Determining the Greatest NFL Draft Ever can prompt a lively debate, but to many it’s a no-brainer if only the first round is considered. The 1983 draft should be heralded as the greatest of all time because of the six quarterbacks taken in that first round. John Elway, Jim Kelly, and Dan Marino became Hall of Famers. Ken O’Brien and Tony Eason had productive careers, while Todd Blackledge lasted seven seasons, mostly as a backup.
It’s clear this is the greatest quarterback class ever because starting with Marino’s 1984 appearance, 11 of the next 15 Super Bowls featured a quarterback from the ’83 draft with Elway reaching it five times and Kelly four.
But the greatness of the ’83 draft doesn’t just lie in its quarterbacks. It was a deep, 12-round draft that produced some of the best players that ever competed and a group of complementary players who contributed to Super Bowl championships including those won by the 1986 and 1990 Giants.
There are other draft classes worthy of consideration of being the GOAT.
Check out the 1957 draft headed by Browns legendary RB Jim Brown, Packers RB Paul Hornung and Chiefs QB Len Dawson; the 1967 draft led by greats like DT Alan Page of the Vikings, Dolphins QB Bob Griese, Chiefs LB Willie Lanier, Raiders OL Gene Upshaw and Denver RB Floyd Little; and the 1981 draft, featuring Giants LB Lawrence Taylor and 49ers safety Ronnie Lott.
But the ’83 draft remains the standard of excellence from top to bottom. It’s also notable in that it was the first single-day session since the merger of the old NFL and AFL.
Eight Hall of Famers came out of that one-day draft conducted at the Sheraton Hotel in Midtown. They were: Elway selected first overall by the Colts and traded to the Broncos; RB Eric Dickerson drafted second by the Rams; OT Jimbo Covert chosen sixth by the Bears; OG Bruce Matthews taken ninth by the Oilers; Kelly chosen 14th by the Bills; Marino, the 27th pick by the Dolphins; CB Darrell Green, selected 28th by the Redskins; and DE Richard Dent, taken in the eighth round by the Bears.
Just five years after the ’83 draft, it was clear these players were special. Marino had already established the single-season record for passing yards and touchdowns; and Dickerson had set the single-season record for rushing yards; Marino, Elway and Eason had all reached the Super Bowl.
But it’s the rest of the ’83 draft that makes it the GOAT. The third-overall pick, RB Curt Warner, taken by the Seahawks, rushed for 6,844 yards and 56 touchdowns and was central to Seattle becoming a playoff contender. Other first-round picks such as OT Chris Hinton (Colts), DE Jim Jeffcoat (Cowboys), C Don Mosebar (Raiders) and WR Willie Gault (Bears) had long, productive careers as did players taken later in the draft.
WR Henry Ellard (Rams), DE Leonard Marshall (Giants), OT Dave Lutz (Chiefs), RB Roger Craig (49ers), LB Darryl Talley (Bills), DB Albert Lewis (Chiefs), DB Dave Duerson (Bears), DE Charles Mann (Redskins), TE Trey Junkin (Bills), DB Lionel Washington (Cardinals), DE Greg Townsend (Raiders), P Jim Arnold (Chiefs), DB Carl Lee (Vikings), WR Mark Clayton (Dolphins), C Adam Lingner (Chiefs), NT Tim Krumrie (Bengals), C Jesse Sapolu (49ers) and LB Karl Mecklenberg (Broncos) all played at least 150 games in their careers.
Three of Chicago’s draft picks — Duerson, DB Mike Richardson, and Dent — were part of the famed ’85 Bears defense; Craig was the 1988 leader in combined yards from scrimmage; Ellard was the ’88 leader in receiving yards; and Clayton was the ’84 leader in receiving touchdowns. Green would play 20 years for Washington. Matthews played 19 for the Oilers/Titans.
The Giants’ journey to their first Super Bowl title in 1986 was helped greatly by the ’83 draft. Safety Terry Kinard, selected with the 10th overall pick; DE Leonard Marshall, taken in the second round; OT Karl Nelson, the third-round choice; and DB Perry Williams, a seventh-round pick were all part of the ’86 championship team. Marshall and Williams were also starters on the Giants’ 1990 Super Bowl championship team.
Yes, quarterbacks always seem to be the stars of every draft. But that’s not the only reason why the 1983 draft is the greatest of all time.