SI.com - Best first round picks

[chrisbcbu]

CNNSI.com (http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/multimedia/photo_gallery/0604/gallery.nfldraftslot/content.1.html)

#18 - Art Monk - He ended his career as one of the most prolific receivers in NFL history. When he retired in 1995 he held the NFL records for receptions (940), single-season receptions (106) and most consecutive games with a catch (183). He wasn't flashy, but Monk always produced, helping the Redskins win three Super Bowls.

#28 - Darrell Green - Green, a seven-time Pro Bowler, was known for his blazing speed and incredible longevity. He was 42 when he hung up his cleats in 2002 -- an incredible feat for a position that relies so much on quickness. Bucs linebacker Derrick Brooks, picked 28th in 1995, was also a worthy candidate at this spot.

I actually think this is a decent list. I could change a couple of the picks but overrall i think they did a good job.

[Santheb]

The Game will be upset that not every slot was filled by a Raider great. stay tuned.

[RedskinsDave]

It is absolutely unbelievable how late both Ed Reed and Ray Lewis were drafted.

[camasterton]

Crickey! How weak have the #7 picks been if Phil Simms is the best? Decent Pro but...

[RedskinsDave]

Crickey! How weak have the #7 picks been if Phil Simms is the best? Decent Pro but...

I thought the exact same thing. I'm checking to see now because there's just no way there wasn't a better number 7.

[whitskins]

I thought the exact same thing. I'm checking to see now because there's just no way there wasn't a better number 7.

Champ was a #7 wasn't he? I think I saw him selected at that spot on a similar list.

[RedskinsDave]

Champ was the 7th pick. So was Troy Vincent who I think has had a better career than Simms and Chuck Howley who certainly is better historically.

[The Game]

i saw some good picks, emmit, sweetness, marcus allen, randy moss, jerry rice no tim brown??

[SpicyMcHaggis]

i saw some good picks, emmit, sweetness, marcus allen, randy moss, jerry rice no tim brown??
I have to ask this: Are you Tim Brown or in any way related to him?

[PyroGenic]

why is there a 33? foreshadowing?

[PyroGenic]

i saw some good picks, emmit, sweetness, marcus allen, randy moss, jerry rice no tim brown??

because Jim Brown is the better brown

[Fathead]

why is there a 33? foreshadowing?



They always have an extra page for ads.

[redskin_rich]

Champ was the 7th pick. So was Troy Vincent who I think has had a better career than Simms and Chuck Howley who certainly is better historically.
Phil Simms had the single best QB performance in Super Bowl history, he absolutely deserves to be the pick for #7. One of the most underrated QB's of all time. I hated him more than any other QB in the '80s but I always respected him.

[Meatsnack]

Agreed. I always think of that line from the movie Patton when I think about Phil Simms,"Rommel! You magnificient bastard!!"

I think not enough people appreciate how hard it is to QB in Giants Stadium. The wind in that place is attrocious and a QB has to have tight, fast rotation on his spirals to get anything over 15 yards. Simms was accurate and made great decisions with the football. Bastard.

[828791Redskins]

I think someone needs to take that #5 spot from Deion Sanders. But who?

[redskin_rich]

I think someone needs to take that #5 spot from Deion Sanders. But who?
LaDainian Tomlinson is the only hope there.

I can't argue with any of the picks except maybe Lance Alworth over Ronnie Lott at pick #8.

[Santheb]

I think someone needs to take that #5 spot from Deion Sanders. But who?

A Raider, obviously.

[Keino]

Phil Simms had the single best QB performance in Super Bowl history, he absolutely deserves to be the pick for #7. One of the most underrated QB's of all time. I hated him more than any other QB in the '80s but I always respected him.

Thank you. He deserves to be in the HOF more than Troy Aikmen IMO.

As for Ray Lewis and Ed Reed, both left college pretty early and Im sure that had an impact on where they were taken

[MDSkins#1]

#18 - Art Monk - He ended his career as one of the most prolific receivers in NFL history. When he retired in 1995 he held the NFL records for receptions (940), single-season receptions (106) and most consecutive games with a catch (183). He wasn't flashy, but Monk always produced, helping the Redskins win three Super Bowls.


^^^ Funy how Monk still isn't in the pro-bowl. Those stats show why he should be but some mediots think otherwise.

[HurricaneSkins]

#18 - Art Monk - He ended his career as one of the most prolific receivers in NFL history. When he retired in 1995 he held the NFL records for receptions (940), single-season receptions (106) and most consecutive games with a catch (183). He wasn't flashy, but Monk always produced, helping the Redskins win three Super Bowls.


^^^ Funy how Monk still isn't in the pro-bowl. Those stats show why he should be but some mediots think otherwise.

That would be a funny pro bowl he has to be almost 50 by now. Seriuously though it is amazing that he isn't in the Hall of Fame yet though.

[Brokenstriker]

now I'd like to see the SI Rocket Scientists explain why #18 best first round pick does not equal ... HALL OF FAME!

:devil2:

[skins111111]

how long can they go on like this?????????? Maybe a SB will put some focous on the Redskins past and presant?

[daEz0r]

lance allworth ahead of ronnie lott? i never got to see allworth play but do you guys seriously think he's edged out lott as the greatest 8th pick?

[camasterton]

Phil Simms had the single best QB performance in Super Bowl history, he absolutely deserves to be the pick for #7. One of the most underrated QB's of all time. I hated him more than any other QB in the '80s but I always respected him.
What, no love for Doug Williams or Mark Rypien in the SB? Even though I am ill at Champ Bailey, hasn't he been All-Pro consistantly since he was drafted seven years ago? Was Sterling Sharp at #7

[CNYSkinFan]

The Game will be upset that not every slot was filled by a Raider great. stay tuned.

:lol1: well done

[CNYSkinFan]

i saw some good picks, emmit, sweetness, marcus allen, randy moss, jerry rice no tim brown??

Seriously...what is your man crush on Tim Brown all about?

I have a few problems with some of the people on the list. Mainly Deion & Moss. Their talent is undeniable, but neither stayed with their original team for a very long time. IF you are rating best first round picks, longevity with the original picks needs to be a factor.

That being said I wonder if Vince Young can be the best #7 pick of all time?

[RedskinsDave]

Phil Simms had the single best QB performance in Super Bowl history

Huh? Single best? That's a bit much.

[redskin_rich]

Huh? Single best? That's a bit much.
Look it up, it also was the best ever performance in any postseason game.

[Keino]

Huh? Single best? That's a bit much.

The guy was 22 of 25, threw 268 yards 3 TD's and had a passer rating of 158.3. The passer rating and Completion percentage (88%) are both Superbowl and Post-season records that still stand today. Not bad when your best Receiver is Mark Bavaro.

[Keino]

Why does staying with your original team factor in to the quality of the pick? Paul Krause was drafted by the Redskins and traded 3 years later to the Vikings. Still a great pick, regardless.

[chrisbcbu]

That being said I wonder if Vince Young can be the best #7 pick of all time?

He very well could be. Stay tuned.

[CNYSkinFan]

Why does staying with your original team factor in to the quality of the pick? Paul Krause was drafted by the Redskins and traded 3 years later to the Vikings. Still a great pick, regardless.
Well first round picks should have longevity with the original team in my mind. If you are rating the best pick, then you are taking into account signing bonus that the original team paid. That is a downpayment on future talent and in most cases non-refundable. I think a pick that stays with a team a long time has some edge over a player that bounced around following the money. Deion may be a good player, the best ever at his position...but was he a good pick for the Falcons? Moss may be one of the 5 best receivers ever drafted in the first round, but did he do justice for Minnesotta? That is my questions about those two.

[Keino]

But many of these listed were prior to 1992 and the advent of free agency. Salry cap and signing bonus do not figure into it very much at all. The only thing that really matters is the quality of the players respective careers.

[J-Rod]

lance allworth ahead of ronnie lott? i never got to see allworth play but do you guys seriously think he's edged out lott as the greatest 8th pick?

I agree. Lott IMHO is the greatest DB of all time. Played CB and both safety spots at one time or another and excelled at all. Allworth was good but in no way better than Lott.

[openallnight]

I'm surprised how know one has even mentioned the omission of Sammy Baugh from the list.

He went with the #6 pick in the 1937 draft. I believe Jim Brown got the nod in their list for that spot. Pretty good in his own right.

Although, I think Baugh, the best punter, the best passer and arguably the best DB of his time is more deserved.

[CamLwalk]

Five guys were drafted ahead of Jim Brown!?! I did not know that. I looked it up...

1957 NFL Draft

1. Packers Paul Hornung QB Notre Dame
2. Rams Jon Arnett RB USC
3. 49ers John Brodie QB Stanford
4. Packers Ron Kramer DE Michegan
5. Steelers Len Dawson QB Purdue
6. Browns Jim Brown RB Syracuse

3 Hall of Famers in the first 6 picks....pretty good draft!

[Keino]

I'm surprised how know one has even mentioned the omission of Sammy Baugh from the list.

He went with the #6 pick in the 1937 draft. I believe Jim Brown got the nod in their list for that spot. Pretty good in his own right.

Although, I think Baugh, the best punter, the best passer and arguably the best DB of his time is more deserved.

I respectfully disagree. I don't think the argument can be made that he is the best DB of all-time nor passer. I also don't think being the best punter is more significant than being the most dominant RB for a decade.

Jim Brown is the correcty answer.

[Meatsnack]

What he said was, "of his time". You could make a compelling arguement that Sammy Baugh was the best DB of his era. Punting is inflated because of the quick kick but that is true for everyone in that era. Sammy certainly changed the game in terms of demonstrating that the passing game was a viable option instead of a freakish anomoly. There is very little debate that Baugh wasn't the best passer of his era. I would have no problem with Baugh in the #6 slot over Brown and I am as big a Jim Brown fan as there is.

[Keino]

Upon re-read, I see he did say "of his time". However, I still believe Brown to be the correct option. He was the most dominant RB of not only his era but all-time.

[Meatsnack]

I don't really have a problem with either one. I, too, believe Jim Brown to be the greatest runner of all time. But putting Sammy on that list in front of Brown wouldn't put you out in left field the way, let's say Jimbo Covert would.

[openallnight]

Upon re-read, I see he did say "of his time". However, I still believe Brown to be the correct option. He was the most dominant RB of not only his era but all-time.
Come on Keino, I though you ALWAYS vote for the Redskin in these rankings ;)

I can't really argue against Brown. Although, I was just pointing out that Baugh deserves strong consideration. And as these things go, QBs always seem to get added points over other positional players.

[OCSkinzFan]

I have a problem with this:

No. 1
John Elway
QB, selected by Colts, 1983

How the heck can Elway be a great pick for the COLTS?!
Go ask an older Baltimore fan what they think of the Elway pick!

Elway was a bust for the Colts, he refused to play for them. They Should have taken someone else, or traded the pick. He may be the best player selected first in the first round, but he was absolutely a bad pick for the Colts.

Elway should be called the #1 coffin nail ever picked.

In 1983 the Colts faced the Broncos in the home opener and Baltimore fans are hostile to Elway. However, fans got to see what they missed when Elway lead a game winning drive in the 4th. Despite losing out on Elway, and 1-year suspension for gambling to QB Art Schlichter, the Colts play ok football and have a 7-9 record. However attendance lags, as fans continue to disapprove of the way Robert Irsay runs the club and Irsay begins to talk to other citys about moving the team.

A couple of Mayflower trucks later, Baltimore is without a team.

[redskin_rich]

I have a problem with this:

No. 1
John Elway
QB, selected by Colts, 1983

How the heck can Elway be a great pick for the COLTS?!
Go ask an older Baltimore fan what they think of the Elway pick!

Elway was a bust for the Colts, he refused to play for them. They Should have taken someone else, or traded the pick. He may be the best player selected first in the first round, but he was absolutely a bad pick for the Colts.
What made it worse was that the Colts had some great trade offers for that pick and turned them down to draft Elway, who had already told them he would play baseball before playing for them. After they drafted him and realized he meant it, they had to agree on a much lesser trade than was originally offered.

[flave1969]

Troy Aikman is not on this list but he has made it into the Hall of Fame on a first ballot.

Phil Simms threw for more yards (33462), more TD's (199) and had a better yard per attempt stat(7.2). Simms led the Giants to Eight winning seasons and as the main starter just three losing seasons, The other three saw Simms miss significant time due to injury, the Giants did not have a winning season in any of those years.

Aikman may not be deserving of that Hall of Fame place but he is held in high regard and Simms should garner the same respect that Aikman gets, especially when you bare in mind the supporting cast Simms had on Offense when he first started.

[Keino]

Troy Aikman is not on this list but he has made it into the Hall of Fame on a first ballot.

Phil Simms threw for more yards (33462), more TD's (199) and had a better yard per attempt stat(7.2). Simms led the Giants to Eight winning seasons and as the main starter just three losing seasons, The other three saw Simms miss significant time due to injury, the Giants did not have a winning season in any of those years.

Aikman may not be deserving of that Hall of Fame place but he is held in high regard and Simms should garner the same respect that Aikman gets, especially when you bare in mind the supporting cast Simms had on Offense when he first started.


As I said...it's criminal. Simms played against better defenses in a less passer freindly era in top of it all.

[chrisbcbu]

Come on Keino, I though you ALWAYS vote for the Redskin in these rankings ;)

I can't really argue against Brown. Although, I was just pointing out that Baugh deserves strong consideration. And as these things go, QBs always seem to get added points over other positional players.

Baugh did get consideration when they picked Brown. Well they at least mentioned him.

[OCSkinzFan]

What made it worse was that the Colts had some great trade offers for that pick and turned them down to draft Elway, who had already told them he would play baseball before playing for them. After they drafted him and realized he meant it, they had to agree on a much lesser trade than was originally offered.
What the Colts got was two vets and Denver's 1st the following year; but who were the three players? It would be interesting to find out.

[OCSkinzFan]

Never mind, I found it:

The Colts traded the rights to Elway to the Denver Broncos for QB Mark Herrmann, the rights to OL Chris Hinton and a first-round pick in the 1984 draft which was pick #19 Ron Solt G Maryland.

No Hall o'Famer's there.

1984 Elway leads his club to a 12-2 regular-season record in his 14 starts.

[redskin_rich]

Never mind, I found it:

The Colts traded the rights to Elway to the Denver Broncos for QB Mark Herrmann, the rights to OL Chris Hinton and a first-round pick in the 1984 draft which was pick #19 Ron Solt G Maryland.

No Hall o'Famer's there.

1984 Elway leads his club to a 12-2 regular-season record in his 14 starts.
Supposedly, before the draft, the Colts were offered three 1st rd picks and a vet QB for the pick. I don't know who the team was though, may have been Denver.

[OCSkinzFan]

Supposedly, before the draft, the Colts were offered three 1st rd picks and a vet QB for the pick. I don't know who the team was though, may have been Denver.
Wow. So again, I'm not sure what convoluded criteria SI's using to call Elway the greatest #1 pick if he was picked by the Colts.
:rolleyes:

[redskin_rich]

Wow. So again, I'm not sure what convoluded criteria SI's using to call Elway the greatest #1 pick if he was picked by the Colts.
:rolleyes:
I look at it as the best #1 pick period, not for this team or that, just in relation to football.

[SpicyMcHaggis]

I look at it as the best #1 pick period, not for this team or that, just in relation to football.
I think that's the criteria too..but I'm not sure I agree with it..

[OCSkinzFan]

I look at it as the best #1 pick period, not for this team or that, just in relation to football.
Yea, I see that's what they're trying to say. But that's them trying to hype the draft, when in reality there's more to it than just drafting guys.

Elway had a great career, but he was not the best #1 pic. As a draft pick he was a BUST. Why can't that be reflected? He was a traded player.

Is it Saturday yet?:banghead:

[redskin_rich]

Yea, I see that's what they're trying to say. But that's them trying to hype the draft, when in reality there's more to it than just drafting guys.

Elway had a great career, but he was not the best #1 pic. As a draft pick he was a BUST. Why can't that be reflected? He was a traded player.

Is it Saturday yet?:banghead:
There are others like that. Did you notice that Lance Alworth was drafted by the 49ers but opted to play in the AFL for the Chargers. I guess the 49ers didn't get any compensation since they were in different leagues back then.

[OCSkinzFan]

There are others like that. Did you notice that Lance Alworth was drafted by the 49ers but opted to play in the AFL for the Chargers. I guess the 49ers didn't get any compensation since they were in different leagues back then.
Yea, I saw that. There were some years that got comp but I don't know when it started.