Pick By Pick, A Countdown of the NFL’s Greatest Draft Picks: Pick #43

This one tested my no personal bias plan: the player i’ve been supercollecting football cards of on & off since 2000 was on this one, & I only ranked him 3rd based on his score. He did have two Hall of Fame players ahead of him on the list though.I’d love to see him get in the Hall. He is ranked just ahead of O.J. Simpson on the career rushing yards list. He had seven 1,000 yard seasons, and set two single game records during his career which were originally held by Jim Brown & Walter Payton. Maybe someday he can join the offensive tackle & quarterback ranked first & second on this list in the Hall of Fame.

Active players drafted 43^rd overall include Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Drew Stanton (drafted by Detroit Lions, 2007), San Francisco 49ers center Weston Richburg (Drafted by New York Giants, 2014), Houston Texans linebacker Bernardrick McKinney (2015), newly signed New York Giants defensive tackle Austin Johnson (drafted by Tennessee Titans, 2016), Philadelphia Eagles cornerback Sydney Jones (2017), Detroit Lions running back Kerryon Johnson (2018), Detroit Lions linebacker Jahlani Tavai (2019), and Chicago Bears tight end Cole Kmet (2020).

10. Minnesota Vikings-Kyle Rudolph, TE, Notre Dame, 2011

This is another of my favorite division rivals, he barely made the list, nudging out return man Glyn Milburn for the last spot. If he plays in 2021 he’ll be in a tie with Corey Webster, but it’s too early to tell since the Vikings just released him to clear cap space as i’m writing this. He’s been named to the Pro Bowl twice in his career, in 2012 & 2017, but somehow didn’t make it in 2016, when he had a career high 83 catches for 840 yards, and seven touchdowns. In 10 seasons he’s started 132 of 140 games played, and had 453 catches for 4,488 yards and 48 touchdowns.

9. New York Giants-Corey Webster, CB, Louisiana State, 2005

He spent his entire nine year career with the New York Giants (2005-2013). He was a starter at corner for two Super Bowl winning Giants teams, winning Super Bowl XLII & XLVI. He had a career high six interceptions for 71 yards in 2011. In nine seasons he started 93 of 121 games, recording 371 tackles (330 solo), two sacks, 20 interceptions for 226 yards and a touchdown, along with six forced fumbles & two fumble recoveries.

Tie-7. San Diego Chargers-Bill Lenkaitis, C/G, Penn State, 1968

He played pro football for 14 years, spending his first three seasons with the Chargers (1968-1970), and then the nrxt 11 (1971-1981) with the Patriots. He became a regular starter in 1973, and stayed in the lineup through 1980. In 14 seasons he started 135 of 180 games played. He was named to the New England Patriots All-1970’s Team.

Tie-7. Cleveland Browns-Webster Slaughter, WR, San Diego State, 1986

He spent 12 seasons in the NFL, split between the Cleveland Browns (1986-1991), Houston Oilers (1992-1994), Kansas City Chiefs (1995), New York Jets (1996), and one season (1998) with the San Diego Chargers after a one-year retirement. He was named to the Pro Bowl twice, in 1993, and in 1989, when he had a career high 1,236 yards and six touchdowns on 65 catches, averaging 19 yards per catch. In 1993 he had 904 yards and five touchdowns with a career high 77 catches. In his 12 year career he started 127 of 162 games played, and had 563 catches for 8,111 yards and 44 touchdowns.

6. New Orleans Saints-Roman Harper, SS, Alabama, 2006

He played 11 years split between the New Orleans Saints (2006-2013, 2016), and Carolina Panthers (2014-2015). He was named to back-to-back Pro Bowls while with the Saints in 2009 & 2010. He led the Saints in tackles in their 31-17 win over the Colts in Super Bowl XLIV. In 11 seasons he started 140 of 156 games played, and had 820 tackles (641 solo), 18 sacks, 11 interceptions for 148 yards and two touchdowns, 16 forced fumbles, and five fumble recoveries.

5. Carolina Panthers-Muhsin Muhammad, WR, Michigan State, 1996

He played 14 years with the Carolina Panthers (1996-2004), Chicago Bears (2005-2007), and back to the Carolina Panthers (2008-2009) at the end of his career. He was named to the Pro Bowl in 1999 & 2004, and was a First-Team All-Pro in 2004, when he led the NFL in receiving yards (1,405) and touchdown catches (16). He led the NFL with 102 catches in 2000, but was not named to the Pro Bowl that year. In 14 seasons he started 188 of 202 games played & had 860 catches for 11,438 yards and 62 touchdowns.

4. Oakland Raiders-Matt Millen, LB, Penn State, 1980

I need to start this one by saying that it’s a shame that most modern fans remember him best as the guy who made some really bad first round draft selections for the Detroit Lions as their President & CEO, he was also a great linebacker for 12 years. He spent his career with the Oakland/Los Angeles Raiders (1980-1988), San Francisco 49ers (1989-1990), and Washington Redskins (1991). He was on four Super Bowl winning teams (XV, XVIII, XXIV, XXVI), was a starter in the first three, and was named to the Pro Bowl in 1988. In 12 seasons he started 166 of 180 games played, and had 11 sacks, nine interceptions for 132 yards, and eight fumble recoveries.

3. Cincinnati Bengals-Corey Dillon, RB, Washington, 1997

He played 10 years in the NFL with the Cincinnati Bengals (1997-2003) & New England Patriots (2004-2006). He was named to the Pro Bowl four times, including three straight (1999-2001, 2004). He broke the Jim Brown’s rookie single game rushing yardage record with 247 yards in a game against the Titans in 1997 (since broken by Adrian Peterson in 2007). In 2000 he broke Walter Payton’s single game rushing record, leading an 0-6 Bengals team to a win in Denver by rushing for 278 yards & two touchdowns.

After injuries limited him to 541 yards in 2003, he was traded to the Patriots for a second round pick in 2004. He finished that season fourth in the NFL with a career high 1,635 rushing yards, along with 12 touchdowns. He added another 292 yards & two touchdowns while helping the Patriots win Super Bowl XXXIX. He had fewer carries over the final two years of his career, with 209 for 733 yards & 12 touchdowns in 2005, and 199 for 812 yards, but had a career high 13 touchdowns in his final season in 2006. In his 10 year career he started 132 of 150 games played, and had 2,618 carries for 11,241 yards and 82 touchdowns, along with 244 receptions for 1,913 yards and seven touchdowns. He was named to the New England Patriots All-2000’s Team.

2. St. Louis Cardinals-Dan Dierdorf, T, Michigan, 1971

He spent his entire 13 year NFL career with the St. Louis Cardinals (1971-1983). He was named to the Pro Bowl six times, from 1974-1978, and 1980. He was a five time First-Team All-Pro (1975-1978, 1980), and was a Second-Team All-Pro in 1974. In 13 seasons he started 150 of 160 games played. He was named to the NFL 1970’s All-Decade Team. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1996, as well the Arizona Cardinals Ring of Honor in it’s first year in 2006.

1. Philadelphia Eagles-Sonny Jurgensen, QB, Duke, 1957

He had a rather long career for the era he played in: playing seven years for the Philadelphia Eagles (1957-1963), and 11 years for the Washington Redskins (1964-1974). He sat behind Bobby Thomason in 1957, and then behind Norm Van Brocklin from 1958-1960. Van Brocklin retired after the Eagles won the NFL Championship in 1960, leaving the job to Jurgensen. In his first season as a starter, he set the NFL single season passing yardage record with 3,723 yards, tied the single season touchdown record with 32, and was named to his first Pro Bowl.

After injuries limited him to nine games in 1963, he was traded to Washington for 1961’s second overall pick, quarterback Norm Snead, & cornerback Claude Crabb. He was named to the Pro Bowl four times in the next six seasons (1964, 1966, 1967, 1969), and was Washington’s regular starter at quarterback through 1970. Injuries limited him to 14 starts in his final four seasons, but his numbers were impressive in his final season in 1974, completing 107 of 167 passes for 1,185 yards, 11 touchdowns & 5 interceptions, with a passer rating of 94.5, which was unheard of at the time.In his 18 year career he started 147 of 218 games played, completing 2,433 of 4,262 passes for 32,224 yards, 255 touchdowns, and 189 interceptions, with a passer rating of 82.6. He was named to the NFL 1960’s All-Decade Team, and the 70 Greatest Redskins team. He was selected to the Philadelphia Eagles Hall of Fame in it’s initial class in 1987, and the Washington Redskins Ring of Fame. He was selected to the NFL Hall of Fame in 1983.

Pick By Pick: A Countdown of the NFL’s Greatest Draft Picks: Pick #42

I don’t think this list is going to get smaller than 10 players anytime soon. There was so much talent on this list, there were so many guys i’ve heard of that didn’t make it based on my scoring formula, including: Rams linebacker Jim Youngblood, Cardinals/Broncos quarterback Jake Plummer, Vikings safety Orlando Thomas, Eagles running back Charlie Garner, Seahawks safety Ken Hamlin, Bears safety Danieal Manning, Broncos wide receiver Eddie Royal, & Raiders tackle Menelik Watson. Current players drafted 42^nd overall include Titans linebacker Brooks Reed, former Eagles & 49ers wide receiver Jordan Matthews, former Falcons & XFL cornerback Jalen Collins, Jaguars outside linebacker Kamalei Correa, Saints defensive back Marcus Williams, Dolphins tight end Mike Gesicki, and Broncos quarterback Drew Lock. This list saw another player have a dramatic rise up the list after starting it, my 10^th ranked player wound up 4^th after I was finished. That’s the kind of thing that makes these so fun: I had no idea who he was before this started! So, here’s my top 10 NFL players drafted 42^nd overall:

10. Buffalo Bills-Bob Nelson, LB, Nebraska, 1975

He spent his 10 year career split between the Buffalo Bills (1975-1977), San Francisco 49ers (1978-1979), and the Oakland / Los Angeles Raiders (1980-1984). While he never was selected to the Pro Bowl or an All-Pro team, he was key player on a Raiders defense for two Super Bowl wins. He missed seven games due to injury in 1980, and the team went 3-4 without him. They went 8-1 with him in the lineup, then went on to win Super Bowl XV. He missed the entire 1981 season due to injury, and they went 7-9, their defense finished last in the league in interceptions, and they missed the playoffs. He came back in 1982, and they finished second in the league in interceptions. The Raiders won Super Bowl XVIII after the 1983 season, and Nelson retired after the 1984 season.

9. Buffalo Bills-Jairus Byrd, FS, Oregon, 2009

He had a nine year career split between the Buffalo Bills (2009-2013), New Orleans Saints (2014-2016) and Carolina Panthers (2017). This guy would’ve been ranked so much higher if he only could’ve stayed healthy longer, He started 11 of 14 games played and had nine interceptions for 118 yards! As if that wasn’t enough, he tied an NFL record during that span by having a three game streak with two interceptions in each game.

He started all 16 games in two of the next three seasons, missing only two starts in 2010, but it took those three seasons to equal the nine interceptions of his rookie year. He was named to the Pro Bowl in 2009, 2012 & 2013, and then signed a six year, $56 million contract with the Saints in 2014. He started 31 of 33 games with the Saints, limited to four games by a knee injury in 2014, and finished his career with a 12 game stint with the Panthers in 2017. In nine seasons he started 97 of 118 games played, and had 524 tackles (379 solo), 25 interceptions for 468 yards and two touchdowns, six fumble recoveries, and four sacks.

8. Denver Broncos-Rulon Jones, DE, Utah State, 1980

He got off to a nice start, with 11.5 sacks in 1980, and 9.5 in 1981, but they don’t show up on his stat sheets since sacks weren’t an official statistic until 1982. His sack numbers were down the next two years, with only two in the strike shortened 9 game 1982 season, and four while missing four games in 1983. He started all 16 games the next three years, and was selected to the Pro Bowl in 1985 & 1986, with 14 sacks in 85′ and 15 in 86′. He had seven sacks in 12 games in 1987, followed by five more in his final season in 1988. In nine seasons he started 98 of 129 games played, and had 52.5 sacks (73.5 if you count the first two seasons), 10 fumble recoveries for nine yards and a touchdown, and three safeties, and was on two AFC Championship teams (Super Bowl XXI & XXII).

7. New Orleans Saints-Jumpy Geathers, DT/DE, Wichita State, 1984

He managed to carve out a 14 year career with the New Orleans Saints (1984-1989), Washington Redskins (1990-1992), Atlanta Falcons (1993-1995), and Denver Broncos (1996-1997). Although he only started 27 times, he played in 183 games. His name “Jumpy” is rather fitting, as his stats occasionally jumped up in random seasons. In 13 seasons he had 273 tackles, 62 sacks, nine fumble recoveries, and five forced fumbles. In 1989 he started 15 games and had five of his nine career fumble recoveries. He only had three starts in three years with the Falcons, but had all five of his forced fumbles there. His career ended in 1997 with a torn achilles tendon in training camp with the Broncos.

6. Boston Patriots-Larry Eisenhauer, DE, Boston College, 1961

This one will be shorter simply because of a lack of stats, not because he wasn’t a great player. He spent his entire nine year career (1961-1969) with the then Boston Patriots of the AFL, before the AFL & NFL merged in 1970. He was named an AFL All-Star (the AFL equivalent of a Pro Bowl selection) in 1962, 1963, 1964, & 1966. He was named to the Boston Patriots 1960’s Team, and was named to the New England Patriots 35^th Anniversary Team.

5. New Orleans Saints-Mel Gray jr., RB/WR/KR, Purdue, 1984 USFL Supp. Draft

He didn’t play on offense much, but he was one of the greatest return specialists in league history. It feels wrong to have him fifth on this list, but he only made four Pro Bowls since he played in the same decade as the Jerry Rice of return men (Brian Mitchell). He began his career with the USFL’s Los Angeles Express (1984-1985, )then joined the New Orleans Saints (1986-1988) when the USFL folded. His career took off when he joined the Detroit Lions (1989-1994) as one of the best players to change teams during what the NFL called Plan B Free Agency. After leaving the Lions, he spent two seasons with the Houston Oilers (1995-1996), then went with them when they moved & became the Tennessee Titans in 1997, and was picked up by the Eagles for three games before calling it a career. In 12 seasons in the NFL he played in 169 games, returned 421 kicks for 10,250 yards and six touchdowns, along with 252 punt returns for 2,753 yards and three touchdowns. He was named second team 1990’s All-Decade Team as the kick returner and punt returner.

4. Philadelphia Eagles-Bruno Banducci, G, Stanford, 1943

He joined a very good Eagles team in 1944, but his decision to change leagues & join the AAFC’s San Francisco 49ers in 1946 meant that he missed out on two NFL Championships (1948 &1949 Eagles). When the league dissolved & the 49ers, Browns, & Colts joined the NFL, the 49ers maintained a winning team, but they could never beat the Browns or Rams & win an NFL Championship during Banducci’s career. He was voted an All-Pro during eight of his nine seasons with the 49ers (1946-1954), and was selected to the Pro Bowl in his last season (1954). He was also named to the NFL 1940’s All-Decade Team, and is one of only two players from that team not enshrined in Canton.

3. San Francisco 49ers-Randy Cross, G, UCLA, 1976

You don’t see this very much anymore: he spent his entire 13 year career with the 49ers (1976-1988). He was selected to the Pro Bowl three times in a span of four years (1981, 1982, & 1984), was a First-team All-Pro in 1981, 1984, & 1985, and a Second team All-Pro in 1986. He started 180 of 185 games played, and was a three time Super Bowl winner: Super Bowls XVI, XIX, and XXIII.

2. Cleveland Rams-Bob Waterfield, QB, UCLA, 1944

I didn’t plan on him being #2 on this pick when I started this list, but after Gronk won his fourth Super Bowl, and was named to the NFL’s 100^th Anniversary All-Time Team, I couldn’t justify keeping Waterfield at #1. I hated this move, because Waterfield was one of the greatest quarterbacks of his era. His career numbers may not show it: 11,849 career passing yards, 97 TD’s-128 INT’s, 50.3 completion percentage, 61.6 passer rating, and he only played from 1945 to 1952. However, he also won the NFL MVP award as a rookie in 1945, and led the Rams to an NFL Championship win that year. He also led them to a second NFL Championship in 1951. He was named a First-Team All-Pro in 1945, 1946, & 1949, and named to the Pro Bowl in 1950 & 1951. His jersey #7 was retired by the Rams when he retired after the 1952 season. He was named to the NFL 1940’s All-Decade Team. He was selected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1965 in only it’s third year of existence.

1. New England Patriots-Rob Gronkowski, TE, Arizona, 2010

I tried keeping him out of first place, but what he’s done in his career was just too much to not have him here. He currently ranks tied for 20^th with Owen Daniels for career games played (131), but yet he’s 11^th with 566 catches, and already in 6^th place with 8,484 yards, and an even more impressive third with 86 touchdowns! Only Tony Gonzalez (111) and Antonio Gates (116) rank ahead of him on the career touchdowns list. The only tight end with a higher yards per catch average than him (15.0) is Cardinals Hall of Famer Jackie Smith (16.5). All of this happened in spite of the fact that he’s only started all 16 games twice: in 2011 & 2020, and he didn’t play in 2019 after retiring.

He’s had four 1,000 yard seasons along the way, highlighted by a career high 90 catches for 1,327 yards and 17 touchdowns in 2011. He averaged an incredible 21.6 yards per catch in 2016. He was named a First-Team All-Pro in 2011, 2014, 2015, & 2017, and named to the Pro Bowl in 2011, 2012, 2014, 2015, & 2017. He was named to the Sporting News 2010’s All-Decade team, the NFL 2010’s All-Decade Team, and the NFL 100^th Anniversary All-Time Team. He also won the NFL Comeback Player of the Year award in 2014 after coming back from a torn ACL & MCL suffered in 2013. He’s been on four Super Bowl winning teams in his career: Super Bowl XLIX, LI, LIII, & LV. I have a hunch he’s going to keep playing as long as Brady does, and he will keep climbing up the charts among the all time leaders at tight end.