FanPost

Why we should not choose a QB in round 1


In a previous comment, I asked if anyone knew what position players chosen in round one of the NFL draft have the historically greatest chances of success. One answer I received was that basically anyone can be a bust, but an OT can move to OG and possibly catch on that way. But, I was more interested to find out how many first rounders became All Pro's and which position garnered the most. So, I did a little research. I went from way back in 1969 and then returned to the present day, which was kind of fun for me since I can remember seeing many of those players play on TV. (Yes, we had TV back then, but no flat screens, dishes or cable, though). Anyway, here's what I discovered:

Of the various position players who ultimately made All Pro and were chosen by all teams in round 1 from 1969 to 2008 were:

38 Running backs (Including our own Adrian Peterson, Chuck Foreman and Robert Smith)

36 OT's (including Todd Steusie)

32 Wideouts

29 DT's (including Alan Page and Chris Hovan)

42 LB's

26 DE's (Chris Doleman)

45 DB's (Antoine Winfield, and don't we miss him!)

9 QB's (Tommy Kramer)

17 OG's (Steve Hutchinson, Randall McDaniel)

11 TE's

2 Centers

1 Punter (That would be Hall of Famer Ray Guy if you were wondering)

0 Place Kickers

Notice the order here. I multiplied by the number of players that play that position the raw number listed so that the actual order above reflects the true rankings. For example: there is only one QB, so to compare it to the OT's I multiply the number of QB's who made All Pro by 2 and get 18, which is still half of the 36 OT's that made All Pro. Please also realize that there is a distinction between All Pro and being chosen to play in the "Pro Bowl". All Pro players are truly the elite at each position chosen each year.

Ok, so much for "ancient history". Let's look at the last 5 drafts, round 1:

Who has made All Pro after being chosen by all NFL teams in round 1?

4 DE's

4 CB's

3 WR's (Including our Cordarelle Patterson, as a KR, this year)

3 DT's

4 LB's (ranked 5th because they mostly play 3 on the field at a time)

2 Safeties

1 Center

1 OG

1 RB (as a Kick returner)

1 OT

No QB's (yet)

Interestingly, Cordarelle Patterson was the only one from the 2013 first round draft who has made All Pro so far. Yes, it is very early to judge the last 5 draft classes, which is part of the reason I separated them out.

So, you be the judge. In the last 5 years several of the QB's chosen in round 1, especially those chosen first overall, have continued to make contributions to their team's success, but ask yourself if choosing another position player could have improved the team's chances of a deep playoff run even more. I am anxious to read your reaction to my analysis.

Skol!

This FanPost was created by a registered user of The Daily Norseman, and does not necessarily reflect the views of the staff of the site. However, since this is a community, that view is no less important.