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The Number One Pick Blessing or Curse?
by Chris Brophy
April 22nd 2010
This evening NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell will step up to the podium and start the 2010 NFL draft by announcing the number one overall selection. Over the 75 years of the NFL draft the number one pick has brought the league a very mixed bag and despite having the choice of anyone leaving the college ranks to join the professional game it is certainly no guarantee of success. Here, the Diner takes a look at the good, bad, ugly, unlucky and strange that the top choice has brought over the years.
The Good: As much as there is risk associated with the number one pick there have been selections made that have invigorated a franchise and set it up for years of success. Arguably the best ever number one pick is still playing today in the shape of Indianapolis Colts quarterback Peyton Manning who the Colts took #1 overall in 1998. Manning is now in the debate for the greatest QB of all-time and if he continues playing long enough – maintaining his current pace – he could have every passing record in the book when it’s all said and done. Where would the Colts be today without him? Other number one picks such as Troy Aikman for the Cowboys in 1989 and Terry Bradshaw for the Steelers have both gone on to help win world championships for their franchise. Both those franchises went on to dominate their respective decades and both QB’s now reside in the Hall of Fame.
Moving away from quarterbacks, the Bills have twice selected Hall of Fame talent at the number one spot. OJ Simpson in 1969 would become famed for the first ever 2,000 yard rushing season in 1973 (in only 14 games) and would rush his way to the Hall of Fame. In 1985 the Bills selected defensive end Bruce Smith and he would go on to be a dominating force and a part of four AFC Championship teams. He would finish his career as the NFL’s all-time leader in (official) sacks and enter Canton last year.
Other Hall of Famers to go number one overall include ironman Chuck Bednarik (1949), Packers backfield star Paul Hornung (1957), Chiefs defensive lineman Buck Buchanan (1963, AFL Draft), Vikings offensive tackle Ron Yary (1968), Buccaneers dominating defensive lineman Lee Roy Selmon (1976) and bruising Oilers runner Earl Campbell (1978). There is also quarterback John Elway (1983) but more about him shortly.
 The bad: If you get the number one overall pick wrong it can set you back years it seems and we have three very recent examples to look at. Quarterback Tim Couch was taken number one overall by the Browns in 1999 and was expected to help lead their rebirth. He showed some signs of becoming a good player in the Browns run to their only post season appearance since their reinvention in 2002 but ultimately he struggled with injuries whilst losing the confidence of his coaches and after 5 years in the NFL he was done. He attempted several comebacks but none were successful and towards the end of his attempts to get back into the NFL allegations of steroid abuse began to dog him. However, it’s worth noting if being a number one overall pick bust involves earning millions of dollars and marrying a former playboy playmate (google his wife, Heather Kozar) then sign me up!
The Browns didn’t do much better the following year taking defensive end Courtney Brown who was just plain average when he wasn’t struggling with injuries. It’s being a painful rebirth for the once-proud Browns franchise and the draft has provided a lot of the disappointment.
Currently still in the NFL is David Carr. He has just joined the 49ers after a couple of years backing up another former #1 overall pick in Eli Manning with the Giants. Like Couch, he was taken number one overall by an expansion franchise (the Browns were that in-effect in 1999) and expected to be the face of the franchise for years to come but he instead became a kick-toy for opposing defenses. It started well with the Texans first ever game resulting in victory over the Dallas Cowboys but the struggles soon began as Carr was sacked a record breaking amount of times. At first he was given a free pass because of the newness of the franchise and the offensive line failings but it became apparent that he had problems holding the ball too long so after five seasons, 249 sacks and 65 interceptions Carr was dumped and is now doing the rounds of a journeyman QB.
Perhaps the worst ever QB bust with the number one pick is Terry Baker who was taken number one by the Rams in 1963. A Heisman Trophy winner at Oregon State he found life difficult in the NFL as the Rams were a shambles at the time and he was moved to running back in an act of desperation before heading off to the CFL where he would finish his four year pro career. Baker is one of many Heisman Trophy winners to have found life in the pros difficult.
The Ugly: Picking number one means your respective franchise stank the previous year and that can be off-putting for any potential superstar to consider joining. Many see it as the ultimate challenge but others see it as a curse. The most famous case is that of future Hall of Famer John Elway in 1983 who made it clear he was not going to play for the then Baltimore Colts if they drafted him. The Colts decided to draft him anyway and then promptly traded him to the Denver Broncos for players and picks. The Colts probably thought they got a good price at the time but consider they would continue to struggle for many years whilst the Broncos would win five AFC Championships and two Super Bowls with Elway and it’s obvious who got the better deal. Only when the Colts drafted the aforementioned Peyton Manning the year Elway retired would they begin to taste consistent success.
Speaking of Manning’s, little brother Eli pulled much the same trick as Elway when he famously stated (via his father Archie, also a former first round QB for the Saints) that he wouldn’t play for the San Diego Chargers back in 2004. The Chargers called his bluff, drafted him then sent him off to the Giants in exchange for picks and QB Phillip Rivers. At this point though, despite the fact Eli has won a Super Bowl I don’t think either team is complaining about the deal.
Another overall number one pick to not take kindly to the honour was Bo Jackson. The former Auburn Tiger had tore up the college game and won the Heisman Trophy so the Buccaneers felt he was the man to turn their struggling franchise around. Back in 1983 John Elway had used the threat of playing baseball to get his way with the Colts but this time Jackson actually made good with the threat stating his love for baseball and waiting to be drafted by an MLB baseball team (the Kansas City Royals eventually drafted him), rejecting a massive contract offer from the Buccaneers. Having never signed for them he was then re-drafted a year later by the Raiders who used him as a part time player after the baseball season had finished and he showed enough during those part time years with the Raiders to let the Buccaneers know what they were missing.
The above are all examples of teams picking number one being boxed into a corner but two other selections provide real ugly stories for the actual individual player involved. Again the Colts feature in that they traded up with the Falcons in 1990 to acquire Illinois QB Jeff George with the overall top selection. George had all-world talent including maybe the strongest arm the NFL has ever seen but he also had the ego and attitude of a 5 year old spoiled brat and most of his career was littered with fall outs with team mates and coaches. Until recently he was still popping up in Peter King’s Monday Morning Quarterback column telling the writer how he still felt he could play in the NFL and be a successful starter!
Ugly for all the wrong reasons is the tale of Michael Vick. I’m sure most of you know the details but let’s just recall how the Falcons moved up to the number one slot to get him and in moving down the Chargers then went on to select LaDainian Tomlinson.
The Unlucky: You can take a guy with all the talent in the world but sometimes injuries or lady luck deny you ever allowing that potential to be fully developed. In the 90’s the likes of defensive tackle Steve Emtman (Colts, 1992) and running back Ki-Jana Carter (Bengals, 1995) never got going because of injuries. Perhaps more unlucky was defensive tackle Walt Patulski. Selected with the top pick in 1972 he spent his first four years creating havoc for the Bills and was developing into a nice player but a serious knee injury derailed him. Had he being playing today better medical knowledge and techniques may have enabled his career to continue. Lawrence Elkins was taken number one overall by the Oilers in 1965 but he too struggled with a succession of injuries and lasted only two years as a professional.
Many of you will have heard the story of Ernie Davis due to the movie ‘The Express’ based on his life story that was released last year but there is another sad story of a running back in Ricky Bell. Drafted number one overall by the Buccaneers in 1977 he would help the Buccaneers to their first play-off appearance and win in 1979 with an outstanding season (over 1,200 yards rushing, 25 receptions). However, he had a serious heart condition that shortened his career and he unfortunately died in 1984 of heart failure. If you ever get the chance to see the film about his life story it’s worth a watch (Triumph of the Heart: The Ricky Bell Story).
The Strange: In 1979 the Bills drafted linebacker Tom Cousineau with the number one choice but failed to sign him and he instead took an offer to play in the CFL. He decided to give the NFL a try and so set about returning in 1982 but the Bills still held his rights. They traded him to the Browns who in turn gave the Bills there number one draft choice in 1983. The Bills would use that choice to select quarterback Jim Kelly who after a stint in the USFL would help the Bills to consistent success in the late 80’s/early 90’s. The Bills had a long wait for that 1979 selection to pay off!
If you ever watch the Police Academy movies you may know the character ‘Hightower’ is better known as Bubba Smith, a former NFL defensive end and the first overall pick of the 1967 draft. He was only the second African-American to be selected number one overall (not including AFL selections) and the first to ever play professionally as the first was Ernie Davis who died before he ever got to play.
Our last little story is that of the first ever draft pick and first ever Heisman Trophy winner. Jay Berwanger holds the distinction of both honours but he decided not to play pro football and used his Heisman Trophy as a doorstop apparently! Maybe teams should have heeded the warning made at the very start of the draft and Heisman Trophy’s life the two aren’t made for guaranteed NFL success.
Sure you still want Sam Bradford St Louis?
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