Draft Fever: Remembering the Best Draft in NFL History

With the 2018 NFL Draft coming up, it’s hard not to remember all the great drafts that came before. However, the greatest draft in the last 25 years, is arguably the 2007 Draft. This draft class gave us monster All Stars like Calvin Johnson, Joe Thomas, Darrelle Revis and Adrian Peterson.

The Best Picks:

Calvin Johnson, WR, Georgia

The Detroit Lions picked Calvin Johnson with the No. 2 Pick, a wide receiver from Georgia Tech. Johnson finished his career early, but notched an impressive 11,619 yards and 83 touchdowns during his nine year career.

Joe Thomas, OT, Wisconsin

The Cleveland Browns selected Joe Thomas at #3 from Wisconsin. Thomas, who just recently announced his retirement from the NFL, was invited to the Pro Bowl in each of his first 10 seasons. He also did not miss a single play in his career until the 2017 season. Thomas’ 10,363 consecutive snaps played is the longest streak since the NFL began recording snap counts in 1999.

Oh, @joethomas73 got jokes 😂#ThankYou73 pic.twitter.com/54TLdwm2zM

— Cleveland Browns (@Browns) March 19, 2018

Adrian Peterson, RB, Oklahoma

The Minnesota Vikings selected Adrian Peterson at No. 7, who was a running back from Oklahoma. Peterson remained with the Vikings until 2016, where he posted unfathomable numbers en route to the Hall of Fame. He now sits as a free agent after being released by the Arizona Cardinals.

Patrick Willis, ILB, Mississippi

The San Francisco 49ers grabbed Patrick Willis at No. 11. Willis was an inside linebacker from Mississippi. Willis was a beast until his retirement in 2015, notching 732 tackles and 20.5 sacks. It is said that Willis is now thriving in Silicon Valley as a tech worker.

Marshawn Lynch, RB, Cal

The Bills nabbed Marshawn Lynch at No. 12. “Beast Mode” as he was known, was a running back from California, but he did not get attention until he went to Seattle. Throughout his career, Lynch has been highly praised for his hard-hitting running ability. After a brief (and interesting) stint of retirement, Lynch has since returned to play with his hometown Oakland Raiders.

Darrelle Revis, CB, Pitt

The New York Jets selected future Hall of Famer Darrelle Revis at No. 14. Revis was a corner back from Pittsburgh. He was one of three guys from this draft that helped the Jets greatly. Now with the Kansas City Chiefs, Revis is beginning to face the struggles that come with old age, but he will forever be remembered for shut down defense that labeled him “Revis Island.”

What are the Top 3 defensive duos in #Jets history? #TeammateTuesday

3⃣: Cro & Revis pic.twitter.com/OvW2Bh78FD

— New York Jets (@nyjets) March 20, 2018

Lawrence Timmons, LB, Florida State

The Pittsburgh Steelers picked Lawrence Timmons with the No. 15 pick, a linebacker from Florida State. Timmons is still flirting with relevancy in 2018. The 231LB linebacker has had quite the career already though, totalling 35.5 sacks along with 738 tackles.

Michael Griffin, S, Texas

The Titans picked up Michael Griffin at No. 19, a safety from Texas. Griffin was once one of the most threatening safety’s in the league. He sits with a flourished 25 interceptions and 592 tackles to his name.

Honorable Mentions:

• Reggie Nelson, S, Florida.
• Dwayne Bowe, WR, LSU.
• Brandon Meriweather, S, Miami (FL).
• Jon Beason, LB, Miami (FL).
• Joe Staley, OT, Central Michigan.
• Greg Olsen, TE, Miami (FL)
• David Harris, LB, University of Michigan.

Now, this draft may of been one of the best ones in a while, but there was still a few busts after much hype coming from college to the NFL. These men could of been great players but, putting a great player in a system they are not used to or on a weaker team where one man can not do it all, is what may cause these busts. Every team is guilty of it.

The Busts:

Brady Quinn, QB, Notre Dame

Quinn was drafted 22nd overall by the Cleveland Browns. Coming out of college, he was projected to be the next “great” quarterback of the league. Many had him going in the top 10, but Quinn could not live up to expectations. He finished his brief career with 12 touchdowns and 17 interceptions.

Justin Harrell,  DT, Tennessee

Drafted 16th overall by the Green Bay Packers, Harrell could never shake the injury bug. He totaled only 14 games played over the course of his four year career. Many criticized both Harell and the Packers for the way the relationship was handled.

JaMarcus Russell, QB, LSU

And last, but not least…drafted first overall by the Oakland Raiders, JaMarcus Russell. Despite throwing for over 4,000 yards in his three career seasons, Russell is considered to be THE standard of bust. After signing a deal reportedly worth $61 million ($32 guaranteed), Russell was only able to propel the Raiders to a 7-18 record as a starter. His attempt at an NFL comeback in 2010 fell short, and Russell has not looked back at the NFL ever since.

– Alessandro Senatore is a staff writer for Full Press Coverage Jets and covers the New York Jets. Like and follow on Follow @AMS1928 Follow @FPC_Jets

Kyle Hirshkind (FPC Jets Managing Editor) also contributed to this article.

– Kyle Hirshkind is the Managing Editor for Full Press Coverage Jets and covers the New York Jets. Like and follow on Follow @kylehirshkind Follow @FPC_Jets