wall Street. No matter how extensive the research, there’s no telling what will happen once the money is plunked down for a Terry Bradshaw or Lawrence Taylor. Or for a Lawrence Phillips or Tony Mandarich.
It never hurts to try learning from history.
With that in mind, The Associated Press looked back at every player taken at each spot in the first round of the NFL draft since the “common draft” began in 1967. This pick-by-pick approach compared all the No. 1s to each other, the No. 2s … all the way to the Nos. 32s.
What follows is a subjective list of the best pick made at each slot, with the reason they were chosen, and others who were considered. Picks were based on a player’s entire career. When it was close, the balance tipped toward the player who meant the most to the team that drafted him.
The research yielded some nuggets worth keeping in mind for this year’s draft.
The best news is for the Cincinnati Bengals, who pick fourth. History says that’s a juicy spot. Only No. 1 has produced more Hall of Famers. The eighth and 19th spots also have been bountiful, raising hopes for fans of the Tennessee Titans and New York Giants.
Sorry, San Francisco 49ers fans, but history shows seventh is a spot to avoid. It’s the first pick that features an overwhelming collection of clunkers. Since ’67, no Hall of Famer has been drafted at No. 7, at least not yet. The same can be said of Nos. 12, 22, 24, 25 and 29-32, although the 29-32 grouping deserves an asterisk because those didn’t become first-rounders until the 1990s.
These results also validate several things fans already knew, such as wise drafting being a big part of the Steelers becoming such a perennial power. Pittsburgh claimed three of the top 11 “best” picks and five of the 32.
The quality of several college programs jumped out, too. Southern California and Miami (Fla.) put four guys on this list, Syracuse had three and Florida and Ohio State had two.
As for the best year, the Class of ’83 lived up to its hype, putting three guys on this list, more than any other year. The ’83 crop’s great reputation is primarily for quarterbacks, and this list includes two of those players and a defensive back.
Let the debates begin.
No. 1
Terry Bradshaw, QB, Pittsburgh Steelers, 1970, Louisiana Tech
John Elway, Troy Aikman and Peyton Manning(notes) were far more dazzling. Earl Campbell was far more feared. Yet teams draft players they think will help them win championships. Bradshaw guided the Steelers to four Super Bowl titles and was the MVP in two of those championship games
find the rest of the picks here http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/news?slug=txdraftbestpickbypick