NFL Draft: 30 best No. 1 overall picks in league history

NEW YORK - APRIL 22: Quarterback Sam Bradford (R) from the Oklahoma Sooners poses with NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell as they hold up a St. Louis Rams jersey after the Rams selected Bradford numer 1 overall during the first round of the 2010 NFL Draft at Radio City Music Hall on April 22, 2010 in New York City. (Photo by Jeff Zelevansky/Getty Images) /

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Mario Williams (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images) /

NFL Draft: 30 best No. 1 overall picks in league history: number 22, DE Mario Williams

Stats:

97.5 sacks
399 combined tackles

Awards:

4 time Pro Bowler

For whatever reason, pass rushers haven’t always heard their names called at the very top of the draft. That distinction, of course, goes to the quarterback. Yet, after dominating at North Carolina State University, the Houston Texans were given no choice but to snag Mario Williams.

At first, the results were both underwhelming and disappointing. Williams managed to sack the QB only 4.5 times and wrapped up ball handlers 47 times total in year one. Before critics got their pound of flesh, though, Williams was turning things around. In only his second season in the league, Williams recorded 14 sacks and 59 combined tackles and followed that up with a season in which he nabbed the QB 12 times and scored 53 tackles.

Once Williams’ good play began, the Pro Bowl berths quickly followed. Nonetheless, his success wouldn’t last long as Williams battled injuries during numerous points of his career. He put together his best season as a pro in 2014, putting up a career-high 14.5 sacks to go along with 42 combined tackles, his third straight season with double-digit sacks and at least 35 tackles.

With Williams retiring earlier than many expected, his numbers don’t exactly stack up with the best of the rest. His 97.5 sacks currently rank 37th all time. Still, once Williams was on, he was great but more times than not, he simply wasn’t.

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