It’s not easy ranking the best NFL draft classes of all time because of how subjective it is.
Are we putting more stock into the draft classes that feature a Hall of Famer, even though it lacks depth? Is it fair to compare the players taken before and after the Super Bowl era?
There’s also the problem of having too much recency bias. Luckily, my colleague Matt Verderame put together his own list two years ago and made sure to do his history homework. This helped keep me in line, but there were times I had to credit draft classes that occurred in the past decade. And my ranking criteria is a little different when it comes to teams that have rebranded and relocated.
Also, let’s get this out of the way now: The Baltimore Colts will not get credit for drafting John Elway. Let’s get to the list.
Arizona Cardinals
Best draft class: 2004
The Cardinals aren’t known for producing great draft classes, but they got it very right with the 2004 group, headlined by Hall of Fame wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald. Arizona also landed key starters Karlos Dansby and Darnell Dockett in the same class. This memorable core group guided the Cardinals to the Super Bowl for the 2008 season.
Atlanta Falcons
Best draft class: 2001
The Falcons are up there when it comes to drafting generational players the past 36 years, from Deion Sanders in 1989 to Julio Jones in 2011. Atlanta also drafted Brett Favre in 1991, but the team can’t fully claim that pick because Favre was traded to the Green Bay Packers a year later.
A decade after the regrettable Favre trade, Atlanta found its franchise quarterback, swapping picks with the San Diego Chargers to select Michael Vick at No. 1. (The Chargers used Atlanta’s No. 4 pick to take LaDainian Tomlinson.) It’s debatable whether Vick had a Hall of Fame career, but he’s certainly one of the most influential players in franchise history, perhaps more impactful than Sanders’s stint. Also, the 2001 class gets points for depth because it featured tight end Alge Crumpler, one of Vick’s go-to targets.
Baltimore Ravens
Best draft class: 1996
It doesn’t get much better than the Ravens’ inaugural draft class. After relocating from Cleveland, the rebranded franchise selected a pair of Hall of Fame players in the first round, taking offensive tackle Jonathan Ogden at No. 4 and linebacker Ray Lewis at No. 26.
Both players were instrumental in Baltimore winning Super Bowl XXXV. While this is an epic draft class, the 2018 group could surpass it if Lamar Jackson and Mark Andrews deliver a Lombardi Trophy in the near future.
Buffalo Bills
Best draft class: 1985
Those who quickly thought of the 2018 class because of Josh Allen should go on YouTube and watch highlights of Bruce Smith, possibly the greatest pass rusher the NFL has ever seen. Smith, the 1985 No. 1 pick, is the league’s all-time career leader with 200 sacks.
Eighty-five picks after Smith, Buffalo selected Hall-of-Fame wide receiver Andre Reed. Former Colts and Panthers coach Frank Reich was drafted by the Bills in the third round of that memorable class.
Carolina Panthers
Best draft class: 2002
It was tough to choose this class over the 2001 group, which had plenty of depth with three Pro Bowlers in Dan Morgan, Kris Jenkins and Steve Smith Sr. Although Smith isn’t a J.A.G. (just another guy) as one of the most prolific receivers of his generation, he’s not a first-ballot Hall of Famer like the legendary Julius Peppers, the No. 2 pick in '02.
Let’s not overlook that running back DeShaun Foster, currently the head coach at UCLA and the Panthers’ 2002 second-rounder, rushed for 3,336 yards in five seasons with the organization. The back-to-back productive draft classes helped the Panthers reach the Super Bowl in '03.
Chicago Bears
Best draft class: 1983
Way back when the draft had more than seven rounds, the Bears found the ferocious Richard Dent in the eighth round, an instrumental player for the Super Bowl-winning 1985 Bears featuring arguably the greatest defense in league history.
As for another Hall of Famer from this class, Chicago selected offensive tackle Jimbo Covert with the No. 6 pick in the first round, two years before blocking for Jim McMahon in the Super Bowl against the Patriots. The Bears also took receiver Willie Gault, safety Dave Duerson, cornerback Mike Richardson, guard Tom Thayer and guard Mark Bortz, all players who went on to become critical contributors for the organization.
Best draft class: 2020
Don’t bother calling this recency bias. Joe Burrow, the team’s No. 1 pick, might already be the franchise’s best quarterback because he has the Super Bowl appearance and bank account to support this claim. The Bengals have had long contract disputes with their star players, but it said plenty that they had no issue handing Burrow a five-year, $275 million contract extension three years into his career.
The team recently rewarded wide receiver and 2020 second-round pick Tee Higgins with a four-year, $115 million contract extension. Linebacker and 2020 third-round pick Logan Wilson has started 58 games for the Bengals.
Cleveland Browns
Best draft class: 1957
The legendary Jim Brown was drafted No. 6 that year. That should be enough said, but Cleveland also selected defensive tackle Henry Jordan and offensive guard Gene Hickerson. All three are in the Hall of Fame, with Brown and Hickerson helping Cleveland win the NFL championship in 1964.
Dallas Cowboys
Best draft class: 1964
The Cowboys made a handful of franchise-altering picks in the late 1980s and early ‘90s to eventually win three Super Bowls, but the “triplets” of Troy Aikman, Michael Irvin and Emmitt Smith weren’t found in the same class.
Dallas nailed the 1964 group by landing three Hall of Famers in defensive back Mel Renfro, wide receiver Bob Hayes and quarterback Roger Staubach. While Staubach’s military commitments deferred his joining the Cowboys until '69, he was worth the wait as a two-time Super Bowl champion.
Denver Broncos
Best draft class: 1983
My colleague Verderame is right, the correct answer should be the class of 1975. But I’ll go the different route and count John Elway as a draft pick of the Broncos. It’s not like the Baltimore Colts are getting credit for technically drafting Elway with the No. 1 pick in 1983. Denver used offensive lineman Chris Hinton, the No. 4 pick that year, as part of the trade package for Elway.
Despite also being selected (twice) in the MLB draft, Elway never ended up playing for the Kansas City Royal or the New York Yankees, and later won two Super Bowls in Denver. The Colts moved to Indianapolis in 1984, quickly validating Elway’s decision to not play for the organization.
Detroit Lions
Best draft class: 1989
The Lions nabbed arguably the greatest player in team history after submitting the No. 3 pick for the smooth running back out of Oklahoma State. Barry Sanders is considered one of the greatest running backs of all time and it might not even be a discussion had he not decided to surprisingly retire after 10 seasons instead of aiming to break the all-time rushing record. Sanders finished with 15,269 career rushing yards.
Green Bay Packers
Best draft class: 1958
Long before the Packers won the first two Super Bowls in the late 1960s, they set the building blocks for sustained success after drafting three Hall of Famers inside the first four rounds, taking fullback Jim Taylor, linebacker Ray Nitschke and guard Jerry Kramer. The trio helped lead the Packers to five NFL titles from 1961 to '67.
Houston Texans
Best draft class: 2023
This might be too soon for most franchises, but the Texans have only been around since 2002. Yes, they drafted J.J. Watt in '11 and gained plenty of depth with the '06 group that consisted of Mario Williams and DeMeco Ryans.
But C.J. Stroud and Will Anderson Jr. could go down as two of the greatest players in Texans history when it’s all said and done. Houston hasn’t looked back since selecting Stroud at No. 2 and boldly sending a first-round pick to the Cardinals to take Anderson with the No. 3 pick. This gave the Texans a pillar on each side of the ball, with Stroud and Anderson guiding the franchise to a pair of divisional round appearances the past two seasons.
Best draft class: 1998
Welp, the Colts didn’t get credit for Elway, but they do for selecting Peyton Manning with the No. 1 pick 15 years later. Luckily for them, Manning wasn’t into baseball and didn’t mind playing for an Irsay, guiding the Colts to a Super Bowl XLI victory against the Bears.
Sure, the 1963 class was pretty successful, too. But let’s just say that’s the greatest draft class ever for the Baltimore days.
Jacksonville Jaguars
Best draft class: 2016
The Jaguars’ franchise started off right after making Hall of Fame tackle Tony Boselli its first draft pick in 1995. But they haven’t gotten much right in the draft ever since. Even the class of 2021 with Trevor Lawrence still hasn’t lived up to expectations.
The 2016 group, however, delivered plenty of wins with star cornerback Jalen Ramsey leading the charge. Myles Jack was selected after Ramsey in the second round, followed by edge rusher Yannick Ngakoue in the third round. This core group ended prematurely after Ramsey was traded to the Rams in '19, but it helped guide the Jaguars to the AFC title game in '17. That was the year Blake Bortles, the Jaguars’ first-round pick in '14, Case Keenum and Nick Foles joined Tom Brady on championship Sunday.
Kansas City Chiefs
Best draft class: 1963
The Chiefs have built a dynasty around the draft selections of Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce and Chris Jones, but they were all drafted in separate years.
As a whole, it’s tough not to think of the 1963 class with Hall of Fame defensive duo Buck Buchanan and Bobby Bell. Buchanan, the defensive tackle out of Grambling State, was the first Black player to be the first pick of either the AFL or NFL drafts. The dominant duo helped Kansas City win Super Bowl IV against the Vikings.
Las Vegas Raiders
Best draft class: 1968
The Raiders haven’t done much winning this century, but they have an extensive history book with several iconic players, including the 1968 class, which started with the first-round selection of Eldridge Dickey, the first Black quarterback ever drafted in the opening round. Oakland moved him to receiver before Dickey ever threw a professional pass.
Ken Stabler, the other quarterback drafted that year, completed several passes for the Silver and Black and guided them to a victory in Super Bowl XI over the Vikings. But the best player from this class was third-round left tackle Art Shell, who later became the head coach of the Raiders. Stabler and Shell are in the Hall of Fame.
Los Angeles Chargers
Best draft class: 2004
It’s only right that Philip Rivers counts toward the Chargers’ 2004 class. Then-coach Marty Schottenheimer did after all tell the New York Giants that he would agree to the Eli Manning trade if they selected the North Carolina State quarterback with the No. 4 pick.
After picking Manning for the Giants, the Chargers selected center Nick Hardwick, defensive end Shaun Phillips and running back Michael Turner, all players who helped the organization have one of the best rosters of the middle 2000s. The team also used a third-round pick on former All-Pro kicker Nate Kaeding, but Chargers fans aren’t fond of the name due to a few costly misses in the postseason.
Los Angeles Rams
Best draft class: 1945
The “Greatest Show on Turf” often comes to mind when thinking about the best Rams teams. Legendary tackle Jackie Slater also had a few memorable Rams teams in the 1970s and ‘80s. But the best draft class in team history goes back further, to when the Rams landed a pair of Hall of Famers in 1945.
The then-Cleveland Rams used a first-round pick on Elroy “Crazylegs” Hirsch, who led the NFL with 66 receptions, 1,495 receiving yards and 17 touchdowns in 1951. Hirsch, a Wisconsin native, quickly turned Hollywood after the team moved to Los Angeles, becoming an actor and starring in his own biopic, the '53 film “Crazylegs.” In the 11th round, the Rams took Tom Fears, who was born in Guadalajara, Mexico, before his family moved to Southern California.
Miami Dolphins
Best draft class: 1983
It’s understandable if Dolphins fans disagree here. The organization did take Larry Csonka, Jim Kiick and Dick Anderson in 1968, core players who helped the Dolphins win two Super Bowls, including the league’s only undefeated season in '72.
But let’s not overlook the fact that the Dolphins bet on Dan Marino after his draft day slide made him available at No. 27. Miami also landed Marino’s favorite wide receiver, Mark Clayton, in the eighth round.
Best draft class: 1967
Only two defensive players have ever won MVP, but the first to do it was the dominant Alan Page, the Vikings’ No. 15 pick in 1967. Page, a Hall of Fame defensive tackle, was named MVP in '71 after anchoring the league’s best defense. Giants linebacker Lawrence Taylor was the second defensive MVP in '86.
Fellow 1967 draft picks Gene Washington, Bob Grim and Bobby Bryant all went on to become Pro Bowlers for the Vikings.
New England Patriots
Best draft class: 2000
Don’t overthink this one. It’s 2000 solely because of pick No. 199 in the sixth round.
Tom Brady won six Super Bowls for the Patriots before capturing ring No. 7 with the Buccaneers. Those titles alone should make this one of the greatest draft classes of all time, and it doesn’t even matter that the Patriots’ first six picks before Brady only played a combined 204 career games as none of them played past 2005. Brady finished his illustrious career in '22 with 335 career games played.
New Orleans Saints
Best draft class: 2017
The luster of the Saints’ 2009 Super Bowl title was long gone when the team missed the postseason in three consecutive seasons. But a second winning act with quarterback Drew Brees and coach Sean Payton emerged thanks to the impactful draft class of '17.
New Orleans landed Marshon Lattimore, Ryan Ramczyk, Marcus Williams, Alvin Kamara, Alex Anzalone and Trey Hendrickson. All six players have played in at least 95 career games.
New York Giants
Best draft class: 1993
Surprisingly, the Giants lack a draft class with a handful of impactful players. Maybe the easy answer here is 1981 because the team used the No. 2 pick on Lawrence Taylor. But it’s more impressive that the team’s scouting department found Michael Strahan with the No. 40 pick in '93.
Strahan’s dominance off the edge constantly reminded the Giants about the value of having depth at pass rusher. That mindset led to two Super Bowls, including the 2007 team with Strahan that ended the Patriots’ perfect season.
New York Jets
Best draft class: 2000
This one will surely get some negative reaction partly because the Jets didn’t land a superstar with one of their four first-round picks in 2000—yes, first rounders. The team had a record number of first-round picks through a combination of trades, including sending wide receiver Keyshawn Johnson to the Buccaneers and coach Bill Belichick to the Patriots.
New York used the four picks on Shaun Ellis, John Abraham, Chad Pennington and Anthony Becht. Don’t knock these picks without remembering that this core group went to three playoffs in five seasons. Pennington made the playoffs four times as the Jets’ starting quarterback. Also in 2000, the Jets drafted wide receiver Laveranues Coles in the third round. As a reminder, the Jets haven’t made the postseason since '10.
Philadelphia Eagles
Best draft class: 1957
The Eagles got plenty right in 1957 after landing four impactful players through the draft. Wide receiver Tommy McDonald and quarterback Sonny Jurgensen went on to be enshrined in the Hall of Fame. The duo led the way for the NFL championship team in 1960. Philadelphia also drafted backs Clarence Peaks and Billy Ray Barnes.
Pittsburgh Steelers
Best draft class: 1974
It might not get any better than the Steelers’ legendary 1974 draft class. This was the start of the Pittsburgh dynasty winning four Super Bowls in six seasons. Four of the first five picks became Hall of Famers.
First, the Steelers drafted USC wide receiver Lynn Swann. That was followed by linebacker Jack Lambert, wide receiver John Stallworth and center Mike Webster. Along with the Super Bowls, the memorable four draft picks combined for 13 first-team All-Pro honors and 24 Pro Bowl trips.
San Francisco 49ers
Best draft class: 1986
Teams that become dynasties often develop a second core group. San Francisco sustained its success in the 1980s after landing Hall of Fame defensive end Charles Haley in the fourth round. Haley was just one of seven draft picks who turned into starters for the 49ers, who went on to win two more Super Bowls with Joe Montana under center. The team also selected fullback Tom Rathman, defensive back Tim McKyer and receiver John Taylor.
Seattle Seahawks
Best draft class: 2012
The Legion of Boom wouldn’t have occurred without the memorable draft class of 2012.
A year after drafting cornerback Richard Sherman, the Seahawks added to their vaunted defense by selecting edge rusher Bruce Irvin and linebacker Bobby Wagner in the first two rounds, respectively. In the third round, Seattle took a chance on the undersized quarterback from Wisconsin, Russell Wilson.
Best draft class: 1995
The Buccaneers unofficially shook off their reputation for being a losing franchise after drafting defensive tackle Warren Sapp and linebacker Derrick Brooks in the first round. These were two of the best players at their position for a long period, ultimately leading to a Super Bowl title in 2002 and later being enshrined in the Hall of Fame.
Tennessee Titans
Best draft class: 1999
The Titans won’t get credit here for picks they made when they were known as the Houston Oilers. Call it punishment for wearing the “Luv Ya Blue” jerseys the past few seasons. But the franchise has had some draft success since relocating to Nashville.
In a way, they truly became the Titans after drafting Jevon Kearse at No. 16 in 1999. “The Freak” gave the team a jolt and played an instrumental role in helping the Titans reach the Super Bowl against the Rams. Kearse was named first-team All-Pro as a rookie and finished his career as a three-time Pro Bowler.
Washington Commanders
Best draft class: 1981
Washington found plenty of talent for its offensive line in 1981. The organization took guards Mark May and Russ Grimm in the first two rounds, the latter being enshrined in Canton. They also gained an impactful player for the defensive side, selecting defensive end Dexter Manley, who ended his productive career with 103.5 sacks.
