Revisiting the past 10 drafts in search of the 20 best picks made me realize how very few stars emerge outside of the first round. Yes, you need to hit on Day 2 and Day 3 picks to field a deep roster good enough to contend for the Super Bowl, but most core players and future All-Pros come from first-round selections.
Maybe it shouldn’t be surprising, but there have been many first-round whiffs in the past decade, which we’ll highlight Wednesday. Also, the greatest quarterback of all time, Tom Brady, was selected at pick No. 199—in case you haven’t heard by now.
But before revealing the top-20 draft picks of the past 10 drafts, here are a few notes from the list.
