Reviewing the Biggest Draft Steal in the History of Every NFL Franchise

A few days ago, we took a look at some of the most infamous failures when it came to NFL’s common draft, which dates back to 1967.

We promise that this will be a more pleasant experience.

Here’s a look at each current franchise and its biggest draft steal. The only disclaimer here is that none of the 32 players listed were selected in the first round.

What exactly constitutes a draft steal? Frankly, it is a player who exceeds expectations due mainly to the round he was drafted, the years he was a top performer and in many instances the school he attended. So we have not only pinpointed each club’s best-ever bargain, but we also came up with an honorable mention for each team as well.

In the case of relative newbie teams such as the Carolina Panthers, Jacksonville Jaguars, Baltimore Ravens and Houston Texans, we did our best to put their stars into proper perspective.

Keep in mind that the key point here is on the player’s days with the franchise that originally selected him. Of course, we won’t leave out the impression he made with other teams as well.

Finally, we are examining the regular NFL draft and not the various supplemental drafts throughout the years.

So enough stalling...let’s have some fun.

Round and Year: 9 (1981)

Overall Selection: 226

School: The Citadel

Funny enough, the player we selected to represent this franchise actually never played for the “Arizona Cardinals.”

We are having some fun because running back Stump Mitchell played for both the St. Louis and Phoenix Cardinals before the franchise changed its moniker. The ninth-round pick played nine years for the well-traveled franchise and along the way racked up an impressive 11,988 total combined yards as a runner, pass-catcher and return artist.

And if by chance you get asked in Trivia Crack what school Mitchell attended, you wouldn’t be the first to get “stumped.”

Honorable Mention

DB Aeneas Williams

Round and Year: 3 (1991); Overall Selection: 59; School: Southern University

Round and Year: 7 (1994)

Overall Selection: 201

School: Utah

This past season, Dallas Cowboys running back DeMarco Murray led the NFL with 1,845 yards rushing.

Back in 1998, Atlanta Falcons running back Jamal Anderson did him one yard better (1,846), and that was only good enough for second place behind Denver’s Terrell Davis, who along with his Broncos teammates not only won Super Bowl XXXIII that season but did it at the expense of Anderson and his teammates.

Still, it hardly diminishes what Anderson did during his impressive career. He would play eight seasons in Atlanta, totaling 5,336 yards rushing and 34 touchdowns. He also caught 156 passes, seven for scores.

Honorable Mention

RB William Andrews     

Round and Year: 3 (1979); Overall Selection: 79; School: Auburn

Round and Year: 6 (2000)

Overall Selection: 186

School: Southern Mississippi

Keep in mind that that this franchise will begin just its 20th season in the NFL in 2015.

Back in 2000, Baltimore Ravens general manager Ozzie Newsome found Adalius Thomas in the sixth round.

Trying to figure out where the versatile defender would line up for the next seven seasons was a lot harder. Thomas played every linebacking spot as well as both left and right defensive end with the Ravens before closing his career with the New England Patriots.

A two-time Pro Bowler—the first invitation was for his work on special teams (2003) and the other came three years later as a starting linebacker (2006)—Thomas totaled six interceptions and racked up 38.5 sacks in his days in Baltimore.

Honorable Mention

G Edwin Mulitalo

Round and Year: 4 (1999); Overall Selection: 129; School: Arizona

Round and Year: 4 (1985)

Overall Selection: 86

School: Kutztown (Pa.)

How does a player who is ranked in the NFL’s top 20 all-time in catches (951), receiving yards (13,198) and touchdown receptions (87) wait as long as he did to get inducted to the Pro Football Hall of Fame?

It’s a topic for another time. The bottom line is that wide receiver Andre Reed is enshrined in Canton, Ohio, where he belongs. He was a big part of the Buffalo Bills’ Super Bowl appearances of the 1990s, but who knew that a fourth-round pick from little-known Kutztown University would achieve such glory?

Such is the case with Reed, one of the most productive players in not only regular-season history but postseason annals (85 receptions) as well.

Honorable Mention

S Kurt Schulz

Round and Year: 7 (1992); Overall Selection: 195; School: Eastern Washington

Round and Year: 3 (2001)

Overall Selection: 74

School: Utah

For the second time in four slides, there’s a player from the University of Utah on our list.

Consider what wide receiver/kick returner Steve Smith (now with the Baltimore Ravens) accomplished in his 13 seasons with the Carolina Panthers. Named to five Pro Bowls while with the organization, he is the team’s all-time leader in receptions (836), receiving yards (12,197) and total touchdowns (75). Released by the franchise last offseason, he led the Ravens with 79 catches in 2014.

And perhaps contrary to popular belief, Smith shows no signs of slowing down anytime soon.

Honorable Mention

DE Greg Hardy

Round and Year: 6 (2010); Overall Selection: 175; School: Mississippi

Round and Year: 8 (1983)

Overall Selection: 203

School: Tennessee State

Two years after the Chicago Bears made him the 203rd overall selection in the fabled 1983 NFL draft, defensive end Richard Dent was a league champion and a Super Bowl MVP.

Not bad for an eighth-round pick from Tennessee State. He would play a total of 12 seasons with Chicago, where he would pick up 124.5 of his 137.5 career sacks. Dent would also line up for the San Francisco 49ers, Indianapolis Colts and Philadelphia Eagles during his NFL career.

But the image of the four-time Pro Bowler and Pro Football Hall of Famer toying with quarterback Tony Eason and the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XX, as well as other numerous signal-callers during his career, is a lasting one.

Honorable Mention

C Olin Kreutz

Round and Year: 3 (1998); Overall Selection: 64; School: Washington

Round and Year: 6 (1969)

Overall Selection: 135

School: Florida A&M

How can someone who ranks fifth in NFL history in a common statistic be absent of basically any recognition?

Such is the case of former Cincinnati Bengals cornerback Ken Riley. Only four players in league annals have totaled more interceptions than the 65 possessed by the former sixth-round pick. But not only are Paul Krause (81), Emlen Tunnell (79), Rod Woodson (71) and Dick “Night Train” Lane (68) all members of the Pro Football Hall of Fame (and Riley isn't), but Riley played 15 seasons and was never even named to a Pro Bowl (although he did earn First-Team All-Pro honors in 1983, his final NFL season).

Honorable Mention

NT Tim Krumrie

Round and Year: 10 (1983); Overall Selection: 276; School: Wisconsin

Round and Year: 10 (1984)

Overall Selection: 280

School: East Carolina

In seven years with the Cleveland Browns, running back Earnest Byner totaled 5,994 yards from scrimmage and scored 37 touchdowns. While he is best known for “The Fumble” in the 1987 AFC Championship Game at Denver, the team may not have been there or in the previous conference title clash (1986) with the Broncos without him.

In a career that spanned 14 years and included stints with the Washington Redskins and Baltimore Ravens, the former East Carolina product finished with an impressive 12,866 yards from scrimmage and scored 71 touchdowns.

There’s a lot to be said for perseverance.

Honorable Mention

T Doug Dieken

Round and Year: 6 (1971); Overall Selection: 142; School: Illinois

Round and Year: 7 (1967)

Overall Selection: 182

School: Fort Valley State

A six-time Pro Bowler and Pro Football Hall of Famer, tackle Rayfield Wright would appear in five Super Bowls for the Dallas Cowboys.

However, his early appearances with Tom Landry’s club saw him at a number of positions, including both the offensive and defensive line. Wright also lined up at tight end and has two career catches (one touchdown) on his resume.

It was in 1970 that he became a fixture at tackle. Not coincidentally, the team would reach the Super Bowl five times in the next nine years.

Honorable Mention

DT Leon Lett

Round and Year: 7 (1991); Overall Selection: 173; School: Emporia State

Round and Year: 7 (1990)

Overall Selection: 192

School: Savannah State

There was plenty to choose from when it came to the Denver Broncos in terms of draft-day steals. But it was easy to go with a Pro Football Hall of Famer.

In 14 NFL seasons, 12 with the Broncos, Shannon Sharpe emerged as one of the most productive tight ends in league history. His days in Denver included making seven Pro Bowls while being a part of back-to-back Super Bowl titles (XXXII and XXXIII). His career statistics in the Mile High City include 675 catches for 8,439 and 55 touchdowns.

He would also help the Baltimore Ravens win a Lombardi Trophy, catching 140 passes in two seasons with the club as the franchise would go onto win Super Bowl XXXV.

Honorable Mention

RB Terrell Davis

Round and Year: 6 (1995); Overall Selection: 196; School: Georgia

Round and Year: 3 (1968)

Overall Selection: 74

School: Minnesota

From Rob Gronkowski to Jimmy Graham, the tight end position in today’s NFL is a different beast.

Back in the late 1960s and early ‘70s, Detroit’s Charlie Sanders was a beast in an era when the position didn’t see the kind of numbers that it does today.

In 10 seasons in the Motor City, Sanders totaled 336 receptions for 4,817 yards and 31 touchdowns. He was also named to seven Pro Bowls in those 10 years.

Yes, it was a different time. But greatness is greatness, and that is why Sanders is in his rightful spot in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Honorable Mention

LB DeAndre Levy

Round and Year: 3 (2009); Overall Selection: 76; School: Wisconsin

Round and Year: 7 (1999)

Overall Selection: 213

School: Alcorn State

In 14 seasons in Titletown, wide receiver Donald Driver amassed 743 catches for 10,137 yards and 61 touchdowns.

Some would say that he benefited from playing with the likes of quarterbacks Brett Favre and Aaron Rodgers. They would be correct. But it would also be fair to say that his presence aided those star performers as well.

Driver totaled at least 1,000 receiving seven times and caught at least 50 passes every season in a nine-season stretch (2002 to 2010). Not bad for the 213th overall pick in 1999 from Alcorn State.

Honorable Mention

WR Antonio Freeman

Round and Year: 3 (1995); Overall Selection: 90; School: Virginia Tech

Round and Year: 4 (2006)

Overall Selection: 98

School: Wisconsin

Looking for tight end Owen Daniels? Just find Gary Kubiak.

In 2006 (Kubiak’s first season as Houston’s head coach), the franchise selected defensive end Mario Williams in the first round, linebacker DeMeco Ryans in the second and tackle Eric Winston in the third round (more on him briefly).

Daniels was a fourth-round pick that year and would total 385 receptions in eight seasons and 100 regular-season games with the organization. He was also named to a pair of Pro Bowls with the club.

Now he’s in Denver with Kubiak after playing for the coach in Baltimore last season when he was the Ravens’ offensive coordinator. Daniels totaled 48 catches for 527 yards and four touchdowns in 2014.

And after years of seeing Peyton Manning on the other side of the field, Daniels will now be teaming with the prolific signal-caller in 2015.

Honorable Mention

T Eric Winston

Round and Year: 3 (2006); Overall Selection: 66; School: Miami (Fla.)

Round and Year: 5 (2003)

Overall Selection: 138

School: Alabama A&M

In 2013, Robert Mathis led the National Football League with 19.5 sacks. After nine seasons at defensive end, he lined up at his new position in 2012 and, after a slow start, adjusted to his role in the club’s 3-4 defense quite well. From 2012 to 2013, he totaled 27.5 sacks in 28 games for Chuck Pagano’s team.

But 2014 was a different story because there was no story. On the verge of serving a four-game suspension for violation of the league’s substance-abuse policy, he was injured and missed the entire season. What does his future hold in 2015?

In any case, Mathis’ 111 career sacks, 48 forced fumbles and five Pro Bowl invitations aren’t too shabby for the 138th overall selection in the 2003 NFL draft.

Honorable Mention

S Antoine Bethea

Round and Year: 6 (2006); Overall Selection: 207; School: Howard

Round and Year: 2 (2006)

Overall Selection: 60

School: UCLA

This offseason, running back Maurice Jones-Drew announced his retirement from the NFL. He spent 2014 with the Oakland Raiders.

It’s likely no one will remember that in the coming years. But fans will certainly recall the big-play performances from eight seasons with the Jacksonville Jaguars. Along the way, he became the franchise’s all-time leader in total touchdowns (81). And it was just four years ago (2011) that he was the league’s rushing champion with 1,606 yards on the ground.

Although the Jaguars have played just 20 seasons to date, they’ve been fortunate when it comes to running backs, drafting the likes of Jones-Drew as well as first-round pick Fred Taylor (1998).

Honorable Mention

DT Seth Payne

Round and Year: 4 (1997); Overall Selection: 114; School: Cornell

Round and Year: 7 (1984)

Overall Selection: 173

School: Temple

Cornerback Kevin Ross wasted little time producing on the field.

Taken with a seventh-round pick in 1984, the former Temple University product was a 16-game starter as a rookie for Kansas City Chiefs head coach John Mackovic. He would spend the first 10 seasons of his 14-year career with the team that drafted him, as well as his final campaign in 1997—the only year that he didn’t start at least 10 games.

A two-time Pro Bowl selection, Ross tallied 30 of his 38 career interceptions with Kansas City. He also played safety for the Atlanta Falcons and San Diego Chargers late in his career.

Honorable Mention

G Will Shields

Round and Year: 3 (1993); Overall Selection: 74; School: Nebraska

Round and Year: 8 (1983)

Overall Selection: 223

School: Louisville

It’s been basically three decades since the real heydays of Miami Dolphins quarterback Dan Marino and the “Marks Brothers”—as in wide receivers Mark Duper and Mark Clayton.

While Duper was a second-round pick in 1982 from Northwest Louisiana, Clayton came six rounds later with the 223rd overall selection in 1983.

He was worth the wait. In his second year in the league, he hauled in 18 of Marino’s then league-record 48 touchdown passes. In 10 seasons with the Dolphins, Clayton totaled 550 receptions for 8,643 yards and 81 scores. He would finish his career with the Green Bay Packers.

Honorable Mention

S Jake Scott

Round and Year: 7 (1970); Overall Selection: 159; School: Georgia

Round and Year: 6 (1998)

Overall Selection: 173

School: Harvard

If you plan on succeeding at any job, the key is reliability.

Once Matt Birk got the hang of things in the NFL, the decision to make him a sixth-round pick in 1998 proved to be sheer genius.

Enough with the “smart” remarks, per se. While Birk didn’t start a game in each of his first two seasons in the league, that would change dramatically. From 2000 to 2004 and 2006 to 2008, he started 123 out of 124 contests and in those eight seasons was named to the Pro Bowl six times (Birk missed all of 2005 following hip surgery).

While all good things usually come to an end, Birk wasn’t finished with football. He left Minnesota in 2009 as an unrestricted free agent and would start every game for the Baltimore Ravens the next four seasons. His last contest came in Super Bowl XLVII when his team was on the right side of a 34-31 win over the San Francisco 49ers.

Honorable Mention

CB Carl Lee

Round and Year: 7 (1983); Overall Selection: 186; School: Marshall

Round and Year: 6 (2000)

Overall Selection: 199

School: Michigan

In the 2000 draft, the New England Patriots opted for a little quarterback insurance with the selection of University of Michigan standout Tom Brady in the sixth round. A little over a year later, it would help change the course of recent NFL history.

Now he is the only quarterback to start six Super Bowls and one of only three starting signal-callers with four Super Bowl rings (joining Terry Bradshaw and Joe Montana). He and Montana are the only players to be named Super Bowl MVP three times.

The numbers are just gravy. Brady’s 53,258 passing yards and 392 touchdown tosses are both fifth in NFL history. He owns a 160-47 record as a starter in the regular season and a 21-8 postseason mark in 15 seasons.

Is there anything else?

Honorable Mention

WR Troy Brown

Round and Year: 8 (1993); Overall Selection: 198; School: Marshall

Round and Year: 7 (2006)

Overall Selection: 252

School: Hofstra

Even in a down year for the team in 2014, veteran wideout Marques Colston managed to produce.

The former Hofstra University product, three picks away from being Mr. Irrelevant in 2006, has been anything but that since the Saints grabbed him in the seventh round.

He is the franchise’s all-time leader in catches (666), receiving yards (9,239) and total touchdowns (68). This past season, he finished third on the club with 59 receptions but was second on the Saints in receiving yards (902) and touchdown receptions (five).

As you can see with our honorable mention selection, the Saints’ 2006 draft class was impressive indeed.

Honorable Mention

G Jahri Evans

Round and Year: 4 (2006); Overall Selection: 108; School: Bloomsburg (Pa.)

Round and Year: 4 (1976)

Overall Selection: 105

School: South Carolina State

When asked to name the greatest outside linebacker in NFL history, most people would select Pro Football Hall of Famer Lawrence Taylor.

But five seasons before he was the second overall pick in the 1981 NFL draft, Big Blue used a fourth-round selection on linebacker Harry Carson from South Carolina State.

He and Taylor, along with Carl Banks and Gary Reasons, would make up one of the great linebacking corps of any era. Carson would play 13 seasons and earn nine invitations to the Pro Bowl.

It’s also safe to say that the steady defender had an original idea when it came to a bucket list.

Honorable Mention

LB Jessie Armstead

Round and Year: 8 (1993); Overall Selection: 207; School: Miami (Fla.)

Round and Year: 6 (1977)

Overall Selection: 144

School: Temple

With all due respect to one-time Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Kordell Stewart, perhaps New York Jets’ four-time Pro Bowler Joe Klecko deserves his share of “Slash” consideration.

The consistent defender would play a dozen NFL seasons, the first 11 with the club that selected him in the sixth round in 1977. He would earn four Pro Bowl invitations, at least one apiece at defensive end, defensive tackle (twice) and nose tackle. Those invites came within a five-year span from 1981 to 1985.

How’s that for versatility?

Of course, Klecko was also a charter member of the “New York Sack Exchange” defensive front, a fearsome quartet that also featured Marty Lyons, Abdul Salaam and Mark Gastineau—a unit that made quite an impression on opposing quarterbacks throughout the league.

Honorable Mention

S Kerry Rhodes

Round and Year: 4 (2005); Overall Selection: 123; School: Louisville

Round and Year: 5 (1977)

Overall Selection: 126

School: Texas A&M

Let’s make something clear. The Raiders did select running back Bo Jackson in the seventh round in 1987 but he was only available because he jilted the Tampa Bay Buccaneers one year earlier when they made him the first overall pick in the draft.

So Lester Hayes is our story and we’re sticking with it…literally. The former Texas A&M product picked off 39 passes in 10 seasons with the Silver and Black and was a pivotal part of two Super Bowl wins (XV and XVIII) with the franchise (just ask Redskins Hall of Fame wide receiver Art Monk and his Washington teammates).

Hayes’ interception total included a baker’s dozen in 1980—tied for the second-most in a season in NFL history.

Honorable Mention

T Art Shell

Round and Year: 3 (1968); Overall Selection: 80; School: Maryland State

Round and Year: 9 (1986)

Overall Selection: 233

School: Western Carolina

It was one of the great defensive lines in recent league annals.

Pro Football Hall of Famer Reggie White teamed with Jerome Brown, Mike Golic and Mike Pitts and was flanked by fellow defensive end Clyde Simmons.

While the Western Carolina product would wind up playing for five NFL franchises, 76 of his 121.5 career sacks came as a member of the Eagles. In 1991, Philadelphia led the league in total defense, allowing the fewest rushing yards and fewest passing yards in the NFL.

No team has achieved that feat since.

In a four-year span from 1989 to 1992, Simmons started all 64 games, racked up an amazing 55 sacks and earned a pair of Pro Bowl invitations.

Honorable Mention

WR Harold Carmichael

Round and Year: 7 (1971); Overall Selection: 161; School: Southern University

Round and Year: 10 (1969)

Overall Selection: 238

School: Arkansas-Pine Bluff

The legendary “Steel Curtain” that was the centerpiece of the great Pittsburgh Steelers defenses of the 1970s was led by Pro Football Hall of Fame defensive tackle Joe Greene, the fourth overall selection in the 1969 NFL draft.

Nine rounds and 234 picks later, head coach Chuck Noll and the organization grabbed defensive end L.C. Greenwood, a relentless pass-rusher with a long wingspan. If he wasn’t sacking the quarterback, he was rejecting his pass attempts at the line of scrimmage.

The talented defender may have been hard to block, but he wasn’t difficult to find thanks to his fabled gold shoes.

Honorable Mention

WR John Stallworth

Round and Year: 4 (1974); Overall Selection: 82; School: Alabama A&M

Round and Year: 5 (1985)

Overall Selection: 113

School: Auburn

You would have to figure Kevin Greene’s time is coming soon.

Soon…as in the relentless defender finally being elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame—an honor that has eluded him the last four years, each of which he has been named a finalist.

As we all know by now, individual sacks by a player in the league did not become an official statistic until 1982. Since the numbers have been kept, only Pro Football Hall of Famers Bruce Smith (200) and Reggie White (198) have totaled more sacks than Greene (160), who amassed nearly half of those sacks (72.5) in his eight seasons as a member of the Rams.

Honorable Mention

DT Larry Brooks

Round and Year: 14 (1972); Overall Selection: 355; School: Virginia State

Round and Year: 5 (1994)

Overall Selection: 145

School: Western Illinois

A rookie on the San Diego Chargers’ lone Super Bowl team in 1994, safety Rodney Harrison would prove to be a vital part of a defensive unit that made its mark with him in the lineup.

It’s safe to say the former Western Illinois product left his share of marks. In a combined 15 seasons with the Bolts and New England Patriots, he picked off 34 passes and amassed 30.5 sacks.

In nine seasons with San Diego, Harrison racked up 26 interceptions and 21.5 sacks and was named to the Pro Bowl twice. Released by the Chargers during the 2003 offseason, he moved to Foxborough, where he would latch on with the Pats and be a part of three Super Bowl squads—including winning a pair of championships.

Our honorable mention selection would have made for a good choice as well, considering he rolled up 4,297 yards and 31 touchdowns on the ground while earning two Pro Bowl invitations in his five seasons with the Bolts.

Honorable Mention

RB Marion Butts

Round and Year: 7 (1989); Overall Selection: 183; School: Florida State

Round and Year: 10 (1979)

Overall Selection: 249

School: Clemson

In what was both the third NFL season for wide receiver Dwight Clark and quarterback Joe Montana, the duo combined for what many regard as the greatest moment in the proud history of the San Francisco 49ers.

Dubbed “The Catch,” Montana to Clark in the closing minute of the 1981 NFC Championship Game sent the franchise to what would be the first of six Super Bowl appearances, the first five resulting in victories.

Clark had quite a few more catches than that. The former Clemson University product totaled 506 receptions for 6,750 yards and 48 scores in nine seasons with the Niners, totaling 50 or more catches in seven of those campaigns. The two-time Pro Bowler added 55 catches for 787 yards and three touchdowns in 10 postseason games.

If you’re looking for Montana, there’s no doubt that he was a super bargain as a third-round pick the same year Clark was selected. But considering that the wide receiver was taken 167 spots after the Hall of Fame quarterback, we’ll give the slight edge to the sure-handed wide receiver.

Honorable Mention

QB Joe Montana

Round and Year: 3 (1979); Overall Selection: 82; School: Notre Dame

Round and Year: 5 (2011)

Overall Selection: 154

School: Stanford

Four seasons, 64 regular-season games played and 65 passes defensed.

That’s what you call production. It also sums up Seattle Seahawks cornerback Richard Sherman, who has also totaled 24 interceptions in those contests and has been a part of a defensive unit that has allowed the fewest yards in the league two straight years—both resulting in Super Bowl appearances.

So where’s quarterback Russell Wilson, a third-round pick in 2012 who has helped guide the franchise to back-to-back Super Bowl appearances? While he is very much in the discussion, our honorable mention nod goes to a performer who earned three Pro Bowl invitations and totaled 73.5 sacks in 10 seasons with the Seahawks.

Honorable Mention

DE Michael Sinclair

Round and Year: 6 (1991); Overall Selection: 155; School: Eastern New Mexico

Round and Year: 3 (1993)

Overall Selection: 82

School: Stanford

Things began to really turn around for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 1993, when they selected safety John Lynch in the third round. Two years later, the team added a pair of first-round selections in defensive tackle Warren Sapp and linebacker Derrick Brooks, who are both now enshrined in Canton, Ohio.

But here we are talking about Lynch, who didn’t prove to be a Cardinal mistake. He picked off 23 passes, part of the 31 takeaways he amassed in his 11 seasons with the Bucs. He was named to five Pro Bowls and would join Sapp and Brooks as Super Bowl XXXVII champions for the 2002 season.

The physical defender would close his career with the Denver Broncos and earn four more Pro Bowl invitations. He has been a Pro Football Hall of Fame finalist each of the last two years.

Honorable Mention

CB Ronde Barber

Round and Year: 3 (1997); Overall Selection: 66; School: Virginia

Round and Year: 9 (1967)

Overall Selection: 214

School: Prairie View A&M

Prairie View A&M defensive back Ken Houston lasted until the ninth round in 1967 and was obviously worth the wait. He would play 14 seasons, the first six with the Houston Oilers and the final eight with the Washington Redskins.

So why was he a steal for the Oilers (now the Titans) if his career ended in Washington? The ball-hawking safety totaled 49 career interceptions, almost evenly distributed between the Oilers (25) and Redskins (24). Houston’s nine career thefts returned for scores, tied for the fourth-most in NFL history, all came with the Oilers, and all of those scores came his first five pro campaigns.

And to be entirely accurate, his fabulous career ended in Canton, Ohio, not Washington, D.C.

Honorable Mention

WR Curtis Duncan

Round and Year: 10 (1987); Overall Selection: 258; School: Northwestern

Round and Year: 5 (1981)

Overall Selection: 119

School: Oklahoma State

Over a four-year span in the 1980s, few players in the league not named Lawrence Taylor were more effective at rushing the passer than defensive end Dexter Manley.

A fifth-round selection in 1981 (the same year Taylor entered the league), the former Cowboys standout-turned-Washington Redskins rookie played in 16 games and made nine starts. There’s no official sack total for Manley because the league did not make that an official stat for individual players until 1982.

After totaling 6.5 sacks in nine games with the team during the strike-shortened ’82 campaign, Manley totaled 58 sacks in his next 63 regular-season contests from 1983 to 1986, with that final year resulting in a Pro Bowl invitation. The ferocious defender officially totaled 91 sacks in his stint with Washington, plus whatever he amassed as a rookie. He was also part of three Super Bowl teams and won a pair of NFL titles.

Honorable Mention

QB Mark Rypien

Round and Year: 6 (1986); Overall Selection: 146; School: Washington State

Unless otherwise noted, all player and team statistics come from Pro Football Reference and ESPN.com. Additional statistical support was provided by NFL.com and the Pro Football Hall of Fame.