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USA Today
5 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Three Gators among ESPN's best players of all-time in each NFL draft slot
A classic male bonding is listing off arbitrary Day 3 picks from the NFL draft in years past, but ESPN's Ben Solak took the idea to a whole new extreme. Solak broke down the best player drafted of all time in each of the 262 slots of the modern seven-round draft. The bookend picks aren't so difficult to make. Solak had his pick of 14 Hall of Famers to choose from at the No. 1 overall spot, and no one is arguing with Peyton Manning at the top. Brock Purdy in the Mr. Irrelevant spot is another easy one. But the middle rounds get tricky. Three Florida Gators found their way onto this list: NFL rushing yards leader Emmitt Smith at No. 17, Hall of Fame defensive end Jack Youngblood at No. 20 and offensive tackle Trent Brown at No. 244. One of these is not like the others, but that's okay. Perennial Pro Bowlers such as cornerback Joe Haden, do-it-all athlete Percy Harvin and the Pouncey twins missed the cut because of the format. It's an interesting exercise from the offseason and maybe a new factoid to drop at the next draft party members of Gator Nation attend. 17. Emmitt Smith, RB (1990) — Dallas Cowboys Holding the NFL record for career anything should make a player a lock for this list, and Smith is still widely considered the GOAT at his position for his longevity and production. It's been 35 years since Smith donned the Orange and Blue, and his time came before the peak moments in Florida history, but he's still among the best to ever come through Gainesville. "The leader for career rushing yards by almost 2,000 yards takes the top spot here. Just how incredible are Smith's 18,355 rushing yards? Derrick Henry -- who is 19th in career rushing yardage but ninth with 84 rushing yards per game over his career -- would need to maintain his career average over another five seasons to catch Smith." Smith was always dominant on the field. It only took him two games to earn a starting role. In his first start as a true freshman, Smith broke a 57-year-old program record with 224 yards and two touchdowns on 39 carries. He broke 1,000 yards in seven games, the fastest any running back had ever done so to start their college career, and Smith finished ninth in the Heisman voting as a true freshman. A month-long recovery from a knee injury kept Smith from reaching 1,000 yards as a sophomore in 1988, but he broke the program record with 1,599 as a junior. Smith also set a record for rushing yards in a single game (316), longest rushing play (96), career rushing yards (3,928) and career rushing yards per game (126.7) and career rushing touchdowns (36), among 58 total records. A three-time All-SEC First Team selection and the 1989 SEC Player of the Year, Smith earned a unanimous first-team All-American nod and finished seventh in the Heisman voting. With pass-heavy Steve Spurrier coming in to lead the program, Smith decided to forgo his senior year and enter the draft. Dallas traded up four spots to get Smith at No. 17, or else he'd be lower than Youngblood on this list. The rest is history. Three Super Bowl rings, a Super Bowl MVP, an NFL MVP Award, four All-Pro selections, eight Pro Bowl selections and an 18-year career to rival all others. 20. Jack Youngblood, DE (1971) — Los Angeles Rams Youngblood is the defensive counterpart to Smith on offense in Florida history. Both are in the Gators Ring of Honor, an exclusive six-member group of which Steve Spurrier, Wilber Marshall, Tim Tebow and Danny Wuerffel are also members. Youngblood predates the Smith and Spurrier eras. He was a member of the Florida team that tested for what is now known as Gatorade. If anyone is deserving of a spot on the Florida football Mount Rushmore, it's Youngblood. "'What a great name for a pass rusher. Youngblood was a Rams lifer with eight All-Pro nominations and a retired jersey. His longevity just barely gives him the nod over another Hall of Famer, Steve Atwater, a legendary Broncos safety and winner of two Super Bowls. I flip-flopped on this one for a while." An All-State linebacker out of high school, Youngblood shifted to defensive end as a freshman at Florida and spent some time at defensive tackle throughout his career. He came to national prominence with a five-sack game against Florida State as a sophomore and earned a first-team All-American nod as a junior in 1970. That year, Youngblood led the team with 10 sacks and recorded 58 tackles. He spent all 14 years of his NFL career with the Rams, earning five first-team All-Pro selections, three second-team All-Pro selections and seven Pro Bowl selections. Although sacks weren't officially recorded by the NFL until the 1980s, Youngblood's 151 1/2 career sacks rank sixth all-time. 244. Trent Brown, OT (2015) — San Francisco 49ers Brown spent the first two years of his career at Georgia Military College, but he spent the bulk of his two years at Florida as a starter. He took over for tackle Tyler Moore after an injury during the Georgia game and moved to guard before the 2014 season. At 6-foot-8 and 363 pounds, Brown is the largest player in Florida history besides Desmond Watson. His projectability made him a seventh-round pick in the 2015 draft. After 28 starts over three years with San Francisco, Brown was traded to New England in 2018, where he won Super Bowl LIII. He signed a four-year $66 million contract with Oakland in 2019 and earned his first Pro Bowl nod the same year. Much of 2020 was lost due to the pandemic and Brown's own health issues, and he was traded back to the Patriots in 2021. Despite another injury, this time to his calf, New England signed Bown to a two-year $14 million deal. A torn patellar tendon ended his 2024 with Cincinnati early, and now he's with Houston ahead of the 2025 season. The sun is beginning to set for Brown's career, and he probably hasn't done enough to join the other two players on this list in the Hall of Fame, but a decade-long career in the NFL is something to applaud, especially for a seventh-rounder. The next time a friend says, "Who cares about the 200th pick of the draft?" Tell them about Trent Brown. Follow us @GatorsWire on X, formerly known as Twitter, as well as Bluesky, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Florida Gators news, notes and opinions.
USA Today
7 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Where ESPN ranks Deion Sanders among all-time No. 5 NFL draft picks
Deion Sanders, one of the best athletes of his generation, was the fifth overall pick in the 1989 NFL draft, selected by the Atlanta Falcons. He went on to become one of the first two-way players in the NFL, winning two Super Bowls and a Defensive Player of the Year award. But where does the Pro Football Hall of Famer rank among all-time No. 5 draft picks? That is a tricky question considering all the talented players selected with that pick. ESPN's Ben Solak did the yeoman's work of going through every draft pick since the seven-round format began, attempting to select the best player drafted at each slot. Solak eventually concluded that Sanders was the best player ever selected at pick No. 5, a feat that, despite his immense talent, was no guarantee. After all, LaDainian Tomlinson, Junior Seau, Ja'Marr Chase, Jalen Ramsey, and Sean Taylor were all selected fifth overall. Here is what Solak had to say about Sanders: Sanders gets the nod for his unique place as a two-way player (not to mention his two rings -- one of which came in his Defensive Player of the Year season -- and his six first-team All-Pro appearances). Does he also get a bump for providing excellent return on a sixth-round draft pick in the MLB draft? Who's to say? It is a stacked draft position, and Tomlinson makes a case for the top spot, but in terms of athletic greatness, Sanders has to be on top, considering he not only played but starred in both a World Series and a Super Bowl. Sanders ranked up 512 tackles, 10 forced fumbles, 53 interceptions and an impressive 10 defensive touchdowns over his 14-year NFL career. Sanders now walks the Colorado sideline as head coach and has surrounded himself with other Hall of Famers from his playing days, one being Warren Sapp. Sapp makes this list as the best 11th pick in the NFL draft as the only Hall of Famer to come from that draft slot thus far. With both Sanders and Sapp coaching college football in Boulder now, Colorado is well-positioned to continue its upward trajectory that began when Sanders took over the program. Follow Charlie Strella on X, Threads and Instagram. Contact/Follow us @BuffaloesWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook for ongoing coverage of Colorado news, notes and opinions.
USA Today
06-07-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
ESPN: Saints' Rickey Jackson, Pat Swilling were the best-ever picks at their draft slots
Rickey Jackson, Pat Swilling headline the Saints' best picks in NFL draft history Here's a crowning achievement in offseason content from ESPN's Ben Solak, who highlighted the best player picked at every slot in the NFL draft; or at least the modern-era 262-pick draft, rather than the hundreds-deep drafts of years past. And several key figures in New Orleans Saints history made the cut throughout this exercise. The first notable Saints player to make the list wasn't actually drafted by New Orleans, but Drew Brees has, for now, taken an edge over Lamar Jackson as the best pick at No. 32 overall. Here's how Solak made that call: Picking between Brees and Lamar Jackson was agonizing, so I chickened out and picked the guy whose career is over, and as such requires no prognostication. While Brees never won a regular-season MVP, he did win a Super Bowl and a Super Bowl MVP, and I imagine Jackson would trade his two MVPs for Lombardi hardware right about now. This pick might flip by next season, though ... But next up, at No. 51, was Rickey Jackson -- the best defender in Saints franchise history, who set the standard other great talents like Cameron Jordan and Demario Davis have spent their careers chasing. After waffling between Kansas City Chiefs linebacker Willie Lanier and Arizona Cardinals star Calais Campbell at No. 50, Solak went with Jackson over Philadelphia Eagles fan favorite wideout A.J. Brown: A similar debate here as the pick above, with Jackson -- one Super Bowl ring, five All-Pro teams -- facing off against A.J. Brown, who might become one of the great wide receivers of this era. Again, I lean to the established Hall of Famer, but five of Brown's six seasons have cleared 1,000 yards. If he keeps that up for another five seasons, his résumé will hold up. A couple of picks later, one of Jackson's "Dome Patrol" teammates made the list at No. 60. Here's why Solak argues Pat Swilling earned the nod: The 1991 Defensive Player of the Year and a five-time All-Pro, Swilling was a bit of a journeyman (played for the Saints, Lions and Raiders), but he was at his best for the team that drafted him. One wild note from a 2011 column by an up-and-coming writer named Adam Schefter: Swilling has the most playoff losses (six) with no wins of any player in NFL history. And then you have Jimmy Graham helping to round out the top 100: Graham was exactly what a third-round pick should be: a big dart throw that paid dividends on the risk. His success in the end zone -- his 89 touchdowns rank fourth among all tight ends -- was his calling card. Well, either that or mentioning that he used to play basketball in college. What about Day 3 picks? Draftees for the Saints outside the top 100 included defensive end Trey Hendrickson (103), right guard Jahri Evans (108), wide receiver Eric Martin (179), and wide receiver Marques Colston (252), while other players who put themselves on the map for their time in New Orleans included Darren Sproles (130) and Scott Shanle (251). Solak included this writeup on Evans, who is up for the Pro Football Hall of Fame again in 2025: Evans gets the nod for his 169 starts with the Saints, which included four straight first-team All-Pros from 2009 to 2012. But a couple franchise cult heroes deserve mention below Evans -- Jaguars QB David Garrard (2002) and Jets WR Jerricho Cotchery (2004). So who nearly made the cut? Solak gave shoutouts for Saints draft picks like wide receiver Michael Thomas (47), running back Alvin Kamara (67), left tackle Terron Armstead (75), Hall of Fame kicker Morten Andersen (86) and cornerback Mike McKenzie (87), plus defensive end Rob Ninkovich (who was passed over for Hall of Fame cornerback Ken Riley at No. 135), as well as linebacker Demario Davis (77) and wideout Joe Horn (135 again), who weren't drafted by the Saints but who did play their best football for New Orleans. It's an interesting premise for an article. We're not sure we agree with all of the picks, but it's a safe bet we wouldn't put as much time into this as Solak clearly did. What do you think he got wrong? Which calls did he get right? Let us know.
USA Today
06-07-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Barry Sanders, Amon-Ra St. Brown among Lions cited as best picks ever in their draft slots
Doing a full, seven-round mock draft each year is a grueling exercise in and of itself. The exercise recently undertaken by Ben Solak of ESPN takes that to a new level altogether. Solak recently went through and gave his picks for the best draft pick at every draft slot all-time. That's going through every selection through the years, going from 1-262. Knowing that, it's almost expected that at least one Detroit Lions player would find himself on this list. Indeed, there are a few on this list, including a current star on the offense in wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown as the best pick ever at slot No. 121. But the big one, as should almost be expected, is the great Barry Sanders at No. 3 overall. Solak does admit this was a challenging one for him as two Hall of Fame offensive linemen, Anthony Munoz and Joe Thomas, were also selected third overall. In the end, Solak goes with the Lions legend. 'The pick at No. 3 was one of the most challenging of the early selections. Both Anthony Munoz and Joe Thomas are Hall of Famers for their longevity -- not just for career length but also for sticking it out with one squad (mostly). Sanders, in comparison, retired earlier than some expected and could have cleared Walter Payton's career rushing record had he kept it chugging (he finished with 15,269 yards, 1,457 behind Payton). 'I gave the edge to Sanders for his stylistic impact on the game and his lasting impact on Detroit football; he is still the best Lion in history, whereas neither Munoz nor Thomas is the best Bengal or Brown, respectively. But this was close.' One more current Lion made this list, that being safety Kerby Joseph at pick No. 97. 'Joseph is the most recently-drafted player on our list thus far, but what do you want from me -- the competition is not steep. Joseph just led the league in interceptions (nine) and got first-team All-Pro recognition. So long as he gets another All-Pro nod, he's almost certainly the best player taken with pick No. 97.' There were a few players who played a late-career year or two in Detroit who made the list too, guys like Adrian Peterson, Pat Swilling and Anquan Boldin.
USA Today
04-07-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Indianapolis Colts well represented in ranking of best draft picks at every draft slot
The Colts were well represented in ESPN's ranking of the best draft picks at every draft slot. ESPN's Ben Solak recently compiled his list of the best NFL draft picks from every draft slot, and well represented was the Indianapolis Colts. From pick No. 1 through 262, Solak selected who he believes is the best player selected at each of those draft slots. As Solak highlighted, "best" in this exercise is a combination of "most talented and most successful." In total, seven former Colts' draft picks made Solak's list. 1.1: Peyton Manning, QB The best No. 1 overall pick ever. Manning played 13 years with the Colts, which included winning a Super Bowl, making 11 Pro Bowls, five first-team All-Pros, and being named the league MVP four times. He played four more seasons with the Broncos, winning another Super Bowl, making three more Pro Bowls, and two more All-Pro teams. Manning is in the Hall of Fame. 1.19: Marvin Harrison, WR Harrison played all 13 seasons with the Colts. He is a Hall of Famer, an eight-time Pro Bowler, a three-time All-Pro, and a Super Bowl Champion. He finished his career with 14,580 receiving yards and 128 touchdowns. 4.138: Robert Mathis, DE Mathis also played all 13 of his NFL seasons with the Colts, appearing in 192 games while recording 54 forced fumbles, 108 tackles for loss, and 123 sacks. He is a Super Bowl champion, a five-time Pro Bowler, and a one-time All-Pro. 5.174: Freddie Scott, WR Scott was drafted by the Colts in 1974. He played four seasons with the then-Baltimore Colts, catching 39 passes for 619 yards. Over the next six seasons with Detroit, Scott caught 223 passes for 3,651 yards. He caught 20 touchdowns over his 10 NFL seasons. 6.205: Eugene Daniel, CB Daniel was selected by the Colts in 1984 and played 13 of his 14 NFL seasons with Indianapolis. Daniel appeared in 207 career games, which included 192 starts. He made 38 interceptions and 762 total tackles. 7.243: Jeff Herrod, LB Taken in the 1988 draft by the Colts, Herrod played 11 seasons in the NFL, 10 of which were with Indianapolis. He played in 153 games over his career with 125 starts, while coming away with five interceptions, 14.5 sacks, and 1,156 tackles. 7.245: Dave Studdard, OT Studdard was drafted by the Colts in 1978, but didn't ever actually play for the team. He joined the Broncos in 1979 and went on to have a 10-year NFL career, which included appearing in 145 games with 133 starts.
