Ranking the Greatest NFL Draft Classes of All Time – NBC4 Washington

Ranking the greatest NFL Draft classes originally appeared on NBC Sports Washington

Its deal-making season for NFL general managers and the draft is just the next thing on their laundry list.

Not a single selection has been made in the 2022 NFL Draft, but opinions are already being formed as each team looks to secure the necessary pieces to contend for a Super Bowl. Depending on the strength of the group, teams will gamble everything to score a shot at the cream of the crop.

Just like choosing an exceptional first-round draft pick, determining the quality of a draft class is up for debate, with some showing preference to star power while others give weight to the overall depth of a class.

Only time can tell how a draft class will truly age, but that wont keep fans and pundits alike from weighing in with early evaluations on where a class ranks in NFL history.

Tune in to the NFL draft on April 28 to see how the 2022 class measures up.

Super Bowl MVPs: none

Hall of Famers: 5 - O.J. Simpson, Joe Greene, Ted Hendricks, Charlie Joiner and Roger Wehrli

Super Bowl MVPs: none

Hall of Famers: 5 - Bruce Smith, Jerry Rice, Chris Doleman, Andre Reed and Kevin Greene

Super Bowl MVPs: 2 - Patrick Mahomes, Cooper Kupp

Hall of Famers: not eligible (must be retired for at least five years)

Super Bowl MVPs: 3 - Ottis Anderson, Joe Montana and Phil Simms

Hall of Famers: 4 - Kellen Winslow, Joe Montana, Dan Hampton and Bill Cowher

Super Bowl MVPs: 2 - Hines Ward and Peyton Manning

Hall of Famers: 4 - Randy Moss, Peyton Manning, Charles Woodson and Alan Faneca

Super Bowl MVPs: 1 - Eli Manning - Super Bowl XLVI and XLII

Hall of Famers: none

Im hesitant to start this list out with a draft class north of 2000, but the name recognition among this group simply cant be ignored.

This was the year of the quarterback Eli Manning, Philip Rivers and Ben Roethlisberger all gone by the 11th pick. The first round also included Larry Fitzgerald and the late Sean Taylor. But talent wasnt exclusive to the top of the draft. The 2004 class featured an impressive group of undrafted players such as Wes Welker and Jason Peters, both of whom were named to the Pro Bowl multiple times.

Super Bowl MVPs: 2 - Malcolm Smith - Super Bowl XLVIII, Von Miller - Super Bowl L

Hall of Famers: none

Recency bias aside, the 2011 NFL Draft is generally considered to be the best of the last two decades. Cam Newton coming off a Heisman victory at Auburn headlined this group as the No. 1 overall pick, but the accolades didnt stop there.

Von Miller, the No. 2 pick, has two Super Bowl rings and was named MVP for his effort with the Broncos in Super Bowl L. A.J. Green, Patrick Peterson and Julio Jones -- selected fourth through sixth -- have earned Pro Bowl honors a combined 22 times. For perspective, three-time Defensive Player of the Year J.J. Watt didnt even crack the top-10 in this class.

Super Bowl MVPs: 1 - Larry Csonka - Super Bowl VIII

Hall of Famers: 8 - Larry Csonka, Art Shell, Ron Yary, Elvin Bethea, Charlie Sanders, Curley Culp, Claude Humphrey, Ken Stabler

The 1968 NFL Draft was the second joint draft between the NFL and AFL and it certainly helped establish a tradition of excellence between the two leagues. It featured eight Hall of Famers -- all taken in the first three rounds -- and a host of athletes that left their footprint on the league, including Curley Culp and Ron Yary.

Super Bowl MVPs: 2 - John Riggins - Super Bowl XVII, Jim Plunkett - Super Bowl XV

Hall of Famers: 5 - Jack Ham, John Riggins, Dan Dierdorf, Jack Youngblood and Harold Carmichael

1971 was the original Year of the Quarterback, but few could predict how the legacy of this draft class would play out.

The draft opened with three-straight quarterback selections: Two-time Super Bowl champion Jim Plunkett, Archie Manning whose surname needs no explanation -- and Dan Pastorini. Later in the fourth round, the Miami Dolphins took Joe Theismann off the board. All experienced varying degrees of success in the league, but none of them are enshrined in Canton.

Despite that, this draft class still mounted an impressive resume on the field. Those four quarterbacks combined for 93,514 career passing yards and all recorded over 100 passing touchdowns. Meanwhile, John Riggins rushed for 11,352 yards and 104 touchdowns to earn him a spot in the Hall of Fame. On the defensive end, Jack Youngblood led the way, recording double-digit sacks in eight of his 14 seasons.

Super Bowl MVPs: 1 - Troy Aikman - Super Bowl XXVII

Hall of Famers: 5 - Barry Sanders, Troy Aikman, Derrick Thomas, Deion Sanders and Steve Atwater

What this class lacked in depth, it made up for in star power. Aikmans three Super Bowl rings and Barry Sanders five seasons with at least 1,500 rushing yards are just a few of the highlights that make this class so great.

This class makes a strong bid for the best first round in NFL history, with four of the top-five picks making it to the Hall of Fame. No. 2 overall pick Tony Mandarich is considered to be one of the biggest busts in draft history, in part because of the incredible careers that surrounded him on the list.

Super Bowl MVPs: none

Hall of Famers: 10 - Ken Houston, Willie Lanier, Gene Upshaw, Alan Page, Bob Griese, Jan Stenerud, Lem Barney, Larry Little, Rayfield Wright and Floyd Little

The 1967 draft was so dominated by Michigan State the NFL might as well have held it in East Lansing. The Spartans, coming off a No. 2 finish in the AP and coaches polls, accounted for four of the top-eight picks.

However, despite the impressive start for the Spartans, the real talent from this draft came elsewhere. The ten Hall of Famers this class produced trail only the 1964 draft and names such as Gene Upshaw and Bob Griese put this class in elite company.

The accomplishments of this class extended beyond the football field, stretching from the basketball court to the court house.

Hall-of-Famer Alan Page went on to earn his law degree and serve on the Minnesota Supreme Court. Meanwhile, the last pick of the draft -- known as Mr. Irrelevant -- went to Jimmy Walker, a two-time All-Star who wrapped his NBA career with 11,655 points. One of the biggest surprises from this list is Pat Riley -- yes, the same Pat Riley who has 10 NBA titles to his name and currently serves as president of the Miami Heat. Neither Walker nor Riley ever competed in the NFL but both made their mark on the sports world.

Super Bowl MVPs: none

Hall of Famers: 8 - Mike Singletary, Lawrence Taylor, Ronnie Lott, Howie Long, Rickey Jackson, Russ Grimm, Kenny Easley and Sam Mills

The 1981 draft was the epitome of a stacked class from top to bottom. While the first round had no shortage of stars including Lawrence Taylor, Kenny Easley and Ronnie Lott, the real accomplishment of this class was the complete talent through all 12 rounds. Much like the 2004 group, the 1981 class saw a number of talented players going undrafted, including six-time Pro-Bowler Deron Cherry, three-time Super Bowl champion Joe Jacoby and Hall-of-Famer Sam Mills.

Super Bowl MVPs: 1 - Len Dawson - Super Bowl IV

Hall of Famers: 9 - Jim Brown, Jim Parker, Sonny Jurgensen, Paul Hornung, Len Dawson, Don Maynard, Henry Jordan, Tommy McDonald and Gene Hickerson

Offense was the name of the game in 1957.

Paul Hornung led the group as a fullback, halfback and quarterback combo out of Notre Dame.

No. 3 overall pick John Brodie and No. 43 overall pick Sonny Jurgensen have over 31,000 passing yards, putting both of them among the top 50 in NFL history. The fifth, sixth and eight picks -- quarterback Len Dawson, fullback Jim Brown and offensive tackle Jim Parker -- each have an NFL championship to their name and are all in the Hall of Fame. Thus, the legend of the 1957 class was born.

Super Bowl MVPs: 1 - Roger Staubach - Super Bowl VI

Hall of Famers: 11 - Bob Brown, Charley Taylor, Carl Eller, Paul Warfield, Mel Renfro, Paul Krause, Dave Wilcox, Bob Hayes, Leroy Kelly, Roger Staubach, Bill Parcells

Its hard to argue with the record-11 yellow jackets that belong to the 1964 class. They left an indelible mark on the league and were some the original architects responsible for propelling the NFL into the massive popularity it shares today.

Even more impressive are how many players probably could be in the Hall of Fame -- Dave Parks (5,619 receiving yards), Bill Munson (12,896 passing yards), Pete Beathard (8,176 passing yards and 680 rushing yards) and Jack Concannon (6,270 passing yards) are just a few that come to mind.

Denying this group the top spot might ruffle some feathers among Hall-of-Fame hardliners, but that doesnt take away from their accomplishments.

Super Bowl MVPs: 2 - John Elway and Richard Dent

Hall of Famers: 8 - Eric Dickerson, Jim Kelly, John Elway, Dan Marino, Bruce Matthews, Darrell Green, Richard Dent and Jim Covert

The first-round haul of the 1983 draft puts this class in a league of its own.

The Baltimore Colts kicked things off by taking Stanford quarterback John Elway with the No. 1 overall pick, followed by five other first-round quarterback selections, including Jim Kelly and Dan Marino. In the record books, Elway and Marino sit 11th and seventh, respectively, in total career passing yards while Elway added 3,407 rushing yards throughout his career, good for 10th among quarterbacks.

Just behind Elway was Eric Dickerson, the six-time Pro-Bowler who led the league in rushing yards for four seasons. Rounding out the first round was an unstoppable secondary unit featuring Terry Kinard, Joey Browner, Gill Byrd and Hall-of-Famer Darrell Green.

This class had every dimension of success -- depth, star power, record and rings.

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Ranking the Greatest NFL Draft Classes of All Time - NBC4 Washington