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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QB Matt Stafford (Photo by Jeff Zelevansky/Getty Images) /

NFL Draft: 30 best No. 1 overall picks in league history: number 19, QB Matt Stafford

Stats:

45,109
282 touchdowns
62.6 completion percentage

Awards:

2011 Pro Bowler

At first, Matt Stafford’s inclusion onto this list was surely meant to be one that was located near the top. Coming out of the University of Georgia, scouts raved about Stafford’s arm talent and ability to make all of the throws, as well as his arm strength. They weren’t kidding as by year three he was throwing for over 5,000 yards, 41 touchdowns and only 16 interceptions in Detroit. Gaudy numbers in every sense of the word.

But here’s the thing, those stats didn’t land him a spot on the Pro Bowl or All-Pro roster. Everything about Stafford’s numbers simply screamed “empty calories.” He would be routinely down by double digits and have no choice but to throw the ball all over the field. Oftentimes, it led to him putting up ridiculous numbers that fell short of winning games.

With 14 years in the NFL and the fourth-ranked passing yards per game of all time with 273.4, Stafford has made the playoffs only three times and the Pro Bowl once during his career. It’s difficult to place the blame at the feet of Stafford considering his monster numbers, but costly turnovers at the wrong time have pushed his team towards the bottom of the NFL barrel.

For the first time in Stafford’s career, he’ll have expectations on his shoulders as he is a member of the Los Angeles Rams now. With a stacked roster, small whispers of the Super Bowl have been floating around. What he does over the next few years in his new location will heavily influence his standing on this list.

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