The Best No. 1 Picks Of The Last Decade? We Ranked Them

PublishedApril 22, 2020

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The 2020 NFL Draft starts a new decade for prospects looking to make their childhood dreams come true.

While the virtual draft on Thursday will open a door for new players to make their mark on the league, likely beginning with LSU’s Joe Burrow as the number one overall selection, we decided to take a look back at the previous decade and rank the top overall picks from worst to first.

The rankings were based on overall production, pre-Draft expectations, and overall impact on their respective organizations.

To adjust for the discrepancy of years in the league and the majority of picks being quarterbacks, the signal callers were rated with a point system that fairly assessed all abilities of the position and their presence on their teams.

So, let’s get into it.

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10. Sam Bradford, 2010

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10. Sam Bradford, 2010

Bradford will always be known as a player that was drastically overpaid, having been the last No. 1 pick before the rookie wage scale was put in place. While he was always a serviceable quarterback in the league, Bradford’s career never matched his Heisman level success at Oklahoma. He had the second-highest completion percentage of the quarterbacks drafted first overall in this decade, but the rest of his numbers failed in comparison to others in this discussion. Bradford is currently out of the league.

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9. Baker Mayfield, 2018

After a promising rookie season, Mayfield slumped significantly in his sophomore campaign. He failed to complete over 60 percent of his passes in 2019 and was second in the league in interceptions (21). Additionally, Mayfield nearly threw as many picks as touchdowns (22) this same year. He had the second-highest percentage of touchdowns thrown out of all quarterbacks in this discussion, but his total grade tied for the lowest with Bradford.

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8. Jameis Winston, 2015

Winston arguably has a more prolific arm than any other quarterback in this decade. However, it’s no secret that his decision-making has thwarted his career. Winston led the league in interceptions in 2019 with 30, and was the first quarterback to throw for at least 30 touchdowns and 30 picks in the same season (33 TDs total). Winston also threw for over 5,100 yards in 2019 and has thrown for nearly 20,000 yards in his five-year career. Winston is currently a free agent and is looking to start the next chapter of his career after being replaced by Tom Brady in Tampa.

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7. Jadeveon Clowney, 2014

Clowney is a three-time Pro Bowler and one of the most versatile defenders in the league. However, injuries have hindered the success of the highly touted pass rusher. He hasn’t been able to truly live up to the hype that surrounded him coming out of South Carolina. Clowney has also failed to have a season of 10 or more sacks, but that hasn’t stopped NFL teams from inquiring about him in this year’s free agency market.

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6. Kyler Murray, 2019

While only having one NFL season under his belt, Murray has shown flashes of becoming a legitimate threat in Arizona. Murray had the highest completion percentage and second-lowest interception rate of all other quarterbacks who were drafted first overall this decade. Murray also had the third-highest passer rating. With the addition of DeAndre Hopkins, and more time in the system, Murray could be dangerous in the desert. The electric playmaker would have ranked higher than Mayfield as a rookie in multiple categories.

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5. Eric Fisher, 2013

Fisher has been a rock for the Chiefs since 2013. He missed only two games in the first six seasons of his career before a core muscle injury sidelined him for eight games last sesaon. Fisher was selected to the Pro Bowl in 2018 and is one of the best tackles in the sport. His impact on the organization was felt immediately upon his arrival. Since being drafted, Fisher has helped lead the Chiefs to seven winning seasons, six playoff appearances, and a Super Bowl LIV victory over the 49ers.

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4. Myles Garrett, 2017

Garrett is one of the best young pass rushers in the game. His 30.5 sacks are the most by any Browns player in the first three years of their career. The 13.5 sacks that Garrett accounted for in 2018 ranked 6th in the league and earned the young standout a Pro Bowl selection. Ten games into the 2019 season, Garrett had already recorded 10 sacks. He was on pace to top his career-best before he was suspended indefinitely by the NFL for hitting Steelers backup QB Mason Rudolph with the QB’s own helmet. Garrett has since been reinstated.

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3. Cam Newton, 2011

At his peak, Newton was a force that couldn’t be stopped. He revolutionized the quarterback position during his 2015 MVP season. Newton is an incredible athlete and arguably the most decorated player on this list. But his completion percentage ranked the lowest of all the quarterbacks in this decade. Also, his passer rating, touchdown percentage, and interception percentage were all mediocre. Newton was released by the Panthers earlier this year following a foot injury that sidelined him for most of the 2019 season.

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2. Jared Goff, 2016

Goff ranked first in passer rating and second in interception percentage among the quarterbacks in this category. He was selected to two Pro Bowls in four seasons as a starter for the Rams and played an integral part of their reaching Super Bowl LIII. And while Goff has mainly been seen by many football fans as a glorified game manager, he ranked at least third or higher in every testing metric but one, and compiled the second-highest score of all the quarterbacks.

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1.Andrew Luck, 2012

It’s crazy to think the best No. 1 overall pick is no longer in the NFL, but ironically this is the case with Luck. He ranked first in touchdown percentage, all-purpose yards per game, and Pro Bowl appearances while also ranking second in passer rating. Luck helped resurrect the Colts from post-Peyton Manning obscurity and took the organization to three straight 11-5 seasons and a 2014 AFC Championship Game appearance. However, despite his success, Luck’s body couldn’t hold up in the league. Numerous injuries forced him to retire before the 2019 season after only seven years in the league.

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