I already have one “captain obvious” type of comment to start with: Buccaneers receiver Mike Evans will eventually make this list. I thought it would come down to Adrian Peterson versus Champ Bailey, but as it turns out, Bulldog Turner was quite a legend as well. Champ Bailey helped drive up the Pro Bowl count on this list, he had 12 of the 46 Pro Bowl appearances by this group. The one oddity of this bunch is that only one of them is currently in the Hall of Fame. I think by the time their careers are over, the other two of the top three will be in the Hall of Fame.
On that note, these are my picks for the top 10 NFL players drafted with the seventh overall pick:
10. Green Bay Packers-Willie Buchanon, DB, San Diego State, 1972
He was voted as the 1972 NFL AP Defensive Rookie of the Year, and was selected to his first Pro Bowl in 1973. He wound up being selected to the Pro Bowl three times in his career (1973, 1974, 1978). his best single season was 1978, when he had nine interceptions for 93 yards and a touchdown. Green Bay traded him to the Chargers for the 26th pick in the 1980 draft (LB George Cumby), and a seventh round pick in the 1979 draft (LB Rich Wingo).
He spent four seasons with the Chargers (1979-1982), with his best season coming in 1981, when he had five interceptions for 31 yards. In 11 seasons in the NFL, he had 28 interceptions for 278 yards and two touchdowns. He was inducted into the Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame in 1993, followed by the San Diego Hall of Champions in 1994. He was named to the San Diego Chargers 50th Anniversary Team despite only playing with them for four seasons.
9. Green Bay Packers-Sterling Sharpe, WR, South Carolina, 1988
He would’ve been ranked much higher on this list if it weren’t for a career ending injury that shortened his career. As a rookie, he had 55 catches for 791 yards and a touchdown. His breakthrough occurred in his second season, 1989, when he led the league with 90 catches for 1,423 yards and 12 touchdowns. That year was also his first of five Pro Bowl selections (1989, 1990, 1992-1994). His numbers were down a bit with Pro Bowl quarterback Don Majkowski banged up, but they rebounded nicely in the next year with a new quarterback.
He became only the sixth player in NFL history to lead the NFL in receptions, receiving yards, and receiving touchdowns, with 108 catches for 1,462 yards and 13 touchdowns. His 108 catches also broke Art Monk’s previous single season record of 106 in 1984. As if that wasn’t enough ,he broke the record himself in 1993, this time with 112 catches. In 1994 he had 94 catches for 1,119 yards and 18 touchdowns, which was the second highest receiving touchdown total in NFL history, behind Jerry Rice’s 22 in 1987.
After playing all 16 games in 1994, a neck injury that was aggravated in the last game of the year turned out to be career ending. In six seasons in the NFL he had 595 catches for 8,134 yards and 65 touchdowns. If he would’ve had the now “typical” wide receiver career of 15 years, he would’ve been up there with Jerry Rice & Tony Gonzalez on the all time receiving charts. He was inducted into the Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame in 2002, and the College Football Hall of Fame in 2014.
8. San Francisco 49ers-Aldon Smith, LB, Missouri, 2011
He began his career looking like the second coming of Lawrence Taylor, setting the 49ers rookie sack record with 14. In 2012 he was chosen for the Pro Bowl & named the NFC Defensive Player of the Year, when he had 66 tackles, 19.5 sacks, three forced fumbles, and an interception returned for six yards. That year saw him reach several milestones, he surpassed Reggie White as the fastest to reach 30 career sacks, doing it in 27 games. He set a Monday Night football record with 5.5 sacks in a game against the Bears. His 19.5 sacks also set the 49ers single season record, and combined with the 14 in 2011, set another record for the most sacks in a player’s first two seasons.
He was already at 4.5 sacks after three games in 2013, but missed five games after going into rehab because of an off the field incident. He didn’t start again until week 13, but added another five sacks for a total of 8.5 in 2013. He was suspended for nine games in 2014, and only recorded two sacks when he came back for the remaining seven games. He should be able to play in all games again for the first time since 2012, and I wouldn’t have him this high on the list if I didn’t expect big things from him this year.
7. Miami Dolphins-Troy Vincent, CB, Wisconsin, 1992
He had a good start to his career in Miami, missing only seven games in four years, and picking off 14 passes for 284 yards and two touchdowns. He signed with the Eagles as a free agent in 1997, and stuck around long enough to sign another contract before the original one was up. He was involved in the longest interception return in Eagles history, when James Willis intercepted Troy Aikman four yards deep into the end zone, lateraled the ball to Vincent, who then ran the remaining 90 yards for a touchdown. That play was the third year in a row where he returned an interception for a touchdown.
He was named to his first Pro Bowl in 1999, with a career high seven interceptions for 91 yards. He was selected to the Pro Bowl five years in a row, from 1999-2003. He signed with the Bills in 2004, and stuck around there until an injury sent him to the injured reserve list after only one game. He was waived off of injured reserve at mid-season, and was signed by the Redskins.
He only played in eight games with the Redskins, but one of them turned into one of the biggest of his career. In a game against the Cowboys, he had six tackles and a crucial blocked 35 yard field goal attempt. That block and a 15 yard penalty combined to give the Redskins an opportunity for a field goal with no time remaining, giving the Redskins a 22-19 victory in a game now known as the “Hand of God” game. He retired after being released by the Redskins in February 2007. In 15 seasons in the NFL he had 47 interceptions for 711 yards and three touchdowns. He was inducted into the Philadelphia Eagles Hall of Fame in 2012.
6. San Francisco 49ers-Bryant Young, DT, Notre Dame, 1994
He pulled off something extremely rare during the modern era, spending his entire 14 year career with the same team (1994-2007). He was selected as the 1994 UPI NFL-NFC Rookie of the Year, recording six sacks, which is unusual for an interior lineman. He earned a Super Bowl ring as a rookie with the 49ers victory over the Chargers in Super Bowl XXIX. He earned his first of four Pro Bowl selections (1996, 1999, 2001, 2002) in 1996, when he had 11 sacks and two safeties. Although his sack production dropped in 1997, the double teams he faced helped free up teammate Dana Stubblefield, who had 15 sacks & won NFL Defensive Player of the Year.
In 1998 he was leading defensive tackles with 9.5 sacks when he suffered a grisly leg injury that cost him the rest of the season, and required them to insert a metal rod into his leg. He came back to start all games in 1999, recording 11 sacks and a safety on the way to his second Pro Bowl selection. He followed that with 9.5 sacks in 2000. Even when his sack numbers dropped, he still earned enough respect from his peers for two more Pro Bowl selections, despite having only 3.5 sacks in 2001 & two sacks in 2002.
He still had a decent amount of sack production left at the end of his career, with eight sacks in 2005, 5.5 in 2006, and 6.5 in his last season, 2007. In 14 years in the NFL he had 89.5 sacks, good enough for fourth among defensive tackles, behind only Trevor Pryce, Warren Sapp, and John Randle. Out of those three, only Pryce isn’t in the Hall of Fame yet. He was selected to the NFL 1990’s All-Decade Team. He was nominated for the Hall of Fame in 2012, but he hasn’t been inducted yet. I think he does have a decent chance at getting in eventually, but first we have to get some of the other great pass rushers like Kevin Greene in.
5. Chicago Bears-Chuck Howley, LB, West Virginia, 1958
One interesting point to start with in his case: he’s still the only member of the losing team to win Super Bowl MVP. He spent only two seasons with the Bears when he suffered what was thought to be a career ending knee injury during training camp in 1959. When he decided to try to make a comeback in 1961, the Cowboys gambled and traded picks in rounds two and nine to acquire him. The Cowboys defense ranked in the top seven during 10 of his thirteen seasons with the team, with Howley playing in 165 games in 13 years.
He was selected to the Pro Bowl six times in a span of seven years (1965-1969, 1971). He did help lead the Cowboys back to the Super Bowl the year after losing Super Bowl V. The team won Super Bowl VI, but he lost out on the MVP award to quarterback Roger Staubach. By the time he retired after the 1973 season, he was regarded as one of the greatest pass coverage linebackers to play the game. He had 25 interceptions for 399 yards and two touchdowns, along with 18 fumble recoveries for 191 yards and a touchdown. In 1977 he became only the fourth player to be inducted into the Dallas Cowboys Ring of Honor.
4. N.Y. Giants-Phil Simms, QB, Morehead State, 1979
When you look at his numbers, it’s amazing the Giants were patient for so long during his development. He was a surprise first round pick in 1979, so much so that the 49ers had originally planned on drafting him in the third round, and had to settle on Joe Montana after Simms was off the board. He did okay as a rookie, throwing for 1,743 yards and 13 touchdowns, going 6-4 as a starter. He was named to the All Rookie Team in 1979, and was the runner up for the Rookie of the Year award.
He went through the dreaded sophomore slump in 1980, completing only 48% of his passes, and throwing for 15 touchdowns and 19 interceptions, with a passer rating of 58.9. He was off to a decent start in 1981, throwing for 2,031 yards, 11 touchdowns and nine interceptions, when a separated shoulder sidelined him in week 10. While he was out, backup Scott Brunner took over & led them on a playoff run, advancing to round two of the playoffs. As if that wasn’t enough, Simms suffered a torn knee ligament in the preseason in 1982, and missed the entire season.
If a story like that happened today in the era of the salary cap, his career would’ve followed the similar parallel of guys like Trent Dilfer, Matt Leinart, Jake Locker, or Blaine Gabbert. Alex Smith is one of the few cases where a guy’s career gets off to a rough start but the team doesn’t give up on him after year four. In Simms’ case, Bill Parcells took over as head coach & kept him around as insurance in case Brunner got hurt. He went in to relieve Brunner in week six in 1983, and had another unlucky, unfortunate season ending injury, when he broke his thumb on a players helmet, and the bone was sticking through the skin.
He started watching more game film after the injury, and his studying made him a better quarterback. In 1984 he became only the eighth quarterback in NFL history to throw for 4,000 or more yards in a season. In 1985 he threw for 3,829 yards, and led the team to 10 victories, which was their highest win total since 1963. The 1986 season was incredible: he led the Giants to victory in Super Bowl XXI, defeating the Broncos by a score of 39-20. Simms was named the MVP, completing 22 of 25 attempts for 268 yards and three touchdowns. He set Super Bowl records for accuracy (88%), passer rating (150.9), and consecutive completions (10). If it weren’t for two incompletions caused by drops by the receivers, his already incredible numbers would’ve been even better.
The Giants had a rough year during the strike shortened 1987 season, but Simms still had a passer rating of 90.0, good enough for second in the NFC. The team just couldn’t topple the 49ers in 1988 & 1989, but they wound up right back in the Super Bowl after the 1990 season. Simms had led them to an 11-3 record when a broken foot sidelined him. Jeff Hostetler took over at quarterback, and the team went on to win Super Bowl XXV.
After the “retirement” of Bill Parcells, new coach Ray Handley named Hostetler the team’s starting quarterback. Simms played in only six games in 1990, and the team went 8-8. He won the starting job back in 1992, but suffered a season ending injury after only four games. In 1993 he started all 16 games & went 11-5, throwing for 3,038 yards, 15 touchdowns and only nine interceptions. The team made it to the playoffs & beat the Vikings in the opening round, but that was it. The team went into rebuilding mode like the 1989 Cowboys, and Simms was cut after their season ended. He spent his entire career with the Giants (1979-1993), completing 55.4% of his passes, and throwing for 33,462 yards, 199 touchdowns, and 157 interceptions. He was selected to the Pro Bowl in 1985 & 1993. He was added to the N.Y. Giants Ring of Honor in 2010, and his #11 retired by the team.
3. Washington Redskins-Champ Bailey, CB, Georgia, 1999
He started all 16 games as a rookie, and had five interceptions for 55 yards and a touchdown. He was selected to the Pro Bowl in only his second season, with another five interceptions for 48 yards. The annual trip to the Pro Bowl became a regular occasion for him, being selected 12 times in his career (2000-2007, 2009-2012). In spite of being selected to four Pro Bowls in his first five years, he was given permission to seek a trade when his rookie contract was up. The Redskins wound up trading him & a second round pick (which turned into running back Tatum Bell) for Pro Bowl running back Clinton Portis.
The Broncos had a long history of finding running backs that ran for 1,000 yards during head coach Mike Shanahan’s run of success with the team. The opportunity to trade one for a Hall of Fame caliber cornerback & a second round pick was impossible to turn down. Bailey remained a shutdown corner for pretty much his entire career. His best statistical seasons came back-to-back, in 2005 & 2006.
In 2005, he had eight interceptions for 139 yards and two touchdowns. He followed that with 10 interceptions for 162 yards and a touchdown in 2006. His interception totals never went higher than two or three per year after that, but his coverage skills remained intact.
He did finally get to play in a Super Bowl after Peyton Manning’s arrival, but the Broncos lost Super Bowl XLVIII to the Seahawks. He wound up being a salary cap casualty afterwards, and wound up retiring after being released by the Saints. He played 15 years (1999-2003 Redskins, 2004-2013 Broncos), was selected to 12 Pro Bowls (a record for a cornerback), playing in 216 games and recording 909 tackles, three sacks, seven forced fumbles, and 52 interceptions for 464 yards and four touchdowns.
2. Chicago Bears-Bulldog Turner, C/LB, Hardin-Simmons, 1940
If you were to build a list of the greatest Chicago Bears players of all time, this would be a good name to start with. He spent his entire 13 year career with the Bears, and was a two time Pro Bowl selection (1950, 1951), two time NFL All Star selection (1940, 1941), and an eight time All Pro selection (1940-1944, 1946-1948). The Chicago Bears won four NFL Championships (1940, 1941, 1943, 1946) during his playing career. In 1942 he led the league with eight interceptions.
In 13 years he played in 138 games, and finished with 17 interceptions for 298 yards and two touchdowns, along with five fumble recoveries for 34 yards and a touchdown. He was named to the NFL 1940’s All-Decade Team, & the NFL 50th Anniversary All-Time Team. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1966, and had his jersey number #66 retired by the Bears.
1. Minnesota Vikings-Adrian Peterson, RB, Oklahoma, 2007
I knew this guy was the real deal when, as a rookie, he broke the single game rushing record once owned by Walter Payton (296 yards). His 296 yard performance was actually the second 200 yard game of his season, which was a record for a rookie. As a rookie he started nine of 14 games he played, and had 1,341 yards and 12 touchdowns. He earned his first of six career Pro Bowl selections (2007-2010, 2012, 2013) at the end of his first season. He became the first rookie since Marshall Faulk in 1994 to win Pro Bowl MVP, with 16 carries for 129 yards and two touchdowns.
Peterson wound up leading the league in rushing in 2008, with 1,760 yards, which at the time was the second highest rushing total by a second year back, behind only Eric Dickerson’s single season record 2,105 yards in 1984. He had some of the focus taken off of him in 2009 by Brett Favre’s arrival, but he still had 314 carries for 1,383 yards and 18 touchdowns. The Vikings beat the Cowboys to advance to the NFC Championship, but lost to the eventual Super Bowl winner Saints.
The 2010 season was a little more challenging, with Favre finally showing his age, but A.P. Still ran for 1,298 yards and 12 touchdowns, averaging 4.6 yards per carry. He encountered his biggest obstacle yet in 2011, when he suffered a torn ACL & MCL in a game against the Redskins. He not only came back from the injury, he came back in better shape, coming within eight yards of Eric Dickerson’s single season record. He ran the ball 348 times for 2,097 yards and 12 touchdowns, averaging six yards per carry, and tacked on 40 catches for 217 yards and a touchdown. The accolades came rolling in: he was the Comeback Player of the Year, NFL MVP, his second NFL rushing title, NFC yards from scrimmage leader, FedEx Ground Player of the Year, and the Bert Bell Award.
He came back down to Earth a little in 2013, with “only” 1,266 yards rushing and 10 touchdowns. He only got in one game in 2014 before his indictment on felony child abuse charges got him placed on the Exempt/Commissioner’s Permission List, keeping him away from team activities for the rest of the season. He has been reinstated for the 2015 season, and he’s more determined than ever to come back & produce. So far, in nine seasons he’s played in 104 games, with 2,054 carries for 10,190 yards and 86 touchdowns, along with 208 catches for 1,715 yards and five touchdowns.
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