The NFL Draft is the best day for the fans of all 32 franchises. It's a day of hope unlike any day on the calendar. Even days like the first Sunday of the regular season or the start of training camp don't bring the level of hope the NFL Draft brings.
That's because we've seen the impact of the draft. One pick can change a franchise's trajectory forever. Just imagine if the San Francisco 49ers took Steve Dils instead of Joe Montana in 1979, or if they took Jessie Hester instead of Jerry Rice. What if the New York Jets took Emmitt Smith instead of Blair Thomas second overall in 1990?
In this century, we've seen some of the greatest picks in history. We might have even seen the greatest pick in history, but each franchise has a point that pivoted their franchise at a draft.
Arizona Cardinals - Larry Fitzgerald
2004 NFL Draft
First Round, Third Overall
It's hard to think of a draft pick that wasn't a quarterback that had a bigger impact on a franchise than the Arizona Cardinals taking Pitt Panthers wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald third overall. It takes a special player to be a franchise's best draft pick and also be in the top three of their draft year. But Fitzgerald is so clearly a Hall of Famer, and he went to a franchise that was a laughingstock before he arrived.
Larry Fitzgerald came in, and the Cardinals started changing. Eventually, they started making the playoffs. Fitzgerald helped the Cardinals end a nine-year playoff drought. They had made the playoffs once between 1983 and when Fitzgerald was drafted.
With Larry Fitz on the roster, the Cardinals made the playoffs four times and even made Super Bowl XLIII. That's not a ton, but it set a standard that wasn't there prior to this. This was a team that was often considered almost a forgotten franchise. Every good thing they had eventually turned out bad. This never turned out that way.
And Fitzgerald never left Arizona. He didn't demand a top-of-the-market salary, and he continued to put up superstar numbers no matter who his quarterback was. He finished his career second all-time in receptions with 1,432. He's also second in receiving yards with more than 17,000. All this by choosing to take a receiver in 2004 despite having the reigning Rookie of the Year on their roster (Anquan Boldin).
Atlanta Falcons - Julio Jones
2011 NFL Draft
First Round, Sixth Overall
Some may not remember the gamble the Atlanta Falcons made in 2011, putting all their chips on the table to move up more than 20 picks to take Alabama wide receiver Julio Jones. They sent the Cleveland Browns their 27th, 59th, and 124th picks from the 2011 Draft, and their first and fourth-round picks from the 2012 NFL draft.
This couldn't have worked out better for the Falcons. They went 13-3 that season, so the first-round pick ended up going almost at the end of the round. With that pick, the Browns took quarterback Brandon Weeden. They would have been better off with no pick at all.
Jones ended up being possibly the best receiver in the league for a stretch. From 2014 to 2019, Jones made the Pro Bowl every year, made two first-team All-Pros, and three second-team All-Pros. He led the league in yards per game three times. His 136 receptions and 1,871 yards in 2015 helped Matt Ryan win MVP and get the Falcons to the Super Bowl.
Jones finished his Falcons career as the leader in receptions and yards all time. He is the best player to put on a Falcons uniform.
Baltimore Ravens - Lamar Jackson
2018 NFL Draft
First Round, 32nd overall
Lamar Jackson was the fifth quarterback taken in the 2018 NFL Draft. He went behind Baker Mayfield, Sam Darnold, Josh Allen, and Josh Rosen. The Baltimore Ravens traded back into the first round to stop Jackson’s slide, who was a Heisman Trophy winner at Louisville. This was a player who dominated the college game at a non-traditional football school. Yet, scouts were still trying to peddle the old trope that he should switch positions.
Imagine being more wrong. Lamar Jackson finished in second place for MVP this past season, and he’s won two MVPs already in his career. He’s just 28 years old and already one of the best players in the league at any position. He’s brought the Baltimore Ravens back to constant contention.
The Ravens have a long history of great draft picks. This could have very easily have been Hall of Famer Ed Reed, who was taken 24th overall in 2002. Super Bowl champion Joe Flacco was taken 18th overall. Heck, in the same draft they took Jackson, they got tight end Mark Andrews in the third round.
None of them have been as impactful as Jackson, and Lamar still has a lot of time in his career. He’s the best dual-threat quarterback in the history of the NFL. He’s such a unique talent. He’s a unicorn in a league that’s seen just about everything.
Buffalo Bills - Josh Allen
2018 NFL Draft
First Round, Seventh overall
We head to Buffalo but stick to the same year and position. Josh Allen was a major risk by the Buffalo Bills in 2018. They had the 7th-overall pick in the draft because they missed on QB multiple times before. They needed to hit on this one. Josh Allen is a superstar, and he’s the reigning NFL MVP after another amazing season.
Allen has done the unthinkable: he took the AFC East from the New England Patriots. For years, the Bills were the easy wins for the Patriots. They were mostly easy wins for the Jets and Dolphins. Prior to Allen’s arrival, the Bills had zero seasons this century with double-digit wins. That’s changed with Allen.
In seven seasons with Allen, the Bills won 10+ games six times. They’ve won 13 games three times, which is already more 13-win seasons than they had prior to his arrival in franchise history. This is a team that won the AFC four years in a row, and this is still the best regular season success its ever had. Allen was a monstrous home run for not only the franchise, but the city has a true lift.
When the Bills made this pick, ESPN said Allen’s bust potential was “incredible.” They touted his ceiling, but the risk was there. Sean McDermott developed this quarterback into a superstar, and he should be one of the best players in the league for another decade.
Carolina Panthers - Steve Smith Sr.
2001 NFL Draft
Third Round, 74th overall
There are few wide receivers who define a franchise. It’s just the nature of the position that the quarterback who sends them the ball is going to get more credit than the receiver, but the Carolina Panthers are a different type of franchise, and Steve Smith is a different type of receiver. He’s such a big personality that fits the city and region so well. Smith was so important to the Panthers, playing in their first Super Bowl appearance.
Smith was the 11th wide receiver taken in the 2001 NFL Draft. It was a very good receiver draft, with Reggie Wayne, Chad Johnson, Santana Moss, T. J. Houshmandzadeh, and a few others who had a spell here and there. Many would argue that Smith was the best of the bunch.
Smith is one of 15 wide receivers in the history of the league to post more than 1,000 receptions. His 14,731 receiving yards is eighth all time. His best season came in 2005 when he won the receiving triple crown. He led the league with 103 receptions, 1,563 yards, and 12 touchdowns. He was the first-team All-Pro at receiver and won AP Comeback Player of the Year.
Carolina has had some great players, including Cam Newton, Christian McCaffrey, and Luke Kuechley, but Smith is the only one who had a full decade of high-level impact. He was a fan favorite and still is to this day.
Chicago Bears - Devin Hester
2006 NFL Draft
Second Round, 57th overall
When a player who was taken in the second round fails at not one but two positions, most would expect him to be considered a bust. Instead, Devin Hester became a Hall of Famer. He was drafted in the second round as a “player without a position.” He was basically drafted as a flashy return specialist who played a few different positions at the University of Miami.
Hester started out as a cornerback and eventually played wide receiver. It was never about that. Nobody expected him to be worth a second-round pick with just being a returner. He ended up a three-time All-Pro returning, and he was one of the best to every do it.
His start to the 2007 Super Bowl was legendary. He took a kick return 92 yards to the house to start the game against the Indianapolis Colts. This was supposed to be a coronation of Peyton Manning, so Hester putting them on their heels was an interesting development. The Bears still lost, but Hester’s play is still considered one of the best in Super Bowl history.
Hester continued as one of the most electric players this century. He wasn’t on the field as long as most players, and he didn’t thrive in the traditional positions, but he was the very best at this part of the game, and it honestly was the reason the Bears were winning games. He finished his career with 14 punt returns for touchdown, more than any player ever. He added five kick returns for touchdown.
Cincinnati Bengals - Geno Atkins
2010 NFL Draft
Fourth Round, 120th overall
The Cincinnati Bengals have a bunch of really good draft picks, but a lot of them were a situation of circumstance or by having the number-one overall pick. This century, the Bengals have six top-five picks and two number-one overall picks (Carson Palmer and Joe Burrow). They’ve been blessed with high draft picks (even if it’s because they are terrible). We are taking into account where a player is drafted, so that’s how we landed on defensive tackle Geno Atkins.
The Bengals took Atkins with the 120th overall pick in the 2010 NFL Draft. This is a draft where five defensive tackles were taken in the first round, including two of the top three picks. Atkins was the 13th defensive tackle taken in the draft, going behind such names as Corey Peters, D'Anthony Smith, and Jaren Odrick.
Atkins was given a chance to compete for a starting job in 2011, and he actually beat out Tank Johnson for the opportunity, prompting the Bengals to surprisingly cut the veteran. He never gave up the starting job until his final season in Ohio.
Atkins spent 11 productive seasons with the Bengals, finishing with eight Pro Bowl appearances and two All-Pros. He even made the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s All-Decade team for the 2010s. He was always getting to the QB from the DT position, posing at least nine sacks on five different occasions. He was a stud in the middle of the lineup, changing how people looked at what a traditional defensive tackle could be.
Cleveland Browns - Myles Garrett
2017 NFL Draft
First Round, First overall
We tried to avoid picking a player who went first overall in the draft, but the Cleveland Browns are pretty bad at drafting this century. They started this century with the first overall pick, and they used it on Courtney Brown. Woof. They have some decent picks, like Joe Haden 7th overall in 2010 and Nick Chubb in the second round of 2018, but this came down to two picks. Unfortunately, there are way more examples of Brady Quinn, Brandon Weeden, and a handshake that turned in Johnny Manziel.
It was either Joe Thomas, third overall in 2007, or Myles Garrett, first overall in 2017. We went with Garrett because there was at least a chance this team could be something with him on the roster. Thomas’ entire career was analysts calling for him to be saved and put on a contender.
Garrett is a four-time first-team All-Pro and the 2023 Defensive Player of the Year. He’s had at least 14 sacks for four straight seasons, and he led the league with 22 tackles for loss last year. He’s been one of the best pass rushers in the game for half a decade now, and the Browns are once again wasting the talent of a superstar.
The elephant in the room here is what they could have had. Another player on this list was taken after Garrett, and he might eventually become the best player of all time. They also could have just drafted Deshaun Watson instead of waiting for him to have multiple off-the-field issues and then trading their entire future for him.
Dallas Cowboys - Micah Parsons
2021 NFL Draft
First Round, 12th overall
Sometimes, it’s better to be lucky than good. The 2020 NCAA football season was a strange one. Some conferences stuck to their in-conferences schedules, while others were navigating cancellations due to COVID-19 spread. There were also rules put in place that allowed players to sit out the entire season, and some of the best of the best took that opportunity to prepare for the NFL.
One of those players was Penn State superstar linebacker Micah Parsons. It seemed like his year off might have hurt his draft stock. He looked like a freak athlete who could make it to the NFL at a moment’s notice. Instead of going in the top five, which most defensive stars of this caliber would go, Parsons went 12th overall to the Dallas Cowboys.
He made an immediate impact. In his first season, he was second in voting for Defensive Player of the Year. No, not Defensive Rookie of the Year. He won that easily. Parson was voted the second best defensive player in the NFL in his rookie season. He would fall to second again in 2022 and third in 2023. We just gotta give this guy the award already.
It’s just four seasons into his career, but Parsons might be the best defensive player in the league. He’s one of the reasons why the Cowboys can’t be left out of the contender conversation despite their history. He had a career-low in sacks this past season, but that’s because he missed four games, and he still had 12 in 13 games. He’s as good a pass rusher as we’ve seen in a long time, and he might even grow from where he is now.
Denver Broncos - Brandon Marshall
2006 NFL Draft
Fourth Round, 119th overall
Brandon Marshall probably doesn’t get the love he deserves for the career he had, but he did talk himself out of a few homes. It all started in Denver when they drafted him in the fourth round of the 2006 NFL Draft. It was not a banner year for wide receivers. Marshall was pretty clearly the best. And he was the 13th wide receiver taken. Some big-time busts like Chad Jackson, Sinorice Moss, and Travis Wilson were taken ahead of Marshall.
Marshall had some of the greatest hands in the history of the league. No player had more seasons with 100 receptions (six). He actually still holds the record for most receptions in one game when he had 21 receptions against the Indianapolis Colts in December 2009.
He was in Denver for only four seasons, but it was the start of something special. He had more than 100 receptions in three of his four seasons in Denver. Throughout his career, he made the Pro Bowl team six times, and he even won the MVP of the Pro Bowl one year.
We’re not exactly looking at the impact this pick had on the Denver Broncos as a franchise. We’re looking at this pick as the impact Marshall made on the league. He was influential to what became a possession-based game. The modern-day wide receiver should thank Marshall for helping offensive coordinators around the league realize that possession is important.
Detroit Lions - Amon Ra St. Brown
2021 NFL Draft
Fourth Round, 112th overall
The Detroit Lions all of a sudden became very good at the NFL Draft. They have been chastised for some of their picks, but they almost always work out. In every draft since 2021, they have been able to get two superstar starters from each class. Picks like Jahmyr Gibbs were considered a disaster when they were first announced. Now, they are essential cogs on a contender.
None of them compare to the value the Lions got from Amon-Ra St. Brown. They got a superstar wide receiver in the fourth round. He’s been incredible in Detroit, pairing with Jared Goff to put together one of the most formidable pairings in the NFL.
At just 25 years old, St. Brown already has two first-team All-Pros to his name. He’s made the Pro Bowl in every year except his rookie year. Even as a rookie coming out of the fourth round, he had 90 receptions for more than 900 yards and five touchdowns.
There’s no slowing down for St. Brown. The Lions are keeping their offensive pieces in place. St. Brown is one piece of a huge puzzle that the Lions hope one day leads to their first Super Bowl win. Dan Campbell and crew have this team as constant contenders, which would have been preposterous for Lions teams in any era.
Green Bay Packers - Aaron Rodgers
2005 NFL Draft
First Round, 24th overall
While Aaron Rodgers looks for his next, and likely final, home, looking back at the night the Green Bay Packers ended his fall down draft boards was one that changed everything for that franchise. Of course, Brett Favre was doing this “will he, won’t he” act with retirement. Rodgers was forced to wait for his turn at QB, but once he finally got it, he became one of the best signal callers in this sport’s history.
If Rodgers stays healthy this season and is a starter, he will easily pass Philip Rivers and Ben Roethlisberger for fifth all-time in passing yards. He also has the best touchdown-to-interception ratio in the game. He’s already fifth all-time in passing touchdowns, hitting the 500 benchmark last season. He should pass Brett Favre for fourth all-time.
Rodgers also brought a Super Bowl to Green Bay. While it was only one and some were hoping for more with how great Rodgers was for so long, adding Super Bowls to the franchise is always incredibly important. The eventual Super Bowl MVP had nine touchdowns against just two interceptions that postseason.
Rodgers’s claim to fame is his MVPs. He won the top individual prize in the sport four times. Only Peyton Manning has won more. It was worth the wait for the Packers, who got him 23 picks after most expected. The San Francisco 49ers took Alex Smith over Rodgers, and it changed their franchise trajectory.
