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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Troy Aikman (Photo by Joseph Patronite/Getty Images) /

NFL Draft: 30 best No. 1 overall picks in league history: number 7, QB Troy Aikman

Stats:

32,942 passing yards
165 touchdowns
61.5 completion percentage

Awards:

3 time Pro Bowler
3 time Super Bowl champ
1 time Super Bowl MVP

There was a bit of luck on the side of Troy Aikman. With the Dallas Cowboys taking him with the number one overall pick in 1989, both fans and the Cowboys were anticipating a quick and successful turnaround. Instead, they received a painfully long reclamation project.

In his first year in the league, Aikman played in 11 games and lost every single one of them. Despite the plethora of weapons at his disposal, Aikman had difficulty finding them as his completion percentage was amongst the leagues worst at 52.9 percent. Throwing touchdowns was no fun as Aikman seemed to find more joy in handing the ball to the other teams. On the year, he threw nine touchdowns to a ridiculous 18 interceptions.

Things were bad in year two as well but they slightly improved. Aikman actually began winning games and completing a better percentage of his passes. Once he finally hit his stride in the mid-1990s, fans of the Cowboys couldn’t have been happier. Aikman led those vaunted Cowboys teams to three Super Bowl wins in four years and was named to six Pro Bowls. The stats aren’t exactly gaudy, but Aikman showed up when it mattered most.

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