40 Years Of Futility Drafting QB’s

(Hall of Fame QB Warren Moon went Undrafted In 1978)

Let’s take a look at the past 40 years of the first QB’s drafted in their draft class, most are not the first player taken overall in that draft year but all are the first QB’s drafted in their draft class.

Below is the list of each QB taken first and if you see an asterisk by their names they at least was named to a pro bowl in their careers and if you see two asterisks by their names they are QB’s that were above average among their peers and if they have two asterisks and are in Bold Print they are Hall Of Fame players.

The reason for this report is to show how very few of the first QB’s drafted in their class over the years have proven to go on the become good QB’s let alone franchise QB’s. Many of the names you most likely can’t put a face to, so if that is the case you know they were never really relevant in their careers.

1980’s

• Marc Wilson
• Rich Campbell
• Art Schlichter
• *John Elway*
• Boomer Esiason*
• Bernie Kosar*
• Jim Everett
• Vinny Testaverde*
• Chris Chandler
• *Troy Aikman*

1990’s

• Jeff George
• Dan McGwire
• David Klingler
• Drew Bledsoe*
• Heath Shuler
• Steve McNair*
• Tony Banks
• Jim Druckenmiller
• *Peyton Manning*
• Tim Couch

2000’s

• Chad Pennington
• Michael Vick*
• David Carr
• Carson Palmer*
• *Eli Manning*
• Alex Smith*
• Vince Young*
• JaMarcus Russell
• Matt Ryan*
• Matthew Stafford*

2010’s

• Sam Bradford
• Cam Newton*
• *Andrew Luck*
• EJ Manuel
• Blake Bortles
• Jameis Winston*
• Jared Goff*
• Mitchell Trubisky
• Baker Mayfield
• Kyler Murray
• ???

It’s the unknown that is the problem when drafting QB’s and for the most part the better QB’s have been drafted later in the draft of that particular year.

The Top 10 2019 Fantasy QB’s

1. Lamar Jackson
2. Patrick Mahomes
3. Russell Wilson
4. Kyler Murray
5. Deshaun Watson
6. Josh Allen
7. Dak Prescott
8. Matt Ryan
9. Carson Wentz
10. Drew Brees

There is only two QB’s on the list above that was the first QB taken in his draft class.

Notable names who are not on the list of QB’s drafted first overall in the past 40 years. The ones in Bold with an asterisk are Hall Of Fame QB’s, none drafted first in their draft class!

• Tom Brady Drafted in 2000 / Round: 6 / Pick: 199 (future hall-of-famer)
• Joe Montana* Drafted in 1979 / Round: 3 / Pick: 82
• Brett Favre* Drafted in 1991 / Round: 2 / Pick: 33
• Dan Marino* Drafted in 1983 / Round: 1 / Pick: 27 (6th QB Taken)
• Philip Rivers Drafted in 2004 / Round: 1 / Pick: 4 (2nd QB Taken)
• Ben Roethlisberger Drafted in 2004 / Round: 1 / Pick: 11 (3rd QB Taken)
• Warren Moon* Undrafted in 1978 Still can’t believe it!
• Aaron Rodgers Drafted in 2005 / Round: 1 / Pick: 24 (2nd QB Taken)
• Jim Kelly* Drafted in 1983 / Round: 1 / Pick: 14 (3rd QB Taken)
• Steve Young*  Taken in the Supplemental draft: 1984 / Round: 1
• Kurt Warner* Undrafted: 1994 Another Shocker!

What is the point?

The point is QB’s because of the importance of the position get rated higher than they should because of their position and history supports this fact. In the list of 40 years of the first QB’s taken in their draft class, out of those 40 QB’s only 3 are hall of fame QB’s and only 19 had pro bowl seasons. There have been greater success from QB’s taken later in the draft than the ones taken first.

The NFL Draft is fast approaching and quite a few fans want the Dolphins to trade their picks to move up and draft one of the top rated QB’s in the draft, QB’s Joe Burrow and Tua Tagovailoa are the top two rated QB’s projected to go high in this years NFL draft and I am of the opinion that neither is worth giving up picks for and barely makes my top 10 on my BIG BOARD of players to be drafted this year.

With the Dolphins holding the 5th pick in the upcoming draft there are players of greater value than QB that the Dolphins SHOULD consider, especially considering what they currently have on their roster at the QB position a seasoned veteran and a young QB they are developing that was just two years ago the 10th pick in the NFL draft.

Team Building is what I am preaching and I hope Miami’s brass will do what is best for the team and not what is popular to the fans. The history of drafting QB’s shows that there is a greater chance of top QB’s taken in the draft being BUST than having success.

The fact that two QB’s who went undrafted are Hall Of Fame QB’s makes you question how valid the QB ranking process is.

Just something to keep in mind as we enter the draft in a little over a week from now!

Fins Up!

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