33. LA Rams - Isaac Bruce, WR, Memphis (1994)
Behind Marshall Faulk, Isaac Bruce was possibly the most important member of the St. Louis Rams' Greatest Show on Turf that dominated NFL defenses for four years in the late 1990s and early 2000s. The fifth-leading receiver in NFL history, Bruce will Faulk in the Hall of Fame this summer, an honor that is well overdue.
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| The real most valuable player of Super Bowl XXXIV. (Alan Kee/Getty) |
Part of one of the best defensive backfields of his era alongside Jack Christiansen and later Dick LeBeau, Lary was an instrumental player in the Detroit Lions dynasty in the 1950s. By the time he was done in 1964, the Hall of Fame safety and special teams ace had intercepted 50 passes, punted the ball more than 500 times, and scored three times on punt returns.
35. Tampa Bay - Mike Alstott, RB, Purdue (1996)
Several players could have taken this position. Andy Dalton, Zach Ertz, Joel Bitonio and Nick Chubb are all solid players picked 35th overall in the last decade. Instead, I opted to go with the A-Train. Over 11 seasons as the Bucs' starting fullback, Alstott made six Pro Bowls and scored a touchdown in Tampa's Super Bowl XXXVII win.
36. Green Bay - Ray Nitschke, LB, Illinois (1958)
As celebrated as Nitschke has been, it may be surprising that the middle linebacker for all five of the Packers' NFL championships in the 1960s only reached the Pro Bowl once. Additionally, he only was named first-team All-Pro twice. Nonetheless, the powerful Nitschke earned spots both on the NFL's all-decade team for the 1960s and the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
37. LA Rams - Norm Van Brocklin, QB, Oregon (1949)
When the Rams took Van Brocklin as a fourth-rounder in the 1949 draft, he wasn't even the first quarterback Los Angeles selected that year. Seventh-overall selection Bobby Thomason appeared in six games in the 1949 season, before spending several years in Philadelphia. Thomason's replacement for the Eagles was a familar face; Van Brocklin, after reaching six Pro Bowls and winning the Rams the 1952 Championship, also finished his career in Philly, picking up another ring and an MVP award in his final season (1960).
38. Chicago - Mike Singletary, LB, Baylor (1981)
Without a doubt the 80s' most dominant middle linebacker was the wide-eyed Singletary. He reached 10 Pro Bowls and was named the league's Defensive Player of the Year twice. Samurai Mike played in every Bears regular season game* in his 12-year career, and was instrumental in Chicago winning its only Lombardi Trophy to date as a member of the vaunted 1985 Bears defense.
*While I have a minute, there are several people on this list who I will mention as playing every regular season game over a given stretch of time. For those whose stretches of time include the 1987 season, I am considering 12 games to be a full season, as most all of the league's regular starters did not play in the three weeks of "scab games" during the 1987 player strike.
39. Green Bay - Jerry Kramer, G, Idaho (1958)
Jerry Kramer was the third Hall of Fame member selected by Green Bay in the 1958 draft. That group of Packers rookies also included Nitschke and second-round selection Jim Taylor. Of course, Kramer didn't get his gold jacket until two years ago. He was long regarded as the best player not in the Hall before his induction as a senior candidate.
40. NY Giants - Michael Strahan, DE, Texas Southern (1993)
Before he fell on top of Brett Favre to claim the single season sack crown in 2001, second-round pick Michael Strahan was the Giants' first draft selection in 1993. While his impact wasn't immediate, the man with the tooth gap and infectious personality was starting regularly for Big Blue in his second season. He made his first of seven Pro Bowls in 1996, and went out on top; the Super Bowl XLII Champ made it to Canton in his second year of eligibility.
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| Not bad for a military brat out of Texas Southern. (Ben Liebenberg/NFL) |
I remember when Andre Tippett became a Hall of Famer in 2008. Like many my age, I'm sure, I don't know if I'd heard much or at all about the Patriots linebacker who was named second team all-1980s. Maybe this is because his best season was the 1985 campaign that saw his team reach the Super Bowl, only to be flattened by Singletary and that legendary Bears squad.
42. New England - Rob Gronkowski, TE, Arizona (2010)
As I said a couple weeks ago, I'm not as convinced about Gronk's Hall of Fame resume as most in the NFL world. He was an incredibly talented player, but I have a hard time justifying putting a guy who only played nine seasons, all but two cut short by one injury or another, on the same pedestal as the game's all-time legends. Still, of the players selected 42nd overall, Gronk stands head and separated shoulders above the crowd.
43. Arizona - Dan Dierdorf, OL, Michigan (1971)
Dan Dierdorf was a fantastic member of some above-average, but not great, Cardinals teams in the 1970s. Indeed, after six Pro Bowls St. Louis's primary starter at right tackle earned a spot on the all-decade second team. The Hall of Famer stayed close to the game as one of CBS's top color commentators from 1999 until 2013.
44. Pittsburgh - Dermontti Dawson, C, Kentucky (1988)
The anchor of an offensive line that led the Steelers to five AFC Central titles and one Super Bowl, Dawson started every game for Pittsburgh from 1989 until 1998. His seven straight Pro Bowls were a key part of his team's success in the 1990s. Retiring after the 2000 season, the 2012 Hall of Fame inductee was deservedly the first- team center on the '90s all-decade team.
45. Las Vegas - Dave Casper, TE, Notre Dame (1974)
In his first six and a half seasons on the Raiders, Casper reached five Pro Bowls and scored the first touchdown of Oakland's Super Bowl XI victory. Despite a midseason trade to Houston, Casper earned another Super Bowl ring when the 1980 Raiders went on to a victory in Super Bowl XV. "The Ghost" returned to the Raiders for his final season in 1984, but was unable to win a third ring as Los Angeles failed to defend their Super Bowl XVIII championship from the year before. Casper eventually still became an inductee into the Hall of Fame.
46. Pittsburgh - Jack Lambert, LB, Kent State (1974)
Jack Lambert was a fifth round selection in the Steelers' legendary 1974 draft class, one of four Hall of Famers to join the team in that selection meeting. The 1976 Defensive Player of the Year made nine Pro Bowl squads while helping the Steel Curtain win four Super Bowl titles and earning himself a bust in the hallowed halls of Canton.
47. Seattle - Bobby Wagner, LB, Utah State (2012)
The fight for top 47th pick came down to several stellar defensive players, most of whom played two generations ago. Rising to the top was a recent draft pick. Since joining Seattle eight years ago, Wagner has made six Pro Bowl rosters and, recently, the 2010s all-decade team. If he puts together a few more solid seasons, the Super Bowl XLVIII champ is undoubtedly on his way to being the first 47th overall pick in the Hall of Fame.
48. Las Vegas - Howie Long, DE, Villanova (1981)
Among Michael Strahan's teammates on the NFL on FOX studio show is another Hall of Fame defensive lineman who was picked in the second round of his year's respective draft. Long reached eight Pro Bowls and won Super Bowl XVIII after the 1983 season, his first of three straight in which he recorded double-digit sacks.
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| Long in 2000 after his election to the Hall of Fame. (Paul Sakuma/Associated Press) |
One of the better players in NFL history not yet in the Hall of Fame, Craig was instrumental in the 49ers' Super Bowl runs in 1984, 1988 and 1989. He was named Offensive Player of the year in 1988. Despite his numbers, he has been on the short list of Hall of Fame finalists twice, but has yet to be inducted in Canton.
50. Kansas City - Willie Lanier, LB, Morgan State (1967)
Lanier was the Chiefs' third selection in the 1967 common draft. He became a trailblazer. As an African American, Lanier wasn't thought smart enough to play middle linebacker. Not only did Lanier play the position, he played it to eight Pro Bowls, a Lombardi Trophy, and the Hall of Fame. In addition, the Chiefs star was a model citizen, being named Man of the Year in 1972.
51. New Orleans - Rickey Jackson, LB, Pittsburgh (1981)
The Saints scored big with their second-round selection in 1981. Wearing old gold and black, Jackson quickly asserted himself as one of the best linebackers in the league. A fumble forcing giant, he led the NFL in the stat four of his first six seasons. After leaving the Saints following the 1993 season, the eventual Hall of Fame member won his sole Super Bowl ring as a member of the 49ers.
52. Las Vegas - Ken Stabler, QB, Alabama (1970)
The third best quarterback of the 1970s spent the entirety of the decade with the team that drafted him. The Snake won an MVP award in 1974 and a Super Bowl in the 1976 season, and until last year was the Raiders' all-time leading passer. Stabler spent five more seasons with the Oilers and Saints; he was posthumously inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2016.
53. Pittsburgh - Mel Blount, DB, Southern (1970)
Immediately after Stabler was selected in the 1970 draft, another player who ended up defining the decade went off the board. 1975's Defensive Player of the Year played so ferociously that the NFL literally had to change its rulebook. Unsurprisingly, the first-ballot Hall of Famer adapted to the rule changes seamlessly and remained a lockdown corner right up until his 1983 retirement.
54. Arizona - Anquan Boldin, WR, Florida State (2003)
In just seven seasons with the Cardinals, Boldin didn't perhaps make as much impact as his draft class partner Larry Fitzgerald; nonetheless, he reached three Pro Bowls before leaving the desert. After the 2009 season, his last with the Cards, 2003's Offensive Rookie of the Year continued his solid career for seven more years in Baltimore, San Franciso, and Detroit, winning a Super Bowl as a member of the 2012 Ravens.
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| Boldin's final season in Arizona brought the Cardinals their only NFC Championship to date. (Jamie Squire/Getty) |
Stan Jones was a fifth-round pick for the Bears, and in fact didn't see any game action until 1954. Once Jones was plugged in the lineup, the Bears went from 3-8-1 to 8-4 in just one season. The seven-time Pro Bowl selection was the Bears' starting defensive tackle in their 1963 championship season. Jones was a senior inductee to the Hall of Fame in the 1991 class of enshrinees.
56. Chicago - Fred Williams, DT, Arkansas (1952)
Another member of the Bears' defensive line that won the 1963, Williams was drafted in the fifth round a year before Jones. Unlike Jones, Williams was a starter in Chicago from day one. He was even named to the Pro Bowl as a rookie. Also unlike Jones, Williams's success wasn't sustained throughout his career, and he eventually ended his career well short of getting a bust in Canton.
57. Dallas - Mark Stepnoski, C, Pittsburgh (1989)
Jerry Jones' first NFL draft as the Cowboys' owner was an exceptionally successful one. Drafting Troy Aikman first overall would have been more than enough, but Dallas also scored with fullback Darryl Johnston in round two and Stepnoski in the third. Considered the second best center of the 1990s behind Dawson, Stepnoski anchored the famed Great Wall of Dallas to two of their three Lombardi Trophies during his nine seasons with the team.
58. Tampa Bay - Lavonte David, LB, Nebraska (2012)
Pick 58 is a rare spot in which a Hall of Fame member didn't make the list. The legendary Dick LeBeau had a Hall of Fame career with the Lions, but he was selected 58th overall by Cleveland in 1959. One of the more solid linebackers of the last decade gets the nod instead. David was a first-team All-Pro in 2013 and reached his lone Pro Bowl in 2015. He enters his ninth season with the Bucs in 2020.
59. Arizona - Aeneas Williams, DB, Southern (1991)
Williams's Hall of Fame resume wasn't quite complete by the time he left Arizona for the Rams in 2001, but he certainly provided enough value to the team that drafted him. Six Pro Bowls earned him second team all-decade honors for the 1990s; his nine interceptions in 1994 counted as best in the NFL that year.
60. New Orleans - Pat Swilling, LB, Georgia Tech (1986)
The Saints had some luck drafting linebackers in the 1980s. Swilling joined the team about midway through Rickey Jackson's stellar career. Swilling's career wasn't quite as fantastic as Jackson's, but he still managed a defensive Player of the Year season in 1991, leading the league with 17 sacks. After his second straight All-Pro season in 1992, Swilling left the Saints. He played several more seasons in Detroit and Oakland, but he never returned to his Saints form.
61. Philadelphia - Brian Dawkins, DB, Clemson (1996)
The best safety of the 2000s was a seven-time Pro Bowl selection during his time with the Eagles. His best seasons in Philadelphia correlated closely with the Eagles' four straight NFC Championship game appearances and their Super Bowl XXXIX loss. Dawkins's 13-year career was honored by spots in both the Eagles and Pro Football Halls of Fame.
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| Weapon X. (Jamie Squire/Getty) |
Hill was a rookie on the Cowboys team that won Super Bowl XII. He turned into a reliable target for Roger Staubach and later Danny White. Hill had three thousand-yard receiving seasons in Dallas, and by the time he retired his 7,988 yards were the most gained by any Cowboys receiver.
63. NY Jets - Mo Lewis, LB, Georgia (1991)
The Jets got great value out of their third-round selection of Lewis. He was a stalwart in Gang Green's starting lineup for 13 seasons, his 200 games ranking third best in franchise history. The highlight of his career would have been his three Pro Bowl seasons from 1998 through 2000, had he not knocked out a certain Drew Bledsoe early in the 2001 season to launch one of the longest dynasties in all of sports.
64. LA Chargers - Dan Fouts, QB, Oregon (1973)
When legendary head coach Don Coryell arrived in San Diego in 1978, the Chargers' starting quarterback was a rather mediocre prospect. Fouts had a 12-30-1 record as a starter, passing for over 2000 yards and 10 touchdowns just once in his first five seasons. The coach stuck with him, and what followed was a Hall of Fame career for Fouts. He led the league in passing yards four straight years, including three straight 4,000 yard seasons. When he was done in 1987, Fouts had the most passing yards in Chargers history, and second most in NFL history.
Come back tomorrow, we're starting off with five guys who either will be in the Hall of Fame or already should be.
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