rynesandbergfan23
Bench Warmer
Michael David Smith
FootballOutsiders.com
In 1957, the San Francisco 49ers used their first-round draft pick on Stanford quarterback John Brodie. It worked out very well: Brodie led the league in passing yards three times and when he finally hung up his cleats after 17 seasons in San Francisco, the 49ers retired his jersey.
But here's the most extraordinary thing about the 49ers choosing Brodie in 1957: If you were to make a list of the best players drafted that year, Brodie probably wouldn't even crack the Top 10. That 1957 draft class had such an abundance of talent that even today, 50 years later, no class has surpassed it. No matter what kind of football you like to watch, the 1957 draft class had something for you:
Like a powerful running game? A Syracuse fullback by the name of Jim Brown was the Cleveland Browns' first-round choice that year, and all he did was lead the league in rushing eight times in nine seasons. Today (with 50 years of 20-20 hindsight) it seems inconceivable that five teams could have passed on Brown. But two of the five players chosen before Brown (Notre Dame halfback Paul Hornung and Purdue quarterback Len Dawson) also became Pro Football Hall of Famers. And the other three players chosen before Brown (Brodie, USC running back Jon Arnett and Michigan tight end Ron Kramer) have received Hall of Fame consideration.
Prefer open-field running? Hornung, a Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback at Notre Dame, switched to halfback when the Green Bay Packers made him the first overall pick. He became a tremendous all-purpose threat as a runner, receiver and even kicker, and the NFL record he set in 1960 for points in a season stood until LaDainian Tomlinson broke it in 2006 — and even then, Tomlinson didn't break Hornung's mark until the 14th game of the year, whereas Hornung established his record in a 12-game season.
Want to watch a great quarterback throw the ball? Two of the best passers of their time, Purdue's Len Dawson and Duke's Sonny Jurgensen, were drafted in 1957. The Pittsburgh Steelers drafted Dawson, who had led the Big Ten in passing in each of his three college seasons, with the fifth pick in the first round. The Steelers weren't smart enough to keep him, and he ended up having a Hall of Fame career with the Kansas City Chiefs. The Philadelphia Eagles drafted Jurgensen, who lasted until the fourth round because he threw just 59 passes as a senior in the conservative Duke offense. The Eagles weren't smart enough to keep him, and he ended up having a Hall of Fame career with the Washington Redskins.
More interested in the pass catchers? Two phenomenal receivers, Tommy McDonald and Don Maynard, were drafted in 1957. Both players were college halfbacks (McDonald at Oklahoma, Maynard at Texas Western) who became great pro receivers. McDonald was a third-round pick of the Philadelphia Eagles who played in five Pro Bowls for them and one more for the Los Angeles Rams. Maynard was a ninth-round pick of the New York Giants who became a Hall of Famer with the Jets after the Giants cut him.
Love linemen? Ohio State's Jim Parker, drafted eighth overall by the Baltimore Colts, was the best blocker of his generation. An Outland Trophy winner with the Buckeyes, Parker protected Johnny Unitas in Baltimore was named to the NFL's 75th anniversary all-time team. And Mississippi offensive lineman Gene Hickerson, a seventh-round pick of the Cleveland Browns, paved the way for Jim Brown throughout his career. Hickerson was finally elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame this year.
Enjoy defense? The Browns had yet another great pick that year (owner/coach Paul Brown was a genius for scouting talent) in Virginia defensive tackle Henry Jordan. One of the NCAA's best heavyweight wrestlers in addition to playing football, Jordan spent two years with the Browns before being traded to Vince Lombardi's Packers. In Green Bay he was one of the defensive stars of the five-time NFL champs.
It's hard to dispute that that collection of nine Hall of Famers makes the 1957draft class the best crop of college prospects ever. But in the 50 years since those players entered the league, a few other draft classes merit notice. Below we note the four runners up for the title of best draft class, one each from the 1960s, 70s, 80s and 90s:
1961: University of Pittsburgh tight end Mike Ditka, drafted fifth overall by the Chicago Bears, was the first of seven Hall of Fame players selected in 1961. Deacon Jones was the last of the seven, selected in the 12th round by the Los Angeles Rams after playing college ball at both South Carolina State and Mississippi Vocational.
1974: Five players who eventually merited enshrinement into the Pro Football Hall of Fame entered the league in the 1974 draft. Incredibly, the Pittsburgh Steelers drafted four of those players: USC wide receiver Lynn Swann in the first round, Kent State linebacker Jack Lambert in the second round, Alabama A&M wide receiver John Stallworth in the fourth round and Wisconsin center Mike Webster in the fifth round. Notre Dame tight end Dave Casper, the Oakland Raiders' second-round pick, was the other Hall of Famer taken in 1974
1983: Five players from the class — Stanford quarterback John Elway, SMU running back Eric Dickerson, USC offensive lineman Bruce Matthews, Miami quarterback Jim Kelly and Pittsburgh quarterback Dan Marino — are already in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. A sixth, Texas A&I cornerback Darrell Green, will get in next year.
1997: Two of the first six players taken were offensive tackles who will likely end up in Canton: Ohio State's Orlando Pace to the Rams with the first pick and Florida State's Walter Jones to the Seahawks with the sixth. Cal's Tony Gonzalez became the best tight end of his generation with the Chiefs. Virginia's Tiki Barber has just concluded an excellent career as a running back for the Giants, and his brother, Ronde, is still going strong as a cornerback for the Bucs. It's too early for any players from this class to be in the Hall of Fame, but now that Tiki Barber is retired, he could be just five years away.
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Where Does the 2006 class end up?
FootballOutsiders.com
In 1957, the San Francisco 49ers used their first-round draft pick on Stanford quarterback John Brodie. It worked out very well: Brodie led the league in passing yards three times and when he finally hung up his cleats after 17 seasons in San Francisco, the 49ers retired his jersey.
But here's the most extraordinary thing about the 49ers choosing Brodie in 1957: If you were to make a list of the best players drafted that year, Brodie probably wouldn't even crack the Top 10. That 1957 draft class had such an abundance of talent that even today, 50 years later, no class has surpassed it. No matter what kind of football you like to watch, the 1957 draft class had something for you:
Like a powerful running game? A Syracuse fullback by the name of Jim Brown was the Cleveland Browns' first-round choice that year, and all he did was lead the league in rushing eight times in nine seasons. Today (with 50 years of 20-20 hindsight) it seems inconceivable that five teams could have passed on Brown. But two of the five players chosen before Brown (Notre Dame halfback Paul Hornung and Purdue quarterback Len Dawson) also became Pro Football Hall of Famers. And the other three players chosen before Brown (Brodie, USC running back Jon Arnett and Michigan tight end Ron Kramer) have received Hall of Fame consideration.
Prefer open-field running? Hornung, a Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback at Notre Dame, switched to halfback when the Green Bay Packers made him the first overall pick. He became a tremendous all-purpose threat as a runner, receiver and even kicker, and the NFL record he set in 1960 for points in a season stood until LaDainian Tomlinson broke it in 2006 — and even then, Tomlinson didn't break Hornung's mark until the 14th game of the year, whereas Hornung established his record in a 12-game season.
Want to watch a great quarterback throw the ball? Two of the best passers of their time, Purdue's Len Dawson and Duke's Sonny Jurgensen, were drafted in 1957. The Pittsburgh Steelers drafted Dawson, who had led the Big Ten in passing in each of his three college seasons, with the fifth pick in the first round. The Steelers weren't smart enough to keep him, and he ended up having a Hall of Fame career with the Kansas City Chiefs. The Philadelphia Eagles drafted Jurgensen, who lasted until the fourth round because he threw just 59 passes as a senior in the conservative Duke offense. The Eagles weren't smart enough to keep him, and he ended up having a Hall of Fame career with the Washington Redskins.
More interested in the pass catchers? Two phenomenal receivers, Tommy McDonald and Don Maynard, were drafted in 1957. Both players were college halfbacks (McDonald at Oklahoma, Maynard at Texas Western) who became great pro receivers. McDonald was a third-round pick of the Philadelphia Eagles who played in five Pro Bowls for them and one more for the Los Angeles Rams. Maynard was a ninth-round pick of the New York Giants who became a Hall of Famer with the Jets after the Giants cut him.
Love linemen? Ohio State's Jim Parker, drafted eighth overall by the Baltimore Colts, was the best blocker of his generation. An Outland Trophy winner with the Buckeyes, Parker protected Johnny Unitas in Baltimore was named to the NFL's 75th anniversary all-time team. And Mississippi offensive lineman Gene Hickerson, a seventh-round pick of the Cleveland Browns, paved the way for Jim Brown throughout his career. Hickerson was finally elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame this year.
Enjoy defense? The Browns had yet another great pick that year (owner/coach Paul Brown was a genius for scouting talent) in Virginia defensive tackle Henry Jordan. One of the NCAA's best heavyweight wrestlers in addition to playing football, Jordan spent two years with the Browns before being traded to Vince Lombardi's Packers. In Green Bay he was one of the defensive stars of the five-time NFL champs.
It's hard to dispute that that collection of nine Hall of Famers makes the 1957draft class the best crop of college prospects ever. But in the 50 years since those players entered the league, a few other draft classes merit notice. Below we note the four runners up for the title of best draft class, one each from the 1960s, 70s, 80s and 90s:
1961: University of Pittsburgh tight end Mike Ditka, drafted fifth overall by the Chicago Bears, was the first of seven Hall of Fame players selected in 1961. Deacon Jones was the last of the seven, selected in the 12th round by the Los Angeles Rams after playing college ball at both South Carolina State and Mississippi Vocational.
1974: Five players who eventually merited enshrinement into the Pro Football Hall of Fame entered the league in the 1974 draft. Incredibly, the Pittsburgh Steelers drafted four of those players: USC wide receiver Lynn Swann in the first round, Kent State linebacker Jack Lambert in the second round, Alabama A&M wide receiver John Stallworth in the fourth round and Wisconsin center Mike Webster in the fifth round. Notre Dame tight end Dave Casper, the Oakland Raiders' second-round pick, was the other Hall of Famer taken in 1974
1983: Five players from the class — Stanford quarterback John Elway, SMU running back Eric Dickerson, USC offensive lineman Bruce Matthews, Miami quarterback Jim Kelly and Pittsburgh quarterback Dan Marino — are already in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. A sixth, Texas A&I cornerback Darrell Green, will get in next year.
1997: Two of the first six players taken were offensive tackles who will likely end up in Canton: Ohio State's Orlando Pace to the Rams with the first pick and Florida State's Walter Jones to the Seahawks with the sixth. Cal's Tony Gonzalez became the best tight end of his generation with the Chiefs. Virginia's Tiki Barber has just concluded an excellent career as a running back for the Giants, and his brother, Ronde, is still going strong as a cornerback for the Bucs. It's too early for any players from this class to be in the Hall of Fame, but now that Tiki Barber is retired, he could be just five years away.
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Where Does the 2006 class end up?
