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

By Hans Themistode

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)
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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Drew Bledsoe
Drew Bledsoe (Photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images) /

NFL Draft: 30 best No. 1 overall picks in league history: number 14, QB Drew Bledsoe

Stats:

  • 44,611 passing yards
  • 251 touchdowns
  • 57.2 completion percentage

Awards:

  • 4 time Pro Bowler

Drew Bledsoe is essentially tied at the hip with fellow quarterback Tom Brady. Before we speak about Bledsoe’s untimely demise, let’s focus on the good for the moment.

Long before Tom Brady was chucking the ball all over the field and lighting up the scoreboard on a consistent basis for the New England Patriots, former number one pick of the 1993 NFL Draft, Drew Bledsoe, was doing just that.

In only his second year in the league, Bledsoe was given a Pro Bowl nod after throwing for 4,555 yards and leading the Patriots to the playoffs. Unfortunately for him, once he got there, Bledsoe had a tendency to burn out quickly. After completing his dominant year for example in 94, Bledsoe and his Patriots bowed out in the first round after a pitiful performance consisting of a mere 235 yards to go along with one touchdown and three interceptions.

Despite that, Bledsoe was named to another Pro Bowl in 1997 and signed a then record contract worth $103 million in 2001 for ten years. Even while handing Bledsoe a massive contract, he was replaced in that same year by Tom Brady after bursting a blood vessel in his chest following a week two hit by Jets linebacker Mo Lewis. Brady would eventually lead the Patriots to a Super Bowl win and is now widely considered the greatest player of all time.

Realizing that Bledsoe was no longer their man, he was moved to the Buffalo Bills where his success came few and far between.

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