Top Five Best NFL Draft Picks Showcases Two Blistering Backs, One "Too Tall" Defender, a QB Legacy and a Wide-Receiver Legend

When it comes to the draft, there is no way to be sure of a player's successful transition to the bright lights. There certainly have been some disappointing selections made in the draft. Whether you get players like Johnny Rogers or the Express, that would have been the best in the business if not for medical reasons, or players like Tim Couch and Ryan Leaf, who just fell flat on their faces, there have sure been a few disappointments from the draft. Here is a look at my top five list of all time picks. Some may not be the best to ever play the game, but they are all worth a Hall of Fame nod.

LaDainian Tomlinson

LT is one of the best running backs to play the game. Drafted fifth overall of the '01 Draft by the San Diego Chargers from Texas Christian, he has been "lights out" for the Chargers. In just 8 short seasons, he is already shattering some of O.J.'s records. Unfortunately, a Super Bowl ring has alluded the great Tomlinson, but this is by no fault of his own. Being stuck with a sub par team has been his problem. While he has been battling injuries lately, last season, LT proved that he was still well enough to play the game. Now that he is with the Jets, he just might get the hardware he needs to round out his career.

O.J. Simpson

Despite the fact that off the field O.J. is a disappointment in his latter years, his playing years were just amazing. After starting in junior college, "the Juice" was finally given a scholarship by USC. With his superb numbers, he was selected as the first overall choice in the '69 draft by the Bills. His numbers took off, and he still holds several records for the running back position. A hands down Hall of Fame player, he was inducted in '85. OJ has been one of the biggest stars to come out of the draft ever. While LT is threatening many of his records and has shattered some already, OJ did it all in a 14 game season (two games shorter than the current setup). He may be a lying, murdering, felon, but he is still one of the best running backs to play the game.

Eli Manning

While Eli was a "no brainer" to be a success based on his father and big brother's play, he was still passed off by the Chargers. The Chargers wanted Phillip Rivers, the Giants wanted Manning, so they swapped the two. The Chargers selected Eli first overall in '04 out of Ole Miss and immediately traded for Rivers. One of the biggest mistakes to be made by the Chargers (and they have made many), Eli has gone on to follow in his dad and brother's footsteps. Being one of the best QBs currently playing the game, Eli has been a superb pick that was tossed aside by the Chargers and cashed in by the Giants.

Ed "Too Tall" Jones

Ed Jones was not only a great player, but very intimidating. Drafted first overall in the '74 Draft by the Cowboys, he did Tennessee State proud as he went on to become a central part of the "Doomsday Defense." He helped to lead the Cowboys to their glory years. He was truly one of the best defensive players in the game. After taking a hiatus from the game to follow a boxing career (undefeated in 6 bouts with 5 Kos) it is no wonder why he got so many sacks. It makes you wonder if the quarterback just laid down after seeing him rushing in. He had a very short career (by his own decision) and still has an unofficial sack record of 106 (NFL didn't start tracking them until after '82). He was one of the best all time defenders in the game.

Jerry Rice

Despite his recent flop as a golfer, Jerry Rice will always be known as the receiver with hands of gold. It is said that Jerry Rice could catch any pass from any QB no matter where it was thrown. While this may be a slight exaggeration, he was arguably the top receiver in Niners history. After an impressive senior year at Mississippi Valley, Rice was being fought over by the Cowboys and Niners (most other scouts thought he was too slow). This led the Niners to trade their first two picks (last in the round) for the 16^th overall pick (Cowboys picked 17^th) in the '85 draft. This bit of sly trading netted San Francisco with a legacy. The Montana-Rice offense was the stuff of legend. He still holds most of the records for wide receivers.

This list has been one of the hardest to compile. There have been so many talented players to make it to the NFL. Joe Montana, Drew Brees (at bust at the draft, but one of the top picks after some seasoning), and many others could easily round out this list to the top 50. It would even be rather easy to compile a top 100 list, but I don't have the time or patience to write that much. These five, in my opinion, have truly been gold nuggets in the pan of the draft. With some of their salaries, they were surely paid their weight in gold.