Camila Sosa
Next Thursday, April 28, the 2022 NFL Draft will be held in Las Vegas. As this is such a special occasion, here’s a look back at the best first-round picks in NFL Draft history.
This time we are going with the best picks in the history of the NFL Draft between #23 and #16.
23.- Ray Guy – Kicker/Raiders/1973
Rarely will you see a kicker taken in the first round of an NFL Draft, but in 1973 the move worked out for the Raiders when they selected Ray Guy, one of the best kickers in history.
On three occasions he led the league in yards per kickoff return, while he was called to seven Pro Bowls, was selected to three All-Pro teams, was a three-time Super Bowl winner, was a member of the 1970s-era Hall of Fame team and in 2014 was elected to the Hall of Fame.
22.- Demaryius Thomas – Receiver/Broncos/2010
In the 2010 Draft no one expected Demaryius Thomas to be taken over Dez Bryant, however Denver Broncos head coach Josh McDaniels gambled on the Georgia Tech graduate after trading up and getting the 22nd overall selection.
Over time, this proved McDaniels right since, while Bryant is a great receiver, Thomas was no slouch as he played in four Pro-Bowls wearing the organization’s uniform, posted five seasons of at least 1,000 yards receiving, and was a major piece of the Super Bowl win in 2015. After his untimely passing in 2021, Thomas is fondly remembered by all NFL fans.
21- John Mackey – Tight end/Colts/1963
John Mackey revolutionized the style of play in the NFL since his arrival, after the Baltimore Colts took full advantage of his size, strength and ability to unbalance opposing defenses that were not accustomed to defending such powerful receivers.
The tight end gained at least 400 yards eight times in his career, collected 38 touchdown passes, which earned him a call to five Pro Bowls and a three-team All-Pro selection. In addition, he won a Super Bowl, he was a member of the 60’s Hall of Fame team and in 1992 he was elected to immortality.
20.- Forrest Gregg – Offensive Tackle/Packers/1956
Forrest Gregg was a worthy result of the great scouting work of the Packers in the 50’s, back when getting information on any player was extremely complex. However, the organization took the risk of selecting the offensive tackle in the first round and, boy, did he help them in the 14 seasons he was with them.
Gregg served as one of the cornerstones of the Packers’ five NFL championships, three of them were Super Bowls between 1961 and 1967. His performance earned him nine Pro-Bowl appearances, he was selected to seven All-Pro teams, his name is on the 1960s-era Hall of Fame team and in 1977 he was inducted into the Hall of Fame.
19.- Randy Moss – Receiver/Vikings/1998
Randy Moss was taken with the 21st overall pick in the 1998 NFL Draft not because of doubts about his talent, but because of personal and behavioral problems from his college days. That’s why, when the Vikings took it at the time, many thought it was too risky a gamble. However, it paid big dividends.
Moss is considered one of the best receivers in NFL history. ‘The Freak’ is second in history with the most receiving TDs (156) as he led the league five times. Also, in 10 campaigns he totaled at least 1,000 yards through the air, he was called to six Pro-Bowl, he was selected to four All-Pro teams, he was Offensive Rookie of the Year in 1998, he was Comeback of the Year in 2007, he was selected the 00′ Hall of Fame team, and he was elected to the Hall of Fame in 2018.
18.- Paul Krause – Deep/Redskins/1964
When the Redskins took Paul Krause in the 1968 NFL Draft, they made the decision to place him as a deep free agent so as not to go against the norm at the time: having strong, bruising safetys.
Thanks to his skill and speed, Krause was the league’s sensation for many seasons including his rookie year in which he led the league with 12 interceptions. At the end of his career he totaled 81 pass interceptions, eight Pro-Bowl appearances, three All-Pro picks and in 1998 was selected for the NFL Hall of Fame.
17.- Emmitt Smith – Running Back/Cowboys/1990
Emmitt Smith was the first pick of the Dallas Cowboys in 1990 even though many did not see him as a possible first round pick. However, within the organization they were confident that the Florida graduate was made for great things and they were not wrong at all.
Considered by many to be the greatest running back of all time, no one has more yards on the ground (18,355) and more ground touchdowns scored (164) in NFL history than him. In 1990 he won the Offensive Rookie of the Year award, in 1993 he won the circuit MVP, he won three Super Bowl, one Super Bowl MVP, he played in eight Pro Bowls, he was on three All-Pro teams, he was a member of the 90’s Hall of Fame team, and, in 2010, he was elected to the Hall of Fame.
16.- Jerry Rice – Receiver/49ers/1985
Jerry Rice was not considered the best receiver in his class, but the San Francisco 49ers did everything they could to move up in their draft order and take him 16th overall in the 1985 Draft. Head coach Bill Walsh knew there was something special about Rice and, wasn’t he? He had the best receiver in NFL history make his debut on his team.
There is no one else who has more air yards and passing touchdowns than Rice. The wide receiver has totaled at least 1,000 yards through the air on 14 occasions, led the category six times in receiving TDs, was twice awarded Offensive Player of the Year, won three Super Bowl titles, was MVP in one of them, was named to the Pro-Bowl 13 times, was a member of the All-Pro team 10 times, is a member of the 90’s Hall of Fame team, and, in 2010, was elected to the NFL Hall of Fame.
