Could the 1996 NFL Draft be the deepest of All-Time, in production??!!

[ThEgReAtOnE]

Gearing up for this weekends' Draft, I wanted to revisit the 1996 NFL Draft!

Noticeable players from the 1996 Draft:


LB-Ray Lewis - Sure Futue HOF'er, 1550 tckls, 30 sacks, 25 Ints, 2-Time AP NFL Def POY, Super Bowl MVP, 8-time All-Pro, 9-Time Pro Bowler (IMO, the GOAT MLB!)


WR-Terrell Owens - Sure Future HOF'er, 13,000 yds w/ 882 receptions (14.8 ypr), 129 tds in 173 games, 5-Time All-Pro, 7-Time Pro Bowler (Top 5 WR of All-Time)


WR-Marvin Harrison - Sure Future HOF'er, 14,000 yds w/ 1042 receptions (13.4 ypr), 123 tds in 175 games, 3-Time All-Pro, 8-Time Pro Bowler (Top 5 WR of All-Time)


LB-Zach Thomas - Sure Future HOF'er, 1600 tckls, 21 sacks, 17 Ints, 7-Time All-Pro, 7-Time Pro Bowler


OT-Jonathan Ogden - Sure Future HOF'er, Started 176 of 177 games (in a row), 9-Time All-Pro, 11-Time Pro Bowler (IMO, Top 5 OT of all-time!)

FB-Mike Alstott - Sure Future HOF'er, 7400 ttl yds, 71 ttl tds, 4-Time All-Pro, 6-Time Pro Bowler (May be the GOAT FB!)
S-Brian Dawkins - HOF consideration, 800 tckls, 18 sacks, 33 Ints, 32 forced fumbles, 100+ PBUs and 5-Time All-Pro/6-Time Pro Bowler
DE-Simeon Rice - HOF consideration, 520 tckls, 121 sacks, 4-Time Pro Bowl/All-Pro (Ranks 13th All-Time in sacks!)
RB-Eddie George - HOF consideration, 12,700 ttl yds w/ 78 tds in just 9 yrs, 4-Time All-Pro, 3-Time Pro Bowl
DT-LaRoi Glover - HOF consideration, 550 tckls, 83 sacks, 4-Time All-Pro, 6-Time Pro Bowler (Started 158 of 177 games, top 5 in all-time sacks for DT's!)
OT-Willie Anderson - HOF consideration, started 173 of 181 career games, 5-Time All-Pro, 4-Time Pro Bowler
LB-Tedy Bruschi - 1100+ career tckls, 31 sacks, 12 Ints, 52 PBUs and 1-Time Pro Bowler
S-Lawyer Milloy - 1200 tckls, 17 sacks, 24 Ints, 80+ PBUs, 3-Time All-Pro, 4-Time Pro Bowler
WR-Terry Glenn - 8800 yds w/ 593 receptions (14.9 ypr), 44 tds in 137 games, 1-time Pro Bowler
WR-Joe Horn - 8700 yds w/ 603 receptions (14.5 ypr), 58 tds in 163 games, 4-Time Pro Bowler
WR-Amani Toomer - 9,000 yds w/ 620 receptions (14.4 ypr), 50 tds in 175 games
WR-Keyshawn Johnson - 10,576 yds w/ 814 receptiosn (13.0 ypr), 64 tds in 167 games, 3-Time Pro Bowler
WR-Muhsin Muhammad - 10,000 yds w/ 742 receptions (13.5 ypr), 56 tds in 172 games, 1-Time All-Pro, 2-Time Pro Bowler
WR-Eric Moulds - 10,000 yds w/ 764 receptions (13.1 ypr), 49 tds in 157 games, 3-Time Pro Bowler
WR-Eddie Kennison - 8250 yds w/ 535 receptions (15.4 ypr) and 45 tds in 161 games
WR-Bobby Engram - 7700 yds w/ 598 receptions (12.0 ypr) and 35 tds
RB-Stephen Davis - 9600 ttl yds and 70 tds (Scored 17 tds in 1999) in 143 games
RB-Abdul-Karim al-Jabbar - 4,000 ttl yds w/ 35 tds in just 60 games (Led NFL in rushing tds w/ 16 in 1997)
LB-Donnie Edwards - 1450 tckls, 24 sacks, 28 Ints and 1-Time Pro Bowler (Underrated!)
LB-Earl Holmes - 985 tckls, 12 sacks, 90 tfls in 140 games
LB-John Mobley - 600 tckls, 11 sacks, 5 Ints (102 of 105 games started in just 8 yrs), 1-Time All-Pro
LB-Kevin Hardy - 750 tckls, 36 sacks, 5 Ints, (126 of 132 games started), 1-Time All-Pro, 1-Time Pro Bowler
LB-Randall Godfrey - 850 tckls, 17 sacks, 6 Ints (149 of 170 games started)
DE-Tony Brackens - 400 tckls, 55 sacks and 5 Ints in 107 games, 1-Time Pro Bowler (Too many injuries in short career!)
DE-Philip Daniels - 455 Tckls, 60 sacks and 1 Int in 171 games
DE-Duane Clemons - 360 tckls and 50 sacks in 9 yrs
CB-Walt Harris - 700 tckls, 32 Ints, 1-Time Pro Bowler
CB-Donnie Abraham - 450 tckls and 38 Ints in 132 games, 1-Time Pro Bowler
S-Marcus Coleman - 500 tckls and 25 Ints
OG-Marco Rivera - Started 141 of 155 games, 2-Time All-Pro, 3-Time Pro Bowler
OT-Roman Oben - Started 138 of 146 games at LT.
C-Mike Flanagan - Started 100 of 121 games, 1-Time Pro Bowler
OT-Jon Runyan - Started 176 of 189 games, 1-Time Pro Bowler
TE-Rickey Dudley - 3300 yds w/ 220 receptions (13.7 ypr.. excellent for TE) and 33 tds
KR/PR-Jermaine Lewis - 10,000 all purpose yds (7,600 kr/pr yds) w/ 23 ttl tds, 2-Time All-Pro, 2-Time Pro Bowler

Analysis: This Draft is always looked at as having the best WR class of All-Time. 10 WR's combined for over 90,000 receiving yds and 650 tds. But, take into consideration how deep the talent level was, at many positions. Lewis is the GOAT at MLB, in my mind. Thomas is one the most productive/best LB's of all-time. Ogden and Anderson are 2 of the 5 best OT's, since 1995 (the other being, Pace, Boseli and Roaf). Alstott is the GOAT FB, in my mind. Rice, Dawkins, George and Glover are all excellent athletes that have been extremely productive and should garner HOF consideration. Look at the guys who were supposed to do great, but didn't: Lawrence Phillips, Fred Miller, Daryl Gardener, Regan Upshaw, Cedric Jones and Reggie Brown... all 1st Rounders who flamed out.

Compare this draft to the 1983 Draft: Kelly, Elway, Marino, Dickerson, D. Green and B. Matthews. How about 1989: Deion, Aikman, Sanders, D. Thomas and Atwater. Perhaps 1990? E. Smith, Seau, C. Kennedy, Hampton and Webb. 1995 was pretty stout, too: Sapp, Brooks, Boseli, McNair and Stringer. We can go recent w/ 2000: Brady, Urlacher, D. Hall, Arrington and Shaun Alexander. But even when you research the head-strength of all these Drafts, after you get past the best 5 to 7 names... usually the rest of the players are solid, at best. I could see any of the Top 15-20 players on my 1996 list be extremely valuable and productive starters on just about any team, today. 11 of those names will get HOF consideration and 6 will be sure HOF'ers.

The 96 Draft produced a ton of production.

[ThEgReAtOnE]

Here is some of the more noted players from the Class of 1983:

QB-John Elway - HOF'er, 51,000 yds, 300 tds, 57% CCP, 5-Time All-Pro, 9-Time PB, SB MVP
QB-Dan Marino - HOF'er, 61,000 yds, 420 tds, 59% CCP, 8-Time All-Pro, 9-Time PB
QB-Jim Kelly - HOF'er, 35,000 yds, 237 tds, 60% CCP, 3-Time All-Pro, 4-Time PB
RB-Eric Dickerson - HOF'er, 15,300 ttl yds, 96 tds, 5-Time All-Pro, 6-Time Pro Bowler
OG-Bruce Matthews - HOF'er, 7-time All-Pro, 14-time Pro Bowler (Started 292 of 296 games)
CB-Darrell Green - HOF'er, 1100 tckls, 54 Ints, 3-time All-Pro, 7-Time Pro Bowler (295 games)
RB-Roger Craig - 13,000 ttl yds and 63 tds, 1-Time All-Pro, 4-Time Pro Bowler
RB-Curt Warner - 8,000 ttl yds and 63 tds, 3-Time Pro Bowler
LB-Darryl Talley - 1200 tckls, 35 sacks, 12 Ints and 2-Time Pro Bowler
DE-Charles Mann - 800 tckls, 83 sacks (177 games), 4-Time Pro Bowler
DE-Leonard Marshall - 650 tckls, 84 sacks (177 games), 2-Time Pro Bowler
DE-Richard Dent - 670 tckls, 138 sacks (203 games), 1-time All-Pro, 4-Time Pro Bowler
DB-Terry Kinard - 385 tckls, 31 Ints, 1-Time Pro Bowler
C-Jesse Sapolu - Started 154 of 183 games, 2-Time Pro Bowler
WR-Willie Gault - 6700 yds w/ 333 receptions (19.9 ypr) and 44 tds
WR-Henry Ellard - 13,700 yds w/ 814 receptions (16.9 ypr) and 65 tds, 2-Time All-Pro, 3-Time PB
WR-Anthony Carter - 7700 yds w/ 486 receptions (15.9 ypr) and 55 tds, 3-Time PB
QB-Kenny O'Brien - 25,000 yds, 128 tds, 59% CCP, 2-Time Pro Bowler

A ton of talent from 1983, as well.

[WestPlano006]

WOW, I didn;t know those 3 QBs were all in the same class. That is amazing.

And Ray Lewis... man, the guy is just a beast. The best defensive player I have seen in my time. Donnie Edwards I have always thought was underrated as well...

[Matthew 2000 Eagle]

Originally Posted by WestPlano006

Donnie Edwards I have always thought was underrated as well...

[TXFOOSBALL]

You forgot Leeland Mcelroy

[Rapture]

1996 draft had the best ever group of recievers.

[dada]

Originally Posted by TXFOOSBALL

You forgot Leeland Mcelroy

I had a 'Letric Leeland for Heisman t-shirt...lol

[ThEgReAtOnE]

Originally Posted by dada4w

I had a 'Letric Leeland for Heisman t-shirt...lol

I knew him, back then. He was a fast and shifty guy in college. I never really gave him much hope for anything more than a solid return specialist in the NFL. Wasn't surprised to see him dissapear after a few so-so yrs in the League.