Best NFL 1st Pick

[Mr. TM]

As the Draft season has just given NFL fans something to look forward to as the new players have the chance to show the team why they were drafted, the biggest expectations always fall on the guy drafted #1.

Out of the dozens and dozens drafted, counting Sam Bradford who was picked first this year, who was the best for his team?

I'm pretty new to the sport, but I think I pick Peyton Manning. Since he started playing, the Indy Colts have been a favourite to win the Super Bowl for years, each and every year. He has had fantastic ratings as a quarterback, and despite the Colts being considered choke artists for the most part, he is always there to get his team to the post season, and has won a Superbowl.

 

[Big Sexy]

1936 Jay Berwanger
1937 Sam Francis
1938 Corbett Davis
1939 Ki Aldrich
1940 George Cafego
1941 Tom Harmon
1942 Bill Dudley
1943 Frank Sinkwich
1944 Angelo Bertelli
1945 Charley Trippi
1946 Frank Dancewicz
1947 Bob Fenimore
1948 Harry Gilmer
1949 Chuck Bednarik
1950 Leon Hart
1951 Kyle Rote
1952 Bill Wade
1953 Harry Babcock
1954 Bobby Garrett
1955 George Shaw
1956 Gary Glick
1957 Paul Hornung
1958 King Hill
1959 Randy Duncan
1960 Billy Cannon
1961 Tommy Mason
1962 Ernie Davis
1963 Terry Baker
1964 Dave Parks
1965 Tucker Frederickson
1966 Tommy Nobis
1967 Bubba Smith
1968 Ron Yary
1969 O.J. Simpson
1970 Terry Bradshaw
1971 Jim Plunkett
1972 Walt Patulski
1973 John Matuszak
1974 Ed "Too Tall" Jones
1975 Steve Bartkowski
1976 Lee Roy Selmon
1977 Ricky Bell
1978 Earl Campbell
1979 Tom Cousineau
1980 Billy Sims
1981 George Rogers
1982 Kenneth Sims
1983 John Elway
1984 Irving Fryar
1985 Bruce Smith
1986 Bo Jackson
1987 Vinny Testaverde
1988 Aundray Bruce
1989 Troy Aikman
1990 Jeff George
1991 Russell Maryland
1992 Steve Emtman
1993 Drew Bledsoe
1994 Dan Wilkinson
1995 Ki-Jana Carter
1996 Keyshawn Johnson
1997 Orlando Pace
1998 Peyton Manning
1999 Tim Couch
2000 Courtney Brown
2001 Michael Vick
2002 David Carr
2003 Carson Palmer
2004 Eli Manning
2005 Alex Smith
2006 Mario Williams
2007 JaMarcus Russell
2008 Jake Long
2009 Matthew Stafford
2010 Sam Bradford

There's a list of the number one picks for those who don't want to look it up. There's a lot of great older players like Earl Campbell, Ed Jones, OJ Simpson, and Lee Roy Selmon but this really comes down to a few quarterbackseyton Manning, Troy Aikman, and John Elway.

I'd personally give the edge to Manning. Aikman has the most Super Bowls but he also had the most talent around him. Elway had some great comebacks but his numbers aren't as good as Manning's. Peyton has been to 2 Super Bowls, won one, and his numbers are almost unmatched. When it's all said and done he will have the majority of the passing records in the NFL.

 

[IrishCanadian25]

Big Sexy got the top 3 spot on. And I, too, will go with Manning for one major reason.

Consider the alternative. Ryan Leaf.

Manning and Leaf have to be two of the most exorbitantly opposite #1 and #2 picks of all time. Leaf bomed, Manning will challenge many of Favre's records, and be considered in the top 5 of all time.

So it's Manning, if only because of what could have been.

 

[Rhonda Rousey's Sports Bra]

I'm really going to go against the grain here just to give some credit to someone other then Peyton. I'm going to with "Super" Mario Williams. When you think of how many people hated the pick over Reggie Bush who went #2 overall it's kind of funny now. The reason I'll go Mario is because of how much he changed the team, albeit he didn't do it by himself but the pick got the ball rolling. The Houston Texans are an expansion team in the same division as the Colts, Jags, and Titans. Three teams that have all been in the playoffs numerous times over the past few years. The turn around from being an expansion team in that division is amazing, and it all started with Mario going number 1. So my choice is Mario Williams in 2006 as the best pick for a team.

 

[jmt225]

Easily John Elway.

For years and years he single handily carried the Denver Broncos to the playoffs, and even managed to get them to the Super Bowl 3 times. Finally, when he did get a little help, he went on to win 2 Super Bowls, still being the only championships the Broncs organization have been able to get.

So, think about this... John Elway was with the Denver Broncos for 15 years, made the playoffs 10 out of those 15 seasons, won 2 Super Bowls, and made it to the Super Bowl 3 other times. And with the exception of those last 2 seasons, he never had a really good squad around him. He accomplished all that for that organization. There's absolutely no telling where the Denver Broncos would be at if they didn't trade for Elway on draft day.

 

[Whistler 619]

Troy Aikman, hands down. Why? Because, he was drafted by the Dallas Cowboys, played all of his 11 Year Career with them, won 3 Super Bowls, made it to 6 Pro Bowls, was inducted into both the College and Football Hall of Fame. Oh and did I mention all of this with the Team that Drafted him? Now if that's not a Franchise Quarterback then nothing is.

Although Peyton Manning is great, he only has 1 Super Bowl... That doesn't exactly put him in the same category of Quarterbacks as a Tom Brady, Troy Aikman etc.. That's why hes not the best 1st Overall Pick.

 

[Big Sexy]

Although Peyton Manning is great, he only has 1 Super Bowl... That doesn't exactly put him in the same category of Quarterbacks as a Tom Brady, Troy Aikman etc.. That's why hes not the best 1st Overall Pick.

Troy Aikman played with more talent then Manning. Aikman had slightly more talent offensively then Manning and he also had a better defense around him. Super Bowls aren't the end all be all stat category when it comes to quarterbacks. It's nice to have at least one, which Manning does, but football is a team spot and it's unfair to have that as the stat to differentiate between who the best quarterbacks ever are.

 

[BooCocky]

Lol he wanted to bring up Aikman but Bradshaw did all of that too. Plus he won one more superbowl. Has a superbowl MVP, is in the HOF and had all his success with the Pittsburgh Steelers. The dying franchise was put in his hands and he didnt disappoint. He was the anchor to that offense and they wouldn't have succeeded without him.

Honorable mention is Elway. He was the face of the Bronco's. Is a HOF'er and is like top five in ever major passing category. Not many can say that. Well Peyton will be able to say that. But so fucking what?

 

[Big Sexy]

Lol he wanted to bring up Aikman but Bradshaw did all of that too. Plus he won one more superbowl. Has a superbowl MVP, is in the HOF and had all his success with the Pittsburgh Steelers. The dying franchise was put in his hands and he didnt disappoint. He was the anchor to that offense and they wouldn't have succeeded without him.

Honorable mention is Elway. He was the face of the Bronco's. Is a HOF'er and is like top five in ever major passing category. Not many can say that. Well Peyton will be able to say that. But so fucking what?

Bradshaw has four rings because of that Steel Curtain defense that boasted 4 Hall of Famers and one probably future HOFer in LC Greenwood. It also helped that he had two HOF receivers in Stallworth and Swann and a HOF running back in Franco Harris.

Bradshaw's numbers were horrendous for the majority of his career. He had a qb rating of over 80 only 4 times in his career and never had one higher then 88.0. He never had a completion percentage over 60 and he threw more interceptions then touchdowns in 5 seasons.

 

[BooCocky]

Yes, and if you look passed the first five years he threw together a stellar career. And when he needed to play he did. Both Swann and Stallworth are and were vastly overrated in the regular season. There careers were made in the post season. Not calling that bad but still. I don't career about passer rating or completion percentages. Its about winning football games, and that's something Bradshaw did, and he did it better then most. You put the ball in his hands during a close game and he performs and more than likely won those games.

And I don't care about what he had on defense, because its the offense that scores points, and he anchored a potent enough offense to win 4 superbowls. Bradshaw was a great first pick. That shows, seeing as how he has four superbowls, a superbowl MVP and whatnot. He's a pretty prestigious QB. He has the most SB wins of any QB. Well he and Montana, so that must hold some weight.

 

[Big Sexy]

Yes, and if you look passed the first five years he threw together a stellar career. And when he needed to play he did. Both Swann and Stallworth are and were vastly overrated in the regular season. There careers were made in the post season. Not calling that bad but still. I don't career about passer rating or completion percentages. Its about winning football games, and that's something Bradshaw did, and he did it better then most. You put the ball in his hands during a close game and he performs and more than likely won those games.

Lol, look past the first five years? I didn't know we could just eliminate bad statistical seasons from a guys career. Even after the first 5 years his numbers weren't exactly mind blowing. He had more then enough talent to put up better numbers. And yes it is about winning games, but the defense won a lot of the games for that team.

And I don't care about what he had on defense, because its the offense that scores points, and he anchored a potent enough offense to win 4 superbowls.

They only needed over 20 points to win one of the 4 Super Bowls. And again he had a lot of talent around him offensively to help him get the job done.

Bradshaw was a great first pick. That shows, seeing as how he has four superbowls, a superbowl MVP and whatnot. He's a pretty prestigious QB. He has the most SB wins of any QB. Well he and Montana, so that must hold some weight.

I never said he wasn't a great first pick. He does have 4 Super Bowls and he definitely improved tremendously as his career went on but he is far from the best ever first pick. I'll take the picks of Manning, Elway, and Aikman over Bradshaw.

 

[BooCocky]

You don't have to eliminate the first five seasons, but the majority of his interceptions came in the first five seasons. You know, when he was young with the weight of a dying franchise on his shoulders.

Also, that's still 20 points they needed to score. And if I can recall they had to come from behind to beat Dallas. You know, that tip toe deep ball to Lynn Swann down the sidelines.
And if you want to talk about talent, look at those Cowboys teams. You know, Irvin and Emmitt Smith, a very good offensive line. A solid defense. He had just as much talent as Bradshaw and Terry has one more superbowl. So that pretty much eliminates him then...

 

[Stormtrooper]

I'm going to make a very interesting choice here. Everyone is quick to go with guys like Peyton Manning, Terry Bradshaw, and Troy Aikman, but I am going to go a different route, and go with a 1st overall draft pick that turned around not 1 team, but 2 teams, at the same time. I am going to make a case for ELI Manning.

In 2004, it was common knowledge that Eli Manning (and Archie Manning) didn't want to play for the San Diego Chargers (who had the #1 pick). They made a big stink about not liking San Diego, and wanting to play for the New York Giants. The Chargers were also very high on NC State Quarterback Philip Rivers.

Come Draft day, the Chargers went and picked Eli anyway, and the Giants selected Philip Rivers with the 4th overall pick. Both of these moves set in motion the big trade that turned BOTH teams from top-5 picking teams into Super Bowl contenders (and in the Giants case, winners). The Chargers traded Manning to the Giants for Philip Rivers, the Giants third round pick that year, and the Giants first and fifth round picks the following year. With 2 of these picks, the Chargers selected Pro-Bowl kicker Nate Kaeding (3rd round 2004) and All-Pro linebacker Shawne Merriman (1st round Linebacker).

Since that trade, each team has only missed the playoffs once (Chargers 2005, Giants 2009). Both teams have made it to the Conference Championship game (both in 2007), and the Giants won a Super Bowl (2007, and Manning was MVP).

Via one 1st overall pick, 2 teams were able to become Super Bowl contenders. Hence why I would say that the Chargers selecting Eli Manning 1st overall is the best 1st overall pick in NFL history.

 

[Big Sexy]

And if you want to talk about talent, look at those Cowboys teams. You know, Irvin and Emmitt Smith, a very good offensive line. A solid defense. He had just as much talent as Bradshaw and Terry has one more superbowl. So that pretty much eliminates him then...

Yes Aikman had a lot of talent as well but he also put up better numbers and did it on a much more consistent basis. And please don't tell me you're one of those guys who ranks quarterbacks only based on Super Bowl wins. Just because Bradshaw has 4 and Aikman has 3 doesn't automatically make Bradshaw better. Just like Trent Dilfer isn't better then Dan marino because he has one ring to Marino's 0.

 

[Baller]

I am going to take Peyton Manning on this one. He will be the best quarterback of all time when it is all said and done, so he is an obvious choice. Peyton may only have 1 ring, but he never had as great as players as Aikman and Elway had.

 

[Big Sexy]

I am going to take Peyton Manning on this one. He will be the best quarterback of all time when it is all said and done, so he is an obvious choice. Peyton may only have 1 ring, but he never had as great as players as Aikman and Elway had.

Yea I picked Manning too but your reasoning sucks as far as Elway is concerned. Up until the last few years in his career he pretty much had jack shit as far as offensive talent was concerned. He didn't get Shannon Sharpe until the early 90's and never really had a number one receiver until Rod Smith. I still think Manning is better but please know what you are talking about before making a ridiculous statement like "Elway had more talent then Peyton."

 

[BooCocky]

I am sorry you play to win the game. Careers can and will always be measured on how well you do in the big game. Bradshaw always elevated his game. Which showed by never bringing his team down. Super Bowls are a main factor in comparing greats. Its like taking Montana and comparing him to another PA QB in Marino. I want Montana because his play elevated in big games and he was the anchor of the west coast offense. I'm not saying you solely base careers ofg Super Bowls but it will always be a factor.

Terry Bradshaw is vastly underrated. There aren't many QB's with his body of work when it comes to winning. He performed well and was an excellent first pick.

 

[Big Sexy]

I am sorry you play to win the game. Careers can and will always be measured on how well you do in the big game. Bradshaw always elevated his game. Which showed by never bringing his team down. Super Bowls are a main factor in comparing greats. Its like taking Montana and comparing him to another PA QB in Marino. I want Montana because his play elevated in big games and he was the anchor of the west coast offense. I'm not saying you solely base careers ofg Super Bowls but it will always be a factor.

Terry Bradshaw is vastly underrated. There aren't many QB's with his body of work when it comes to winning. He performed well and was an excellent first pick.

The statement you made earlier was basically "Bradshaw is better then Aikman because he has one more Super Bowl," and that's just a stupid way to think. Super Bowls are ONE factor in determining greatness. Bradshaw also had the luxury of playing in an era where there was really no free agency and teams were able to stay together for long periods of time. Basing an entire argument off of Super Bowl wins doesn't hold weight.

 

[BooCocky]

No I'm not basing it off of superbowls I am basing it off of an entire body of work. 210 touchdowns in a run first era is a hell of an accomplishment. Bradshaw played in a different era and they had the same players but so what, so did a lot of the other teams they beat. Once again 28,000 yards passing in the 70's+ was an accomplishment. It might not be 50,000 plus but they play different styles of football. I'm still taking Bradshaw because he won a lot of big games and he was a franchise QB in an era when they didn't have a lot. Let's disregard Troy's accomplishments because FA in the 90 isn't as bad as it is today.

 

[Big Sexy]

No I'm not basing it off of superbowls I am basing it off of an entire body of work. 210 touchdowns in a run first era is a hell of an accomplishment. Bradshaw played in a different era and they had the same players but so what, so did a lot of the other teams they beat. Once again 28,000 yards passing in the 70's+ was an accomplishment. It might not be 50,000 plus but they play different styles of football. I'm still taking Bradshaw because he won a lot of big games and he was a franchise QB in an era when they didn't have a lot. Let's disregard Troy's accomplishments because FA in the 90 isn't as bad as it is today.

I'm not disregarding any of his accomplishments, they just aren't as impressive as guys like manning, Aikman, and Elway. The only stat he has over those guys is SB rings and like I stated earlier, with the exception of MAYBE Aikman he had a much better team around him then the other guys.