What Was The Best Nfl Draft Class?

What was the best NFL draft class of all time? It’s a tough question to answer, but we take a look at some of the best classes in history.

Introduction

The National Football League Draft, commonly known as the NFL Draft, is an annual event in which the 32 NFL teams select newly eligible players for their rosters. The draft order is determined by each team’s record in the previous season, with the worst team picking first and the best team picking last. The draft takes place over three days, with each team allowed ten minutes to make their selection during each of the seven rounds. Teams can trade their draft picks for other picks, players, or cash.

The Best Classes of the Last Decade

The 2010 NFL Draft class has produced the most Super Bowl appearances and the most Super Bowl wins of any class in the last decade. It is also the class with the most players selected to the Pro Bowl. The class is led by quarterbacks Tom Brady and Drew Brees, who have each won four Super Bowls. They are followed by defensive players like Ndamukong Suh, Earl Thomas, and Gerald McCoy.

2010: The Year of the Quarterback

The 2010 NFL Draft class was loaded with talented quarterbacks, and it has produced some of the best players in the league over the last decade.

Cam Newton, the first overall pick in the draft, is a 6-time Pro Bowler and the 2015 NFL MVP. He has led the Carolina Panthers to four playoff appearances and one Super Bowl appearance.

The second overall pick, Sam Bradford, was the 2009 Heisman Trophy winner and had a stellar rookie season with the Rams, throwing for 3,512 yards and 18 touchdowns. He has unfortunately been plagued by injuries throughout his career.

The third overall pick, Colt McCoy, has had a solid career as a backup quarterback. He started eight games for the Cleveland Browns in 2010 and led them to a rare win over the New England Patriots.

The fourth overall pick, Jimmy Clausen, was considered a bust by many after he struggled during his time with the Panthers. However, he has found success as a backup quarterback with the Chicago Bears, leading them to wins in relief of an injured Jay Cutler.

2011: The Year of the Defensive Lineman

The 2011 NFL Draft was a star-studded affair, with many defensive lineman going in the first round. J.J. Watt, Cameron Jordan, Marcel Dareus, and Robert Quinn were all taken in the top 12 picks, and they would go on to have fantastic careers. Some other names from that draft class include Ryan Kerrigan, Muhammad Wilkerson, Von Miller, and Aldon Smith. It was truly a great year for defensive lineman, and many of those players are still making an impact in the NFL today.

2012: The Year of the Running Back

The 2012 NFL Draft was loaded with talent at the running back position. Sixteen running backs were drafted in the first three rounds, with Trent Richardson going third overall to the Cleveland Browns.

Richardson’s fellow first-round picks included Doug Martin (Tampa Bay Buccaneers), David Wilson (New York Giants) and Lamar Miller (Miami Dolphins). Second-rounders included Brock Osweiler (Denver Broncos), Gio Bernard (Cincinnati Bengals) and Eddie Lacy (Green Bay Packers).

The 2012 class also featured several third-round picks who made significant contributions to their teams, including Alfred Morris (Washington Redskins), Bernard Pierce (Baltimore Ravens) and Dion Lewis (Philadelphia Eagles).

Overall, the 2012 NFL Draft class was one of the deepest and most talented groups of running backs in recent memory. These players have gone on to have successful careers in the NFL, with many of them becoming Pro Bowlers or even All-Pros.

2013: The Year of the Wide Receiver

In 2013, the NFL Draft featured one of the deepest and most talented group of wide receivers in recent memory. A total of 12 receivers were taken in the first two rounds, with several more going in the later rounds. This class featured a mix of explosive playmakers and sure-handed possession types, and it has had a significant impact on the league over the past seven years.

Some of the most notable members of this class are Cincinnati’s A.J. Green, Atlanta’s Julio Jones, Buffalo’s Sammy Watkins, and Tampa Bay’s Mike Evans. All four of these players have been selected to at least one Pro Bowl, and they are among the most productive receivers in the league. Green and Jones are both top-five all-time in receiving yards, while Evans is ninth. Watkins has struggled with injuries throughout his career, but he has still managed to put up solid numbers when healthy.

Other members of this class have also had successful careers, including Dallas’ Terrance Williams, Green Bay’s Davante Adams, Miami’s Jarvis Landry, and Baltimore’s Marlon Brown. While not all of these players have reached the same heights as the four aforementioned stars, they have all been key contributors for their respective teams.

The 2013 NFL Draft class has been one of the best groups of wide receivers in recent memory, with several star players and many other productive contributors. This class has had a significant impact on the league over the past seven years and will continue to be a force in the years to come.

2014: The Year of the Defensive Back

It was the year of the defensive back. A record six were taken in the first round, with Justin Gilbert going to the Browns at No. 8 overall, followed by Darqueze Dennard (Bengals, 24th), Kyle Fuller (Bears, 14th), Bradley Roby (Broncos, 31st), Jason Verrett (Chargers, 25th) and Calvin Pryor (Jets, 18th).

The next year brought even more first-rounders: Marcus Peters (Chiefs), Damarious Randall (Packers), Trae Waynes (Vikings), Gerod Holliman (Steelers), Landon Collins (Giants) and Kevin Johnson (Texans). That brought the total to 12 in two years, a new record.

But it’s not just the quantity that made this class special; it’s the quality. Four of those 12 have already been named first-team All-Pros, and Peters was a second-teamer in 2016. Even more impressive is that five of them have been named to at least one Pro Bowl: Peters, Collins, Waynes, Gilbert and Fuller.

It’s too early to tell if this will go down as one of the best draft classes ever—we need a few more years to see how they pan out—but so far, so good.

2015: The Year of the Edge Rusher

The 2015 NFL Draft is remembered as one of the best in recent memory, and for good reason. It was loaded with star power and produced several key contributors to this point in their careers.

But the class will forever be defined by its edge rushers. Ezekiel Ansah, DeMarcus Lawrence, Vic Beasley, Danielle Hunter and Bud Dupree were all first-round picks, while Randy Gregory (second round), Shaq Thompson (first round) and Hau’oli Kikaha (second round) also made significant contributions early in their careers. In total, 10 of the 32 players taken in the first round of the 2015 NFL Draft were edge rushers.

Ansah has been a Pro Bowler and a first-team All-Pro, while Beasley has led the NFL in sacks twice. Lawrence has been to a Pro Bowl and was a second-team All-Pro selection in 2017 after picking up 14.5 sacks. Kikaha had a promising start to his career before suffering a torn ACL, while Gregory has struggled with suspensions but showed promise when on the field.

The 2015 NFL Draft was loaded with star power and produced several key contributors to this point in their careers. But the class will forever be defined by its edge rushers.

2016: The Year of the Quarterback, Again

This year’s NFL draft will once again be loaded with quarterbacks, with as many as six going in the first round. That’s not surprising, given that 2016 was the year of the quarterback, with a record 10 signal-callers selected in the first two rounds.

That class was headlined by Jared Goff and Carson Wentz, who went 1-2 to the Rams and Eagles, respectively. But there were other standouts, including Dak Prescott (Cowboys), Marcus Mariota (Titans) and Jameis Winston (Buccaneers).

Those five quarterbacks have already had a huge impact on the league, and they’re not the only ones from that class who have made an impact. Michael Thomas (Saints), Laremy Tunsil (Dolphins), Ezekiel Elliott (Cowboys) and Joey Bosa (Chargers) have all been among the best at their respective positions over the last two seasons. Combine them with the quarterbacks, and it’s easy to argue that 2016 was one of the best draft classes in recent memory.

2017: The Year of the Tight End

2017 was a special year for the tight end position. A record number of tight ends were drafted in the first round, and many of them are still making huge contributions to their teams. Here’s a look at the best tight end class of the last decade.

-Evan Engram: Engram was drafted by the Giants in the first round of the 2017 NFL Draft. He has been a huge contributor to the team, catching over 70 passes in his rookie season.
-OJ Howard: Howard was drafted by the Buccaneers in the first round of the 2017 NFL Draft. He has been a key part of the team’s offense, catchig over 50 passes in his rookie season.
-David Njoku: Njoku was drafted by the Browns in the first round of the 2017 NFL Draft. He has been a big part of the team’s offense, catching over 40 passes in his rookie season.

Conclusion

The best NFL draft class of all time was the 1974 draft. This was a draft that had a total of 42 players who went on to play at least 10 seasons in the NFL. The class was highlighted by future Hall of Famers such as Lynn Swann, John Stallworth, Jack Ham, Mike Webster, and Jack Lambert.