Professor

This week, NFL Network, on their weekly "Top 10" show, highlighted the Top 10 NFL Draft Classes of all-time. Like most top 10 lists, it will always be open to debate, but I for one think the network did a good job compiling this list, with one small exception which I'll bring up later.

Here, with a brief description of their reasoning, is their list:

1. 1974 Steelers - Four Pro Football Hall of Famers in receivers Lynn Swann and John Stallworth, linebacker Jack Lambert and center Mike Webster came from this draft and would help lead Pittsburgh to four Super Bowl titles.

2. 1991-92 Cowboys - A good portion of the Dallas dynasty was built in these two drafts, with defensive linemen Russell Maryland and Leon Lett, receiver Alvin Harper, linebacker Dixon Edwards, tackle Erik Williams and defensive back Larry Brown being picked in 1991, and defensive backs Kevin Smith and Darren Woodson and linebacker Robert Jones the following year.

3. 1983 Bears - Several key pieces to the Super Bowl XX champs were selected here, including offensive linemen Jim Covert, Tom Thayer and Mark Bortz, defensive backs Mike Richardson and Dave Duerson, receiver Willie Gault and defensive end Richard Dent.

4. 1958 Packers - A key building block for the Packers' dominance throughout the 1960's. Among the choices, were LBs Dan Currie and Ray Nitschke, FB Jim Taylor, and G Jerry Kramer. Nitshcke, Taylor and Kramer all went on to the NFL Hall of Fame after leading the Packers to five NFL Championships in seven years.

5. 1986 49ers - By trading out of the first round multiple times to stockpile picks, San Francisco landed defensive ends Charles Haley and Kevin Fagan, defensive backs Tim McKyer and Don Griffin, fullback Tom Rathman, receiver John Taylor and offensive tackle Steve Wallace.

6. 1996 Ravens - Offensive tackle Jonathan Ogden, linebacker Ray Lewis and receiver/returner Jermaine Lewis all played big parts in Baltimore's championship season four years later.

7. 1981 Redskins - Washington won Super Bowl XVII the next year after getting offensive linemen Mark May, Russ Grimm and Daryl Grant, linebacker Dexter Manley, receiver Charlie Brown and tight end Clint Didier.

8. 1965 Bears - Linebacker **** Butkus and running back Gale Sayers were selected with back-to-back picks in the first round.

9. 1985 Bills - Three players who would prove valuable in Buffalo's four consecutive Super Bowl appearances in the early 1990s were picked here - defensive end Bruce Smith, quarterback Frank Reich and receiver Andre Reed.

10. 1995 Buccaneers - One of the toughest defenses of the past decade got its foundation here in defensive tackle Warren Sapp and linebacker Derrick Brooks, who led the Super Bowl XXXVII champs.

How does a two year draft class from the cowboys even count? This is supposed to be the best of the individual draft classes, right? LOL

Overall, not bad list except for that cowboys crap, LOL

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Serrated Shadow

Lol, you're right that doesn't make sense that the Boys get two years.

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Manster

I agree I think that the 91 draft stands by itself as one of the great all time drafts. I think the 92 should be graded on its own and with players like Robert Jones, Kevin Smith, Darren Woodson, Jimmy Smith and you could add in Tom Myslinski that was a solid draft all by itself. I would say that it was as good if not better than the Buccs 95 draft. How about the 75 draft where you had Randy White, Bob Breunig, Pat Donavan, Randy Hughes, Michael Hegman, and Herbert Scott. That draft is what lead Dallas to the SB in the later half of the 70's. The Cowboys team that won SB VI and the one that won SB XII had at most 10 players that played on both teams and even fewer that started for both.

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chris_36824

I seen that show on NFL Network like three days ago. It was pretty cool. They should do top ten draft classes by year.