Posted 5 hours ago | By Seth Trachtman
Draft classes are often evaluated by the strength of their draft classes, and 2021 is shaping up to be one of the deeper quarterback draft classes in recent memory. These 20 previous draft classes are the measuring stick for all future quarterback draft classes.
1 of 20
20. 2017
The 2017 quarterback class has a chance to be elite depending on how the careers of first-round picks Patrick Mahomes, Deshaun Watson, and Mitchell Trubisky pan out. Mahomes is off an incredible start, winning an MVP and appearing in two Super Bowls in his first three years as a starter. Watson has also made three Pro Bowls, but off-field allegations cloud his future. Trubisky had an up and down first four seasons in Chicago, though he did make the Pro Bowl in 2018.
2 of 20
19. 1999
The 1999 draft was a mixed bag. The draft included five first-round quarterbacks, but only Donovan McNabb and Daunte Culpepper truly panned out from that group, going to a combined nine Pro Bowls. Still, there were some surprises from the class, like second-round pick Shaun King and fourth-round pick Aaron Brooks.
3 of 20
18. 1979
The value of the 1979 draft rests on two quarterbacks, with seventh overall pick Phil Simms and third-round pick Joe Montana have great careers. Montana is considered one of the greatest quarterbacks in history, winning four Super Bowls and winning two MVP Awards with the 49ers. Jack Thompson (first round), Steve Fuller (first round), and Steve Dils (fourth round) also started more than 20 games in the league.
4 of 20
17. 1964
Roger Staubach was a 10th round pick in the 1964 draft out of Navy. He didn’t play for the Cowboys until 1969 but would go on to make the Hall of Fame. The only other Pro Bowl season from the draft was accrued by 11th rounder Bob Berry, though Pete Beathard (first round), Bill Munson (first round), and Jack Concannon (second round) saw over 30 starts in the league.
5 of 20
16. 1944
Quarterback Angelo Bertelli was the top pick in the 1944 class, but Hall of Famers Otto Graham (first round) and Bob Waterfield (fifth round) were the only quarterbacks of great NFL significance selected. The pair combined to win five NFL Championships.
6 of 20
15. 2001
Michael Vick was the first overall pick in 2001 and helped change the game with his running ability. Unfortunately, his career was disrupted by off-field troubles, but he still made four career Pro Bowls. However, the top player of the draft was second-round pick Drew Brees, who is a surefire Hall of Famer after making 13 Pro Bowls and winning two Offensive Player of the Year Awards in 19 seasons. The rest of the draft didn’t offer much of NFL significance.
To continue reading this article, click HERE.
