The Science Of The NFL Draft

                                       

We all know, by now, that Tom Brady was drafted in the 6th round of the 2000 NFL Draft.  Dude has only gone on to lead his team to three Super Bowl titles, two Super Bowl MVP awards and elite status in NFL circles.  That draft was really light on "star QBs"...or any QBs....and was the last draft that the #1 overall pick was not a quarterback [it was DE Courtney Brown].  Chad Pennington was the first QB taken with the 18th pick and was the lone signal caller in the first round.  But, Pennington, Giovanni Carmazzi, Chris Redman, Tee Martin, Marc Bulger and Spergon Wynn were selected ahead of Brady. 

So goes the draft.

And it isn't like that draft was a bust draft either.  The first round say Brown [who was sort of a bust in Cleveland but has been resurrected in Denver], LaVar Arrington, Chris Samuels, Jamal Lewis, Corey Simon, Thomas Jones, Plaxico Burress, Brian Urlacher, Bubba Franks, Deltha O'Neal, Julian Peterson, Sebastian Janikowski and Shaun Alexander in the top 20.  Of couse, so was Peter Warrick and Ron Dayne. 

So goes the draft.

Sometimes, being first isn't a good thing.  Sure, you get the pick of the litter...but there are times where the pick chooses you instead of you choosing the pick.  Houston has the #1 overall pick in the draft with the top three talents being a running back and two quarterbacks.  Well, just 4 years ago, the Texans used their first ever draft pick on David Carr, a QB, and just signed RB Domanick Davis to a multi-year extension.  Those are not really needs of this team.  As I've stated in my blog entry Hey, Texans....Don't Draft Vince Young!!, there are other options.

We all know those #1 draft picks.  Alex Smith, Eli Manning, Carson Palmer, Carr, Michael Vick, Brown, Tim Couch, Peyton Manning, Orlando Pace, Keyshawn Johnson, Kijana Carter and Dan Wilkinson were the last 12 top picks.  But those recent #2 picks weren't too bad either.  Ronnie Brown, Robert Gallary, Charles Rogers, Julius Peppers, Leonard Davis, LaVarr Arrington and Donovan McNabb.

Well, okay, Ryan Leaf, the late Darrell Russell, Rick Mirer, Blair Thomas and Tony Mandarich were #2 picks.  But so were Hall Of Famers Eric Dickerson, Lawrence Taylor, Tony Dorsett and Randy White and soon to be Hall Of Famer Marshall Faulk. 

But look at these conference championship games.   Matt Hasselbeck was the 187th pick of the 1998 draft.  Jake Plummer was the #42 pick [just 16 picks behind Jim Drunkenmiller].  Ben Roethlisberger was the #11 pick in the 2004 draft. 

Jake Delhomme...who is 5-1 in playoff games....wasn't drafted at all.

You don't necessarily have those blue chip QBs to be a champion nowadays.  As I said, Brady was a 6th rounder with three rings.  Brad Johnson was a 9th round selection in 1992....and he has a ring.  Trent Dilfer was a first rounder [#6 overall]...but he has a vagabond by the time he "led" the Ravens to a Super Bowl title.  And we all know the story of Kurt Warner. 

The last draft class that saw the top of QB taken get to the Super Bowl is Steve McNair....who was drafted 3rd overall in 1995.  The last one to win the Super Bowl is Troy Aikman...who was drafted with the top pick in 1989. 

So, Houston, New Orleans and the rest of you drafting for a QB....just remember these first round picks that never were:  Akili Smith, Cade McNown, Ryan Leaf, Jim Drunkenmiller, Heath Shuler, Rick Mirer, David Klingler, Dan McGwire, Todd Marinovich [the last two were drafted ahead of Favre] and Andre Ware.