15 of the Greatest NFL Draft Picks

Looking back at history, it’s easy to note 15 of the greatest NFL draft picks. They weren’t perfect, but they did become legendary.

Tom Brady

He might have started as a backup, but Brady went on to be one of the greatest picks ever. Funny enough, though, the Patriots started to falter once he went to Tampa Bay.

Joe Montana

Seriously, the 49ers have not had as great of a quarterback since he left. Some might cite Kaepernick as a worthy successor, but everyone saw how that went.

Jim Brown

Jim grew up during a time when the NFL’s brutality was still in full effect. Yet, he dominated whenever he hit the field, making sure to leave his mark.

Brett Favre

A lot of people were shocked to see him in a Vikings uniform at one point, but up until then, he was THE Green Bay quarterback. His career speaks for itself.

Roger Staubach

Roger was in the NFL when it was rough to be a quarterback, meaning one might get tossed to the ground without mercy and then be told to walk it off. But his legend is great enough to clarify that he was among the best in his position.

Jerry Rice

Several people in the NFL’s history can be called ‘great’. Rice redefined that honor during his time in the league.

Lawrence Taylor

Imagine being a quarterback and seeing someone like LT coming at you. He built a reputation off of being one of the toughest in the game.

Bart Starr

You can’t mention the Green Bay Packers without someone mentioning Starr’s name. There’s a reason for this: he was one of the best players ever to grace the field.

Emmitt Smith

While it didn’t make sense for him to stay on and eventually go to the Cardinals, his legend was already established. Smith made his time as a Cowboy mean something and became one of the best running backs in the history of the NFL.

Dan Marino

Many people have varying opinions of Marino. But the fact remains that he knew how to play the game, and he did it better than many others.

Barry Sanders

Watching this man move was mesmerizing since he could confuse defenders without that much effort. Weaving through defenses and skating down the field so quickly that defenders couldn’t catch him, Barry was one of the best players the NFL has ever seen.

Walter Payton

You’ve got to be good to have an award named after you, right? The fact is that Payton was a player who earned his way into the league and made sure to keep earning his spot during the course of his career.

Peyton Manning

Say what you will about Peyton Manning, but the guy is talented. He did get blown out in at least one Super Bowl, but he ended his career on a high note.

Dick Butkus

You can say that Butkus loves the game, but that would be a serious understatement. Since he’s been involved with the NFL in one capacity or another for decades, it’s easy to see that he had no idea of doing anything else. That’s impressive.

Gayle Sayers

Unfortunately, Sayers suffered a lot of injuries during his career. But unlike many men who became draft busts, he proved his worth over and over before he finally retired.