The extensive scouting andtesting performed by modern-day NFL teams practically guarantees thatfirst-round draft picks will go on to successful careers. The next Pro FootballHall of Fame induction ceremony is confirmation of how effective teams are inprojecting the cream of the crop: Four of the five modern-era players recentlyelected were taken in the first round. The fifth, receiver Isaac Bruce, lasted onlyfour picks into the second round.
That second round of the NFL draft is slightly trickier but still a source of numerous talents like Michael Strahan who’ve found their way to the Hall of Fame. With that in mind, we went searching for the best second-round selections in the history of the NFL draft.
Linebackers are plentiful, but defensive end Michael Strahan is tops
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The 1981 NFL draft will go down as one of the greatest ever for defensive players. Seven prospects from that class went on the Hall of Fame careers; six of them were from the defensive side of the ball and three were linebackers, led by first-rounder Lawrence Taylor of the New York Giants.
The second-round players who were enshrined in Canton included linebackers Mike Singletary (Chicago Bears) and Rickey Jackson (New Orleans Saints), worthy successors to previous second-round linebackers like Jack Ham and Jack Lambert, from 1971 and ’74, respectively.
Allof them are worthy of consideration for the title of best second-round defenderever, but a defensive end from 1993 would go on to rise above all others.
Texas Southern defensive end Michael Strahan was taken 40th overall and spent his entire pro career with the New York Giants. By the time he finished his 15-year pro career, Strahan had rolled up 141.5 sacks, 854 tackles, and 15 fumble recoveries.
Strahan set the NFL record for sacks in a season in 2001.He retired after helping the Giants to a victory over the New England Patriotsin the Super Bowl following the 2007 season. He was elected to the Hall of Famein 2014.
Drew Brees wins a close call over Brett Favre
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Just as Michael Strahan was enteringthe NFL, Roger Craig was saying farewell. The 1993 season ended an 11-yearcareer spent primarily with the San Francisco 49ers.
Craig finished with 8,189rushing yards at a respectable clip of 4.1 yards a carry. He also made 556receptions for 4,911 yards as he helped redefine the way running backs wereused with seven solid seasons at the start of his career. Had he been able tocontinue playing at that level, Craig could have been one of the bestsecond-round bargains ever.
But quality offenses in the NFL start with star quarterbacks, and the second round has given us at least two true greats. Brett Favre arrived out of Southern Miss in 1991. Drew Brees came into the league out of Purdue a decade later. Neither stayed long with his original team, but both possess impressive numbers.
Favre finished with 71,838yards and 508 touchdown passes in 20 seasons. His gambling style also produced336 interceptions, but Favre was 186-112 as a regular-season starter and wonnine of his first 13 playoff starts.
However, the nod has to go toBrees, who looks to have several good seasons left in him even after 19 seasonsin the league.
Brees has completed betterthan two-thirds of his attempts, thrown for 77,416 yards, and put up a ratio of547 touchdown passes to 237 interceptions. He’s led the league in yardage seventimes finished with passer ratings over 100 nine times.
Devin Hester put the special in special teams
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Whereas settling on MichaelStrahan and Drew Brees as the best second-rounders on their respective sides ofthe ball took some digging, it wasn’t all that difficult to find the mostworthy special-teams performer.
The Chicago Bears tookreceiver Devin Hester out of the University of Miami near the back end of the2006 second round and turned him loose on punt and kickoff returns.
Hester took seven punt returnsto the house in his first two seasons and 14 times overall in an 11-year NFLcareer. He also returned five kickoffs for scores, including four in themagical first two seasons.
Hester would finish with amodest 255 catches for 3,311 yards as a receiver, but his work on special teamsset him apart from any returner in the game.
Player statistics are from Pro-Football-Reference.com.
